Revolution Now

Last updated
Revolution Now
Revolution Now.jpg
Studio album by
Captain Sensible
ReleasedJuly 1989
StudioTin Pan Alley Studios, Konk, Raven, Team Esselle Studios, The Music Station, Nice, ICC Studios, Mark Angelo Studios, Good Earth Studios
Genre Pop, rock
Length76:13
Label Deltic Records
Producer Captain Sensible, Mark Ferda, Team Esselle, The Flowerpot Men
Captain Sensible chronology
The Power of Love
(1983)		Revolution Now
(1989)		 The Universe of Geoffrey Brown
(1993)
Singles from Revolution Now
  1. "Revolution Now"
    Released: June 1987
  2. "The Toys Take Over"
    Released: June 1988
  3. "I Get So Excited"
    Released: October 1988
  4. "Missing the Boat"
    Released: 1999
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [2]

Revolution Now is the third solo album by Captain Sensible. It was released on CD and double LP in July 1989 on his own Deltic Records. [3] It was Sensible's first album release in six years since 1983's The Power of Love . The album features contributions from Eddy Grant and former the Damned members Rat Scabies, Paul Gray and Henry Badowski, among others.

Contents

The album was reissued in 2013 by Easy Action Records in a redesigned gatefold card sleeve. [4]

Background

After leaving his previous record label A&M following the release of his "Revolution Now" single in 1987, Sensible formed his own label, Deltic Records. His first release on the label was the single "Toys Take Over" in June 1988, [3] followed by "I Get So Excited" in October. [5] All three singles were included on Revolution Now, which was recorded in a number of different studios. Sensible wrote in the album's liner notes: "Why so many? Possibly due to the fact that being a bit of a perfectionist I spent a fair amount of time painstakingly putting this album together and would rapidly run out of credit wherever I happened to have the escalating bill that week - requiring frequent, and occasionally speedy relocation." [6]

The album includes the 15 minute epic "Coward of Treason Cove", which consists of a montage of different songs and musical styles. It was co-written with former bandmate Henry Badowski during a visit to Sensible's home in December 1986. Badowski: "He was in the process of putting together a mini rock opera and I was given a bottle of whiskey and a pen and paper and was ordered to write the words to a bunch of tunes he'd written." "Coward of Treason Cove" was originally released as the B-side to the "Revolution Now" 12" single. [7]

Reception

Revolution Now received less favourable reviews upon release and did not chart in the UK. [2] In a review for AllMusic, Richie Unterberger wrote that the album is hard to categorize musically, and that "the result sounds more irritatingly confusing than impressive." He described the music as "'80s British dance rock, neo-psychedelia, and White-boy soul, sometimes in the same song". Unterberger added that "there are some nice bits of melody here and there, but you get the uneasy feeling that eclecticism is being used as a cover for the lack of killer material or a compelling lyrical thread." [1]

In a more positive review, Ira Robbins of Trouser Press wrote that Sensible "reached some sort of artistic peak" on Revolution Now, although it was "hampered a bit by Sensible's minimalist singing and the obvious use of synthesizers where real instruments would have sounded better". He felt that the album was "full of catchy melodies and nearly serious left-field lyrics" and added that "there isn't a bad song here, and the best ones ... cover amazing stylistic ground with ease and flair." [8]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Missing the Boat" Ray Burns 4:11
2."Smash It Up, Part 4"Burns2:36
3."Toys Take Over"Burns, Martin Newell 4:33
4."S.2."Burns2:56
5."Riot on Eastbourne Pier"Burns3:08
6."Wake Up (You're Only Dreaming)"Burns4:07
7."Green Light"Burns, Newell4:06
8."Lib 2/3"Burns5:06
9."Revolution Now"Burns, Newell4:32
10."Phone In"Burns, Newell3:39
11."I Get So Excited" Eddy Grant, Lincoln Gordon3:54
12."Vosene" Captain Sensible, Captain Stupid2:31
13."The Kamikaze Millionaire"Burns, Newell3:39
14."Exploding Heads and Teapots (Past Their Prime)"Burns3:54
15."The Coward of Treason Cove"Burns, Henry Badowski 15:21

Personnel

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes. [9]

Musicians
Production

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References

  1. 1 2 Unterberger, Richie. "Revolution Now". AllMusic. Retrieved 10 November 2018.
  2. 1 2 Larkin, Colin (2011). Encyclopedia of Popular Music: Concise (5th Edition). Omnibus Press. ISBN   9780857125958 . Retrieved 10 November 2018.
  3. 1 2 Hutchinson, Barry (2017). The Damned - The Chaos Years: An Unofficial Biography. Barry Hutchinson. p. 296. ISBN   978-0-244-30256-6.
  4. ↑ "Captain Sensible: Revolution Now CD". easyaction.co.uk. Retrieved 10 November 2018.
  5. 1 2 "I Get So Excited on Discogs". Discogs.com . Retrieved 10 November 2018.
  6. ↑ Revolution Now (CD reissue liner notes). Captain Sensible. Easy Action Records. 2013.CS1 maint: others (link)
  7. ↑ Hutchinson, Barry (2017). The Damned - The Chaos Years: An Unofficial Biography. Barry Hutchinson. p. 290. ISBN   978-0-244-30256-6.
  8. ↑ Robbins, Ira. "Trouser Press: Captain Sensible". Trouser Press . Retrieved 10 November 2018.
  9. ↑ Revolution Now (CD liner notes). Captain Sensible. Deltic Records. 1989.CS1 maint: others (link)
  10. ↑ "Toys Take Over on Discogs". Discogs.com . Retrieved 10 November 2018.
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