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The Flat Earth | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 10 February 1984 | |||
Recorded | 1982–1983 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 37:22 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer | Thomas Dolby | |||
Thomas Dolby chronology | ||||
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Singles from The Flat Earth | ||||
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The Flat Earth is the second studio album by the English new wave and synth-pop musician Thomas Dolby, released on 10 February 1984 by EMI and Capitol Records.
A remastered "Collector's Edition" of The Flat Earth was released on 13 July 2009, featuring bonus tracks and new sleeve notes.
The Flat Earth peaked at No. 14 on the UK Albums Chart. The first single from the album was "Hyperactive!", which peaked at No. 17 in the UK Singles Chart, making it Dolby's highest-charting single in his home country. Second and third singles, "I Scare Myself" and "Dissidents", peaked at Nos. 46 and 90, respectively. The album charted at No. 35 on the US Billboard Hot 100. In Canada it reached number 21 in the weekly charts and was number 71 in the year-end chart. [1] [2]
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [3] |
Rolling Stone | [4] |
The Village Voice | C+ [5] |
Music journalist Robert Christgau gave the album a C+, and stated that "Dolby is a bright and honest fellow by no means in thrall to his synthesizers. "She Blinded Me With Science" proved he knows his way around a good beat, and the lyric sheet bespeaks a level of literacy rarely achieved by songwriters. But as with so many artists fascinated by synthesizers (and more than a few beguiled by their own literacy), his passion for texture subsumes what small knack he has for cruder, more linear devices. If there's an objective correlative for boring, that's it." [5]
In a retrospective review for AllMusic, critic Glenn Swan wrote that "Exceptionally mature for a sophomore effort, The Flat Earth has held up considerably well since its 1984 release. This staying power belongs to a fantastic ensemble of supporting players as much as to Thomas Dolby's songwriting and crisp production." [3]
All songs written by Thomas Dolby, except where otherwise indicated.
Side A
Side B
Musicians
Technical
Chart | Peak position |
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Canada Top Albums/CDs ( RPM ) [6] | 21 |
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [7] | 18 |
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [8] | 28 |
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [9] | 50 |
UK Albums (OCC) [10] | 14 |
US Billboard 200 [11] | 35 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Canada (Music Canada) [12] | Gold | 50,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [13] | Silver | 60,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
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