Cuckoo (album)

Last updated

Cuckoo
Cuckoo Curve AlbumCover.jpg
Studio album by
Curve
Released13 September 1993 (1993-09-13)
RecordedDecember 1992 – March 1993
StudioTodal (London)
Genre Shoegaze [1]
Length45:46
Label
Producer
Curve chronology
Radio Sessions
(1993)		Cuckoo
(1993)		 Come Clean
(1998)
Singles from Cuckoo
  1. "Blackerthreetracker"
    Released: 23 August 1993
  2. "Superblaster"
    Released: 8 November 1993
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [2]
Chicago Tribune Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [3]
Entertainment Weekly B+ [4]
Los Angeles Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [5]
NME 5/10 [6]
The Philadelphia Inquirer Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [7]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [8]
Select 5/5 [9]
Vox 6/10 [10]

Cuckoo is the second studio album by English alternative rock band Curve. It was released on 13 September 1993 and was issued by Anxious Records and Charisma Records. It was less commercially successful than the band's previous releases.

Contents

Release

Cuckoo was released in the United Kingdom on 13 September 1993 by Anxious Records, [11] [12] and in the United States on 21 September 1993 by Anxious and Charisma Records. [11] [13] Two singles were issued from the album: "Blackerthreetracker" (which featured the Cuckoo song "Missing Link" as its lead track) [11] on 23 August 1993, [14] and "Superblaster" on 8 November 1993. [15] In the UK, Cuckoo underperformed commercially compared to previous Curve releases, [16] peaking at number 23 on the UK Albums Chart. [17] Several months after the album's release, Curve disbanded, though they would reform in 1996. [16]

In the August 1996 issue of Select magazine, Curve frontwoman Toni Halliday said: "I still think our second album was our best. It got to the point where Dean didn't want to tour. We did reach that point of hedonistic head-fuckery, glugging JD, hollering 'Where's the schnozz?' You finally get that out of your system and think, 'This is sad.' We couldn't have gone on like that." [18]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Dean Garcia and Toni Halliday

No.TitleProducer(s)Length
1."Missing Link"
4:59
2."Crystal"
  • Curve
  • Flood
4:02
3."Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus"
  • Curve
  • Flood
4:36
4."All of One"
  • Curve
  • Flood
4:19
5."Unreadable Communication"
5:51
6."Turkey Crossing"
  • Curve
  • Osborne
4:53
7."Superblaster"
  • Curve
  • Flood
4:01
8."Left of Mother"
  • Curve
  • Flood
4:10
9."Sweetest Pie"
  • Curve
  • Flood
3:59
10."Cuckoo"
  • Curve
  • Osborne
4:56
Total length:45:46

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes. [19]

Curve

Additional musicians

  • Flood – electronics
  • Sally Herbert – violin on "Superblaster" and "Left of Mother"
  • Alex Mitchell – guitar
  • Steve Monti – drums on "Crystal", "Superblaster" and "Sweetest Pie"
  • Alan Moulder – guitar
  • Steve Osborne – guitar
  • Debbie Smith – guitar

Production

  • Darren Allison – mixing (assistant)
  • Curve – production
  • Flood – production
  • Alan Moulder – mixing
  • Steve Osborne – production on "Unreadable Communication", "Turkey Crossing" and "Cuckoo"

Design

  • Andrew Catlin – band photography
  • Flat Earth – sleeve design, cover photography
  • Vaughan Matthews – cover photography

Charts

Chart (1993)Peak
position
European Top 100 Albums ( Music & Media ) [20] 77
UK Albums (OCC) [17] 23
UK Independent Albums (OCC) [21] 2
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard) [22] 18

Related Research Articles

<i>Souvlaki</i> (album) 1993 studio album by Slowdive

Souvlaki is the second studio album by English rock band Slowdive. It was recorded in 1992, and released on 1 June 1993 by Creation Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mickey (Toni Basil song)</span> 1981 song performed by Toni Basil

