| Babble | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1987 | |||
| Studio | Jam Studios, London N4 Livingston Studios, Wood Green, London | |||
| Genre | Post-punk | |||
| Label | Polydor | |||
| Producer | Roli Mosimann | |||
| That Petrol Emotion chronology | ||||
| ||||
Babble is the second album by the Northern Irish band That Petrol Emotion, released in 1987. [1] [2] The album was re-released in 2001 and in 2010. [3] It peaked at No. 30 in the UK. [4] The band supported the album with a North American tour. [5]
The album was produced by Roli Mosimann. [6] The liner notes include an essay about the Prevention of Terrorism Acts. [7] Singer Steve Mack was influenced by the Isley Brothers, who melded political messages to danceable music. [8]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [9] |
| Robert Christgau | A− [10] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music |  [11] |
| The Gazette | 7.8/10 [12] |
| Los Angeles Daily News | A [13] |
| Los Angeles Times | [14] |
| The Philadelphia Inquirer | [15] |
| Record Collector | [3] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [16] |
The New York Times wrote: "Guitar riffs like corkscrews, like barbed wire, like punching bags and like trampolines animate the music of That Petrol Emotion, a five-man Irish band with a fiercely defiant streak." [17] The Philadelphia Inquirer noted that the "abrasiveness is held in check by strong guitar playing and clear melodies." [15] The Vancouver Sun called "Big Decision" "one of the year's great singles." [18]
The Los Angeles Times determined that, "though characterized by stun guitar, howling vocals and brutal beats, the album always keeps you on your toes with an eclectic though unrefined array of styles." [14] The Washington Post deemed it "a fierce yet tuneful postpunk landmark." [19] The Gazette concluded that "this is about being alive in Northern Ireland, and it's no day on the beach... Bracing stuff." [12] The Windsor Star listed it among the best albums of 1987. [20]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide praised the "smart, angry songs" and "eclectic sound." [21]
| No. | Title | Written by | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Swamp" | John O'Neill | 3:20 |
| 2. | "Spin Cycle" | Steve Mack | 2:05 |
| 3. | "For What It's Worth" | Damian O'Neill, Réamann Ó'Gorman | 3:56 |
| 4. | "Big Decision" | John O'Neill | 2:41 |
| 5. | "Static" | Damian O'Neill | 3:34 |
| 6. | "Split!" | Ciaran McLaughlin | 1:37 |
| 7. | "Belly Bugs" | That Petrol Emotion | 2:42 |
| 8. | "In the Playpen" | Ciaran McLaughlin | 2:31 |
| 9. | "Inside" | John O'Neill, Réamann O'Gorman | 4:11 |
| 10. | "Chester Burnette" | Sean O'Neill | 2:41 |
| 11. | "Creeping to the Cross" | Ciaran McLaughlin | 4:37 |
| No. | Title | Written by | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12. | "Big Decision" (Extended version) | John O'Neill | 4:38 |
| 13. | "Swamp" (Extended remix) | Sean O'Neill | 4:00 |
| 14. | "Creeping to the Cross" (7 inch edit) | Ciaran McLaughlin | 2:46 |
| 15. | "Soul Deep" (B-side) | John O'Neill | 3:07 |
| 16. | "Dance Your Ass Off" (B-side) | Hamilton Bohannon | 3:08 |
That Petrol Emotion were a London-based Northern Ireland-originating band with an American vocalist, Steve Mack. It featured the O'Neill brothers from celebrated Derry pop-punk band The Undertones plus ex-members of fellow Derry bands Bam Bam and The Calling and The Corner Boys. They recorded five albums between 1986 and 1994, exploring an eclectic fusion of alternative rock, post-punk, garage rock and dance music which in part anticipated and overlapped with the dance-pop era of the 1990s.
Chemicrazy is the fourth album by Irish alternative rockers That Petrol Emotion. The album was released in April 1990. It was produced by Scott Litt.
Pogue Mahone is the seventh and final studio album by The Pogues, released in February 1996. The title is a variant of the Irish phrase póg mo thóin, meaning "kiss my arse", from which the band's name is derived. It was the band's second studio album recorded after the departure of Shane MacGowan, and features Spider Stacy in the role of lead singer.
No Pain for Cakes is an album by the American jazz band the Lounge Lizards, released in 1987. John Lurie sang on the album.
Manic Pop Thrill is the debut studio album by Irish indie rock band That Petrol Emotion. It was released in 1986, through record label Demon.
End of the Millennium Psychosis Blues is the third studio album by Irish indie rock band That Petrol Emotion. It was released in 1988, and was the last album with guitarist John O'Neill. Two singles were released from the album: "Cellophane" and "Groove Check".
"Keen" is a 1985 non-album single by That Petrol Emotion.
The 12" B-side "Zig-Zag Wanderer" was originally recorded by Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band in 1967.
"V2" is a 1985 non-album single by That Petrol Emotion.
"Big Decision" is a 1987 single by That Petrol Emotion. The song reached no. 43 on the UK charts, and no. 27 on the US Dance Club charts.
"Genius Move" is a 1987 non-album single by That Petrol Emotion.
The Peel Sessions is an EP by Irish indie rock band. It was released by That Petrol Emotion in 1987.
Fireproof is the fifth and last studio album by Irish rock band That Petrol Emotion, released in 1993.
Saturday Night Live is a live album released in 1983 by the Washington, D.C.-based go-go band Trouble Funk.
Lord of the Highway is an album by the American musician Joe Ely, released in 1987. It had been three and a half years since his previous album, during which time he recorded an unreleased album for MCA Records, assembled a new band, and toured. Ely supported the album with a North American tour.
Kill Tunes is the second album by the American indie rock band Leaving Trains. It was released in 1986 via SST Records. The band supported the album with a North American tour.
Santa Ana Winds is an album by the American musician Steve Goodman. Goodman finished the album a short time before his 1984 death of leukemia, and it was released posthumously on his Red Pajamas label. The album was reissued by Omnivore Recordings in 2019.
Vini Pou is an album by the Guadeloupean band Kassav', released in 1987. It went gold in its first two weeks of release and was their first album to be widely distributed in the United States. Kassav', as a 16-piece unit, supported the album with a North American tour.
The Mekons Honky Tonkin' is an album by the British band the Mekons, released in 1987. It was their first album to be released in the United States and the band's third country music-influenced album. The band supported the album with a North American tour.
Rank and File is an album by the American band Rank and File, released in 1987. The band supported the album with a North American tour. The first single was "Black Book".
Hard Times in the Land of Plenty is an album by the American band Omar & the Howlers, released in 1987. It was their first album for major label. The title track peaked at No. 19 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart and appeared in the film Like Father Like Son. The band supported the album with a North American tour. Hard Times in the Land of Plenty was sometimes included with "heartland rock" albums of the 1980s that addressed worsening economic conditions in the United States.
