So Tough

Last updated

So Tough
SoTough.jpg
Studio album by
Saint Etienne
Released22 February 1993 (1993-02-22)
RecordedSummer – Autumn 1992
StudioRMS, London
Genre
Length48:29(UK version)
55:40 (US version)
Label Heavenly (UK) – HVNLP 6
Warners (US) – 9 45166
Producer Saint Etienne
Saint Etienne chronology
Foxbase Alpha
(1991)		So Tough
(1993)		 You Need a Mess of Help to Stand Alone
(1993)
Singles from So Tough
  1. "Avenue"
    Released: October 1992
  2. "You're in a Bad Way"
    Released: February 1993
  3. "Hobart Paving"
    Released: May 1993
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [2]
Christgau's Consumer Guide A− [3]
NME 6/10 [4]
Pitchfork 8.9/10 [5]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [6]
Record Collector Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [7]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [8]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [9]
Select 4/5 [10]
Vox 8/10 [11]

So Tough is the second studio album by British band Saint Etienne, released in 1993. It is their highest-charting album to date, reaching No. 7 on the UK Albums Chart.

Contents

So Tough is the first Saint Etienne album to feature Sarah Cracknell as an official member of the band. [12] It was originally intended as a concept album which starts at "Mario's Cafe" in London then travels around the world, but it ultimately came to be viewed as a solely London album. [13]

Samples and references

One of the distinctive features of the album is the use of samples between the songs. The band were keen to use linking dialogue, similar to that used on some of their favourite albums – particularly The Who Sell Out by The Who and Head by The Monkees – as well as contemporary hip hop albums that featured recurring skits. [12] [14] They are taken from a variety of sources, including the films Peeping Tom , Billy Liar , The Picture of Dorian Gray , Lord of the Flies and That'll Be the Day , as well as the television series The Family and the 1958 stereo demonstration album A Journey into Stereophonic Sound. The band had intended to use a number of samples from American films, but the cost of clearing these samples led them to using primarily British samples. [14] Additionally, the song "Conchita Martinez" features a recurring sample from the opening riff of Rush's 1980 hit "The Spirit of Radio". [15] The string sounds used in the chorus of opening song "Mario's Café" are an interpolation of the piano melody from The Temptations' 1967 single "I Wish It Would Rain".

So Tough takes its title from the Beach Boys album Carl and the Passions – "So Tough" . [13] "Conchita Martinez" is named after the Grand Slam-winning Spanish tennis player Conchita Martínez, [16] who later went on to win the Wimbledon singles title. The song "Mario's Cafe" was inspired by a real Kentish Town restaurant of that name. [17]

Artwork

The album cover features a picture of lead singer Sarah Cracknell aged 6, taken by her father Derek Cracknell. [18]

Releases

The album was reissued as a limited edition 2-CD set with You Need a Mess of Help to Stand Alone .

The US release added "Join Our Club" (3:22), which had been a UK single in 1992. "Who Do You Think You Are" (3:49) is included on some US versions between "Here Come Clown Feet" and "Junk the Morgue". "You're in a Bad Way" (3:08) and "Hobart Paving" (4:57) are presented in their single versions, including extra instrumentation. The former is longer, while the latter features a drum pattern not present on the original version.

The album was reissued on 31 August 2009, as part of the ongoing Deluxe Editions of the band's recordings. The new release features B-sides, rare and unreleased tracks.

Track listing

1993 release

All tracks are written by Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs, except where indicated

UK CD edition (Heavenly / HVNLP6CD)
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Mario's Cafe" 4:38
2."Railway Jam" 4:14
3."Date with Spelman" 0:18
4."Calico"
5:12
5."Avenue"
7:40
6."You're in a Bad Way" (substituted for the single version (3:07) on US and Japanese editions)
  • Cracknell
  • Stanley
  • Wiggs
2:43
7."Memo to Pricey" 0:23
8."Hobart Paving" (substituted for the single version (4:57) on US and Japanese editions) 5:03
9."Leafhound" 4:05
10."Clock Milk" 0:14
11."Conchita Martinez"
4:02
12."No Rainbows for Me" 3:56
13."Here Come Clown Feet" 0:22
14."Junk the Morgue" 5:12
15."Chicken Soup" 0:33
Bonus track on US edition (Warner Bros. / 9 45166-2)
No.TitleLength
16."Join Our Club"3:22
Bonus tracks on Japanese edition (Warner Bros. / WPCP-5209)
No.TitleLength
16."Join Our Club"3:22
17."Archway People"3:17

