Suspended by Stars

Last updated

Suspended by Stars
Suspended By Stars.jpg
Studio album by
the Wonder Stuff
Released20 February 2006
Recorded2005
StudioVada, Doghaus
Genre Rock
Length48:56
Label IRL
The Wonder Stuff chronology
Escape from Rubbish Island
(2004)		Suspended by Stars
(2006)		 Oh No It's... The Wonder Stuff
(2012)
Singles from Suspended by Stars
  1. "Blah Blah, Lah Di Dah"
    Released: 30 January 2006
  2. "The Sun Goes Down on Manor Road"
    Released: 12 June 2006
  3. "Last Second of the Minute"
    Released: 23 October 2006

Suspended by Stars is the sixth studio album by English rock band the Wonder Stuff, released on 20 February 2006, on the IRL record label. After touring in support of Escape from Rubbish Island (2004), their fifth studio album, frontman Miles Hunt moved to Shropshire and began writing new songs. Bookending a tour of the United States in April and May 2005, the band recorded songs at Doghaus in New York City and Vada in Stratford-upon-Avon. Hunt missed hearing the sound of a violin, and Erica Nockalls was drafted to add the instrument to several of the album's songs.

Contents

Preceded by a four-show tour of the United Kingdom in August and a solo tour by Hunt at the end of 2005, "Blah Blah, Lah Di Dah" was released as the album's lead single on 30 January 2006. Suspended by Stars was promoted with a UK tour in March 2006; in May and June of that year, Hunt played a series of solo shows. "The Sun Goes Down on Manor Road" was released as a single on 12 June 2006, followed by several UK festival appearances. The third and final single, "Last Second of the Minute" (released on 23 October 2006), coincided with a UK tour by Hunt and Nockalls that month. The album received favorable reviews from music critics, some of whom praised the songwriting.

Background and production

The Wonder Stuff released Escape from Rubbish Island in September 2004, their fifth studio album and the first since their 1994 breakup. [1] Long-time members, violinist Martin Bell and drummer Martin Gilks, left earlier in 2004; frontman Miles Hunt continued with a lineup of bassist Mark McCarthy, long-time guitarist Malcom Treece, and drummer Andres Karu. [1] [2] Although it began as a solo effort, Escape from Rubbish Island was released under the Wonder Stuff name at the suggestion of an IRL financial backer. [2] Hunt moved to Shropshire, rebuilt his home studio in a spare bedroom, and came up with several new songs after the initial UK tour in support of the album. [3] [4]

Treece came up with new guitar parts for songs, spurring Hunt to write more material. In early 2005, the band again toured the UK; Hunt missed the violin sound onstage, which left them unable to play several older tracks. Matt Terry (a friend of Hunt's), had seen a woman busking with a violin in Stratford-upon-Avon, and told Hunt about her. Hunt realised that Terry was describing Firewswitch member Erica Nockalls, whom Hunt had met when the Wonder Stuff was playing a benefit concert. Hunt and Terry tracked Nockalls down and arranged an audition; before she finished her first song, Hunt was impressed with Nockalls' playing. [4]

The Wonder Stuff was scheduled to begin a tour of the United States in April and May 2005. Shortly before the tour, the band recorded backing tracks at Karu's Doghaus studio in New York City. [4] [5] [6] Hunt said that he had "on ongoing love affair with the city of New York" since his first visit in 1989, and "it felt like the perfect place to be writing and recording." After the US tour, the band went to Terry's Vada studio in Stratford-upon-Avon; recording was supervised by James Edwards, Karu, and Terry. [4] [6] Paul Tipler mixed the recordings at Gravity Shack Studios in London, and the album was mastered by Kevin Grainger at Wired Masters. [6]

Composition and lyrics

Suspended by Stars channelled the energy of the band's second studio album, Hup (1989), and the rock sound of their fourth studio album, Construction for the Modern Idiot (1993). [7] Its music was compared to the Adventures and Icehouse. [8] The album's title was taken from Downtown: My Manhattan, Pete Hamill's 2004 memoir; Hunt said that Hamill once "asked his mother how the skyscrapers of New York managed to stay standing and she answered him by saying that they were suspended by the stars." [4] The title subsequently appears in the album tracks "Tricks of the Trade" and "We Hold Each Other Up". [9] In contrast to Escape from Rubbish Island, Suspended by Stars was written as a Wonder Stuff album. Hunt was aided by Treece; they had not written together since Construction for the Modern Idiot (1993), their fourth studio album. [4]

