Return to Cookie Mountain is the second studio album by American rock band TV on the Radio. It was released July 6, 2006, worldwide by 4AD, and issued in the U.S. and Canada on September 12, 2006, by Interscope Records and Touch and Go Records. The North American release features three bonus tracks, two of which are B-sides from the single "Wolf Like Me"; the other is a remix of "Hours" by El-P. Videos were made for the singles "Wolf Like Me" and "Province".
The album featured several notable guest vocalists: "Province" features backing vocals from David Bowie, who championed the band's full-length debut, Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes; Katrina Ford of the band Celebration guests on "Wolf Like Me", "Let the Devil In" and "Blues from Down Here"; Kazu Makino of Blonde Redhead sings on "Hours". This is their first album to feature the keyboardist Gerard Smith.
Reception
Return to Cookie Mountain earned overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics, and was named the album of the year by Spin for 2006, leading to the band's appearance on the magazine's cover. The album was ranked second on Pitchfork Media's list of Top 50 Albums of 2006. Rolling Stone, Slant Magazine, and Stylus Magazine each named the album as the fourth best of 2006, and the album is ranked fifth on Metacritic's year-end list. In 2009, Rhapsody ranked the album at eighth on its "100 Best Albums of the Decade" list. In December 2007 the album was ranked number 96 in Blender (magazine)'s 100 Greatest Indie-Rock Albums Ever.
As of 2014, sales in the United States have exceeded 242,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
Track listing
"Let the Devil In" includes extended samples from Lou Reed's 1975 noise album Metal Machine Music during the verses.
Tracks 12 to 25 are untitled silent tracks. Track 12 runs for 0:16 while tracks 13 to 25 run for 0:17. Track 26 consists of ambient audio.
Personnel
TV on the Radio
Tunde Adebimpe – vocals , percussion , choir
Jaleel Bunton – drums , piano , guitar , percussion , choir , Rhodes
Kyp Malone – vocals , bass , guitar
Dave Sitek – guitars , bass , samples , flute , sampler , keys , synth , magic
Gerard Smith – piano , organ , bass , choir , guitar , electric sitar
Additional personnel
Kazu Makino – vocals
Jeremy Wilms – cello
David Bowie – vocals
Omega "C Taylor" Moon – vocals
Katrina Ford – vocals
Martin Perna – baritone saxophone , horns
Aaron Aites – choir
Dragons of Zynth: Akwetey & Aku Orraca-Tetteh, Devang Arvind Shah – choir, percussion Shanina Robinson – vocals Stuart D. Bogie – bass harmonica, bass clarinet Chris Taylor – horns , clarinet , horn arrangement