2009 reissue

UK CD edition (Heavenly / HVNLP6CDDE) – Disc one (same as 1993 UK edition)
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Mario's Cafe" 4:38
2."Railway Jam" 4:14
3."Date with Spelman" 0:18
4."Calico"
  • Stanley
  • Wiggs
  • Mais
5:12
5."Avenue"
  • Catt
  • Cracknell
  • Stanley
  • Wiggs
7:40
6."You're in a Bad Way"
  • Cracknell
  • Stanley
  • Wiggs
2:43
7."Memo to Pricey" 0:23
8."Hobart Paving" 5:03
9."Leafhound" 4:05
10."Clock Milk" 0:14
11."Conchita Martinez" 4:02
12."No Rainbows for Me" 3:56
13."Here Come Clown Feet" 0:22
14."Junk the Morgue" 5:12
15."Chicken Soup" 0:33
UK CD edition (Heavenly / HVNLP6CDDE) – Disc two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Everything Flows" Norman Blake 4:44
2."Railway Jam" (Vocal Version) 6:20
3."Who Do You Think You Are"
3:53
4."Some Place Else" 3:44
5."Duke Duvet" 3:12
6."Paper"
4:11
7."Johnny in the Echo Cafe" 4:01
8."Archway People" 3:21
9."California Snow Story" 4:21
10."Join Our Club" 3:18
11."Everlasting" 4:33
12."Snowplough" 3:43
13."Rainy Day Women" Bob Dylan 3:57
14."Peterloo" 4:29
15."I'm Too Sexy"
5:10
16."Stranger in Paradise"
3:29
17."Hobart Paving" (Van Dyke Parks Version) 4:50

Sample credits

Personnel

The liner notes list the album's personnel as follows: [19]

Charts

Chart performance for So Tough
Chart (1993)Peak
position
European Albums ( Music & Media ) [20] 25
UK Albums (OCC) [21] 7
UK Independent Albums (OCC) [22] 1

B-sides

from "Avenue"
from "You're in a Bad Way"
from "Hobart Paving" / "Who Do You Think You Are"

Related Research Articles

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

Saint Etienne are an English band from Greater London, formed in 1990. The band consists of Sarah Cracknell, Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs. Commonly associated with the indie dance scene of the 1990s, their music blends club culture with 1960s pop and other disparate influences.

<i>Tales from Turnpike House</i> 2005 studio album by Saint Etienne

Tales from Turnpike House is the seventh studio album by English alternative dance band Saint Etienne, released on 13 June 2005 by Sanctuary Records. It is a concept album in which the songs depict characters who all live in the eponymous block of flats in London.

<i>Finisterre</i> (album) 2002 studio album by Saint Etienne

Finisterre is the sixth studio album by English alternative dance band Saint Etienne, released on 7 October 2002 by Mantra Records. A double-disc deluxe edition was released on 3 May 2010 by Heavenly Records.

<i>Sound of Water</i> 2000 studio album by Saint Etienne

Sound of Water is an album by Saint Etienne, released in 2000. Sound of Water was developed as Saint Etienne's ambient and trip hop statement.

<i>Foxbase Alpha</i> 1991 studio album by Saint Etienne

Foxbase Alpha is the debut studio album by English band Saint Etienne, released on 16 September 1991 by Heavenly Recordings.

<i>Good Humor</i> (album) 1998 studio album by Saint Etienne

Good Humor is the fourth studio album by English alternative dance band Saint Etienne. It was released on 4 May 1998 by Creation Records. The American spelling of humor is used in the title as the band were, according to Sarah Cracknell, "fed up with the 'quintessentially English' tag, so there was a bit of a backlash against that."

<i>Tiger Bay</i> (album) 1994 studio album by Saint Etienne

Tiger Bay is the third studio album by English indie dance band Saint Etienne. It was released 28 February 1994 by Heavenly Records. In an interview with Record Collector, band member Bob Stanley stated that the title is a reference to the 1959 film Tiger Bay.