Hunt wrote "Last Second of the Minute", "We Hold Each Other Up", "Angelica Maybe" and "The Sun Goes Down on Manor Road", co-wrote "Tricks of the Trade" and "Someone Tell Me What To Think" with Treece, and co-wrote "Say It Ain't So" and "The Popular Choice" with McCarthy. [6] "Blah Blah, Lah Di Dah", "Long Time No See", "Give Us What We Want", and "No One Tells 'Em Like You Do" were the result of jam sessions with Hunt, Treece, McCarthy, and Karu, the first time Hunt came up with material from jamming since his time with Vent 414. [4] [6] Nockalls contributed violins to several tracks. [6]

For "Tricks of the Trade", the opening track, the band asked Nockalls to "think like Brian Eno and layer some atmosphere" on it. [4] Evoking Cheap Trick, Hunt apologizes for mistakes he made in his youth. [10] [11] "Last Second of the Minute" features staccato guitar work in the verses. The bass part during the introduction of "We Hold Each Other Up" is reminiscent of "Beetlebum" (1997) by Blur. "Blah Blah, Lah Di Dah", compared to the Levellers, is about lottery winner Michael Carroll. [9] "Say It Ain't So" has the sound of the band's early albums. [7]

Hunt omitted a long instrumental section from "Angelica Maybe", which Nockalls filled with "wild Gypsy-esque violin solos"; [4] in the song, a man pleads to be intimate with a woman. [9] Hunt wrote "The Sun Goes Down on Manor Road" about the flat he, McCarthy and their friend shared in Stoke Newington. [4] "The Popular Choice" describes the United Kingdom's obsession with celebrities. [9] [7] The uptempo "Give Us What We Want" is followed by the penultimate song, "Someone Tell Me What to Think", with a guitar line which was replaced by Nockalls. [4] [10] The closing track, "No One Tells 'Em Like You Do", incorporates keyboards and violins; its lyrics detail abandonment and loneliness. [9]

Release

The Wonder Stuff played four UK shows in August 2005, and Hunt made a solo UK tour in November and December of that year. [12] On 20 December 2005, Suspended by Stars was announced for an early-2006 release. [13] "Blah Blah, Lah Di Dah" was released as the album's lead single on 30 January 2006. [14] Suspended by Stars was released on 20 February 2006 on the IRL label. [13] It was promoted with a March 2006 UK tour, and the band performed a radio session for Janice Long on BBC Radio 2. [15] [16] Hunt supported Michael Ferentino of Transfusion M on three May 2006 shows of his headlining US tour, [17] and played solo shows in the UK later in May and June. [18] [19] "The Sun Goes Down on Manor Road" was released as a single on 12 June 2006 with an extra track, "Shit Out of Luck". [20]

In July and August 2006, the Wonder Stuff played at festivals in the UK. [21] Hunt played three solo shows in September before touring the UK with Nockalls the following month. [22] [23] "Last Second of the Minute" was released as a single on 23 October 2006. [24] Hunt also released his second solo live album, Interloper Live 2006 (from recordings of his May and June 2006 solo shows) that day. [25] [26] The band again toured the UK in November and December 2006, [27] then going on hiatus as Treece started a family. [28] Recordings from live shows were later released as part of the band's fifth live album, Live (2007), and the live box set Upstaged: A Live Anthology. 1987–2016 (2018). [29] [30]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [10]
Gigwise Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [9]
Melodic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [8]
musicOMH Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [7]
PopMatters 7/10 [11]

Suspended by Stars received generally-favorable reviews from music critics. AllMusic reviewer Tim Sendra called it a "more cohesive album" than its predecessor, demonstrating that the Wonder Stuff "still have a fair amount of the punch and fervor they displayed during their original run." According to Sendra, no matter how "strong the songs might be [...] if they are coated with too much studio gloss and dragged down by uninteresting musical choices they are not going to make much impact." [10] Melodic writer Kaj Roth called the album "truly a nice positive sounding pop record" which "breathes Aussie rock" in a "late 80's style". [8]

musicOMH contributor John Murphy noted that the band "may never hit the glory days again," although it was "heartening to know that The Wonder Stuff have survived 20 years and are still able to release an album which stands up with their best work." [7] PopMatters editor Patrick Schabe found the album a "continuation of the mature Hunt" which exemplified the previous album, "crafting more intricate melodies, but with fewer barbed lyrics." Schabe added that the inclusion of violin on some of the songs was "the element that was most sorely missing from Rubbish Island". [11] Katrina Pierce of Gigwise wrote that a number of its songs "ha[ve] no identifiable chorus", and called the album "fairly boring with nothing that stands out as exceptional." [9]

