Seamonsters
| Seamonsters | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 27 May 1991 | |||
| Recorded | 1991, United States | |||
| Genre | Indie rock[1] | |||
| Length | 46:58 | |||
| Label | RCA | |||
| Producer | Steve Albini | |||
| The Wedding Present chronology | ||||
| ||||
Seamonsters is the third studio album by English rock band The Wedding Present. It was recorded in ten days in 1991 by American producer Steve Albini at Pachyderm Studio in Cannon Falls, Minnesota. 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.
Reception[edit]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  [2] |
| Mojo |  [3] |
| NME | 5/10[4] |
| Select | 4/5[5] |
Rockdelux ranked the album the 5th best album of the year on their year-end list.[6] In 1999, Ned Raggett ranked the album at number 10 on his list of "The Top 136 Or So Albums Of The Nineties".[7] Alternative Press 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.[8] Stylus ranked it at #200 on their "Top 101-200 Albums of All time" list.[9] The Guardian included it on their list of "1000 Albums to Hear Before You Die".[10] Rockdelux also ranked it at #46 on their list of "The 150 Best Albums from the 90s".[citation needed]
Track listing[edit]
All songs written by David Gedge 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[edit]
In addition to the original ten tracks, this edition added three bonus tracks.[11]
- "Niagara" - 4:06
- "Dan Dare" - 1:40
- "Fleshworld" - 4:26
2001 reissue[edit]
The album was remastered and reissued in 2001 with additional songs from the 3 Songs EP and the Dalliance and Lovenest singles.[12]
- "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)" (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) - 2:56
- "Dan Dare" - 1:40
- "Fleshworld" - 4:26
Personnel[edit]
- David Gedge - vocals, guitar
- Peter Solowka - guitar
- Keith Gregory - bass
- Simon Smith - drums
References[edit]
- ^ Pearis, Bill (23 April 2021). "The Wedding Present's 'Seamonsters' getting deluxe 30th Anniversary Edition vinyl reissue". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
- ^ Sendra, Tim. "Seamonsters – The Wedding Present". AllMusic. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
- ^ Eccleston, Danny (July 2021). "The Wedding Present: Seamonsters". Mojo. No. 332. p. 99.
- ^ Lamacq, Steve (25 May 1991). "Kraken's Wake". NME.
- ^ Kessler, Ted (July 1991). "The Wedding Present: Seamonsters". Select. No. 13. p. 76.
- ^ "Rock De Lux Best Albums Of The 90s". Rock De Lux Lists. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
- ^ "The Top 136 Or So Albums Of The Nineties". netcomuk.co.uk. Archived from the original on 20 January 2000. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
- ^ "Top 99 Of '85 to '95". rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
- ^ Top 101-200 Albums of All time Archived May 16, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "1000 albums to hear before you die". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
- ^ Bush, John. "Seamonsters [US Bonus Tracks]". Allmusic. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
- ^ Bush, John. "Seamonsters [Camden Deluxe Bonus Tracks]". Allmusic. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
