Only Life

Last updated
Only Life
Feeliesonlylife.jpg
Studio album by
the Feelies
ReleasedSeptember 13, 1988 [1]
Length39:17
Label Coyote/A&M [2]
Producer Steve Rinkoff, Bill Million, Glenn Mercer
The Feelies chronology
The Good Earth
(1986)		Only Life
(1988)		 Time for a Witness
(1991)

Only Life is the third album by the American rock band the Feelies, released in 1988. [3] [4] It was made with the same line-up that appeared on the band's previous album, The Good Earth . [5] The album contains a cover of the Velvet Underground's "What Goes On". [6]

Contents

The album peaked at No. 173 on the Billboard 200. [7] Jonathan Demme directed the video for "Away". [8]

Style

Only Life has been described as an "updated and mature form" of its predecessor, Crazy Rhythms . It features fewer acoustic tracks, with a "greater focus on speedy jangle-strum rockers". [9]

Production

The album was produced by Glenn Mercer, Bill Million, and Steve Rinkoff. [10]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [11]
Robert Christgau B+ [12]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [2]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [13]
The Philadelphia Inquirer Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [14]
Pitchfork 7.6/10 [15]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [16]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [6]
Spin Alternative Record Guide 7/10 [17]

Magnet wrote that "the songs grapple with apprehension and the longing for comfort, which the music delivers in the form of indelible hooks and transcendent rave-ups." [18] Rolling Stone wrote: "Driven by the interlocking guitars of Mercer and Bill Million, the band constructs waves of beautiful hypnotic drone, with subtle tempo shifts and percussion accents that ripple through the arrangements." [16] Trouser Press praised the "amazingly exacting sound and performances" and "riveting songs of breathless electricity." [19] USA Today listed the album at number nine on its list of the ten best albums of 1988. [20]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Glenn Mercer except where noted

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."It's Only Life" 3:01
2."Too Much"Bill Million, Glenn Mercer4:38
3."Deep Fascination" 4:07
4."Higher Ground" 4:38
5."The Undertow" 3:43
Total length:20:07
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."For Awhile" 4:05
7."The Final Word"Million, Mercer2:23
8."Too Far Gone"Million, Mercer3:38
9."Away" 5:27
10."What Goes On" Lou Reed 3:37
Total length:19:10

Personnel

Related Research Articles

<i>Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge</i> 1991 studio album by Mudhoney

Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge is the second studio album by American rock band Mudhoney. It was recorded at a time when the band was thinking of signing to a major record label, but decided to release the album on Sub Pop in 1991. The album shipped 50,000 copies on its original release. It was credited with helping to keep Sub Pop in business.

<i>Murmur</i> (album) 1983 studio album by R.E.M.

Murmur is the debut studio album by American alternative rock band R.E.M., released on April 12, 1983, by I.R.S. Records. The album was recorded at Reflection Studios in Charlotte, North Carolina, with musicians Don Dixon and Mitch Easter serving as producers. Murmur drew critical acclaim upon its release for its unconventional sound, defined by lead singer Michael Stipe's cryptic lyrics, guitarist Peter Buck's jangly guitar style, and bass guitarist Mike Mills's melodic basslines. In 2003, the album was ranked number 197 in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time". It retained the position in the 2012 list and was raised to number 165 in the 2020 revision.

<i>Frank</i> (Squeeze album) 1989 studio album by Squeeze

Frank is a studio album by new wave group Squeeze, released in 1989. The album sold poorly, and Squeeze was dropped by A&M Records while on tour. Forced to take offers from different major labels for the first time in their career, the band soon signed with Reprise Records and began working on their next studio album, Play.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Feelies</span> American post-punk rock band

The Feelies are an American rock band from Haledon, New Jersey. They formed in 1976 and disbanded in 1992 after having released four albums. The band reunited in 2008, and released new albums in 2011 and 2017.

