This Is Our Art
| This Is Our Art | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1988 | |||
| Studio | Picnic Studios, West Peckham, Kent; The Chocolate Factory, London; Power Plant Studios, Willesden, London | |||
| Genre | Rock,[1] pop | |||
| Label | Sire[2] | |||
| Producer | Julian Standen, Pete Brown | |||
| The Soup Dragons chronology | ||||
| ||||
This Is Our Art is the debut studio album by the Scottish band the Soup Dragons, released in 1988.[3][4]
The album peaked at No. 60 on the UK Albums Chart.[5]
Critical reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [6] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [7] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | [8] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [9] |
Trouser Press wrote that the album demonstrates "an amazing range, yet there’s something insincere about these songs, which seemingly don’t know when to end."[10] The Washington Post stated that it displays "a deft, if overreaching, eclecticism."[11]
The Toronto Star deemed This Is Our Art "spikey guitar pop."[12] The Omaha World-Herald called it "catchier and more melodic" than the band's debut.[13]
AllMusic noted that "the Soup Dragons are far more effective when they're gorging themselves on bubblegum like the sweet jangle pop of 'Soft As Your Face' and 'Turning Stone'."[6] The Rolling Stone Album Guide panned the "astonishingly pointless stylistic range."[9]
Track listing
[edit]All tracks are written by Sean Dickson; except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Kingdom Chairs" | 5:20 | |
| 2. | "Great Empty Space" | 3:01 | |
| 3. | "The Majestic Head?" | 3:34 | |
| 4. | "Turning Stone" | 2:48 | |
| 5. | "Vacate My Space" | 3:39 | |
| 6. | "On Overhead Walkways" | 2:25 | |
| 7. | "Passion Protein" | 5:22 | |
| 8. | "King of the Castle" | 2:46 | |
| 9. | "Soft as Your Face" | 3:39 | |
| 10. | "Family Ways" | 4:38 | |
| 11. | "Another Dreamticket" | music: Sushil K. Dade; lyrics: Sean Dickson | 2:58 |
Personnel
[edit]- The Soup Dragons
- Sean Dickson - vocals, guitar
- Jim McCulloch - guitar, backing vocals
- Sushil K. Dade - bass
- Ross Sinclair - drums
with:
- Dean Klavett, Kevin Malpass - keyboards
References
[edit]- ^ Oldfield, Paul (May 7, 1988). "Albums". Melody Maker. Vol. 64, no. 19. p. 38.
- ^ "The Soup Dragons Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
- ^ Blackwell, Mark (Jan 1991). "New Music Preview". Spin. Vol. 6, no. 10. p. 41.
- ^ Buckley, Peter (March 5, 2003). "The Rough Guide to Rock". Rough Guides – via Google Books.
- ^ "SOUP DRAGONS | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com.
- ^ a b "This Is Our Art - The Soup Dragons | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 7. MUZE. p. 627.
- ^ MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 1058.
- ^ a b The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 657.
- ^ "Soup Dragons". Trouser Press. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
- ^ Jenkins, Mark (26 Oct 1990). "Post-Punks Mix Neo-Disco, Blues". The Washington Post. p. N18.
- ^ Dafoe, Chris (2 Nov 1990). "Dragons roll on Stones tune". Toronto Star. p. D14.
- ^ Healy, James (May 22, 1988). "The Soup Dragons, 'This Is Our Art'". Omaha World-Herald. Entertainment. p. SD.
