''Seamonsters'' is the third studio album by English rock band
The Wedding Present
The Wedding Present are an English indie rock group originally formed in 1985 in Leeds, England, from the ashes of The Lost Pandas. The band's music has evolved from fast-paced indie rock in the vein of their most obvious influences The Fall, ...
. It was recorded in ten days in 1991 by American producer
Steve Albini
Steve Albini (pronounced ; born July 22, 1962) is an American musician, record producer, audio engineer and music journalist. He was a member of Big Black, Rapeman and Flour, and is a member of Shellac. He is the founder, owner and principal ...
at
Pachyderm Studio
Pachyderm Recording Studio is a residential music recording studio located in Cannon Falls, Minnesota, United States, 35.8 mi (57.6 km) southeast of Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport. It is located in a secluded old-growth ...
in
Cannon Falls,
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
. Albini had previously earlier recorded two EPs with the group; ''Brassneck'' and ''3 Songs'' and, with those records, ''Seamonsters'' has a rougher, harsher sound than the group's earlier two albums.
In deliberate contrast to the full sentences featured on previous recordings—something for which the group had often been parodied within the music press—all of the songs on ''Seamonsters'' have one-word titles. The album enjoyed a strongly positive critical reception. Guitarist
Peter Solowka was sacked between the recording and release of the album, replaced by
Paul Dorrington
Paul Dorrington is an English guitarist and bassist best known for his 1991-1995 tenure in The Wedding Present.
Dorrington joined Sheffield group AC Temple in 1985,Strong, Martin C. (2003) ''The Great Indie Discography'', Canongate, , p. 193 ...
.
Reception
''
Rockdelux
''Rockdelux'' is a Spanish music magazine.
History and profile
''Rockdelux'' was first published in November 1984, and celebrated its 200th anniversary in October 2002, when it released a list of the 200 greatest international albums of all tim ...
'' ranked the album the 5th best album of the year on their year-end list. In 1999, Ned Raggett ranked the album at number 10 on his list of "The Top 136 Or So Albums Of The Nineties". ''
Alternative Press
Alternative press may refer to:
Individual publications
* ''Alternative Press'' (magazine), an American music magazine
Alternative journalism
* Alternative media
** Alternative media (U.S. political left)
** Alternative media (U.S. political ri ...
'' ranked it #81 and #18 in their lists of "The 90 Greatest Albums of the 90s" and "Top 99 Albums of '85 to '95" respectively. ''
Stylus'' ranked it at #200 on their "Top 101-200 Albums of All time" list. ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' included it on their list of "1000 Albums to Hear Before You Die".
Rockdelux
''Rockdelux'' is a Spanish music magazine.
History and profile
''Rockdelux'' was first published in November 1984, and celebrated its 200th anniversary in October 2002, when it released a list of the 200 greatest international albums of all tim ...
also ranked it at #46 on their list of "The 150 Best Albums from the 90s".
Track listing
All songs written by
David Gedge
David Lewis Gedge (born 23 April 1960, in Bramley, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England) is an English musician and songwriter.
Early life
Gedge grew up in Middleton, Greater Manchester, in the area known as Top of Hebers. He attended Hollin High S ...
unless otherwise noted.
#"Dalliance" – 4:24
#"Dare" – 3:45
#"Suck" – 3:58
#"Blonde" – 5:07
#"Rotterdam" – 3:15
#"Lovenest" – 5:10
#"Corduroy" – 3:28
#"Carolyn" – 3:39
#"Heather" – 3:32
#"Octopussy" – 6:21
U.S. edition
In addition to the original ten tracks, this edition added three bonus tracks.
#
"Niagara" - 4:06
#"Dan Dare" - 1:40
#"Fleshworld" - 4:26
2001 reissue
The album was remastered and reissued in 2001 with additional songs from the ''3 Songs'' EP and the ''Dalliance'' and ''Lovenest'' singles.Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)
"Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)" is a song by the British rock band Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, which was released in 1975 by EMI as the lead single from the band's third studio album ''The Best Years of Our Lives''. The song was written b ...
" ( Steve Harley) - 3:44
#"Crawl" - 2:44
#"Corduroy" (single version) - 3:23
#"She's My Best Friend" ( Lou Reed) - 2:55
#"Niagara" - 4:06
#"Mothers" (Jean-Paul Sartre Experience
The Jean-Paul Sartre Experience, later renamed JPS Experience after the estate of Jean-Paul Sartre threatened a lawsuit, were an indie rock band on New Zealand's Flying Nun Records.
History
The band was formed in 1984 by Dave Yetton (vocals, ...
) - 2:56
#"Dan Dare" - 1:40
#"Fleshworld" - 4:26
Personnel
*David Gedge
David Lewis Gedge (born 23 April 1960, in Bramley, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England) is an English musician and songwriter.
Early life
Gedge grew up in Middleton, Greater Manchester, in the area known as Top of Hebers. He attended Hollin High S ...
- vocals, guitar
* Peter Solowka - guitar
*Keith Gregory - bass
* Simon Smith - drums
References
External links
Review of ''Seamonsters'' at Dailymusicguide
{{Authority control
The Wedding Present albums
1991 albums
Albums produced by Steve Albini
RCA Records albums