Dreamtime (The Stranglers album)

Last updated

Dreamtime
Stranglers-dreamtime.jpg
Studio album by
Released27 October 1986
RecordedMarch–April 1986
Studio
Genre
Length45:53
Label Epic
Producer
  • The Stranglers
  • Mike Kemp
The Stranglers chronology
Aural Sculpture
(1984)
Dreamtime
(1986)
10
(1990)
Singles from Dreamtime
  1. "Nice in Nice"
    Released: August 1986
  2. "Always the Sun"
    Released: October 1986
  3. "Big in America"
    Released: November 1986 [1]
  4. "Shakin' Like a Leaf"
    Released: February 1987

Dreamtime is the ninth studio album by the Stranglers, released in 1986 by Epic Records. [2] The title track was inspired by a belief of the aboriginal peoples of Australia called Dreamtime.

Contents

The single "Always the Sun" peaked at No. 30 in the UK Singles Chart. [3] Dreamtime itself reached No. 16 in the UK Albums Chart, the lowest charting studio album during Hugh Cornwell's recording tenure with the band (1977–90). [3]

Singles released in the UK for this album included "Nice in Nice" (peaked at No. 30), "Always the Sun", "Big in America" (peaked at No. 48) and "Shakin' Like a Leaf" (peaked at No. 58). [3] A fifth single was proposed by the record company, and a remix of the song "Was It You?" was prepared, but it was never released.

Background

The initial recording sessions for Dreamtime began in late 1985 with producer Laurie Latham, who had worked on the band's previous album Aural Sculpture . A few months were spent working on a handful of tracks before the Stranglers and Latham parted company. [4] Latham felt the songs needed more work from the band and had suggested a break in recording. In his 2001 book The Stranglers: Song by Song, guitarist Hugh Cornwell says, "Laurie's comment that our songs weren't ready had left a nasty taste in our mouths because we liked to work with people who were confident in us." The Stranglers therefore decided to continue work on the album with producer Mike Kemp. [5]

Jean-Jacques Burnel (1986): "Well, after three months in a Brussels studio we had only really finished three songs, and these songs aren't even going to be on the album." These three songs were "Shakin' Like a Leaf (single version)", "Norman Normal" (released as a single b-side in 1986), and "You" (released as a single b-side in 1991). [6]

In The Stranglers: Song by Song, Cornwell states that only three songs on Dreamtime were written by the usual songwriting team of himself and Burnel: "Ghost Train", "Mayan Skies" and "Too Precious". The rest were written by the two writers individually. "Always the Sun", "Dreamtime", "Big in America" and "Shakin' Like a Leaf" by Cornwell, and "Was It You?", "You'll Always Reap What You Sow" and "Nice in Nice" by Burnel. Cornwell handles the lead vocals on "You'll Always Reap What You Sow", as the band felt Burnel's "operatic" delivery didn't suit the song. [5]

Dreamtime is the second Stranglers album to feature a three-piece brass section on some tracks. [7] Although credited in the album liner notes for playing drums, Jet Black actually programmed all his drum parts, as he had done on Aural Sculpture. [7]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [8]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [9]
The Great Rock Discography 6/10 [10]

Contemporary reviews were mixed. [11] A positive review from CMJ New Music Report said that the Stranglers are "a prime example of a band that has streamlined their sound and still retained much of their bite as well as their signature." They described the album as "a smooth production that is pretty, with the ability to be pretty nasty at the same time." [12]

Retrospective reviews were more negative. Alex Ogg of AllMusic wrote, "After Aural Sculpture, this came as a major disappointment. It's not awful, but neither is it in any way essential. ... There are a couple of good songs, like "Always the Sun" and "Nice in Nice" ... but that's simply not enough for a once great band." [8] Ira Robbins of Trouser Press called it an "unfocused time-filler", writing, "Accomplished but bereft of ideas or concept, Dreamtime is a soporific, characterless nightmare." [13]

Track listing

All tracks are written by the Stranglers

No.TitleLength
1."Always the Sun"4:51
2."Dreamtime"3:43
3."Was It You?"3:40
4."You'll Always Reap What You Sow"5:13
5."Ghost Train"5:04
6."Nice in Nice"4:03
7."Big in America"3:18
8."Shakin' Like a Leaf"2:36
9."Mayan Skies"3:56
10."Too Precious"6:44
Total length:45:53
2001 CD reissue bonus tracks
No.TitleOriginLength
11."Since You Went Away""Nice in Nice" single2:53
12."Norman Normal""Always the Sun" single4:33
13."Dry Day""Big in America" single5:02
14."Hitman""Shakin' Like a Leaf" single4:21
15."Was it You?" (7" version)Previously unreleased2:57
16."Burnham Beeches""Always the Sun" (Sunny Side Up Mix) single, 19903:50
Total length:66:23
Notes

