King James Version

King James Version is the second studio album by American rock band Harvey Danger, released on September 12, 2000, through . It was the band's only album recorded for a major label, and was their last album with drummer Evan Sult. Written and recorded and over the span of 16 months with producer John Goodmanson, the album marked a substantial departure from the lo-fi sound of the band's debut Where Have All the Merrymakers Gone? (1997); it encompassed a variety of rock music styles and explored "the conflict between faith and skepticism". Although the bulk of the album's material was recorded in March and April 1999, work on the album continued periodically until February 2000 due to a dispute surrounding Harvey Danger's contract, which delayed its release. The album was preceded by the release of two singles: "Sad Sweetheart of the Rodeo", which reached number 27 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart, and "Authenticity". King James Version received favourable reviews from critics, who praised the band's musical growth. Due to a lack of promotional support, sales were extremely poor; by 2005, it had sold only 25,000 copies in the United States. As a result, Harvey Danger disbanded at the end of the album's supporting tour in April 2001. Despite its commercial failure, King James Version gradually attained a cult following and critical acclaim in the years following its release, and was later named one of the best albums of the 2000s by PopMatters. Harvey Danger performed the album in its entirety for one show in 2008. Background In 1997, Harvey Danger released their debut studio album, Where Have All the Merrymakers Gone?, through the Arena Rock Recording Company. Although the album was not a commercial success, major labels engaged in a bidding war to sign Harvey Danger after the album's second track, "Flagpole Sitta", began receiving airplay from several college radio stations and Los Angeles-based KROQ. The band subsequently signed with London Recordings' Slash Records imprint in May 1998, shortly after they hired Arena Rock owner Greg Glover. Where Have All the Merrymakers Gone? was reissued by Slash/London the following month to great commercial success, largely due to "Flagpole Sitta"; the album went on to sell over 500,000 copies in the United States, and in February 1999 was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).