Track listing

Writing credits per booklet. [6]

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Tricks of the Trade"
4:03
2."Last Second of the Minute"Hunt3:27
3."We Hold Each Other Up"Hunt4:51
4."Blah Blah, Lah Di Dah"
  • Hunt
  • Treece
  • Mark McCarthy
  • Andres Karu
3:47
5."Say It Ain't So"
  • Hunt
  • McCarthy
3:05
6."Angelica Maybe"Hunt7:01
7."The Sun Goes Down on Manor Road"Hunt3:53
8."Long Time No See"
  • Hunt
  • Treece
  • McCarthy
  • Karu
4:09
9."The Popular Choice"
  • Hunt
  • McCarthy
2:26
10."Give Us What We Want"
  • Hunt
  • Treece
  • McCarthy
  • Karu
3:04
11."Someone Tell Me What to Think"
  • Hunt
  • Treece
4:06
12."No One Tells 'Em Like You Do"
  • Hunt
  • Treece
  • McCarthy
  • Karu
5:04

Personnel

Personnel per booklet. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lindsey Buckingham</span> American guitarist (born 1949)

Lindsey Adams Buckingham is an American musician and record producer, best known as the lead guitarist and male lead vocalist of the band Fleetwood Mac from 1975 to 1987 and 1997 to 2018. In addition to his tenure with Fleetwood Mac, Buckingham has released seven solo studio albums and three live albums. As a member of Fleetwood Mac, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. Buckingham was ranked 100th in Rolling Stone's 2011 list of "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time". Buckingham is known for his fingerpicking guitar style.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Randy Bachman</span> Canadian musician

Randolph Charles Bachman is a Canadian guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He was a founding member of the bands The Guess Who and Bachman–Turner Overdrive. Bachman recorded as a solo artist and was part of a number of short-lived bands such as Brave Belt, Union and Ironhorse. He was a national radio personality on CBC Radio, hosting the weekly music show, Vinyl Tap. Bachman was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ladytron</span> English band

Ladytron is an English electronic band formed in Liverpool in 1999. The group consists of Helen Marnie, Mira Aroyo, Daniel Hunt, and Reuben Wu (synthesizers). They have released seven studio albums: 604 (2001), Light & Magic (2002), Witching Hour (2005), Velocifero (2008), Gravity the Seducer (2011), Ladytron (2019) and Time's Arrow (2023). They also issued the live album Live at London Astoria 16.07.08 in 2009 and the compilation album Best of 00–10 in 2011. They have produced remixes for artists such as Dave Gahan, Erasure, Goldfrapp, Apoptygma Berzerk, Placebo, Blondie, Gang of Four, Christina Aguilera, Nine Inch Nails, Bloc Party, Kings of Convenience, Soulwax and Róisín Murphy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Midge Ure</span> Scottish musician (born 1953)

James Ure is a Scottish musician, singer-songwriter and record producer. His stage name, Midge, is a phonetic reversal of Jim, the diminutive form of his actual name. Ure enjoyed particular success in the 1970s and 1980s in bands including Slik, Thin Lizzy, Rich Kids and Visage, and as the frontman of Ultravox. In 1984, he co-wrote and produced the charity single "Do They Know It's Christmas?", which has sold 3.7 million copies in the UK. The song is the second-highest-selling single in UK chart history. Ure co-organised Band Aid, Live Aid and Live 8 with Bob Geldof. He acts as a trustee for the charity and also serves as an ambassador for Save the Children.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Corrs</span> Irish musical group

The Corrs are an Irish family band that combine pop rock with traditional Irish themes within their music. The group consists of the Corr siblings, Andrea, Sharon, Caroline and Jim. They are from Dundalk, County Louth, Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Wonder Stuff</span> British alternative rock band

The Wonder Stuff are a British alternative rock band. Originally based in Stourbridge in the West Midlands, England, the band's first lineup released four albums and nearly 20 singles and EPs, enjoying considerable chart and live success in the UK. The band have continued to tour and record since 2000.

