"Cement" is the second single from British rock band Feeder's critically acclaimed 1997 album ''

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''. In addition to reaching number 53 on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

, it also charted at number 31 on the US ''

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Mainstream Rock Mainstream rock (also known as heritage rock) is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations in the United States and Canada. Format background Mainstream rock stations represent the middle ground between classic rock and active rock ...

chart.

Critical reception

The song was released to a very favourable critical reception. ''

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'' rated the single their highest rating of "KKKKK", meaning five stars out of five. They described the song as "haunting, hooky and heavy, in a creepy twisted sort of way" and said that, along with their previous single "

Stereo World Feeder are a Welsh Rock music, rock band formed in Newport, Wales, Newport in 1994. They have released 11 studio albums, 12 compilations, four EPs and 43 singles, spending a combined total of 184 weeks on the singles and albums charts as of 2 ...

", the band had "combined the universes of rock credibility and pop sensibility to bit on the perfect single formula". They further noted that the song "grabs you and sends you" and is "gorgeous". In 2005, the same magazine included the song in its list of the band's "Past Glories"−an eight song list of the band's "classic moments"−where they referred to the song as a "pristine

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single" and "a criminally forgotten Feeder classic". In the same month,

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commented the song, along with "

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", had "drive" and "passion".

Music video

The music video for ''Cement'' was directed by Jon Klien and is set almost entirely in a grimy, dimly-lit bedroom set with windows similar to those seen in the

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in the ''

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'' films. It flashes between band performance and frontman

Grant Nicholas Grantley Jonathan "Grant" Nicholas (born 12 November 1967) is a Welsh musician, and lead singer and guitarist of the rock band Feeder. Early years Nicholas was born in Newport, South Wales, but grew up in Pwllmeyric, near Chepstow. He was educa ...

indulging in various unhinged, obsessive activities relating to his love interest in the video which loosely relate to the song's lyrics. This includes spying on the girl with a camera as she walks down the street and constructing a model of her, which (in his mind at least) comes to life, and hand-peeling the shell off an egg.

B-sides

Amongst the singles'

B-sides The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record company ...

are re-recordings of the two tracks from their debut release, "Two Colours", while "Rush" was at first a studio demo before the released version is a "live" take, which was recorded in a studio with the crowd effects added afterwards. It was originally recorded for a compilation called ''Home Truths''. This was also their first coloured vinyl release. The song refers to “sexual obsession”.

Track listings

CD1 # "Cement" – 3:18 # "Chicken on a Bone" (1997 version) – 3:45 # "Forgiven" – 4:40 CD2 # "Cement" – 3:18 # "Pictures of Pain" (1997 version) – 3:46 # "Rush" (live) – 3:46 7-inch red vinyl single # "Cement" – 3:18 # "Pictures of Pain" (1997 version) – 3:46

Charts

Release history

References

{{Authority control 1997 singles 1997 songs The Echo Label singles Elektra Records singles Feeder songs Song recordings produced by Chris Sheldon Songs written by Grant Nicholas