"Animal Nitrate" is a song by the English Britpop group Suede. Released as the band's third single, it later appeared on their debut album Suede on Nude Records in 1993. It charted at number seven on the UK Singles Chart, making it the highest charting single from the album.
The video for the title track was directed by Pedro Romhanyi. The band caused some controversy with the video when it was banned for its depiction of two men engaging in a kiss. It won the first MTV Euro Video Song Contest in 1993.
The title of the song is a reference to the inhalant drug amyl nitrite. Chris Jones, reviewing Suede's debut album for the BBC, concurred. "Despite its punning title it’s a thrill-seeking slice of cynicism that perfectly summed up what it was like to be young and chemically imbalanced in the nation’s capital at the time.
The single was previewed to the nation at the 1993 Brit Awards.
According to Suede's biography Love and Poison, the chorus's guitar part was inspired by the intro to popular BBC television series Dixon of Dock Green. The song was almost overlooked as a single; Brett Anderson was convinced "Sleeping Pills" would be the third single. He was soon overruled by Nude Records owner Saul Galpern.
In March 2005, Q magazine placed "Animal Nitrate" at number 97 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks.
In May 2007, NME magazine placed "Animal Nitrate" at number 43 in its list of the 50 Greatest Indie Anthems Ever.
Read more about Animal Nitrate: Track Listings
Famous quotes containing the word animal:
“I fancy it must be the quantity of animal food eaten by the English which renders their character insusceptible of civilisation. I suspect it is in their kitchens and not in their churches that their reformation must be worked, and that Missionaries of that description from [France] would avail more than those who should endeavor to tame them by precepts of religion or philosophy.”
—Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826)