King (Belly album)

Last updated
King
Belly King.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedFebruary 13, 1995 (1995-02-13) [1]
Recorded Compass Point (Nassau, Bahamas)
Genre Alternative rock
Length45:00
Label
Producer Glyn Johns
Belly chronology
Star
(1993)
King
(1995)
Dove
(2018)
Singles from King
  1. "Super-Connected"
    Released: 1995
  2. "Now They'll Sleep"
    Released: January 23, 1995 [2]
  3. "Red"
    Released: 1995
  4. "Seal My Fate"
    Released: July 10, 1995 [3]

King is the second studio album by American alternative rock band Belly, released on February 13, 1995.

Contents

Although the members had tightened their focus and polished their hook-laden songs, King and its singles did not meet label expectations in the grunge-friendly atmosphere of 1995, and the band broke up shortly after it was released. The album sold over 350,000 copies. [4] In the two decades since King's release, many (including some critics) have reconsidered the initial lukewarm attitude towards the album and now hold it as an equal to Belly's highly regarded debut Star .

Background

Belly released their debut studio album Star in January 1993, which peaked at number two in the United Kingdom and number 59 in the United States. Of its singles, "Feed the Tree" performed the best, reaching number 32 in the UK and number 95 in the US. Belly was nominated for a Best New Act at the Grammy Awards, and won Boston Music Awards for Best Modern Rock Act Debut Album of the Year. Bassist Fred Absong departed in May 1993 and was replaced by Gail Greenwood. They travelled to Compass Point Studios in Nassau, Bahamas to record their next album. [5]

Release

Preceded by the "Now They'll Sleep" single in January 1995, King was released in February 1995. "Seal My Fate" was issued as the next single in July 1995. They went on a US tour with Catherine Wheel, who drew attention away from Belly; they eventually broke-up in mid-1996. [5]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [6]
Chicago Tribune Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [7]
Entertainment Weekly B+ [8]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [9]
Los Angeles Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [10]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [11]
Slant Magazine Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [12]
Spin 8/10 [13]
The Village Voice A− [14]

In 2012, King was listed at number seven on PopMatters ' "15 Overlooked and Underrated Albums of the 1990s" list. [15] In 2016, the album was hailed by Will Sheff of Okkervil River as "a winning, confident, masterful collection of songs – poppy and sweet and with a low-key psychedelic undercurrent. Everything good about Star was still there and had been expanded upon, but in many ways this felt like a new, reinvented band." [16]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Puberty"3:48
2."Seal My Fate"Donelly4:03
3."Red"
  • Donelly
  • Tom Gorman
3:35
4."Silverfish"
  • Donelly
  • Gorman
4:00
5."Super-Connected"
  • Donelly
  • Greenwood
4:25
6."The Bees"Donelly4:58
7."King"Donelly4:18
8."Now They'll Sleep"
  • Donelly
  • Gorman
3:14
9."Untitled and Unsung"Donelly3:33
10."L'il Ennio"Donelly3:45
11."Judas My Heart"
  • Donelly
  • Gorman
5:21
Total length:45:00

Charts

Chart performance for King
Chart (1995)Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA) [17] 87
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [18] 66
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [19] 89
UK Albums (OCC) [20] 6
US Billboard 200 [21] 57

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Breeders</span> American alternative rock band

The Breeders are an American alternative rock band based in Dayton, Ohio, consisting of members Kim Deal, her twin sister Kelley Deal, Josephine Wiggs and Jim Macpherson (drums).

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

Lush were an English rock band formed in London in 1987. The original line-up consisted of Miki Berenyi, Emma Anderson, Steve Rippon and Chris Acland (drums). Phil King replaced Rippon in 1991. They were one of the first bands to have been described with the "shoegazing" label. Following the death of Acland, the group disbanded in 1996.

