''Reading, Writing and Arithmetic'' is the debut studio album by English

alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from mainstream or commerci ...

band

the Sundays The Sundays were an English alternative rock band, formed in the late 1980s, which released three albums throughout the 1990s. The band's beginnings came with the meeting of singer Harriet Wheeler and guitarist David Gavurin while attending ...

. It was released in 1990 on Rough Trade Records in the United Kingdom, and on

DGC Records DGC Records (an initialism for the David Geffen Company) was an American record label that operated as a division of Interscope Geffen A&M Records, which is owned by the Universal Music Group. History DGC Records was launched in 1990 as a subsi ...

in the United States. The album's title is a reference to the band's hometown,

Reading, Berkshire Reading ( ) is a town and borough in Berkshire, Southeast England, southeast England. Located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the rivers River Thames, Thames and River Kennet, Kennet, the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 mot ...

Reception

Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to ...

'' ranked at number 15 on their list of "The 30 Best

Dream Pop Dream pop (also typeset as dreampop) is a subgenre of alternative rock and neo-psychedelia that emphasizes atmosphere and sonic texture as much as pop melody. Common characteristics include breathy vocals, dense productions, and effects such as ...

Albums". The same magazine named it on their list of "The 25 Best

Indie Pop Indie pop (also typeset as indie-pop or indiepop) is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and su ...

Albums of the ’90s", saying "Harriet Wheeler sings like she's trying to get the librarian's attention without disturbing others, and guitarist David Gavurin strums with a studied focus. A buoyant collection of jangly guitar riffs, hazy stories, and dream-pop crescendos."

Ira Robbins ''Trouser Press'' was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow fan of the Who Dave Schulps and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" (a reference ...

of ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'' called it "a collection of uncommonly good songs graced by Harriet Wheeler's wondrous singing. While her band mates play with shimmering economy".

Track listing

All songs written by David Gavurin and Harriet Wheeler. # "Skin & Bones" – 4:16 # "

Here's Where the Story Ends "Here's Where the Story Ends" is a song by English alternative rock band the Sundays, released as the second single from their debut album '' Reading, Writing and Arithmetic''. Although it was the Sundays' biggest hit internationally, topping t ...

" – 3:54 # "

Can't Be Sure "Can't Be Sure" is the 1989 debut single by the British indie pop group The Sundays. It was the first (and in the United Kingdom, only) single to be released from their album '' Reading, Writing and Arithmetic'', which was released a year later. ...

" – 3:22 # "I Won" – 4:23 # "Hideous Towns" – 3:46 # "You're Not the Only One I Know" – 3:50 # "A Certain Someone" – 4:25 # "I Kicked a Boy" – 2:16 # "My Finest Hour" – 3:59 # "Joy" – 4:10

Personnel

* Harriet Wheeler – vocals * David Gavurin – guitar * Paul Brindley – bass * Patrick Hannan – drums * Lindsay Jamieson – tambourine

Charts

References

External links

* The Sundays albums 1990 debut albums Rough Trade Records albums Geffen Records albums Albums produced by Ray Shulman {{1990s-rock-album-stub