Mechanical Wonder

Last updated

Mechanical Wonder
Mechanical Wonder.jpg
Studio album by
Ocean Colour Scene
Released9 April 2001
RecordedNovember 2000 Loco Studios, Moseley Shoals & The Fallout Shelter
Genre Alternative rock, blues rock
Length42:51
Label Island
Producer Martin 'Max' Heyes
Ocean Colour Scene chronology
One from the Modern
(1999)		Mechanical Wonder
(2001)		 North Atlantic Drift
(2003)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Alternative Press Star full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [2]
entertainment.ie Star full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [3]
The Herald Star full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [4]
The Independent Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [5]
NME Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [6]
Pitchfork 6.9/10 [7]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [8]
RTÉ.ie Star full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [9]
Under the Radar 5/10 [10]

Mechanical Wonder is the fifth album by Ocean Colour Scene. It peaked on the UK album chart at #7 and lasted four weeks in the top 75. To date, it is the last Ocean Colour Scene release to enter the top 10.

Contents

The title is believed to be anti-dance music, as are the lyrics; "the Mechanical Wonder is... ...just a noise in my room."[ citation needed ] However, the band deny this. Simon Fowler wrote in the liner notes of the band's greatest hits album "Songs for the Front Row" that the title referred to cars on the motorway. Live however, Simon Fowler often sings "and the radio plays only fucking Radio 1", a possible reference to the lack of airplay the band get. The other single from the album was "Up on the Downside", which fared better in the charts. The album was not a success, marking the end of the Britpop success of the band. After the failure of the album, the band decided to release themselves from their contract with their record label.

Track listing

  1. "Up on the Downside"
  2. "In My Field"
  3. "Sail on My Boat"
  4. "Biggest Thing"
  5. "We Made It More"
  6. "Give Me a Letter"
  7. "Mechanical Wonder"
  8. "You Are Amazing"
  9. "If I Gave You My Heart"
  10. "Can't Get Back to the Baseline"
  11. "Something for Me" (UK bonus track)
  12. "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere" (Japanese bonus track)

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References

  1. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. Ocean Colour Scene - Mechanical Wonder AllMusic
  2. ↑ "Ocean Colour Scene - Mechanical Wonder". Alternative Press : 90. August 2001.
  3. ↑ "Ocean Colour Scene - Mechanical Wonder". entertainment.ie. 23 April 2001. Archived from the original on 9 January 2013.
  4. ↑ McGuire, Samuel (8 April 2001). "Ocean Colour Scene: Mechanical Wonder (island)". The Herald . Archived from the original on 20 November 2018. Retrieved 8 June 2017– via HighBeam Research.
  5. ↑ Perry, Tim (7 April 2001). "Pop: Album Reviews" . The Independent . Retrieved 2 December 2021.
  6. ↑ Mulvey, John. "Ocean Colour Scene: Mechanical Wonder". NME . Retrieved 7 November 2020.
  7. ↑ Tangari, Joe. "Ocean Colour Scene: Mechanical Wonder [Ark 21]". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 4 April 2005. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
  8. ↑ "Ocean Colour Scene: Mechanical Wonder". Q. May 2001. p. 116.
  9. ↑ Grealis, Tom. "Ocean Colour Scene - Mechanical Wonder". RTÉ.ie. Archived from the original on 2 March 2010.
  10. ↑ Redfern, Mark. "Ocean Colour Scene: Mechanical Wonder (Ark 21 Records)". Under the Radar. Archived from the original on 5 January 2009. Retrieved 5 November 2020.


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