The Silent World of Hector Mann

The Silent World of Hector Mann is a 2010 album by Duke Special, featuring songs inspired by the fictional silent film star Hector Mann from Paul Auster's 2002 novel The Book of Illusions, who starred in twelve films before disappearing. Special wrote "Mister Nobody", inspired by the title of one of Mann's films, and sent the novel to eleven songwriters of his acquaintance, asking them each to write a song based on one of the twelve films[1] in a pre-rock and roll style.[2]

The Silent World of Hector Mann
Studio album by
Released28 February 2010
GenreRock
Length35:18
LabelReel to Reel
ProducerSteve Albini
Duke Special chronology
Mother Courage and Her Children
(2010)
The Silent World of Hector Mann
(2010)
Huckleberry Finn EP
(2010)

The album was produced by Steve Albini and recorded at his Electrical Audio studios in Chicago.[3] It was released both on its own and as part of a box set entitled The Stage, A Book And The Silver Screen, which also includes Mother Courage and Her Children and the Huckleberry Finn EP, funded via the online crowdsourcing platform PledgeMusic.[4]

Track listing

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No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Hearth and Home"Ronnie Mintor2:30
2."Wanda, Darling of the Jockey Club"Neil Hannon2:58
3."Jumping Jacks"Ed Harcourt2:59
4."Mister Nobody"Duke Special2:59
5."Tango Tangle"Ben Castle3:25
6."You'll be Detective"Clare Muldaur Manchon2:47
7."Double or Nothing"Phil Wilkinson2:12
8."Country Weekend"Paul Pilot3:13
9."Old Folks and Cow Pokes"Réa Curran3:14
10."The Prop Man"Thomas Truax2:40
11."Scandal"Pete Noback3:17
12."Teller's Tale"Matt Hales3:11

References

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  1. ^ Features: Duke Special, Culture Northern Ireland, 29 June 2010
  2. ^ John Walshe, Album Review: The Stage, a Book and the Silver Screen, State.ie, 23 February 2010
  3. ^ Kernan Andrews, "Duke Special - Berlin, books, and Steve Albini", Galway Advertiser, 13 May 2010
  4. ^ Jack Foley, Duke Special - The Stage, a Book and the Silver Screen, IndieLondon
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