The Charm of the Highway Strip is the fourth studio album by The Magnetic Fields, released in 1994. It is the first Magnetic Fields album to have its original release with Merge Records. Its title, lyrics and musical styling are a nod to country music, though the songs of Stephin Merritt remain rooted in classic pop and synthesizers. Virtually every song deals with roads and travel - and several songs' lyrics implicitly reference vampires.
The title of the album comes from a quote by J. B. Jackson, 1959: "Let us hope that the merits and charm of the highway strip are not so obscure but that they will be accepted by a wider public."
This is the group's first full album in which songwriter Merritt also takes lead vocals.
The album was released on vinyl for the first time on May 6, 2008, via Merge Records, the first appearance of any Magnetic Fields album on vinyl.
Arcade Fire covered "Born on a Train" during a live performance on the KCRW program Morning Becomes Eclectic.
Lush covered "I Have the Moon" as a single B-side, and in the Japanese/Canadian released album Topolino.
The song "Dust Bowl" was used during an episode of the television series version of This American Life ("Pandora's Box").
The album is ranked number one on the music critic and historian Piero Scaruffi's list of the best pop albums of all time.
Read more about The Charm Of The Highway Strip: Track Listing, Personnel
Famous quotes containing the words charm, highway and/or strip:
“The charm of fame is so great that we like every object to which it is attached, even death.”
—Blaise Pascal (1623–1662)
“In one notable instance, where the United States Army and a hundred years of persuasion failed, a highway has succeeded. The Seminole Indians surrendered to the Tamiami Trail. From the Everglades the remnants of this race emerged, soon after the trail was built, to set up their palm-thatched villages along the road and to hoist tribal flags as a lure to passing motorists.”
—For the State of Florida, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)
“Here we’ll strip and cool our fire
In cream below, in milk-baths higher;
And when all wells are drawn dry,
I’ll drink a tear out of thine eye.”
—Richard Lovelace (1618–1658)