Science Fiction (Tom Bailey album)

Last updated

Science Fiction
Tom Bailey Science Fiction 2018 Album Cover.jpg
Studio album by
Tom Bailey
Released13 July 2018
Recorded2014–2018
Genre
Length44:10
Label PledgeMusic
Red River Entertainment
Mikrokosmos
Producer Tom Bailey
Singles from Science Fiction
  1. "Come So Far"
    Released: 2016
  2. "What Kind of World"
    Released: 28 June 2018

Science Fiction is the debut solo studio album by English singer Tom Bailey, best known as the lead singer of pop band Thompson Twins. It was released on 13 July 2018. [1] In addition to the standard release, a limited edition double CD hardback mediabook version of the album was released, featuring a bonus disc with seven alternative versions and remixes along with a companion book. [2]

Contents

In a press release of the album's announcement in May 2018, Bailey commented: "I so much enjoyed playing concerts around the world over the last couple of years, that I began working behind the scenes on writing, recording and mixing the songs in this collection. I find it incredibly rewarding to be making pop music again." [3]

Background

After being seduced back into playing Thompson Twins songs in concert, Bailey became increasingly interested in the challenge of creating new and contemporary songs. [4] [5] Despite not being interested in science fiction, Bailey found the concept of using science to shine "new light on old problems" to be a fascinating topic, and found that the songs he had written all shared this theme. After writing the aptly titled "Science Fiction" he realized that it would make a perfect title for the album itself. [4] [6]

The futuristic subject matter present in "What Kind of World" was inspired by the death of David Bowie and the visions of Elon Musk. Bailey believed Musk's ambitions to colonize Mars were both intriguing yet troubling. He explained, "His plan to send people to Mars to save the Earth...is sort of an exciting thing, an optimistic thing, [but] I really worry that the idea that Elon's going to send some rich people to Mars means we don't have to save the Earth anymore." "What Kind of World" would serve the purpose of tackling both arguments. [4]

"Come So Far" tells the story of a young man who tries to travel from Afghanistan to London to save his life. It documents what he has to give up - materially, culturally, and emotionally - in order to make the move. [6]

In 2018, Bailey joined the B-52s and Culture Club on the United States leg of the Life Tour, and Culture Club and Belinda Carlisle on the UK leg, to promote his new album. [4] [7]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Tom Bailey, excluding "What Kind of World" by Tom Bailey and Hal Ritson.

No.TitleLength
1."Science Fiction"4:18
2."What Kind of World"5:30
3."Shooting Star"4:40
4."Feels Like Love to Me"4:28
5."Blue"3:42
6."If You Need Someone"5:06
7."Ship of Fools"4:03
8."Work All Day"3:16
9."Bring Back Yesterday"5:30
10."Come So Far"3:37
Total length:44:10

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Express & Star 6/10 [8]
The Scotsman Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [9]
The Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [10]
Classic Pop Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [11]
Louder Than War Favourable [12]
Cryptic RockStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [13]

Science Fiction received mostly positive reviews. Leigh Sanders of Express and Star said the album was filled of "thumping beats and zipped pop hooks" but believed the songs weren't mesmerizing enough. He gave the album a six out of ten. [8]

Wyndham Wallace of Classic Pop found the album to be contemplative, cheerful, and comforting. He felt that "Science Fiction" was reminiscent of the Thompson Twins' single "Hold Me Now" in its "colourful ambitions" and "strong melodies". Wallace named the album "Best New Release" of July 2018. [11]

Ellen Shapiro of Louder Than War agreed that the title track transports listeners back to the 1980s, musically. She named "Come So Far" as her favourite track due to its haunting lyrics and meaning, but also had a fondness for more jazzy songs like "Ship of Fools". She considered Science Fiction to have some of the best production and creativity she had heard, saying that there is "a need to hear it again and again". [12] Alfie Vera Mella of Cryptic Rock shared similar sentiments; giving the album four out of five stars for its "fresh yet familiar" and "sophisticated but frivolous" sounds. [13]

Personnel

Musicians
Production
Additional personnel

Charts

Chart (2018)Peak
position
Scottish Albums (OCC) [14] 68

Related Research Articles

Thompson Twins British pop band

Thompson Twins were a British pop band that formed in April 1977. Initially a new wave group, they switched to a more mainstream pop sound and achieved considerable popularity during the mid-1980s, scoring a string of hits in the United Kingdom, the United States, and around the world. In 1993, they changed their name to Babble, to reflect their change in music from pop to dub-influenced chill-out. They continued as Babble until 1996, at which point the group permanently dissolved.