<i>Crazy Rhythms</i> 1980 studio album by the Feelies

Crazy Rhythms is the debut studio album by American rock band the Feelies. It was released in the United Kingdom on February 29, 1980, and in the United States in April 1980, through British record label Stiff. Its fusion of post-punk and jangle pop was influential on the forthcoming alternative rock genre, with R.E.M., among others, citing the album as an influence. Although it was not commercially successful initially, it has remained critically lauded in the decades since its release.

<i>Boom Boom Chi Boom Boom</i> 1988 studio album by Tom Tom Club

Boom Boom Chi Boom Boom is the third studio album by Tom Tom Club, released in 1988. It includes a cover of the Velvet Underground's "Femme Fatale", with David Byrne, Lou Reed, and Jerry Harrison. The track "Suboceana" was released as a single in the UK in late 1988 and received some radio airplay. In the US, a 12-inch single of the song was released, which featured a remix by Marshall Jefferson, and contains the track "Devil, Does Your Dog Bite". That song is a bonus on the Japanese issue of the album that has the original 10 songs. The track "Don't Say No" was released as a single in the UK, Europe, and Australia. The 7" version was remixed by Tuta Aquino and various 12" releases included acid house remixes by Marshall Jefferson. "Challenge of the Love Warriors" is played over the ending credits of Mary Lambert's 1987 mystery thriller Siesta though it is not included on the soundtrack album, also released in 1987, from Miles Davis and Marcus Miller.

<i>Starlite Walker</i> 1994 studio album by Silver Jews

Starlite Walker is the first studio album by American indie rock band Silver Jews. It was released in 1994 as an LP and CD on Drag City (DC55) in America and on Domino (WIG15) in Europe.

<i>Pentastar: In the Style of Demons</i> 1996 studio album by Earth

Pentastar: In the Style of Demons is the third full-length studio album by the drone doom band Earth, released in 1996. It has a more rock-oriented sound than their earlier drone doom work, although in a very minimalist style. "Peace in Mississippi" is a cover of the Jimi Hendrix song. The original vinyl release of the album has an alternative take of "Peace in Mississippi".

<i>The Good Earth</i> (The Feelies album) 1986 studio album by the Feelies

The Good Earth is the second album by American alternative rock band the Feelies. It was released in 1986 on Coyote Records, six years following their debut album Crazy Rhythms. The original LP was contained in a sleeve designed by Glenn Mercer, featuring a front cover photo of the band by bassist Brenda Sauter and a back cover photo by John Baumgartner with coloring by Sauter.

<i>Gone Fishin</i> (Flipper album) 1984 studio album by Flipper

Gone Fishin' is the second studio album by San Francisco-based punk rock band Flipper, released in 1984 by Subterranean Records. The album's artwork featured a depiction of Flipper's tour van as a ready-to-cut-out-and-assemble centerpiece, with similar cutouts of the four band members on the back cover. At the time of the album's release, Subterranean offered extra empty covers of the album by mail order for $2 for those Flipper fans that wanted to have a cover to cut up and assemble. The album was reissued by Water Records on December 9, 2008, for the first time on CD, with liner notes provided by Buzz Osborne of the Melvins.

<i>Ragin, Full-On</i> 1986 studio album by fIREHOSE

Ragin', Full-On is the first album by American alternative rock band fIREHOSE. It was released after the breakup of the influential punk rock band Minutemen due to the death of the guitarist D. Boon. Like all fIREHOSE albums, Ragin', Full-On is dedicated to Boon.

<i>Smash Your Head on the Punk Rock</i> 1992 compilation album by Sebadoh

Smash Your Head on the Punk Rock is a compilation album by the American indie rock band Sebadoh. It was released in 1992, and marked the band's debut on Sub Pop.

<i>The Dirt of Luck</i> 1995 studio album by Helium

The Dirt of Luck is the first full-length album from American indie rock band Helium. It was released in April 1995 on Matador Records and was produced by Adam Lasus.

