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Heroes to Zeros
Studio album by The Beta Band
Released	26 April 2004 (UK) 4 May 2004 (US) 12 May 2004 (Japan)
Recorded	September 2002 – November 2003 Rockfield Studios
Genre	Electronic, rock
Length	42:18
Label	Regal REG101 (UK) Astralwerks ASW 78005 (US) Toshiba-EMI TOCP 66278
Producer	The Beta Band
The Beta Band chronology
Hot Shots II (2001) Heroes to Zeros (2004) The Best of The Beta Band (2005)

Heroes to Zeros is the third and final studio album by The Beta Band, released in 2004. It was produced by The Beta Band and mixed by Nigel Godrich.

The cover illustration was created by comic book writer and artist Kaare Andrews. The Beta Band logo for the album was created by comic book artist Dave McCaig, later to be reused on The Best of the Beta Band.

The song "Liquid Bird" features a sample of "Painted Bird" by Siouxsie and the Banshees.

Mason later said, "We shouldn't have produced it ourselves, and if you think we did a bad job of producing it, we made an even worse job mixing it. We presented it to the label, and they immediately handed the whole thing over to Nigel Godrich to mix."

Reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	74/100
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Entertainment Weekly	A−
The Guardian
The Independent
Mojo
Paste
Pitchfork	6.9/10
Q
The Rolling Stone Album Guide
Spin	B−

The album was included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Track listing

All tracks written by Steve Mason, John Maclean, Richard Greentree, and Robin Jones.

1. "Assessment" – 4:34
2. "Space" – 4:00
3. "Lion Thief" – 3:27
4. "Easy" – 2:32
5. "Wonderful" – 4:39
6. "Troubles" – 2:34
7. "Out-Side" – 4:06
8. "Space Beatle" – 3:40
9. "Rhododendron" – 1:36
10. "Liquid Bird" – 3:23
11. "Simple" – 3:47
12. "Pure For" – 3:55

Additional musicians

• "Assessment" brass section

• Pete Fry – trombone
• Neil Martin – trumpet
• Pete Gainey – saxophone

• "Simple" and "Troubles" strings section

• Dominic Pecher – cello
• Alex Lyon – viola
• Ben Lee – violin
• Ruston Pomeroy – violin

Singles

"Assessment"

United Kingdom

• released 12 April 2004

CD 1 REG102CD: "Assessment" / "Shrek"

CD 2 REG102CDS: "Assessment" / "Shrek" / "Assessment" (C Swing's bootleg mix) / "Assessment" (video)

12" CHEMST21: "Assessment" / "Shrek" / "Assessment" (C Swing's bootleg mix)

United States

• released 18 May 2004

CD ASW 49063: "Assessment" / "Shrek" / "Assessment" (C Swing's bootleg mix) / "Assessment" (video)

12" ASW 48755: "Assessment" / "Shrek" / "Assessment" (C Swing's bootleg mix)

"Out-Side"

United Kingdom

• released 12 July 2004

CD 1 REG110CD: "Out-Side" (radio edit) / "Out-Side" (Roman Nose remix)

CD 2 REG110CDS: "Out-Side" (radio edit) / "Out-Side" (Roman Nose remix) / "Out-Side" (Depth Charge remix) / "Out-Side" (video)

12" REG110: "Out-Side" (radio edit) / "Out-Side" (Roman Nose remix)

References

1. Daryl Easlea (1 May 2023). "Fife Star". Record Collector. p. 65.
2. "Reviews for Heroes to Zeros by Beta Band". Metacritic. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
3. Bush, John. "Heroes to Zeros – The Beta Band". AllMusic. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
4. Endelman, Michael (7 May 2004). "Heroes to Zeros". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 14 April 2018. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
5. Lynskey, Dorian (23 April 2004). "The Beta Band, Heroes to Zeros". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
6. Price, Simon (25 April 2004). "The Beta Band: Heroes to Zeros (Regal)". The Independent.
7. "The Beta Band: Heroes to Zeros". Mojo (125): 102. April 2004.
8. Bartlett, Thomas (June–July 2004). "The Beta Band – Heroes to Zeros". Paste (10). Archived from the original on 8 January 2005. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
9. LeMay, Matt (6 May 2004). "The Beta Band: Heroes to Zeros". Pitchfork. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
10. "The Beta Band: Hot Shots II". Q (214): 99. May 2004.
11. Randall, Mac (2004). "The Beta Band". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. p. 67. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
12. Beaujon, Andrew (July 2004). "The Beta Band: Heroes to Zeros / Lone Pigeon: Schoozzzmmii". Spin. 20 (7): 112. Retrieved 27 May 2016.
13. Robert Dimery; Michael Lydon (23 March 2010). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition. Universe. ISBN 978-0-7893-2074-2.

• The Beta Band albums
• 2004 albums
• Astralwerks albums
• Virgin Records albums