<i>Smash the System: Singles and More</i> 2001 greatest hits album by Saint Etienne

Smash the System: Singles and More (2001) is a double-CD greatest hits album by Saint Etienne. The compilation samples music from most of their releases spanning the years from 1990 to 1999. Most tracks are featured in their single or edit versions, with the exception of 'Join Our Club' which is a new mix as the original sounded too 'muddy'. Smash The System was also going to be the CD debut of 'Lover Plays The Bass', but the band 'forgot' to include it.

<i>You Need a Mess of Help to Stand Alone</i> (album) 1993 compilation album by Saint Etienne

You Need a Mess of Help to Stand Alone is the first compilation album by English band Saint Etienne, released on 6 December 1993 by Heavenly Recordings. It compiles singles and B-sides released by the group during the period between 1990 and 1993, most notably the non-album singles "Kiss and Make Up" (1990), "Speedwell" (1991), "Join Our Club/People Get Real" (1992) and "Who Do You Think You Are" (1993). The compilation's title is derived from the song of the same name by the Beach Boys.

<i>Casino Classics</i> 1996 remix album by Saint Etienne

Casino Classics is a multi-disc remix compilation album by Saint Etienne. The first CD collects many of the remixes featured as B-sides on the band's singles from 1990 to 1995. The second contains rarer remixes and newly commissioned remixes. Disc one was originally a bonus CD released with limited copies of Too Young to Die – The Singles. Disc two features four previously unavailable songs. Early copies came in a card slipcase with a round sticker. An expanded, four-disc version of the compilation was released in 2012 with a revised running order. The band also released a fifth disc as a download-only extra.

<i>Too Young to Die: Singles 1990–1995</i> 1995 compilation album by Saint Etienne

Too Young to Die – Singles 1990–1995 is a compilation album by English indie dance band Saint Etienne released on 13 November, 1995, collecting the group's singles spanning the period of 1990 to 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Only Love Can Break Your Heart</span> 1970 single by Neil Young

"Only Love Can Break Your Heart" is a song written by Canadian-American singer-songwriter, musician, and activist Neil Young. It has been covered by many other artists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You're in a Bad Way</span> 1993 single by Saint Etienne

"You're in a Bad Way" is a song by British pop group Saint Etienne, released in February 1993 by Heavenly and Warner as the second single from their second album, So Tough (1993). The song is a deliberately old-fashioned throwback to 1960s pop music. In an interview with Melody Maker magazine, Bob Stanley claims that it was written in ten minutes as a simple imitation of Herman's Hermits, and was only intended to be a B-side to "Everlasting", but the record company decided that it should be a single. "Everlasting" was dropped as a single and remained unreleased until it was eventually included on disc 2 on the deluxe edition of So Tough in 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hobart Paving</span> 1993 single by Saint Etienne

"Hobart Paving" is a song by British pop group Saint Etienne from their second album, So Tough (1993). It was released by Heavenly Records on 11 May 1993 as a double A-side with the band's cover of "Who Do You Think You Are", originally released in 1974 by Jigsaw and a hit for Candlewick Green. It reached number 23 on the UK Singles Chart and number ten on the UK Dance Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avenue (song)</span> 1992 single by Saint Etienne

"Avenue" is a song by British pop group Saint Etienne, released in October 1992 as the first single from their second album, So Tough (1992). It was originally titled "Lovely Heart" or "Young Heart". The album version is a 7-minute version with lengthy instrumental sequences; it was edited down to around 4 minutes for radio play, though the commercial single contained the full-length version, with the radio edit only released on promotional material. The edit wasn't released commercially until 2005's Travel Edition 1990-2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nothing Can Stop Us (song)</span> 1991 single by Saint Etienne

"Nothing Can Stop Us" is a song by English band Saint Etienne, released in May 1991 by Heavenly Records as the third single from their debut album, Foxbase Alpha (1991). It is the first release to feature Sarah Cracknell, who would continue to front the band from this release on. The single reached the number one spot on the American dance charts for one week. The song is based on a looped sample from Dusty Springfield's recording of "I Can't Wait Until I See My Baby's Face".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Xmas 93</span> 1993 single by Saint Etienne