<i>Waking Up the Neighbours</i> 1991 studio album by Bryan Adams

Waking Up the Neighbours is the sixth studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Bryan Adams, released on September 24, 1991. The album was recorded at Battery Studios in London and The Warehouse Studio in Vancouver, mixed at Mayfair Studios in London, and mastered by Bob Ludwig at Masterdisk in New York City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">4AD</span> British record label

4AD is a British record label owned by Beggars Group. It was founded in London under the name "Axis" by Ivo Watts-Russell and Peter Kent in 1980 as an imprint of Beggars Banquet Records. The name was changed to 4AD after the release of the label's first four singles. Later that year, Watts-Russell and Kent purchased the label from Beggars Banquet to become an independent record label, and Kent sold his share to Watts-Russell a year later.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warrant (American band)</span> American glam metal band

Warrant is an American glam metal band formed in 1984 in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, that experienced success from 1989 to 1996 with five albums reaching international sales of over 10 million. The band first came into the national spotlight with their double platinum debut album Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich and one of its singles, "Heaven", which reached No. 1 in Rolling Stone and No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. The band's success continued in the early 1990s with the double platinum album Cherry Pie, which provided the hit song of the same name.

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

Belly is an alternative rock band formed in Rhode Island in 1991 by former Throwing Muses and Breeders member Tanya Donelly. The original lineup consisted of Donelly on vocals and guitar, Fred Abong on bass, and brothers Tom and Chris Gorman on guitar and drums respectively. The band released two albums during the early 1990s alternative rock boom before breaking up in 1995. They reunited in 2016 and mounted limited tours in the United States and United Kingdom that year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tanya Donelly</span> American musician

Tanya Donelly is an American Grammy Award-nominated singer-songwriter and guitarist based in New England who co-founded Throwing Muses with her step-sister Kristin Hersh. Donelly went on to co-form the alternative rock band The Breeders in 1989, before leaving to front her own band Belly in 1991. By the late 1990s, she settled into a solo recording career, working largely with musicians connected to the Boston music scene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A.R. Kane</span> British musical duo

A.R. Kane was a British musical duo formed in 1986 by Alex Ayuli and Rudy Tambala. After releasing two early EPs to critical acclaim, the group topped the UK Independent Chart with their debut album 69 (1988). Their second album, "i" (1989), was also a top 10 hit. They were also part of the one-off collaboration MARRS, whose surprise dance hit "Pump Up the Volume" was released in 1987. Ayuli is believed to have coined the term "dreampop" in the late 1980s to describe their eclectic sound, which blended elements such as effects-laden guitars, dub production, and drum machine backing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Wolfgang Press</span> English post-punk band

The Wolfgang Press were an English post-punk band, active from 1983 to 1995, recording for the 4AD label. The core of the band was Michael Allen, Mark Cox (keyboards), and Andrew Gray (guitar).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avenged Sevenfold discography</span>

American heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold has released eight studio albums, one soundtrack album, one live album, two compilation albums, 24 singles, two video albums and 29 music videos. Formed in Huntington Beach, California in 1999, the band originally featured vocalist M. Shadows, guitarist Zacky Vengeance, bassist Matt Wendt and drummer The Rev. Synyster Gates joined as lead guitarist in 2001, just after the group released their debut album Sounding the Seventh Trumpet on Good Life Recordings, which was later reissued on Hopeless Records.

<i>Star</i> (Belly album) 1993 studio album by Belly

Star is the debut studio album by American alternative rock band Belly, released on January 25, 1993.

Air Cuba, previously known as Cuba, were a British electronic music duo formed by Christopher Andrews and Ashley Bates. They released two singles and an album, Leap of Faith, on 4AD in 1998 and 1999. Their sound demonstrated a range of electronic, pop, and rock influences, and they were frequently compared with Primal Scream.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sean Paul discography</span>

This is a comprehensive listing of official releases by Jamaican dancehall singer Sean Paul.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">There There</span> 2003 single by Radiohead

"There There" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead. It was released as the lead single from their sixth album, Hail to the Thief (2003), on 21 May 2003. It reached number four on the UK Singles Chart, number one in Canada and Portugal, and number 14 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. The song appears on Radiohead: The Best Of (2008).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kid Rock discography</span>