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

The Killers are an American rock band formed in Las Vegas in 2001 by Brandon Flowers and Dave Keuning. After going through a number of short-term bass players and drummers in their early days, both Mark Stoermer and Ronnie Vannucci Jr. joined the band in 2002. The band's name is derived from a logo on the bass drum of a fictitious band portrayed in the music video for the New Order song "Crystal".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pop Will Eat Itself</span> English alternative rock band

Pop Will Eat Itself are an English alternative rock band formed in 1986 in Stourbridge in the West Midlands of England with members from Birmingham, Coventry and the Black Country. Initially known as a grebo act, they changed style to incorporate sample-driven indie and industrial rock. Graham Crabb describes their sound as "electronic, punk, alternative hip-hop, hybrid music for fucking, fighting & smoking cigars". Their highest-charting single was the 1993 top-ten hit "Get the Girl! Kill the Baddies!". After initially disbanding in 1996, and having a brief reformation in 2005, they issued their first release in more than five years in 2010.

<i>Never Loved Elvis</i> 1991 studio album by The Wonder Stuff

Never Loved Elvis is the third album by The Wonder Stuff released in 1991. Guest musicians on the album include Kirsty MacColl and Linda McRae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lordi</span> Finnish hard rock band

Lordi is a Finnish hard rock/heavy metal band, formed in 1992 by the band's lead singer, songwriter and costume maker, Mr Lordi. In addition to their melodic metal music, Lordi are also known for wearing monster masks and using horror elements with pyrotechnics during concerts and music videos. The band rose to fame in 2002 with their hit single "Would You Love a Monsterman?", and won the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 with their song "Hard Rock Hallelujah".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miles Hunt</span> Musical artist

Miles Stephen Hunt is an English singer, songwriter and guitarist. He fronts the alternative rock band The Wonder Stuff.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vic Ruggiero</span> Musical artist

Victor "Vic" Ruggiero, is a musician, songwriter and producer from New York City who has played in reggae, blues, ska and rocksteady bands since the early 1990s, including The Slackers, Stubborn All-Stars, SKAndalous All Stars, Crazy Baldhead and The Silencers. He has also performed with punk rock band Rancid, both live and in the studio. He has released four solo acoustic albums and continues to tour and record worldwide. Ruggiero is known primarily as a singer and organist, although he also plays piano, bass, banjo, cigar box guitar, guitar, harmonica and percussion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Mitchell (musician)</span> British musician

John Mitchell is a musician and record producer. He primarily plays guitar and has been a member of the bands It Bites, Arena, Frost*, Kino, A, The Urbane and Lonely Robot.

Dan Donnelly is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and, as of 2022, a member of the Levellers.

Vent 414 were a short-lived British independent rock band active for a few years in the 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chuck Treece</span> American musician and pro skateboarder

Chuck Treece is a session musician and professional skateboarder from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1984, he became famous for being the first African-American skateboarder to be featured on the cover of Thrasher magazine. His musical credits include starting the 1980s skate punk band McRad, remixing songs for Amy Grant and Sting, playing the bass line on "The River of Dreams" by Billy Joel, filling in on drums at a Pearl Jam concert, and touring with Urge Overkill, Underdog and Bad Brains. In 2010, he was awarded a Pew Fellowships in the Arts. Chuck currently plays bass in a thrash metal band called ACTiVATE. Treece drummed on the album, Mass by Canadian ska band, Bedouin Soundclash.

Help Yourself, known to their fans as "The Helps", were an English rock band of the early 1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erica Nockalls</span> Musical artist

Erica Nockalls is an English violinist, vocalist, songwriter, and visual artist. She is best known as the violinist in The Wonder Stuff, one-half of acoustic duo Miles Hunt & Erica Nockalls, and as a live fiddle player for The Proclaimers. Nockalls is also the lead vocalist, violinist, and guitarist in her self-titled art-rock band.

<i>30 Goes Around the Sun</i> 2016 studio album by the Wonder Stuff

30 Goes Around the Sun is the eighth studio album to be recorded by English rock band the Wonder Stuff. It was released on 18 March 2016 through the label IRL. Following a line-up change in 2014, frontman Miles Hunt began writing for the band's next album in early 2015. After a two-month writing hiatus, they began jamming new songs with their sound engineer Simon Efemey at a rehearsal space in Stourbridge, West Midlands. Recording sessions were held at Mockingbird Studio in Stourbridge with Efemey as producer. 30 Goes Around the Sun is an alternative rock album; some of its songs recall the material on the band's earlier releases. Hunt had initially struggled to writer lyrics following writing a book based on his diaries.

<i>Escape from Rubbish Island</i> 2004 album by the Wonder Stuff

Escape from Rubbish Island is the fifth studio album by English rock band the Wonder Stuff, released on 27 September 2004, through the IRL record label. The band had broken up in 1994; they reformed in 2000 and had been playing shows sporadically over the next few years. Frontman Miles Hunt began making drum loops in his home studio, and his flatmate, former Radical Dance Faction member Mark McCarthy, added bass over them. An argument between Hunt and bandmate Martin Gilks resulted in the latter leaving, followed by violinist Martin Bell soon after. Hunt continued working on the tracks, recording at Vada Studios in Stratford-upon-Avon in 2004 with Matt Terry producing. The album saw a return to the band's rock sound of their early albums.