"Xmas 93" is a Christmas-themed single by English alternative dance band Saint Etienne. It was released in the United Kingdom on 6 December 1993 by Heavenly Recordings. The lead track "I Was Born on Christmas Day" features guest vocals from The Charlatans singer Tim Burgess, and peaked at number 37 on the UK Singles Chart. The song's title is a nod to band member Bob Stanley, who was born on 25 December 1964. The music video for the single was filmed in the vicinity of Kensington and Chelsea Register Office in London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Join Our Club</span> 1992 single by Saint Etienne

"Join Our Club" is a song by English musical group Saint Etienne, released by Heavenly Records in May 1992 as a double-A side with "People Get Real".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hug My Soul</span> 1994 single by Saint Etienne

"Hug My Soul" is a song by British band Saint Etienne. It was the third single from their third album, Tiger Bay (1994), and was released in September 1994 by Heavenly Records. It was written by vocalist Sarah Cracknell along with songwriting partners Guy Batson and Johnny Male.

<i>Words and Music by Saint Etienne</i> 2012 studio album by Saint Etienne

Words and Music by Saint Etienne is the eighth studio album by English alternative dance band Saint Etienne, released on 18 May 2012 by Heavenly Recordings. The band announced the album in a Christmas message on their official website on 11 December 2011. The album features collaborations from longtime Saint Etienne associate Ian Catt, as well as Richard X and former Xenomania members Tim Powell and Nick Coler.

References

  1. 1 2 Lassner, Bryan (1998). "Saint Etienne". In Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel (eds.). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Detroit: Visible Ink Press. pp. 971–972.
  2. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "So Tough – Saint Etienne". AllMusic . Retrieved 24 August 2012.
  3. ↑ Christgau, Robert (2000). "Saint Etienne: So Tough". Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s. St. Martin's Griffin. ISBN   0-312-24560-2 . Retrieved 24 August 2012.
  4. ↑ George, Iestyn (20 February 1993). "Saint Been Nothin' Yet". NME . p. 28.
  5. ↑ Harvell, Jess (17 September 2009). "Saint Etienne: So Tough / Sound of Water". Pitchfork. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
  6. ↑ "Saint Etienne: So Tough". Q . No. 79. April 1993. p. 88.
  7. ↑ "Saint Etienne: So Tough". Record Collector . p. 98. [I]t provides bona fide belters such as 'You're in a Bad Way,' alongside countless sound collages and swirling, half-heard samples and steals.
  8. ↑ White, Armond (5 August 1993). "Saint Etienne: So Tough". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on 9 May 2006. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
  9. ↑ Berger, Arion (2004). "Saint Etienne". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp.  713–14. ISBN   0-7432-0169-8.
  10. ↑ Harrison, Andrew (March 1993). "UK Gold". Select . No. 33. p. 74.
  11. ↑ McLean, Craig (March 1993). "Everything Flows". Vox . No. 30. p. 56.
  12. 1 2 Lindsay, Cam (1 June 2017). "Rank Your Records: Bob Stanley Expertly Appraises Saint Etienne's Eight Full-Lengths". Vice . Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  13. 1 2 Reed, John (November 1995). "Saint Etienne". Record Collector . No. 195. pp. 36–39.
  14. 1 2 Lobb, Adrian (8 September 2009). "Bob Stanley on Saint Etienne's Reissues And His Love of Pop". The Quietus . Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  15. ↑ "The Spirit of Radio". Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame . Retrieved 24 June 2020.
  16. ↑ Rogers, Jude (10 September 2009). "Saint Etienne: So Tough & Sound of Water reissues". The Quietus . Retrieved 24 June 2020.
  17. ↑ Hann, Michael (3 August 2004). "Frying up the charts". The Guardian . Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  18. ↑ So Tough (liner notes). Saint Etienne (deluxe ed.). Heavenly Records. 2009. HVNLP6CDDE.{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  19. 1 2 So Tough (liner notes). Saint Etienne. Heavenly Records. 1993. HVNLP6CD.{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  20. ↑ "European Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 10, no. 11. 13 March 1993. p. 22. OCLC   29800226 – via World Radio History.
  21. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
  22. ↑ "Independent: Albums" (PDF). Music Week . 13 March 1993. p. 16. ISSN   0265-1548 – via World Radio History.
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.