Hi-Fi Serious

Last updated

Hi-Fi Serious
A - Hi-Fi Serious.jpg
Studio album by
A
Released4 March 2002
RecordedAugust–December 2001
Genre Alternative rock, post-grunge, hard rock, pop rock
Length45:36
Label London
Producer Ken Andrews, Al Clay
A chronology
Exit Stage Right
(2000)
Hi-Fi Serious
(2002)
Teen Dance Ordinance
(2005)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Alternative Press 6/10 [2]
Blender Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [3]
Drowned in Sound 9/10 [4]
laut.de Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [5]
NME 7/10 [6]
Nude as the News(Positive) [7]
Ox-Fanzine Favourable [8]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [9]

Hi-Fi Serious is the third studio album by British alternative rock band A, released on 4 March 2002 in the United Kingdom and later that July in the United States.

Contents

The name "Hi-Fi Serious" was derived from that of a fictional electronics store, from which Alan Partridge purchased a Bang & Olufsen stereo system in the final episode of the first series of British sitcom, I'm Alan Partridge . [10] The tour in support of the album's release was named the "Inner City Sumo Tour" [11] – another nod to Partridge, this time referencing a line in the show's very first episode. [12]

Charts, sales and legacy

The album is certified Silver in the U.K., having sold over 60,000 copies. [13]

The album's first single Nothing made it to No. 9 in the UK singles chart before the album's release, propelling the band higher up the ladder - the album peaked at No. 18 in the UK album charts - and although they were still not seen as a mainstream artist, the album still won them "Best British Band" at the Kerrang! Awards.

In 2005, readers of Kerrang! magazine voted Hi-Fi Serious the 57th best British rock album ever. [14]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Jason Perry.

No.TitleLength
1."Nothing"3:43
2."Something's Going On"2:58
3."6 O'Clock on a Tube Stop"3:14
4."Going Down"4:09
5."Took It Away"3:29
6."Starbucks"3:18
7."The Springs"4:28
8."Shut Yer Face"3:43
9."Pacific Ocean Blue"3:27
10."The Distance"3:37
11."W.D.Y.C.A.I." (Why Don't You Cry About It)3:27
12."Hi-Fi Serious"5:57
Total length:45:36
US and streaming versions
No.TitleLength
13."Champions of Endings"4:47
Total length:50:23
Japanese version
No.TitleLength
13."Asshole"4:28
Total length:50:04

DVD features

Hi-Fi Serious was later re-released with an additional DVD of live footage and other video clips of the band. This included music videos for "Nothing", "The Distance", and the song "Old Folks" from their previous album 'A' vs. Monkey Kong, a 12-minute documentary, UK TV commercials for Hi-Fi Serious, and 20 minutes of "Live at Reading 2002" footage.

2018 Re-Release

Hi-Fi Serious was re-released in 2018, including a reissue on CD and the album's debut on vinyl. The reissue included a bonus CD entitled "The B Sides", which contained a collection of many hard-to-find songs from their back catalogue.

Bonus disc tracklist

All tracks are written by Jason Perry.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Good Idea" 2:18
2."Radio Lebanon" 3:19
3."Over It" 1:47
4."Owner of a Lonely Heart" Jon Anderson / Chris Squire / Trevor Horn / Trevor Rabin 4:37
5."Champions of Endings" 4:47
6."Alright" 2:41
7."I Can't Wait Until Morning" 3:23
8."Last Girl" 4:25
9."French Kiss" 3:14
10."Look What You Made Me Do" 3:14
11."Sorry But..." 4:04
12."Have the Night" 3:41
13."Coming Around" 3:30
Total length:44:54

References

  1. Allmusic review
  2. Harvilla, Rob (August 2002). "Music Reviews". Alternative Press . Vol. 17, no. 169. p. 68.
  3. Mitchell, Ben. "A Hi-Fi Serious". Blender . Archived from the original on 13 August 2004. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
  4. "Drowned in Sound review". Archived from the original on 11 December 2019. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
  5. Cordas, Alexander. "Hi-Fi Serious" (in German). laut.de . Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  6. NME review
  7. Nude as the News review Archived 2004-08-16 at the Wayback Machine
  8. Hiller, Joachim (March–May 2002). "Reviews: A / Hi-Fi Serious CD". Ox-Fanzine (in German). Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  9. Silver, Dan (March 2002). "A: Hi-Fi Serious". Q Review. Q . No. 188. p. 117. ISSN   0955-4955.
  10. "A, Wheatus and InMe are heading out on this 2002 AF UK tour". NME. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  11. "SkaCore, Goldfinger and more". Punktastic. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  12. ""I'm Alan Partridge" A Room with an Alan (1997)". IMDB. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  13. [ dead link ]
  14. Kerrang! The 100 Best British Rock Albums Ever! (at the bottom of the page)