Dead in the Boot

Dead in the Boot is a B-sides compilation album by English rock band Elbow, released in the UK on 27 August 2012. The title is a reference to the band's debut album Asleep in the Back and was suggested by singer Guy Garvey's sister Beckie.^[1]

Dead in the Boot
Compilation album by Elbow
Released	27 August 2012
Recorded	1997–2012
Genre	Alternative rock, indie rock
Length	51:33
Label	Fiction, Polydor
Producer	Ben Hillier, Craig Potter, Elbow
Elbow chronology
Build a Rocket Boys! (2011) Dead in the Boot (2012) The Take Off and Landing of Everything (2014)

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[2]
BBC Music	favourable[3]
The Daily Telegraph	[4]
The Independent	[5]
Mojo	[6]
NME	7/10[7]
Slant Magazine	[8]

The reviews for the album were mostly positive, with many reviewers commenting on the overall downbeat nature of the songs. NME noted that "there is a strain of nocturnal lethargy that seems to run through Elbow's flipsides... it's odd that its somnolent air actually renders it slightly one-note... But there's nothing wrong with a gentle head massage after a hard night."^[7] The Daily Telegraph described the tracks as "mostly steady, lo-fi grooves, propelled by blue-collar bluesy riffs, detached electronic bleeps and mournful pianos", and stated that "in the best possible sense, these songs are come-downs, reflective descents from the band's often soaring, more melody-driven A-sides. They may have been left in the band's boot for a while, but there's nothing dead about them."^[4] Mojo called it "an accomplished compilation" and proclaimed that "Dead in the Boot is less throwaway than its name suggests."^[6]

BBC Music said "This is more than just a stopgap between the albums, and while not exactly standing alongside their best in terms of outright quality, shows that even Elbow's 'hidden' past is worthy of deeper exploration."^[3] The Independent had some criticisms, saying that the album was "far from exhaustive, with tracks cherry-picked for quality and sequenced non-chronologically. Indeed, if anything, there's a touch too many of the tender piano ostinatos", but overall opining that "most B-sides compilations seem to have been thrown together to fulfil contracts but Dead in the Boot has a form and substance beyond that".^[5]

Track listing

No.	Title	Originally from	Length
1.	"Whisper Grass"	"Fallen Angel" CD single, 2003	4:30
2.	"Lucky with Disease"	"Newborn" CD single, 2001	3:44
3.	"Lay Down Your Cross"	"Not a Job" CD single, 2004	4:41
4.	"The Long War Shuffle"	"Leaders of the Free World" CD single, 2005	4:14
5.	"Every Bit the Little Girl"	"One Day Like This" 7" vinyl single, 2008	4:25
6.	"Love Blown Down"	"Fugitive Motel" CD single, 2003	4:30
7.	"None One"	The Newborn EP, 2000	3:44
8.	"Lullaby"	"One Day Like This" CD single, 2008	3:15
9.	"McGreggor"	"Forget Myself" 7" vinyl single, 2005	2:40
10.	"Buffalo Ghosts"	"Open Arms" 10" vinyl single, 2011	3:37
11.	"Waving from Windows"	"Grace Under Pressure"/"Switching Off" CD single, 2004	4:14
12.	"Snowball"	Help!: A Day in the Life album, 2005	5:01
13.	"Gentle As"	"Leaders of the Free World" 7" vinyl single, 2005	2:58
Total length:			51:33

All lyrics are written by Guy Garvey; all music is composed by Elbow.

Personnel

Elbow

• Guy Garvey – vocals, slide guitar on "The Long War Shuffle", string, percussion, brass & choral arrangements
• Mark Potter – guitars
• Craig Potter – keys, percussion
• Pete Turner – bass
• Richard Jupp – drums, percussion

Release history

Region	Date	Format	Label
United Kingdom	27 August 2012	CD, LP, digital download	Polydor
United States	19 November 2012	CD, LP, digital download	Xenon