| Gently, Down the Stream | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 10 February 1998 | |||
| Recorded | July 1997 | |||
| Genre | Alternative rock Blues | |||
| Length | 66:34 | |||
| Label | Matador Records Domino Records | |||
| Producer | Paul Q. Kolderie Carl Plaster Brian Dunton Roger Seibel | |||
| Come chronology | ||||
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Gently, Down The Stream is the fourth and final album by Boston indie rock band Come.
Recorded and mixed by Paul Q. Kolderie at Fort Apache in 1997 during the month of June and released in early February 1998, Gently, Down the Stream is Come's fourth and, as it would eventually transpire, final album. As its predecessor, 1996's Near-Life Experience, a number of different musicians joined Thalia Zedek and Chris Brokaw to fill the void caused by the departure of drummer Arthur Johnson and bassist Sean O'Brien, the band's original rhythm section. Winston Bramen, who would later work with the Thalia Zedek Band and with Chris Brokaw in Consonant, played bass, whilst Daniel Coughlin was in charge of percussion and drums. Coughlin would also go on to tour and record 4 more records with Zedek's solo project, the Thalia Zedek Band until leaving in 2008.
The name of the album can be seen as either a reference to the title of Su Friedrich's 1981 short film Gently Down the Stream or an allusion to the lyrics to English language nursery rhyme "Row, Row, Row Your Boat". [1] As Zedek has stated, Daniel Coughlin, the band's "drummer had made this recording of all these songs he had written, one of the songs involved 'row, row, row your boat.' Plus there was the cover we used (of someone watching an enormous wave collapse from shore), and I was thinking, 'gently down the stream' seems like a good theme for a record." [2] Moreover, Zedek has described the title as a "urination analogy". [3]
with
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "One Piece" | Come | 6:53 |
| 2. | "Recidivist" | Come | 3:57 |
| 3. | "Stomp" | Come | 5:43 |
| 4. | "Sorry Too Late" | Come | 4:49 |
| 5. | "Saints Around My Neck" | Come | 8:27 |
| 6. | "Silk City" | Come | 4:52 |
| 7. | "Middle of Nowhere" | Come | 4:05 |
| 8. | "The Fade-Outs" | Come | 5:54 |
| 9. | "A Jam Blues" | Come | 5:07 |
| 10. | "New Coat" | Come | 5:20 |
| 11. | "The Former Model" | Come | 3:12 |
| 12. | "March" | Come | 8:15 |
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    link |
| The A.V. Club | Positive link |
| CMJ New Music Monthly | Positive link |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | link |
| Entertainment Weekly | B+ link |
| Sputnik | link |
| The Virgin Encyclopedia of Nineties Music | link |
Upon its release, CMJ New Music Monthly called Gently, Down the Stream "a king-size record from a colossal band; those who like hard rock and have never heard Come are missing out," [4] whilst Musician Magazine began its praiseful review of the album with a rhetorical question lamenting the fact that Come was clearly fated to remain in the underground: "Have you ever noticed how the music industry regularly champions its disposable waste but can't seem to hold faith in the staying power of its true talent?" [5] Billboard magazine listed Gently, Down the Stream as one of the "10 Essential Matador Releases", placing it alongside Interpol's Turn On The Bright Lights, The Belle and Sebastian's The Boy With the Arab Strap, Pavement's Slanted and Enchanted and Liz Phair's Exile in Guyville, among others. [6] The Rough Guide to Rock states that Gently, Down the Stream showcased the band's "new-found delight in melody and volume settings lower than eleven (...) with the introspection overwhelmed by rage and thrashing guitarwork often enough for maximum listener comfort." [7]
Speak magazine commented that "Come's fourth album doesn't meander gently down any stream. If anything, it's more like Whitewater rafting through a thundering maelstrom of guitars that empty occasionally into shallow pools," [8] going on to describe its songs as "12 gorgeous mini-epics [that] are by turns spooky and sleazy." [9] The Sunday Times' review of Gently, Down the Stream praised the album in unambiguous terms, suggesting that "as sandpaper-larynxed Zedek shares vocals with co-guitarist Chris Brokaw's softer tones, and Come abandon overdriven effects in the name of economy and songwriting, suddenly they're a great American rock band." [10] The review concluded that "Gently Down the Stream renders Come's indie ghettoisation absurd", [11] stating the band's importance in no uncertain terms: "This is a world-class act." [12]
Cornershop are an English indie rock band best known for their single "Brimful of Asha", originally released in 1997 and, in a remixed version, topping the UK chart in 1998. The band was formed in 1991 by Wolverhampton-born Tjinder Singh, his brother Avtar Singh, David Chambers (drums) and Ben Ayres, the first three having previously been members of Preston-based band General Havoc, who released one single in 1991. The band name originated from a stereotype referring to British Asians often owning corner shops. Their music is a fusion of Indian music, indie rock, alternative and electronic dance music.