<i>Fromohio</i> 1989 studio album by Firehose

Fromohio is the third album by the American alternative rock band Firehose, released in 1989. The album maintained the acoustic and folky sound of If'n. It's called that because it's from Ohio.

<i>Time for a Witness</i> 1991 studio album by The Feelies

Time for a Witness is the fourth studio album by the American rock band the Feelies, released in 1991 on A&M/Coyote. The band supported the album with a North American tour.

<i>Sunburn</i> (Blake Babies album) 1990 studio album by Blake Babies

Sunburn is the third album by the Blake Babies, released in 1990.

<i>Public Flipper Limited Live 1980–1985</i> 1986 live album by Flipper

Public Flipper Limited is the second live album by San Francisco-based punk rock band Flipper, released in 1986 by Subterranean Records. It contains recordings from 1980–85. The title is a nod to John Lydon's post-punk outfit Public Image Ltd. Earlier the same year Public Image Ltd. had released an album titled Album whose title resembled that of Flipper's debut release, Album.

<i>Exile on Main St.</i> (Pussy Galore album) 1986 studio album of cover songs by Pussy Galore

Exile on Main St. is an album by American noise rock band Pussy Galore, released in December 1986 by Shove Records. It is a track-by-track cover album re-interpreting the Rolling Stones' 1972 album Exile on Main St. Its only official release format was the cassette tape, in a limited run of only 550 hand-numbered copies.

<i>Martin + Me</i> 1996 live album by J Mascis

Martin + Me is a solo album by the American musician J Mascis, his first. It was released in 1996.

<i>Speed Is Dreaming</i> 1994 studio album by St. Johnny

Speed Is Dreaming is the sophomore studio album by American alternative rock band St. Johnny and their first release for DGC Records.

References

  1. ↑ Dupler, Steven (1988-09-03). "The Eye". Billboard. Vol. 100, no. 36. p. 48. ISSN   0006-2510. Coyote/A&M act the Feelies' new single, "Away," from the album, "Only Life," due out Sept. 13
  2. 1 2 Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 3. MUZE. p. 415.
  3. ↑ "The Feelies | Biography & History". AllMusic.
  4. ↑ "The Feelies: Only Life & Time for a Witness". Relix Media. June 10, 2016.
  5. ↑ Earles, Andrew (September 15, 2014). Gimme Indie Rock: 500 Essential American Underground Rock Albums 1981-1996. Voyageur Press. ISBN   9780760346488 – via Google Books.
  6. 1 2 The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 242.
  7. ↑ "The Feelies". Billboard.
  8. ↑ "FEELIES SAYING SOMETHING - Record Collector Magazine".
  9. ↑ Earles, Andrew (September 15, 2014). Gimme Indie Rock: 500 Essential American Underground Rock Albums 1981-1996. Yoyageur Press. p. 104.
  10. ↑ Jenkins, Mark (14 Sep 1988). "Records: The Feelies And Pere Ubu: Polished Power". The Washington Post: C7.
  11. ↑ Ned Raggett. "Only Life - The Feelies | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic . Retrieved 2015-11-10.
  12. ↑ "CG: feelies". Robert Christgau. 1991-03-26. Retrieved 2015-11-10.
  13. ↑ MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 419.
  14. ↑ Moon, Tom (9 Oct 1988). "A STRONG BAND THAT WINS WITH ITS INSTRUMENTALS". The Philadelphia Inquirer: G14.
  15. ↑ "The Feelies: Only Life/Time For A Witness". Pitchfork.
  16. 1 2 "The Feelies: Only Life : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone . November 3, 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-11-03.
  17. ↑ Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. 1995. pp. 146–147.
  18. ↑ "Essential New Music: The Feelies' "Only Life" And "Time For A Witness"". April 17, 2016.
  19. ↑ "Feelies". Trouser Press. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  20. ↑ Gundersen, Edna (13 Dec 1988). "The year in music: Only a few stand out in a so-so period for rock: In 1988, pop falls short on substance". USA Today: 1D.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.