Tom Bailey (musician) British singer-songwriter

Thomas Alexander Bailey is an English singer, songwriter, composer, musician, and record producer. Bailey came to prominence in the early 1980s as the lead vocalist for the new wave band Thompson Twins, which released five singles that entered the top ten charts in the United Kingdom during the 1980s: "Love On Your Side", "We Are Detective", "Hold Me Now", "Doctor! Doctor!", and "You Take Me Up". He was the only classic member of the band to have formal musical training. From 1994, Bailey was also a member of its later incarnation, Babble, releasing two commercially unsuccessful studio albums.

Alannah Currie New Zealand musician

Alannah Joy Currie is a New Zealand artist based in London. She is a musician and activist, best known as a former member of the 80s UK pop group Thompson Twins.

<i>Set</i> (Thompson Twins album) 1982 studio album by Thompson Twins

Set is the second studio album by English pop band Thompson Twins. Released in February 1982, it was the second album they recorded for their own T Records imprint, which was released by Arista Records/Hansa.

No Matter What (Badfinger song)

"No Matter What" is a song originally recorded by Badfinger for their album No Dice in 1970, written and sung by Pete Ham and produced by Mal Evans.

<i>Into the Gap</i> 1984 studio album by Thompson Twins

Into the Gap is the fourth studio album by British pop group Thompson Twins, released on 17 February 1984 by Arista Records. The album was recorded during 1983 at Compass Point Studios, in Nassau, Bahamas, and was produced by Alex Sadkin who had produced the band's previous album.

<i>Heres to Future Days</i> 1985 studio album by Thompson Twins

Here's to Future Days is the fifth studio album by the British pop group Thompson Twins. It was the third and final release for the band as a trio, which was their most successful and recognisable line-up. Released in September 1985, it peaked at no. 5 in the UK, and no. 20 in the US.

<i>Close to the Bone</i> (Thompson Twins album) album by Thompson Twins

Close to the Bone is the sixth studio album by the British pop group Thompson Twins, released by Arista in March 1987. Now only the duo of Tom Bailey and Alannah Currie remaining, this was the first album the group made without Joe Leeway. It was produced by Bailey and Rupert Hine.

<i>Big Trash</i> album by Thompson Twins

Big Trash is the seventh studio album by the British pop group the Thompson Twins, released in 1989 by Warner Brothers/Red Eye. It was produced by Tom Bailey and Alannah Currie, with two tracks produced by Steve Lillywhite.

<i>Queer</i> (Thompson Twins album) 1991 studio album by Thompson Twins

Queer is the eighth studio album by the British pop group Thompson Twins, and the final one released under that name before the members changed it.

Hold Me Now (Thompson Twins song) 1983 single by Thompson Twins

"Hold Me Now" is a song by British band the Thompson Twins. Written by the band members, the song was produced by Alex Sadkin and the group's lead vocalist Tom Bailey. The song is a mid-tempo new wave song that uses a varied instrumentation, including keyboards, a xylophone, a piano and Latin percussion. It was released in November 1983 as the first single from their fourth studio album, Into the Gap.

Lies (Thompson Twins song) 1983 single by Thompson Twins

"Lies" is a 1982 song by the British band Thompson Twins. It was released as the first single from the album Quick Step & Side Kick, and the song peaked at #67 on the UK singles chart. The single fared better in the United States, where it peaked at #30 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the spring of 1983. Along with the B-side track "Beach Culture", "Lies" also spent two weeks at #1 on the American dance chart in January 1983, becoming the band's second #1 on this chart.

