| Atmos | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 US picture sleeve | |||||
| Studio album by | |||||
| Released | 30 June 1992 | ||||
| Recorded | October 1991-March 1992 | ||||
| Studio | Hitsville U.S.A., Detroit, Michigan, U.S. | ||||
| Genre |
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| Length | 35:00 | ||||
| Language | English | ||||
| Label | Tamla Records, Sub Pop | ||||
| Producer | Carl Wilson, Kurt Cobain | ||||
| Carl Wilson album chronology | |||||
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''Atmos'' is the seventh solo album by American singer-songwriter Carl Wilson in collaboration with singer Stevie Wonder and rock band Nirvana, it was released on June 30, 1992 by the labels Tamla Records and Sub Pop. Atmos was written almost exclusively by Wilson, with the majority of its tracks being recorded under improvised tunes and effects. It wasn't well received or a success upon release, with people despising it for its combination of jazz and alternative rock. Many say that Atmos may be the worst album ever created, with Wilson saying in an interview that the album was "the worst mistake I have ever made". Despite being a failure, some of the album's tracks ("Neon Journey" and "No One Needs An Angle") were praised by critics in later years and are now viewed as experimental songs in a similar light to Delhi by former Beatle John Lennon, a more successful album that was released later the same year and also featured Nirvana. ''Neon Journey'' would famously be used in the 2011 sports drama GOAT during a drug trip scene.
Having been a solo artist since 1969, Wilson first became aware of the alternative rock movement in 1990 through the Cleveland-based band Nine Inch Nails while listening to their debut album ''Pretty Hate Machine''. Following the commercial success of the alternative-resonated genre of grunge, Wilson contacted Kurt Cobain, the frontman of Nirvana and R&B singer Stevie Wonder to work on a potential collaborative piece, a request which was accepted "almost immediately". Recording of the album took place during most of October, November and December 1991, January, February and March 1992, with overdubs being edited at Hitsville U.S.A., Motown Records' main recording studio.
Tracklist[]
| N. | Title | Music | Vocals/length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | In the City | Carl Wilson and Stevie Wonder | Carl Wilson (lead) and Stevie Wonder (backing)
4:00 |
| 2. | No One Needs An Angle | Carl Wilson and Nirvana | Carl Wilson (lead) and Kurt Cobain (backing)
3:20 |
| 3. | Atmos | Carl Wilson, Stevie Wonder and Nirvana | Carl Wilson (lead), Stevie Wonder (backing), Kurt Cobain (backing), Dave Grohl (backing) and Krist Novoselic (backing)
4:10 |
| 4. | Little Secrets | Carl Wilson and Nirvana | Kurt Cobain (lead) and Carl Wilson (backing)
5:00 |
| 5. | Out of Mind | Carl Wilson and Nirvana | Carl Wilson (lead) and Dave Grohl (backing)
3:17 |
| 6. | Mrs. Cherry | Carl Wilson | Carl Wilson
2:00 |
| 7. | Neon Journey | Carl Wilson and Nirvana | Carl Wilson (lead) and Krist Novoselic (backing)
4:05 |
| 8. | Now We're Talking | Carl Wilson and Nirvana | Kurt Cobain (lead) and Carl Wilson (backing)
9:48 |