"Mickey" is a song recorded by American singer and choreographer Toni Basil for her debut studio album, Word of Mouth (1981). It was first recorded by the pop group Racey. Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn wrote the song, while production was helmed by Greg Mathieson and Trevor Veitch. Basil's version is new wave, featuring guitar, synthesizers and cheerleading chants. It garnered a mixed response from music critics, with some critics praising the radio-friendly nature of the song, while others described some of the lyrics as obscene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Curve (band)</span> English alternative rock band

Curve were an English alternative rock and electronic music duo from London, formed in 1990 and dissolved in 2005. The band consisted of Toni Halliday and Dean Garcia. Halliday wrote the lyrics of their songs and they both contributed to songwriting. Producer Alan Moulder was a prominent collaborator who helped shape their blend of heavy beats and densely–layered guitar tracks set against Halliday's vocals.

<i>Toni Braxton</i> (album) 1993 studio album by Toni Braxton

Toni Braxton is the debut studio album by American singer Toni Braxton, released on July 13, 1993, by LaFace Records and Arista Records. The album was primarily produced by L.A. Reid, Babyface, and Daryl Simmons.

<i>Fool Around</i> 1978 studio album by Rachel Sweet

Fool Around is the debut album by American singer Rachel Sweet. It was first released in the United Kingdom on October 13, 1978 by Stiff Records. The album was released in the United States in July 1979, by Stiff and Columbia Records, with a revised track listing.

Alan Moulder is an English record producer, mixing engineer, and audio engineer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toni Halliday</span> Musical artist

Antoinette "Toni" Halliday is an English musician best known as the lead vocalist, lyricist, and occasional guitarist of the alternative rock band Curve, along with Dean Garcia.

<i>Voyage of the Acolyte</i> 1975 studio album by Steve Hackett

Voyage of the Acolyte is the first studio album by English guitarist, songwriter, and singer Steve Hackett, released in October 1975 on Charisma Records as his only album recorded and released while he was a member of Genesis. Hackett recorded the album during a break in group activity in mid-1975 and used guest musicians, including Genesis bassist Mike Rutherford and drummer Phil Collins, to play on the record. It has a loose concept with the title and lyrics of each track inspired by a Tarot card.

<i>Blonde Redhead</i> (album) 1994 studio album by Blonde Redhead

Blonde Redhead is the debut studio album by American alternative rock band Blonde Redhead. It was released on July 19, 1994 by Smells Like Records.

<i>Its Your Call</i> 1992 studio album by Reba McEntire

It's Your Call is the eighteenth studio album by American country music artist Reba McEntire, released in December 1992. It contains the song "The Heart Won't Lie", which featured Vince Gill and which was later ranked at #18 on CMT's list of the 100 Greatest Country Duets. The album also includes a re-recording of the song "Baby's Gone Blues", which was recorded in 1987 by Patty Loveless for her album If My Heart Had Windows.

<i>Doppelgänger</i> (Curve album) 1992 studio album by Curve

Doppelgänger is the debut studio album by English alternative rock band Curve. It was released on 9 March 1992 in the United Kingdom by Anxious Records, and on the following day in the United States by Anxious and Charisma Records.

Dean Garcia is an English multi-instrumentalist musician, best known as a member of the alternative rock duo Curve from 1990 to 2005. He also released solo work and collaborated with many other artists.

<i>Come Clean</i> (Curve album) 1998 studio album by Curve

Come Clean is the third studio album by English alternative rock band Curve. It was released on 10 March 1998 by Estupendo Records and Universal, and was the first Curve album to be released following their temporary split in 1994 and reformation in 1996.

<i>Split</i> (Lush album) 1994 studio album by Lush

Split is the third studio album by English rock band Lush, released on 4AD on 13 June 1994 in the United Kingdom and a day later in the US. Two commercial singles were released from the album: "Desire Lines" and "Hypocrite", both released on 30 May 1994. Split was reissued by 4AD on CD in July 2001.

<i>Pubic Fruit</i> 1992 compilation album by Curve

Pubic Fruit is a compilation album by English alternative rock band Curve. It was released exclusively in the United States on 17 November 1992 by Anxious Records and Charisma Records. The album compiles the band's first three EPs, as well as the extended version of their song "Faît Accompli".

