No Hats Beyond This Point
No Hats Beyond this Point is the sixth studio album by Canadian synthpop group Men Without Hats. Released in 2003, it was their first album in twelve years. After the release of the album, the group broke up. It was the group's third and final album to be produced by Stefan Doroschuk.
| No Hats Beyond This Point | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 4, 2003 | |||
| Recorded | 2002 | |||
| Genre | Synthpop | |||
| Length | 37:03 | |||
| Label | Cloud 9 Records | |||
| Producer | Stefan Doroschuk | |||
| Men Without Hats chronology | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    |
Style and availability
The album's music consisted almost entirely of synthesizers, reverting to the group's previous sound. The album has virtually no drums (if any, most likely synthesized, as on the fifth track, 'California').
Lead singer Ivan Doroschuk's nieces sing backup vocals in the tracks "Christina's World", "Telepathy" and "Roses."[2]
The album is considered an "underground" album,[3] a rarity that was not released to any record stores. In 2011, however, the band released the album commercially on several platforms for digital streaming and download.[4]
It was intended to be Doroschuk's second solo album, titled Mote in God's Eye, but was released under the Men Without Hats name.
Critical reception
AllMusic's David Jeffries noted the return of the band's iconic graphic symbol and synthesizer sound, in a negative review that contrasted "the wry songwriting and catchy melodies of the early days" with unsatisfying "juvenile instrumental backing" and "insipid melodies" on the new album.[1] The review criticized the album's social commentary as excessive, "simplistic and filled with clichés," and added, "It's hard not to cringe when main man Ivan Doroschuk delivers such sophomoric lyrics so sternly."[1]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Ivan Doroschuk and Stefan Doroschuk.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Dancing in the Moonlight" | 3:44 |
| 2. | "Christina's World" | 4:14 |
| 3. | "Telepathy" | 3:20 |
| 4. | "How Does It Feel" | 3:27 |
| 5. | "In California" | 3:50 |
| 6. | "Dreaming" | 3:54 |
| 7. | "Body" | 3:21 |
| 8. | "Roses" | 4:24 |
| 9. | "Hey Superstar" | 4:31 |
| 10. | "Today Tomorrow Yesterday" | 2:25 |
Personnel
- Ivan Doroschuk – vocals, guitar, synthesizer
- Stefan Doroschuk – vocals, guitar, violin
- Emmy-Lou Doroschuk, Mary-Lynn Doroschuk – backing vocals
- Mary-Lou Deehy – backing vocals
References
- Jeffries, David. "No Hats Beyond This Point". AllMusic.
- Men Without Hats. "A Brief History". Archived from the original on 2012-07-12.
- Prasad, Anil (2012). "Men Without Hats: Recapturing the rhythm". Innerviews. Archived from the original on 2015-09-29.
- See, e.g., "No Hats Beyond This Point". Amazon.com. ASIN B004MZCH1O.
External links
- No Hats Beyond This Point at Discogs
- Mote in God's Eye playlist on YouTube