Sonic Flower Groove

Last updated

Sonic Flower Groove
Sonic Groove Flower album cover.jpg
Studio album by
Released5 October 1987 (1987-10-05)
Genre
Length34:18
Label Elevation
Producer
Primal Scream chronology
Sonic Flower Groove
(1987)
Primal Scream
(1989)
Singles from Sonic Flower Groove
  1. "Gentle Tuesday"
    Released: June 1987
  2. "Imperial"
    Released: September 1987

Sonic Flower Groove is the debut studio album by Scottish rock band Primal Scream, released on 5 October 1987 by Elevation Records. Mayo Thompson of Red Krayola was the producer of the album, after work with Stephen Street did not please the band. [1] Musically, Sonic Flower Groove features psychedelic, Byrdsy jangle pop, being the only Primal Scream album to feature founding member Jim Beattie (credited as Jim Navajo).

Contents

The album sold well enough to reach number 62 on the UK Albums Chart, [2] but performed poorly by major-label standards. [3] The disappointment was a major reason for the original Primal Scream splitting up shortly after Sonic Flower Groove, leaving vocalist Bobby Gillespie and the guitar duo of Andrew Innes and Robert "Throb" Young to reorganize the band.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [4]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [5]
The Great Rock Discography 5/10 [6]
MusicHound Rock Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [7]
NME favourable [8]
Record Mirror 3/5 [9]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [10]
Select 4/5 [11]
Sounds Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [12]

At the time of its release, critical reception was mixed. Underground called it "a real gem of a debut album" and "one that's sure to top all the polls come the end of the year", but others were less impressed. Melody Maker were impressed with "Gentle Tuesday" but said "the rest is not pop. It is dandelion fluff", stating that the album was "swamped with problems" with "no songs, just a dusty pile of dull leftovers". [13]

A later AllMusic review called it "one goofy headscratcher of a release, the sound of a band that didn't quite know exactly what to do yet trying to record a big-budget (of sorts) debut album and ending up with little more than a pristine but dull photocopy of Turn! Turn! Turn! ". [4] In 2002, the Evening Times stated that it is "now regarded as a retro masterpiece". [14]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Bobby Gillespie and Jim Beattie, except where noted

No.TitleLength
1."Gentle Tuesday"3:49
2."Treasure Trip"3:15
3."May the Sun Shine Bright for You"2:41
4."Sonic Sister Love"2:36
5."Silent Spring"3:52
6."Imperial"3:38
7."Love You"4:45
8."Leaves"3:32
9."Aftermath"2:47
10."We Go Down Slowly Rising"3:23
Japanese edition bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
11."Black Star Carnival" 2:39
12."I'm Gonna Make You Mine"William Carr, Carl D'Errico, Carole Bayer Sager 2:12
13."Star Fruit Surf Rider" 1:58
14."So Sad About Us" Pete Townshend 4:17
15."Imperial" (demo) 3:43

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes.

Primal Scream
Additional personnel
Technical

Charts

ChartPeak
position
UK Albums (OCC) [2] 62

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Primal Scream</span> Scottish rock band

Primal Scream are a Scottish rock band originally formed in 1982 in Glasgow by Bobby Gillespie (vocals) and Jim Beattie (guitar). The band's current lineup consists of Gillespie, Andrew Innes (guitar), Simone Butler (bass), and Darrin Mooney (drums).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Jesus and Mary Chain</span> Scottish alternative rock band

The Jesus and Mary Chain are a Scottish alternative rock band formed in East Kilbride in 1983. The band revolves around the songwriting partnership of brothers Jim and William Reid, who are the two founders and only consistent members of the band since its formation. They are recognized as key figures in the development of the shoegaze and noise pop subgenres. The band have had twelve top 40 entries and two top 10 hits in the UK Singles Chart in the course of their career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobby Gillespie</span> Scottish Musician

Robert Gillespie is a Scottish musician, singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known as the lead singer, founding member, primary lyricist, and sole continuous member of the alternative rock band Primal Scream. He was the drummer for The Jesus and Mary Chain in the mid-1980s, leaving after the release of the band's debut album Psychocandy, and was once the bassist for The Wake.

