| Tales from Turnpike House | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 13 June 2005 | |||
| Recorded | 2005 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 44:11 | |||
| Label | Sanctuary | |||
| Producer | ||||
| Saint Etienne chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Tales from Turnpike House | ||||
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Tales from Turnpike House is the seventh studio album by English alternative dance band Saint Etienne, released on 13 June 2005 by Sanctuary Records. [1] It is a concept album in which the songs depict characters who all live in the eponymous block of flats in London.
The exact setting of the stories told by the album's setting is somewhat amorphous. The real Turnpike House is a high-rise block of flats in Goswell Road, EC1, an area of ex-council blocks between Clerkenwell and Upper Street. The band had spent a lot of time in Turnpike House, as filmmaker Paul Kelly lived there during the period in which they were collaborating on What Have You Done Today, Mervyn Day? . [2] However, Sarah Cracknell has said that the building imagined in the album is "not nearly as smart" as the real Turnpike House. [2] Bob Stanley has said that he imagined the album's setting to be more suburban, "probably somewhere like Croydon or possibly Ponders End". [2] Pete Wiggs has said that his experience of living in Croydon was the inspiration for "Side Streets" and "Slow Down at the Castle" (the Castle is a water tower in Park Hill Recreation Ground). [2] However, the title of "The Birdman of EC1" refers to the postal district in which the real Turnpike House is located.
The album features two tracks co-written and produced by Xenomania ("Lightning Strikes Twice" and "Stars Above Us") as well as a guest vocal from 1970s pop star David Essex on "Relocate" (Essex had earlier appeared on the Saint Etienne album So Tough via sampled dialogue from the 1973 film That'll Be the Day ).
Tales from Turnpike House was released on 13 June 2005 by Sanctuary Records and preceded by a single for "Side Streets" on 6 June 2005. In the United States, the album was released 24 January 2006 by Savoy Jazz. Initial pressings of the UK version included a bonus EP of children's music titled Up the Wooden Hills. The band felt that music for young children under seven was fed into unexceptional pop music, and wanted to make music that children and parents could enjoy together.[ citation needed ] Double-disc editions of the US release included instead the Savoy Nu Groove Sampler , containing six tracks from various Savoy Jazz releases, including "Side Streets" from the album itself.
As part of the reissue programme of all Saint Etienne's albums, Tales from Turnpike House was re-released in a deluxe double CD edition featuring unreleased material and sleeve notes by Jeremy Deller in October 2010.
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 79/100 [3] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [4] |
| The A.V. Club | A− [5] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B+ [6] |
| The Guardian | [7] |
| Los Angeles Times | [8] |
| Pitchfork | 7.8/10 [9] |
| Q |  [3] |
| Rolling Stone | [10] |
| Slant Magazine | [11] |
| Spin | B [12] |
Tales from Turnpike House was very well-received from critics, holding an aggregate 79 out of 100 from Metacritic based on 22 reviews. [3] The album's most favourable reviews, including a five-star review from Dorlan Lynskey of The Guardian , called it the group's best album yet, [7] [5] with praise going towards the album's songwriting, production, arrangements, sound, vocal harmonies and Sarah Cracknell's vocals. [7] [5] [8] Ernesto Lechner wrote in his review for the Los Angeles Times that "If it's pop craftsmanship you are after, few can equal this melancholy concept album and the sheer virtuosity of its hooks", [8] while Stylus Magazine 's Edward Oculicz called it an "overwhelmingly forward, ambitious album for a group fifteen years into their career and long past their commercial prime who could have quite happily introduced no new ideas—musical or thematical—and not challenged their dwindling but loyal fan-base." [13]