American rock musician Kid Rock has released 12 studio albums, one compilation album, two extended plays and one live album. His debut album, Grits Sandwiches for Breakfast, was released by Jive Records in 1990. Following its release, Kid Rock was dropped and shuffled between an independent artist and label-signed for most of the 1990s until he created his own Top Dog label and released his mainstream debut album, Devil Without a Cause, on August 18, 1998, via Atlantic Records. The album was certified diamond by the RIAA and sold 11 million copies in the United States. From 1999 to 2000 he produced four major Billboard "Hot 100" hits: "Bawitdaba", "Cowboy", "Only God Knows Why", and "American Bad Ass".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belly (rapper)</span> Palestinian-Canadian rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer

Ahmad Balshe, known professionally as Belly, is a Palestinian-Canadian rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Born in Jenin, Balshe was raised in Ottawa. At 21 years old, he moved on to his main love hip-hop with the release of his debut mixtape, Death Before Dishonor: Vol. 1. He then released eight additional projects in a span of six years, including his debut studio album The Revolution (2007), as well as two collaborative mixtapes, The Lost Tapes and The Greatest Dream I Never Had, with Kurupt and DJ Drama, respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Feed the Tree</span> 1993 single by Belly

"Feed the Tree" is a song by American alternative rock band Belly, released as the band's first single from their debut album, Star, in 1993. It is the band's biggest hit, reaching number one on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and number 32 on the UK Singles Chart. According to lead singer Tanya Donelly, the song is a metaphor about commitment and respect, with the tree being a place on a large farm where a family would be buried.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Faith No More discography</span>

The discography of Faith No More, an American rock group, consists of seven studio albums, nineteen singles, one live album, five compilations, four video albums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Live discography</span> Band discography

The discography of the American rock band Live consists of nine studio albums, one live album, two compilation albums, three extended plays, twenty-eight singles and twenty-six music videos. After initially self-releasing a full-length album and an EP under the name Public Affection, their first studio album as Live, 1991's Mental Jewelry, peaked at number 73 on the Billboard 200. The single "Operation Spirit " peaked at number nine on the Alternative Songs chart.

<i>King for a Day... Fool for a Lifetime</i> 1995 studio album by Faith No More

King for a Day... Fool for a Lifetime is the fifth studio album by American rock band Faith No More, released on March 13, 1995, by Slash and Reprise Records. It was their first album recorded without longtime guitarist Jim Martin. The album showcased a variety of musical genres, with Rolling Stone calling the result a "genre shuffle". King for a Day... Fool for a Lifetime spawned three singles: "Digging the Grave", "Ricochet" and "Evidence".

References

Citations

  1. "Reviews: Records Out on February 13, 1995". Music Week . February 4, 1995. p. 30.
  2. "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. January 21, 1995. p. 31.
  3. "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. July 8, 1995. p. 27.
  4. Aston, Martin. "Rhode Island Odyssey". 4ad.com.[ permanent dead link ]
  5. 1 2 Thompson 2000, p. 186
  6. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "King – Belly". AllMusic . Retrieved March 7, 2006.
  7. Caro, Mark (March 2, 1995). "A Step Up". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved May 1, 2017.
  8. Sinclair, Tom (February 17, 1995). "King". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved May 1, 2017.
  9. Sullivan, Caroline (February 17, 1995). "Belly: King (4AD)". The Guardian .
  10. Ali, Lorraine (February 14, 1995). "Donelly Brings Life and Texture to 'King'". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved May 1, 2017.
  11. Sinagra 2004, p. 60
  12. Cinquemani, Sal (October 16, 2003). "Belly: King". Slant Magazine . Retrieved July 15, 2010.
  13. Fleissner 1995, p. 94
  14. Christgau, Robert (June 6, 1995). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice . Retrieved May 1, 2017.
  15. Chiola, Enio (May 8, 2012). "15 Overlooked and Underrated Albums of the 1990s". PopMatters . Retrieved July 14, 2018.
  16. Langmead, Jon (February 14, 2016). "Hail, Hail: Belly and the making of King". Aquarium Drunkard. Retrieved March 27, 2017.
  17. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 28.
  18. "Dutchcharts.nl – Belly – King" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
  19. "Longplay-Chartverfolgung at Musicline" (in German). Musicline.de. Phononet GmbH. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
  20. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
  21. "Belly Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 14, 2018.

Sources