Personnel

Credits adapted from the album liner notes, except where noted. [15]

The Stranglers

Additional musicians

Technical

Bonus tracks

Charts

Chart (1986-1987)Peak

Position

Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) [18] 64
Canadian Albums ( RPM ) [19] 83
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [20] 60
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [21] 45
UK Albums (OCC) [22] 16
US (Billboard 200) [23] 172

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Stranglers</span> English rock band

The Stranglers are an English rock band. Scoring 23 UK top 40 singles and 19 UK top 40 albums to date in a career spanning five decades, the Stranglers are one of the longest-surviving bands to have originated in the UK punk scene.

<i>Rattus Norvegicus</i> (album) 1977 album by The Stranglers

Rattus Norvegicus is the debut studio album by English punk rock band the Stranglers, released on 15 April 1977.

<i>Black and White</i> (The Stranglers album) 1978 studio album by the Stranglers

Black and White is the third studio album by English new wave band the Stranglers. It was released on 12 May 1978, through record label United Artists in most of the world and A&M in America.

<i>The Gospel According to the Meninblack</i> 1981 studio album by the Stranglers

The Gospel According to the Meninblack is the fifth album by English rock band the Stranglers, an esoteric concept album released 9 February 1981 on the Liberty label. The album deals with conspiratorial ideas surrounding alien visitations to Earth, the sinister governmental men in black, and the involvement of these elements in well-known biblical narratives. This was not the first time the Stranglers had used this concept; "Meninblack" on the earlier The Raven album and subsequent 1980 single-release "Who Wants the World?" had also explored it.

<i>La folie</i> (album) 1981 studio album by the Stranglers

La folie is the sixth studio album by English new wave band the Stranglers. It was released on 9 November 1981, through the EMI record label Liberty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hugh Cornwell</span> English musician

Hugh Alan Cornwell is an English musician, singer-songwriter and writer, best known for being the lead vocalist and lead guitarist for the punk rock and new wave band the Stranglers from 1974 to 1990. Since leaving the Stranglers, Cornwell has recorded a further ten solo studio albums and continues to record and perform live.

<i>Feline</i> (The Stranglers album) 1983 studio album by the Stranglers

Feline is the seventh studio album by the Stranglers and was released on 14 January 1983 on the Epic record label, their first for the label. The first edition came with a free one-sided 7" single "Aural Sculpture Manifesto". Feline drew heavily on two of the dominant musical influences in Europe of the time, by using primarily acoustic guitars and electronic drums as well as synthesizers. The American edition of the album included the British hit single "Golden Brown" as the closing track on side one of the original vinyl.

<i>Greatest Hits 1977–1990</i> 1990 greatest hits album by the Stranglers

Greatest Hits 1977–1990 is a compilation album by the Stranglers, released in November 1990 by Epic Records. It contains hit singles selected from their back catalogue from both EMI and Epic Records.

<i>All Live and All of the Night</i> 1988 live album by the Stranglers

All Live and All of the Night is the second live album by English rock band the Stranglers, released on 8 February 1988 by Epic Records. The release peaked at No. 12 in the UK Albums Chart in March 1988.

<i>10</i> (The Stranglers album) 1990 studio album by the Stranglers

10 is the tenth studio album by English rock band the Stranglers, released in March 1990 by Epic Records. It was the last to feature guitarist/lead singer Hugh Cornwell. 10 peaked at No. 15 and spent four weeks in the UK Albums Chart.

<i>Saturday Night, Sunday Morning</i> 1993 live album by the Stranglers

Saturday Night, Sunday Morning is a live album by the Stranglers, released in 1993 by Castle Communications.