Babble was a British-New Zealand electronic dance music group that featured Tom Bailey and Alannah Currie, with Keith Fernley. The Thompson Twins changed its name during the time the duo changed the outward appearance of its sound from pop to dub-influenced chill-out.

International Observer is a New Zealand band formed by Tom Bailey, musician and ex-lead singer of the British band the Thompson Twins, which rose to fame during the 1980s. Its debut album, Seen, featured Māori visual artist Rakai Karaitiana as part of the project.

Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with the impact of imagined innovations in science or technology.

Get That Love 1987 single by Thompson Twins

"Get That Love" is a song by the British pop group Thompson Twins, released in 1987 as the lead single from their sixth studio album Close to the Bone. It was written by Alannah Currie and Tom Bailey, and produced by Rupert Hine and Bailey. The single peaked at No. 66 in the UK and spent four weeks in the Top 100. It fared better in America where it reached No. 31 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

Long Goodbye (song) 1987 single by Thompson Twins

"Long Goodbye" is a song by the British pop group Thompson Twins, released in 1987 as the second and final single from their sixth studio album Close to the Bone. It was written by Alannah Currie and Tom Bailey, and produced by Rupert Hine and Bailey. "Long Goodbye" peaked at No. 89 in the UK.

Lay Your Hands on Me (Thompson Twins song) 1984 single by Thompson Twins

"Lay Your Hands on Me" is the first single released from the album Here's to Future Days by the British band Thompson Twins. Written by Tom Bailey, Alannah Currie, and Joe Leeway, it was released in the UK almost a year in advance of the album.

Sister of Mercy (song) 1984 single by Thompson Twins

"Sister Of Mercy" is a song by the British pop group Thompson Twins. It was originally included on the group's 1984 album Into The Gap, though a remixed version was released as the fourth single from the album in the summer of 1984. The single peaked at #11 in the UK, spending ten weeks on the UK singles chart.

Love On Your Side (song) 1983 single by Thompson Twins

"Love On Your Side" is a 1983 song by the British pop group Thompson Twins. It was released as the second single from the band's third studio album, Quick Step & Side Kick, which was renamed Side Kicks in the U.S. (1983).

References

  1. ↑ "Tom Bailey: Science Fiction". PledgeMusic. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  2. ↑ "Tom Bailey: Science Fiction on PledgeMusic". Pledgemusic.com. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  3. ↑ "Tom Bailey Announces Debut Solo Album". Just Listen To This. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Graff, Gary (28 June 2018). "Thompson Twins' Tom Bailey Shares 'What Kind of World' From First-Ever Solo Album: Premiere". billboard. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  5. ↑ Beaudoin, Jedd (8 August 2018). "Thompson Twins' Tom Bailey on the Seduction of Nostalgia, Creative Drive, and 'Science Fiction'". popMatters. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  6. 1 2 Shapiro, Eileen (29 May 2018). "The Thompson Twins, Tom Bailey: interview". Louder Than War. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  7. ↑ "'The Life Tour' – Boy George & Culture Club, Belinda Carlisle, And Tom Bailey From The Thompson Twins To Do 11 Date UK Arena Tour". essentiallypop. 11 April 2018. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  8. 1 2 Sanders, Leigh (16 July 2018). "Tom Bailey, Science Fiction - album review". Express & Star. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  9. ↑ "Album reviews: Rick Astley | Tom Bailey | Rab Noakes". The Scotsman. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  10. ↑ Will Hodgkinson. "Pop review: Tom Bailey: Science Fiction | Times2". The Times. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  11. 1 2 Wyndham Wallace. "Review: Tom Bailey – Science Fiction". Classic Pop. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
  12. 1 2 Eileen Shapiro (27 June 2018). "Tom Bailey: Science Fiction – album review". Louder Than War. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
  13. 1 2 Alfie Vera Mella (9 July 2018). "TOM BAILEY – SCIENCE FICTION (ALBUM REVIEW)". Cryptic Rock. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
  14. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
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.