Allmusic journalist Andy Kellman called it the band's most organic release since their fourth album Good Humor , highlighting Turnpike's concept as allowing "for a range of material that's as broad as what can be heard on any other Saint Etienne album." [4] Peter Relic of Rolling Stone , who also noted the variety of musical styles, called the record "an unabashedly joyful celebration of being British" that "could make an Anglophile out of anyone." [10]
In a less positive review, Thomas Blatchford of Drowned in Sound called Tales from Turnpike House "A good enough record, but we know they can do better." He felt the harmonies were "over-egged" and not complementary to Cracknell's lead vocals, and described the concept as difficult to grasp it due to it being "too downbeat to be uplifting and too uplifting to be downbeat". [14] However, a reviewer from Q was the most negative towards the album. He found Saint Etienne's brand of indie disco "dated" and bashed the lyrical content as "a concept album of kitchen-sink dramas about Tony The Milkman and Doris The Housewife". [3]
All tracks are written by Sarah Cracknell, Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sun in My Morning" | 2:41 | |
| 2. | "Milk Bottle Symphony" | 4:03 | |
| 3. | "Lightning Strikes Twice" | Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs, Xenomania | 3:45 |
| 4. | "Slow Down at the Castle" | Stanley, Wiggs | 4:42 |
| 5. | "A Good Thing" | Cracknell, Lawrence Oakley, Mark Waterfield | 4:00 |
| 6. | "Side Streets" | 2:56 | |
| 7. | "Last Orders for Gary Stead" | Stanley, Wiggs | 4:28 |
| 8. | "Stars Above Us" | Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs, Xenomania | 3:24 |
| 9. | "Relocate" | David Essex, Stanley, Wiggs | 3:09 |
| 10. | "The Birdman of EC1" | Stanley, Wiggs | 2:47 |
| 11. | "Teenage Winter" | 5:45 | |
| 12. | "Goodnight" | 2:31 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "You Can Count on Me" | 3:58 |
| 2. | "Barnyard Brouhaha" | 0:59 |
| 3. | "Let's Build a Zoo" | 2:34 |
| 4. | "Excitation" | 2:12 |
| 5. | "Bedfordshire" | 3:58 |
| 6. | "Night Owl" | 2:05 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sun in My Morning" | 2:41 | |
| 2. | "Milk Bottle Symphony" | 4:03 | |
| 3. | "Lightning Strikes Twice" | Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs, Xenomania | 3:45 |
| 4. | "Slow Down at the Castle" | Stanley, Wiggs | 4:42 |
| 5. | "A Good Thing" | Cracknell, Oakley, Waterfield | 4:00 |
| 6. | "The Leyton Art Inferno" | 2:22 | |
| 7. | "Got a Job" | 2:21 | |
| 8. | "Side Streets" | 2:56 | |
| 9. | "Last Orders for Gary Stead" | Stanley, Wiggs | 4:28 |
| 10. | "Stars Above Us" | Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs, Xenomania | 3:24 |
| 11. | "Relocate" | Essex, Stanley, Wiggs | 3:09 |
| 12. | "The Birdman of EC1" | Stanley, Wiggs | 2:47 |
| 13. | "Teenage Winter" | 5:45 | |
| 14. | "Goodnight" | 2:31 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Side Streets" | 2:56 | |
| 2. | "A Good Thing" | Cracknell, Oakley, Waterfield | 4:00 |
| 3. | "Sun in My Morning" | 2:41 | |
| 4. | "Milk Bottle Symphony" | 4:03 | |
| 5. | "Dream Lover" | 3:32 | |
| 6. | "Lightning Strikes Twice" | Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs, Xenomania | 3:45 |
| 7. | "Slow Down at the Castle" | Stanley, Wiggs | 4:42 |
| 8. | "Oh My" | 4:02 | |
| 9. | "Last Orders for Gary Stead" | Stanley, Wiggs | 4:28 |
| 10. | "I'm Falling" | Cracknell, Essex, Stanley, Wiggs | 4:22 |
| 11. | "Stars Above Us" | Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs, Xenomania | 3:24 |
| 12. | "Teenage Winter" | 5:45 | |
| 13. | "Goodnight" | 2:31 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Murder in E Minor" | 2:34 | |
| 2. | "Take Me Home (On a Pushbike)" (previously unreleased) | Catt, Cracknell | 1:51 |
| 3. | "Another Cup of Coffee" (previously unreleased) | Neil, Rutherford | 5:31 |
| 4. | "School Run" (previously unreleased) | Stanley, Wiggs | 3:00 |
| 5. | "You Can Judge a Book by Its Cover" | 2:03 | |
| 6. | "Who Pays the Rent" (previously unreleased) | Stanley, Wiggs | 2:13 |
| 7. | "Woodhenge" (previously unreleased) | Stanley, Wiggs | 2:22 |
| 8. | "Got a Job" | 2:23 | |
| 9. | "Must Be More" (previously unreleased) | Cracknell, Waterfield, Wilkinson | 4:01 |
| 10. | "Holiday Song" (previously unreleased) | 3:01 | |
| 11. | "The Leyton Art Inferno" | 2:19 | |
| 12. | "Missing Persons Bureau" | 4:20 | |
| 13. | "Inside the Hive" (previously unreleased) | Stanley, Wiggs | 5:25 |