<i>Aural Sculpture</i> 1984 studio album by The Stranglers

Aural Sculpture is the eighth studio album by the Stranglers, released in November 1984 by Epic Records. It was also the name given to a one-sided 7-inch single given free with a limited number of copies of their Feline album in 1983. The "Aural Sculpture Manifesto" on the 7" single was played before the Stranglers appeared on stage during concerts during both the 1983 "Feline" tour and the 1985 "Aural Sculpture" tour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jet Black</span> English rock drummer (1938–2022)

Brian John Duffy, known professionally as Jet Black, was an English drummer and founding member of punk rock/new wave band the Stranglers. He last performed with the band in 2015, and officially retired in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jean-Jacques Burnel</span> English singer and bassist

Jean-Jacques Burnel is an English musician, producer and songwriter, best known as the bass guitarist and co-lead vocalist with the English rock band the Stranglers. He is the only original member to remain in the band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dave Greenfield</span> English rock keyboardist (1949–2020)

David Paul Greenfield was an English keyboardist, singer and songwriter who was a member of rock band the Stranglers. He joined the band in 1975, within a year of its formation, and played with them for 45 years until his death.

<i>Peaches: The Very Best of The Stranglers</i> 2002 greatest hits album by the Stranglers

Peaches: The Very Best of The Stranglers is a compilation album by The Stranglers, released in 2002 by EMI. It reached No. 21 in the UK Albums Chart in June 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Always the Sun</span> 1986 song by the Stranglers

"Always the Sun" is a song by English rock band the Stranglers, first released as a single on 6 October 1986, the second single from the band's ninth studio album Dreamtime (1986). A remixed version was released as a single on 24 December 1990. Both versions were Top 30 hits in the United Kingdom. "Always the Sun" was released in October 1986 in four different formats: a seven-inch single, shaped seven-inch picture disc, twelve-inch single, and as a double seven-inch single pack.

<i>Decades Apart</i> 2010 compilation album by the Stranglers

Decades Apart is a 2-CD career spanning compilation album by English rock band the Stranglers, released on 1 March 2010 by EMI. It features 35 singles and album tracks from 1977 to 2006, as well as two new tracks, "Retro Rockets" and "I Don't See the World Like You Do". The album reached #146 in the UK Albums Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No Mercy (The Stranglers song)</span> 1984 single by the Stranglers

"No Mercy" is a song and single written by Hugh Cornwell, Dave Greenfield, Jet Black and Jean-Jacques Burnel performed by the Stranglers and released in November 1984.

<i>Dark Matters</i> (The Stranglers album) 2021 studio album by the Stranglers

Dark Matters is the eighteenth studio album by British rock band the Stranglers, released on 10 September 2021 through Coursegood. It features the playing of keyboardist Dave Greenfield, who died in 2020. It is also the first studio album recorded without founding drummer Jet Black, who retired from performing with the band in 2015.

References

  1. "Music Week" (PDF). p. 61.
  2. "The Stranglers – Dreamtime". Discogs.
  3. 1 2 3 Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London, England: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 535. ISBN   1-904994-10-5.
  4. Martin, Neil (2001). Dreamtime (2001 reissue CD liner notes). The Stranglers. Epic Records.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Cornwell, Hugh; Drury, Jim (2001). The Stranglers Song by Song. Sanctuary Publishing Ltd. ISBN   1-86074-362-5.
  6. Jean-Jacques Burnel interview in French Black & White fanzine, March 1986; English translation published in Strangled fanzine, Vol. 2, No. 24, October 1986, p. 14.
  7. 1 2 "Behold Aural Sculpture!". thestranglers.co.uk. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  8. 1 2 Ogg, Alex. "The Stranglers: Dreamtime at AllMusic. Retrieved 5 October 2011.
  9. Larkin, Colin (2011). "Stranglers". The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN   978-0-85712-595-8.
  10. Strong, Martin C. (2002). The Great Rock Discography (6th ed.). Edinburgh: Canongate Books. p. 1012. ISBN   1-84195-312-1.
  11. Buckley, David (1997). No Mercy - The Authorised and Uncensored Biography of The Stranglers. London: Hodder & Stoughton. p. 208. ISBN   0-340-68062-8.
  12. "CMJ New Music Report Issue: 108, 16 January 1987". audio-music.info. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  13. Robbins, Ira. "The Stranglers". Trouser Press . Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  14. Here & There: The Epic B-Sides Collection 1983-1991 (CD liner notes). The Stranglers. Absolute. 2014.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  15. The Stranglers (2001). Dreamtime (Album sleeve). Epic Records. 504593 2.
  16. 1 2 "Always The Sun (Sunny Side Up Mix)". Discogs. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  17. "Always The Sun". Discogs. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  18. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 . St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  19. "Collectionscanada.gc". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  20. "The Stranglers - Dreamtime". Dutch Charts . Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  21. "The Stranglers - Dreamtime". charts.org.nz. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  22. "Stranglers | Artist | Official Charts". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  23. "The Stranglers Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved 15 December 2021.