50 Song Memoir is the eleventh studio album by American indie pop band the Magnetic Fields, released on March 10, 2017. 50 Song Memoir is an autobiographical concept album that chronicles the first 50 years of lyricist Stephin Merritt's life, with one song for each year that he has lived.
Recording The album was produced by Merritt with additional production by Thomas Bartlett and Charles Newman. Merritt sings on all fifty tracks.
Tour The fully staged live shows in support of 50 Song Memoir were directed by José Zayas with an expanded Magnetic Fields lineup that included three additional musicians for the tour for a total of seven musicians, each playing a different instrument. On the tour the band played the entirety of 50 Song Memoir in two halves across two nights at each venue.
Release 50 Song Memoir is available in five-L.P. and five-C.D. editions that include an interview by Daniel Handler and facsimile handwritten lyrics by Stephin Merritt, and as a bound book.
Reception
Upon release, the album received near universal acclaim, with the average critical score being an 86 out of 100 according to review aggregator website Metacritic.
Accolades Publication Accolade Year Rank The Independent The 20 Most Underrated Albums Ever 2024 Uncut Albums of the Year 2017
Track listing
Personnel The Magnetic Fields
Stephin Merritt – lead vocals, Roland vocoder, ukulele, resonator ukulele, bass ukulele, 8-string ukulele, classical guitar, 12-string guitar, electric guitar, baritone guitar, electric bass, acoustic bass, mandola, autoharp, marxolin, bass banjo, charango, cavaquinho, harp, hammered dulcimer, bowed psaltery, electric sitar, Prophet-5, ARP String Ensemble, Moog Voyager, Casio VL-Tone, piano, keyboards, Wurlitzer electric piano, Rhodes Piano Bass, organ, pianet, celeste, toy piano, prepared piano, Omnichord, audio pattern generator, kazoo, melodica, xylophone, glockenspiel, bass drum, log drum, slit drum, ocean drum, cymbal, tubes, rainstick, wind chimes, chimes, maracas, conga, bongos, triangle, tambourine, washboard, steel drum, shakers, finger cymbals, guiro, djembe, cajon, woodblock, bells, sleighbells, fingersnaps, thunder sheet, cabasas, cowbells, tongs, bottle, abacus, drum machines, tapes, feedback Claudia Gonson – background vocals, piano Sam Davol – cello, musical saw John Woo – guitar Shirley Simms – background vocals
Additional personnel
Thomas Bartlett – mellotron, clavinet, omnichord, rhodes, piano, Moog synthesizer, optigan Christopher Ewen – synthesizers, kazoo, angklung, stylophone, omnichord Pinky Weitzman – viola, Stroh violin, musical saw Daniel Handler – background vocals, accordion, vibraphone, piano, Hammond organ, celeste Johny Blood – tuba, flugelhorn, mouthpiece Brad Gordon – trombone, pocket trumpet Randy Walker – background vocals Anthony Kaczynski – background vocals Otto Handler – spoken word
Charts Chart (2017) Peak position
References