| 14. | "Aqualad" (previously unreleased) | Stanley, Wiggs | 3:52 |
| 15. | "Book Norton" | Debsey Wykes | 2:01 |
| 16. | "Quiet Essex" | Stanley, Wiggs | 3:57 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sun in My Morning" | 2:41 | |
| 2. | "Milk Bottle Symphony" | 4:03 | |
| 3. | "Dream Lover" | 3:31 | |
| 4. | "Lightning Strikes Twice" | Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs, Xenomania | 3:45 |
| 5. | "Slow Down at the Castle" | Stanley, Wiggs | 4:42 |
| 6. | "A Good Thing" | Cracknell, Oakley, Waterfield | 4:00 |
| 7. | "Side Streets" | 2:56 | |
| 8. | "Oh My" | 4:28 | |
| 9. | "Last Orders for Gary Stead" | Stanley, Wiggs | 3:24 |
| 10. | "I'm Falling" | Cracknell, Essex, Stanley, Wiggs | 4:23 |
| 11. | "Stars Above Us" | Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs, Xenomania | 3:25 |
| 12. | "Relocate" | Essex, Stanley, Wiggs | 3:09 |
| 13. | "The Birdman of EC1" | Stanley, Wiggs | 2:48 |
| 14. | "Teenage Winter" | 5:45 | |
| 15. | "Goodnight" | 2:31 |
| Chart (2005–2006) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| French Albums (SNEP) [15] | 174 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC) [16] | 84 |
| UK Albums (OCC) [17] | 72 |
| UK Independent Albums (OCC) [18] | 4 |
| US Top Dance/Electronic Albums (Billboard) [19] | 10 |
Saint Etienne is 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.
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.
Travel Edition 1990–2005 is a compilation album by the British pop band Saint Etienne. It was released 22 November 2004 in the United States only on the Sub Pop label.
Sarah Jane Cracknell is an English singer-songwriter and lead singer of the electronic music band 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.
Foxbase Alpha is the debut studio album by English band Saint Etienne, released on 16 September 1991 by Heavenly Recordings.
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 Album Chart.
Interlude is an album by Saint Etienne. Released by Sub Pop in the US and Mantra in Canada, this 2001 collection featured UK b-sides and extra songs left over from the recording sessions for their 2000 album, Sound of Water.
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."
Places to Visit is an extended play released by British group Saint Etienne in May 1999. It shows the band moving toward the experimental electronic sound that they explored further on their next official full-length release, 2000's Sound of Water.
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.
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.
"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.
"He's on the Phone" is a song by British pop group Saint Etienne in collaboration with French singer-songwriter Étienne Daho, released in October 1995 by Heavenly and MCA as a single from their third compilation album, Too Young to Die (1995). A fast-paced dance track, it is one of Saint Etienne's biggest hits, reaching number 11 on the UK Singles Chart, number 31 in Iceland, number 41 in Sweden and number 33 on the US Billboard Dance Club Songs chart. The lyrics tell of an "academia girl" trying to escape from a relationship with a married man: He's on the phone / And she wants to go home, / Shoes in hand, / Don't make a sound, / It's time to go. At the centre of the track is a spoken-word section by Daho.
"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.
"Kiss and Make Up" is a song by Saint Etienne, released as a single in 1990. It is a cover version of "Let's Kiss and Make Up", a song by The Field Mice from their 1989 album, Snowball.
"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".
"Stars Above Us" is a single from the band Saint Etienne. Taken from the album Tales from Turnpike House, It was released in the US only by record label Savoy Jazz. The single was released under the mis-leading title Dance Remixes Volume 1.
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.
Home Counties is the ninth studio album by English alternative dance band Saint Etienne, released on 2 June 2017 by Heavenly Recordings. The album features collaborations with Gerard Johnson, Augustus and Nick Moon. The album features production from Shawn Lee, Carwyn Ellis and Richard X.
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