Come is an American alternative rock band, formed in Boston by Thalia Zedek, Chris Brokaw, Arthur Johnson (drums), and Sean O'Brien (bass).
Chris Brokaw is an American musician, best known for his work with the bands Come and Codeine.
Thalia Zedek is an American singer and guitarist. Active since the early 1980s, she has been a member of several notable alternative rock groups, including Live Skull and Uzi both of which, according to Spin magazine, "made big noise in the underground", and Come. Critic Heather Phares writes that Zedek's music can be defined by "the permanent, aching rasp in her voice, her guitar's bluesy bite, the startlingly clear-eyed lyrics about life and loss."
Near-Life Experience is the third studio album by Boston alternative rock band Come, released in May 1996 on Matador Records in the US and on Domino Records in the UK.
99th Dream is the fourth studio album by the British alternative rock band Swervedriver, released in 1998. The band was dropped by DGC Records after recording the album; they retained the masters and eventually signed with Zero Hour Records.
11:11 is the debut album by Boston indie rock band Come.
Don't Ask, Don't Tell is the second album by Boston indie rock band Come.
Melting in the Dark is an album by the American musician Steve Wynn, released in 1996. It was recorded with a band consisting of all the members of Come. Wynn supported the album by touring with a backing band that included members of Gutterball, Zuzu's Petals, and Love Tractor.
Red Cities is Chris Brokaw's debut solo album, following the demise of Come.
Pullman is an American, studio-only, folk and predominantly acoustic rock supergroup, formed in Chicago by Ken Brown, Curtis Harvey, Chris Brokaw, and Doug McCombs in the late 1990s.
Turnstyles & Junkpiles is Pullman's debut album. Released on August 11, 1998, by Thrill Jockey, Turnstyles & Junkpiles was recorded live to analog 2-track with two AKG 451-EB microphone in the Cool Blue Cave by Bundy K. Brown in November 1997, with two exceptions: "Two Parts Water" and "Beacon & Kent", which were recorded at home by Curtis Harvey and Chris Brokaw, respectively. The album was edited at Soma Electronic Music Studios in Chicago, Illinois, and mastered by Roger Seibel at SAE Digital & Analog Mastering, in Phoenix, Arizona.
Uzi was an American alternative rock band, formed in 1984 in Boston, Massachusetts and disbanded in 1987. The band featured Thalia Zedek, Danny Lee (drums), Randy Barnwell, Bob Young (guitar) and Phil Milstein. Never achieving commercial success during their short period of activity, the band gained a cult following, becoming a part of Boston's underground rock scene.
Architecture is the third studio album by Spahn Ranch, released on April 8, 1997 by Cleopatra Records. After original member Rob Marton departed from the band, Christian Death drummer David Glass and drummer Harry Lewis joined the Spahn Ranch to further experiment with the band's fusion dark wave and industrial music. Critics have called it one of Spahn Ranch's most influential and experimental albums for its incorporation of drum and bass, dub and live guitar.
Been Here and Gone is Thalia Zedek's debut solo album, following the demise of Come, her previous band.
Trust Not Those in Whom Without Some Touch of Madness is Thalia Zedek's third solo album, released under two months after Hell is in Hello.
Liars and Prayers is Thalia Zedek's fourth solo album, released four years after Trust Not Those in Whom Without Some Touch of Madness.
Via is Thalia Zedek's fifth solo album, released five years after Liars and Prayers.
Eve is Thalia Zedek's sixth solo album, released three years after Via.
Fighting Season is Thalia Zedek's seventh solo album, released two years after Eve.