<i>Matthews, Wright & King</i>

Matthews, Wright & King was an American country music group formed in 1991. The band, Raymond Matthews, Woody Wright and Tony King, was put together by Columbia Records producer Larry Strickland after Shenandoah left the label, as an attempt to keep a viable country band on that label. Wright had previously been in another band called Memphis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pink Girl with the Blues</span> 1996 single by Curve

"Pink Girl With the Blues" is a single by alternative rock band Curve released on 2 September 1996. It was the first release after few years of hiatus and it reached #97 on UK singles chart. The second track, "Recovery", will be later included on their third studio album, Come Clean. All songs were mixed by Alan Moulder.

<i>Rare and Unreleased</i> (Curve album) 2010 compilation album by Curve

Rare and Unreleased is a compilation album by Curve, self-released only on their Bandcamp page, as digital download.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Superblaster</span> 1993 single by Curve

"Superblaster" is the second single from the album Cuckoo by alternative rock band Curve. It was released on 8 November 1993. It's considered by fans as the rarest Curve release.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Want More Need Less</span> 2003 single by Curve

"Want More Need Less" is the second single from the fourth studio album Gift by alternative rock band Curve. It was released on 3 February 2003 only on CD format and only in Australia.

References

  1. ↑ Halligan, Benjamin (2013). "Shoegaze as the Third Wave: Affective Psychedelic Noise, 1965–91". In Goddard, Michael; Halligan, Benjamin; Spelman, Nicola (eds.). Resonances: Noise and Contemporary Music. Bloomsbury Academic. p. 57. ISBN   978-1-4411-1054-1.
  2. ↑ Simpson, Paul. "Cuckoo – Curve". AllMusic . Retrieved 26 December 2015.
  3. ↑ Webber, Brad (11 November 1993). "Curve: Cuckoo (Virgin)". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  4. ↑ "Curve: Cuckoo". Entertainment Weekly . No. 194. 29 October 1993. p. 65.
  5. ↑ Hochman, Steve (21 November 1993). "Curve, 'Cuckoo,' Anxious/Charisma". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  6. ↑ Dalton, Stephen (11 September 1993). "Revolting Clocks". NME . Retrieved 26 December 2015.
  7. ↑ Wood, Sam (14 December 1993). "Curve: Cuckoo (Anxious/Charisma)". The Philadelphia Inquirer .
  8. ↑ Aston, Martin (October 1993). "Curve: Cuckoo". Q . No. 85. p. 105. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
  9. ↑ Collins, Andrew (September 1993). "The Lunatic Fringe". Select . No. 39. pp. 86–87. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
  10. ↑ O'Brien, Lucy (October 1993). "Sand Blasted". Vox . No. 37. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
  11. 1 2 3 Sexton, Paul (9 October 1993). "Virgin Execs See Straight Path to Success for Curve" (PDF). Billboard . Vol. 105, no. 41. pp. 1, 119. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  12. ↑ "Ad Focus" (PDF). Music Week . 11 September 1993. p. 10. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  13. ↑ Cuckoo (liner notes). Curve. Anxious Records / Charisma Records. 1993. 7243 8 39061 2 3.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  14. ↑ "Single Releases" (PDF). Music Week . 21 August 1993. p. 23. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  15. ↑ Curve. "Superblaster single". Bandcamp . Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  16. 1 2 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Curve". AllMusic . Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  17. 1 2 "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
  18. ↑ Male, Andrew (August 1996). "Didn't We Used to Be Famous?". Select . No. 74. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  19. ↑ Cuckoo (liner notes). Curve. Anxious Records. 1993. ANXCD 81.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  20. ↑ "European Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 10, no. 40. 2 October 1993. p. 12. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
  21. ↑ "Independent Albums" (PDF). Music Week . 2 October 1993. p. 20. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
  22. ↑ "Heatseekers Albums". Billboard . 9 October 1993. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.