<i>Primal Scream</i> (Primal Scream album) 1989 studio album by Primal Scream

Primal Scream is the second studio album by Scottish rock band Primal Scream. It was released on 4 September 1989 in the United Kingdom by Creation Records and in the United States by Mercenary Records. Musically, it took a harder rock approach than their 1987 debut Sonic Flower Groove and did not achieve great success. However, the song "I'm Losing More Than I'll Ever Have" was later remixed to provide the breakthrough single "Loaded", which appeared on their much celebrated third album Screamadelica.

<i>Screamadelica</i> 1991 studio album by Primal Scream

Screamadelica is the third studio album by Scottish rock band Primal Scream. It was first released on 23 September 1991 in the United Kingdom by Creation Records and on 8 October 1991 in the United States by Sire Records. The album marked a significant departure from the band's early indie rock sound, drawing inspiration from the blossoming house music scene and associated drugs such as LSD and MDMA. Much of the album's production was handled by acid house DJ Andrew Weatherall and engineer Hugo Nicolson, who remixed original recordings made by the band into dance-oriented tracks.

<i>Give Out but Dont Give Up</i> 1994 studio album by Primal Scream

Give Out but Don't Give Up is the fourth studio album by Scottish rock band Primal Scream. It was released on 28 March 1994 in the United Kingdom by Creation Records and in the United States by Sire Records. It peaked at number 2 on the UK Albums Chart. Musically, it marked a massive departure from the psychedelic sound of their previous studio album Screamadelica (1991) into one influenced by classic rock and blues music. Its cover photo is a cropped version of Troubled Waters by American photographer William Eggleston. Eggleston included the album in his 2017 Pitchfork list of "the Music That Made Him a Photography Legend."

<i>Vanishing Point</i> (Primal Scream album) 1997 studio album by Primal Scream

Vanishing Point is the fifth studio album by Scottish rock band Primal Scream. It was released on 7 July 1997 in the United Kingdom by Creation Records and in the United States by Reprise Records. It peaked at number 2 on the UK Albums Chart. The album shows inspiration from genres such as dub, ambient, dance music, and krautrock, as well as bands such as Motörhead, Can, and the Stooges. It was the band's first album to feature Gary 'Mani' Mounfield on bass, formerly of the Stone Roses, although Marco Nelson played bass on "Burning Wheel", "Star", "If They Move, Kill 'Em'", and "Stuka". Other guest appearances on Vanishing Point include Augustus Pablo, Glen Matlock, and the Memphis Horns.

<i>Evil Heat</i> 2002 studio album by Primal Scream

Evil Heat is the seventh studio album by Scottish rock band Primal Scream. It was first released on 5 August 2002 in the United Kingdom by Columbia Records and on 26 November 2002 in the United States by Epic Records. It peaked at number 9 on the UK Albums Chart. Musically, its style forms a link between two of the band's previous albums: the aggressive protest of XTRMNTR (2000), and the acid house psychedelia of Screamadelica (1991).

<i>Darklands</i> (album) 1987 studio album by the Jesus and Mary Chain

Darklands is the second studio album by Scottish alternative rock band the Jesus and Mary Chain, released on 31 August 1987 by Blanco y Negro Records. The album is the band's first to use drum machines, replacing live drummer Bobby Gillespie, who had left to pursue a career as the frontman of Scottish rock band Primal Scream. Lead vocals are performed by Jim Reid, with the exception of "Darklands", "Nine Million Rainy Days" and "On the Wall", which are sung by William Reid.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loaded (Primal Scream song)</span> 1990 single by Primal Scream

"Loaded" is a song by Scottish rock band Primal Scream, released on 19 February 1990 as the lead single from their third studio album Screamadelica (1991). Mixed and produced by Andrew Weatherall, it is a remix of an earlier song titled "I'm Losing More Than I'll Ever Have". In 2014, NME placed the song at number 59 in its list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".

Spirea X were a Scottish alternative rock band from Glasgow, Scotland, formed by Primal Scream founding member Jim Beattie in 1990.

Elevation was a record label set up as a joint venture between Creation Records and WEA in 1987. Frustrated with the limitations of independent distribution and financing, Alan McGee set up the label to get wider distribution and sales for some of the bands on Creation, with a view to generating additional funds for investment in other Creation artists. The label released albums and several singles by Primal Scream, The Weather Prophets, and Edwyn Collins, although the deal with WEA collapsed due to disappointing sales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Innes</span> Scottish musician

Andrew Colin Innes is a Scottish musician, best known for being the guitarist in Scottish rock band Primal Scream.

