Automanikk

Last updated
Automanikk
Automanikk.jpg
Studio album by
A Guy Called Gerald
Released1990
Genre House, acid house
Label CBS
Producer Ricky Rouge (Gerald Simpson)
A Guy Called Gerald chronology
The Peel Sessions
(1989)		Automanikk
(1990)		28 Gun Bad Boy
(1992)

Automanikk is an album by the English musician A Guy Called Gerald, released in 1990. [1] [2] It was one of a number of albums to come from the Madchester scene of Manchester, England. [3] The album peaked at No. 68 in the Official Albums Chart. [4] A Guy Called Gerald supported it with a North American tour. [5] Automanikk was A Guy Called Gerald's only album for a major label, as subsequent efforts were turned down. [6]

Contents

Production

"FX (Mayday Upgrade)", which was remixed by Derrick May and Carl Craig, sampled the American girl group First Choice. [7] [8] [5] Elsewhere, A Guy Called Gerald made use of samples of Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer" and Snap!'s "The Power". [9]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [8]
Calgary Herald D [10]
Chicago Tribune Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [11]
Coventry Evening Telegraph 2/5 [12]
New York Daily News Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [9]
South Wales Echo Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [13]
The Virgin Encyclopedia of Dance Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [14]

The Chicago Tribune described the album as "laid-back New Age house", concluding that "the mind-numbing drum beats and endlessly repeated synth riffs and overdubs must be this tame for a reason." [11] The New York Times said that the vocalist Viv "suggests a latter-day Donna Summer... She sings about being powerless—against the beat, against emotions, against undefined forces." [15] The Calgary Herald dismissed the album as "merely disco dressed up in a paisley shirt." [10] The South Wales Echo said, "Cleverly put together as ever, but more wholesome and less tinny than 808 State and the like." [13] Factsheet Five noted the "heavy repetitive beats [and] occasional ethereal vocal". [16]

AllMusic called Automanikk "a journey through sampladelic [sic] acid house with a few haunted melodies gained from Gerald's exposure to Detroit techno". [8] In 2024, the album was included in Gary Graff's 501 Essential Albums of the '90s: The Music Fan's Definitive Guide. [1]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."To the Other Side" 
2."FX (Mayday Upgrade)" 
3."Automanikk" 
4."Emotions Electric 2" 
5."Eyes of Sorrow (Viv Version)" 
6."I Feel Rhythm" 
7."Stella" 
8."Blame the Artist" 
9."Untitled" 
10."I Won't Give In" 
11."Voodoo Ray Americas" 

References

  1. 1 2 Graff, Gary (2024). 501 Essential Albums of the '90s: The Music Fan's Definitive Guide. Motorbooks. p. 46.
  2. ↑ Gittins, Ian (7 April 1990). "Glad to Be a Guy: A Guy Called Gerald". Melody Maker. Vol. 66, no. 14. p. 37.
  3. ↑ Heim, Chris (27 July 1990). "A Guy Called Gerald, Saturday at Cabaret Metro". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. P.
  4. ↑ "A Guy Called Gerald". Official Charts. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
  5. 1 2 Hill, Edward (27 July 1990). "Gerald's music is for dancing". Friday!. The Plain Dealer. p. 36.
  6. ↑ "Guide to A Guy Called Gerald". Muzik. No. 87. August 2002. p. 127.
  7. ↑ Moore, Ralph (April 2001). "Derrick May's Moistest Moments". Muzik. No. 71. p. 99.
  8. 1 2 3 "Automanikk Review by John Bush". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
  9. 1 2 Farber, Jim (29 July 1990). "Playtime". City Lights. Daily News. p. 28.
  10. 1 2 Muretich, Jim (9 August 1990). "Recent releases". Calgary Herald. p. E3.
  11. 1 2 May, Mitchell (27 September 1990). "Recordings". Tempo. Chicago Tribune. p. 7.
  12. ↑ Law, Alastair (17 April 1990). "Album Reviews". Coventry Evening Telegraph. p. 8.
  13. 1 2 Duffy, Steve (14 April 1990). "The Albums". South Wales Echo. p. 28.
  14. ↑ Larkin, Colin (1998). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Dance Music. Virgin Books. p. 5.
  15. ↑ Pareles, Jon (29 July 1990). "Manchester's Pop Music: Escapism Without Escape". The New York Times. p. A23.
  16. ↑ "Audio Reviews". Factsheet Five. No. 37. August 1990. p. 116.
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