| This Is Our Art | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1988 | |||
| Studio | Picnic Studios, West Peckham, Kent; The Chocolate Factory, London; Power Plant Studios, Willesden, London | |||
| Genre | Rock, [1] pop | |||
| Label | Sire [2] | |||
| Producer | Julian Standen, Pete Brown | |||
| The Soup Dragons chronology | ||||
| ||||
This Is Our Art is the debut studio album by the Scottish band the Soup Dragons, released in 1988. [3] [4]
The album peaked at No. 60 on the UK Albums Chart. [5]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [6] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [7] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | [8] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [9] |
Trouser Press wrote that the album demonstrates "an amazing range, yet there’s something insincere about these songs, which seemingly don’t know when to end." [10] The Washington Post stated that it displays "a deft, if overreaching, eclecticism." [11]
The Toronto Star deemed This Is Our Art "spikey guitar pop." [12] The Omaha World-Herald called it "catchier and more melodic" than the band's debut. [13]
AllMusic noted that "the Soup Dragons are far more effective when they're gorging themselves on bubblegum like the sweet jangle pop of 'Soft As Your Face' and 'Turning Stone'." [6] The Rolling Stone Album Guide panned the "astonishingly pointless stylistic range." [9]
All tracks are written by Sean Dickson; except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Kingdom Chairs" | 5:20 | |
| 2. | "Great Empty Space" | 3:01 | |
| 3. | "The Majestic Head?" | 3:34 | |
| 4. | "Turning Stone" | 2:48 | |
| 5. | "Vacate My Space" | 3:39 | |
| 6. | "On Overhead Walkways" | 2:25 | |
| 7. | "Passion Protein" | 5:22 | |
| 8. | "King of the Castle" | 2:46 | |
| 9. | "Soft as Your Face" | 3:39 | |
| 10. | "Family Ways" | 4:38 | |
| 11. | "Another Dreamticket" | music: Sushil K. Dade; lyrics: Sean Dickson | 2:58 |
with:
Place Without a Postcard is the third studio album by Australian rock band Midnight Oil, released in November 1981 under Sprint Music and the Columbia Records label. It peaked at No. 12 on the Kent Music Report albums chart and the related singles "Don't Wanna Be the One" and "Armistice Day" reached the associated Top 40 chart.
Stick Around for Joy is the third and final studio album by the Icelandic alternative rock band the Sugarcubes. It was released in 1992 by Elektra. The album was supported by four singles: "Hit", which reached number one on the Modern Rock Tracks chart in the US and number 17 on the UK Singles Chart, "Walkabout", "Vitamin" and "Leash Called Love", which went to number one on the US Dance chart.
The Soup Dragons are a Scottish alternative rock band of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Named after a character in the 1970s children's television series Clangers, the group is best known for its cover of the Rolling Stones' song "I'm Free", which was a top 5 hit in the United Kingdom in 1990; and "Divine Thing", a top 40 hit in the United States in 1992.
Happy Town is the third album by the American singer-songwriter Jill Sobule, released in 1997. The album contains the singles "Bitter" and "When My Ship Comes In" as well as "Half a Heart" and the satirical social commentary "Soldiers of Christ", where Sobule sings from the point of view of a Christian Conservative to illustrate the existence of homophobia in religion. The album sold 24,000 copies in the US within the first year of its release.
Lovegod is the second studio album by the Soup Dragons, released in 1990. Four songs from the album were released as singles—"Backwards Dog", "Crotch Deep Trash", "Mother Universe" and "I'm Free". The latter, a cover of a Rolling Stones cut from their 1965 album Out of Our Heads, made the top 5 in the UK charts. First pressings did not include "I'm Free", but it was subsequently placed first on the re-release, which also dates to 1990.
BMX Bandits are a Scottish guitar pop band formed in Bellshill in 1986. Led by songwriter and lead vocalist Duglas T. Stewart, their music is heavily influenced by 1960s pop. They have shared members with numerous other local bands, including Teenage Fanclub and the Soup Dragons. BMX Bandits were a favourite band of Kurt Cobain, who said "If I could be in any other band, it would be BMX Bandits". In 2011, they were the subject of the documentary Serious Drugs: A Film About BMX Bandits.
Boom Boom Chi Boom Boom is the third studio album by Tom Tom Club, released in 1988. It includes a cover of the Velvet Underground's "Femme Fatale", with David Byrne, Lou Reed, and Jerry Harrison. The track "Suboceana" was released as a single in the UK in late 1988 and received some radio airplay. In the US, a 12-inch single of the song was released, which featured a remix by Marshall Jefferson, and contains the track "Devil, Does Your Dog Bite". That song is a bonus on the Japanese issue of the album that has the original 10 songs. The track "Don't Say No" was released as a single in the UK, Europe, and Australia. The 7" version was remixed by Tuta Aquino and various 12" releases included acid house remixes by Marshall Jefferson. "Challenge of the Love Warriors" is played over the ending credits of Mary Lambert's 1987 mystery thriller Siesta though it is not included on the soundtrack album, also released in 1987, from Miles Davis and Marcus Miller.
Visions of Excess is the second album by the Golden Palominos. The band's line-up was substantially different from their first album. It includes a cover of Moby Grape's "Omaha," with Michael Stipe singing lead.
Hotwired is the third studio album by the Scottish band the Soup Dragons. It was released on April 21, 1992.
Smell the Magic is the second studio album by American rock band L7, released in 1990 by Sub Pop. Originally issued as a 12" EP containing only the first six songs, it was reissued on CD in July 1991, expanded to album length with three more tracks: "Packin' a Rod," "Just Like Me," and "American Society." The opening track "Shove" was released as the band's first single.
Hunkpapa is the third studio album by Throwing Muses, released in 1989. It peaked at number 59 on the UK Albums Chart.
Song of the Bailing Man is the fifth Pere Ubu album, released in 1982. It was the final Pere Ubu album until 1988's The Tenement Year.
Manners & Physique is the fourth solo album by Adam Ant. It was released in 1990 by MCA Records. The single "Room at the Top" peaked at number 13 in the UK and number 17 in the United States. "Rough Stuff" (US) and "Can't Set Rules About Love" (UK) were released afterwards.
"I'm Free" is a song by the Rolling Stones written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, first released as the final track on the UK version of their album Out of Our Heads on 24 September 1965. It was also released at the same time as a single in the US and later included on the American December's Children album.
Only Life is the third album by the American rock band the Feelies, released in 1988. It was made with the same line-up that appeared on the band's previous album, The Good Earth. The album contains a cover of the Velvet Underground's "What Goes On".
Earwig is the second album by the Blake Babies, released in 1989.
Rock 'n' Roll with the Modern Lovers is the second album by American rock band Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers, released by Beserkley Records in 1977.
Gideon Gaye is the second studio album by the Anglo-Irish avant-pop band the High Llamas, released in 1994 on the Brighton-based Target label. Notable for anticipating the mid 1990s easy-listening revivalism, the album's music was influenced by Brian Wilson, Steely Dan, Brazilian bossa nova and European film soundtracks, and was recorded with a £4000 budget. It was met with high praise by the British press. Q dubbed the LP "the best Beach Boys album since 1968's Friends". In the US, the album was indifferently promoted.
Contenders is the debut album by the English band Easterhouse, released in 1986.
Every Dog Has His Day is an album by the American band Let's Active, released in 1988. It was the band's final album.