References

  1. 1 2 Deming, Mark. "The Wonder Stuff | Biography & History". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 10 March 2017. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  2. 1 2 Etheridge, Loz (28 November 2016). "A Bunch Of Fives: a retrospective with The Wonder Stuff's Miles Hunt - Part One, Escape from Rubbish Island". God Is in the TV. Archived from the original on 14 December 2016. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  3. ↑ Gourlay, Don. "The Wonder Stuff - Back With A Vengeance..." Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on 4 December 2004. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Etheridge, Loz (29 November 2016). "A Bunch Of Fives: a retrospective with The Wonder Stuff's Miles Hunt - Part Two, Suspended By Stars". God Is in the TV. Archived from the original on 23 January 2021. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  5. ↑ "Live Dates". The Wonder Stuff. Archived from the original on 20 December 2005. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 The Wonder Stuff (2006). Suspended by Stars (booklet). IRL. IRL026.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Murphy, John (20 February 2006). "The Wonder Stuff – Suspended By Stars". musicOMH. Archived from the original on 31 January 2021. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  8. 1 2 3 Roth, Kaj (2 April 2006). "The Wonder Stuff - Suspended by Stars". Melodic. Archived from the original on 24 January 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2017.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Pierce, Katrina (12 February 2006). "The Wonder Stuff - 'Suspended By Stars' (Independent Records Ltd) Released 20/02/06". Gigwise. Archived from the original on 30 January 2021. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Sendra, Tim. "Suspended by Stars - The Wonder Stuff | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 1 February 2021. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  11. 1 2 3 Schabe, Patrick (9 August 2006). "The Wonder Stuff: Suspended by Stars". PopMatters. Archived from the original on 1 February 2021. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  12. ↑ "Live Dates". The Wonder Stuff. Archived from the original on 20 December 2005. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  13. 1 2 "New Album - Suspended By Stars". The Wonder Stuff. 20 December 2005. Archived from the original on 14 October 2006. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  14. ↑ "Single Download". The Wonder Stuff. 10 January 2006. Archived from the original on 14 October 2006. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  15. ↑ Diver, Mike (13 December 2005). "Old bands do new things: Wonder Stuff, OCS / Music News". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on 4 February 2021. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  16. ↑ "Radio 2 Session Tonight". The Wonder Stuff. 1 March 2006. Archived from the original on 8 May 2006. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  17. ↑ "Miles Hunt US Solo Dates". The Wonder Stuff. 4 May 2006. Archived from the original on 14 October 2006. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  18. ↑ "Miles Hunt Solo Show". The Wonder Stuff. 18 April 2006. Archived from the original on 14 October 2006. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  19. ↑ "Update". The Wonder Stuff. 29 May 2006. Archived from the original on 14 October 2006. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  20. ↑ "Single Released Today / Free Previously Unreleased Song". The Wonder Stuff. 12 June 2006. Archived from the original on 9 July 2006. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  21. ↑ "Live Dates". The Wonder Stuff. Archived from the original on 15 June 2006. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  22. ↑ "Miles Hunt Solo Shows". The Wonder Stuff. 8 September 2006. Archived from the original on 14 October 2006. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  23. ↑ "Miles Hunt Irish Tour". The Wonder Stuff. 4 October 2006. Archived from the original on 14 October 2006. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  24. ↑ "Last Second Of The Minute Top 40". The Wonder Stuff. 11 October 2006. Archived from the original on 14 October 2006. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  25. ↑ "Miles Hunt Solo Album - Advance Copies". The Wonder Stuff. 1 October 2006. Archived from the original on 14 October 2006. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  26. ↑ Miles Hunt (2006). Interloper Live 2006 (sleeve). IRL. IRL030.
  27. ↑ "Live Dates". The Wonder Stuff. Archived from the original on 4 October 2006. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  28. ↑ "The Wonder Stuff Return To Live Arena". Uncut. 26 March 2008. Archived from the original on 29 January 2021. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  29. ↑ The Wonder Stuff (2007). Live (sleeve). IRL. IRL036.
  30. ↑ The Wonder Stuff (2018). Upstaged: A Live Anthology. 1987–2016 (sleeve). Good Deeds Music. GDM27.
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.