The Revolving Paint Dream were a London-based indie band who released two albums and two singles on Creation Records between 1984 and 1989.

James Robertson Beattie is a Scottish musician who co-founded Primal Scream and later went on to form Spirea X and Adventures in Stereo.

<i>Screamadelica Live</i> 2011 live album / DVD by Primal Scream

Screamadelica Live is a live album by Scottish rock group Primal Scream, which was released in 2011 for Primal Scream's tour for the 20th anniversary for the 1991 album Screamadelica. The performance was filmed at the Olympia Grand Hall in London on 26 November 2010 and was released on CD, DVD and Blu-ray on 30 May 2011. This is the final Primal Scream album to feature Mani, who departed and reformed his previous band The Stone Roses in the same year.

<i>More Light</i> (Primal Scream album) 2013 studio album by Primal Scream

More Light is the tenth studio album by Scottish rock band Primal Scream, released on 13 May 2013. The single "It's Alright, It's OK" received airplay on national stations including BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 6 Music and Absolute Radio and on music channel MTV Rocks, whilst it has also been played on a number of smaller stations including 106.9FM WHCR and Kingstown Radio. It references influential The Gun Club singer Jeffrey Lee Pierce with a take on his song "Goodbye Johnny" and use of the track title "Walking with the Beast". This is their first album since Give Out But Don't Give Up (1994) to not feature bassist Mani.

Robert Young was a Scottish musician. He was a member of the alternative rock band Primal Scream from 1984 to 2006.

"Velocity Girl" is a song by British alternative rock band Primal Scream, originally released as the B-side to their second single, "Crystal Crescent", in 1986. The song has been noted for its influence in indie pop, with Pitchfork Media saying that it reduced "the pop song to its subatomic essence: quick, breezy, quirky, and above all, exquisitely small". The song was partly inspired by the actress, model and Warhol superstar Edie Sedgwick.

<i>Chaosmosis</i> 2016 studio album by Primal Scream

Chaosmosis is the eleventh studio album by Scottish band Primal Scream. It was released on 18 March 2016 on the band's First International label, through Ignition Records. The album's lead single, "Where the Light Gets In", was released on 1 February 2016 and features American singer Sky Ferreira. "I Can Change" was released on 14 March 2016 as the second single from the album. "Trippin' on Your Love" was released to US submodern rock radio on 16 March 2016 as the album's third single. The fourth single, "100% or Nothing", was released as a 12-inch single on 19 August 2016.

References

  1. Green, Jim; Aswad, Jem & Neate, Wilson "Primal Scream", Trouser Press , retrieved 2010-07-04
  2. 1 2 "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
  3. Strong, Martin C. (2002) "The Great Rock Discography (6th edition)", Canongate, ISBN   1-84195-312-1
  4. 1 2 Raggett, Ned "Sonic Flower Groove Review", Allmusic, retrieved 2010-07-04
  5. Larkin, Colin (2011). "Primal Scream". The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Omnibus Press. ISBN   9780857125958.
  6. Strong, Martin C. (2004). "Primal Scream". The Great Rock Discography (7th ed.). Canongate Books. p.  1211–1212. ISBN   1-84195-615-5.
  7. Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel, eds. (1999). "Primal Scream". MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. p.  896. ISBN   1-57859-061-2.
  8. Pouncey, Edwin (3 October 1987). "Primal Scream: Sonic Flower Groove". NME . Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  9. Bailie, Stuart (10 October 1987). "Primal Scream: Sonic Flower Groove". Record Mirror . Vol. 34. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  10. Sheffield, Rob (2004). "Primal Scream". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. p.  654. ISBN   0-7432-0169-8.
  11. Perry, Andrew (August 1991). "Primal Scream: Sonic Flower Groove". Select . No. 14. p. 78. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  12. Wilkinson, Roy (10 October 1987). "Primal Scream: Sonic Flower Groove (Elevation ELV2) ***". Sounds . Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  13. Wilde, Jon (1987) "Primal Scream Sonic Flower Groove", Melody Maker , 3 October 1987
  14. Middleton, Fraser (2002) "Explosive; THEY SANG ABOUT BOMBING THE PENTAGON, THEN IT HAPPENED. SO WHAT NEXT FOR PRIMAL SCREAM?", Evening Times , 12 December 2002, p. 124