Resilience is Futile is the seventh studio album by American rock band Bulla, released in 2005 by Reprise Records. The album also saw the return of guitarist Bill Lawrence, after his absence from recording, touring and promoting the band's previous album If You Have to Ask... You'll Never Know, which was released in 2001, as well as the last collaboration with producer Brendan O'Brien, who worked with the band since their fourth album Animal Kingdom.
Songs[]
All lyrics are written by John Langley, except where noted; all music is composed by Bulla.
No. | Title | Lyrics | Lead vocal(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Clown" | Brian McNamara | 4:15 | |
2. | "Sunbow" | McNamara | McNamara | 5:51 |
3. | "Once and Again" | Langley, McNamara | McNamara | 5:06 |
4. | "Supersonic" | Langley | 2:38 | |
5. | "Bitter/Sweet" | McNamara | McNamara | 4:23 |
6. | "Waiting" | McNamara | 3:46 | |
7. | "She's Gone" | McNamara | McNamara | 3:57 |
8. | "Ingratitude" | Sullivan | Sullivan | 4:38 |
9. | "Her" | Langley, McNamara | McNamara | 5:02 |
10. | "Duke of Crowborough" | Langley | 2:40 | |
11. | "Daylight" | McNamara | 4:21 | |
12. | "Ballad of the Enemy" | McNamara | 4:34 | |
13. | "Signs" | Langley, McNamara | McNamara | 5:10 |
14. | "Outlands" | McNamara | 4:55 | |
15. | "Go South" | Langley | 2:57 | |
16. | "Backlands" | Sullivan | Sullivan | 8:39 |
- Outtakes
- "Rehab" (words by Langley; music by Hewitt and Langley)
- "Hold On" (words by Langley and Lawrence; music by Langley
- "Jenny" (words and music by Langley)
Personnel[]
- Bulla
- Brian McNamara: lead vocals (all except 4, 8, 10, 15 and 16), background vocals (4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 16), acoustic guitar (3, 7, 11, 16), electric guitar (1, 2, 4, 5, 6. 8, 9, 12, 14, 15, 16), additional bass (on "Signs"), celesta, flute and xylophone (on "Duke of Crowborough"), mandolin (on "Go South")
- Bill Lawrence: electric (1–9, 12–14, 16), lap steel (on "Outlands" and "Go South") and resonator (on "Sunbow" and "Backlands") guitars, melodica (on "Waiting"), alto saxophone, bass guitar and darbuka (on "Duke of Crowborough"), 12-string guitar and slide (on "Daylight"), background vocals (1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 13, 14, 16)
- John Langley: lead vocals (on "Supersonic", "Duke of Crowborough" and "Go South"), bass guitar (all but 10), kalimba (on "Ingratitude" and "Ballad of the Enemy"), electric guitar and marimba (on "Duke of Crowborough"), acoustic guitar (on "Signs" and "Backlands"), glass harmonica (on "Ballad of the Enemy"), mellotron (on "Go South"), optigan and Minimoog synthesizer (on "Backlands"), background vocals (1–3, 5–9, 11–14, 16)
- Jim Hewitt: drums (all but 10), tabla (on "She's Gone"), percussion (9, 15, 16), ocean, snare and hang drums (on "Duke of Crowborough"), vibraslap (on "Outlands"), waterphone (on "Backlands"), background vocals (2, 3, 9, 10, 13)
- Mike Sullivan: lead vocals (on "Ingratitude" and "Backlands"), keyboards (1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 15), harmonium (2, 5), xylophone (7), programming (3, 15), sound effects (1, 15, 16), mellotron (5, 12), clavichord (11), clavinet (10, 14, 15, 16), Rhodes piano (2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 16), Oberheim OB-X synthesizer (8, 15), acoustic piano (9, 14), glockenspiel and Wurlitzer piano (12), Hammond organ and classical guitar (16), background vocals (3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14)
- Additional musicians
- Brendan O'Brien - Hammond B-3 (2, 5, 15), Wurlitzer piano (14), background vocals (1, 3, 13, 14)
- Mark Gordon - cowbell and trumpet on "Once and Again", percussion on "Sunbow" and "Backlands", water bucket and wine bottle on "Sunbow", wood block on "Bitter/Sweet"
- Lenny Castro - percussion (2, 6, 7, 9, 11, 15, 16)
- Alison Mosshart - background vocals on "Her"
- Production
- Brendan O'Brien - production, recording
- Bulla - production
- Greg Fidelman - recording
- John Burton - additional engineering
- Nick DiDia - additional engineering
- Jay Messina - additional engineering
- Alan Moulder - mixing
- Emily Lazar - mastering
- Chris Bilheimer - art direction
- John Langley - art direction (credited as Blue Jay), cover concept (credited as Derek Valmont), layout, photography
- Brian McNamara - cover concept (credited as Jordan Greenwell), layout, photography
- Mike Sullivan - cover concept (credited as Mr. Mike), layout, photography
- Brad Klausen - layout, production designer
- Danny Clinch - photography