Today (Galaxie 500 album)

Today
Studio album by Galaxie 500
Released	1988
Recorded	July 1988
Studio	Noise New York
Genre	Dream pop [1] neo-psychedelia [2] slowcore [3]
Length	36:40
Label	Aurora
Producer	Mark Kramer
Galaxie 500 chronology
Today (1988) On Fire (1989)
Singles from Today
"Tugboat" / "King of Spain" Released: May 1988

Today is the debut studio album by the American indie rock band Galaxie 500. ^[4] It was released in 1988 on Aurora Records.

In 2010, the album was re-issued and peaked at number 16 on the UK Independent Album Breakers Chart. ^[5]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[6]
Drowned in Sound	8/10 [7]
The Guardian	[8]
Mojo	[9]
NME	8/10 [10]
Pitchfork	9.5/10 [11]
Record Collector	[12]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[13]
Spin Alternative Record Guide	7/10 [14]
The Village Voice	B+ [15]

In 2018, Pitchfork ranked it at number 16 on its "The 30 Best Dream Pop Albums" list. ^[1]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Galaxie 500, except where noted.

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Flowers"		4:26
2.	"Pictures"		3:23
3.	"Parking Lot"		2:52
4.	"Don't Let Our Youth Go to Waste"	Jonathan Richman	6:47
5.	"Temperature's Rising"		5:05
6.	"Oblivious"		3:18
7.	"It's Getting Late"		3:29
8.	"Instrumental"		3:01
9.	"Tugboat"		3:53
Total length:			36:40

1989 CD reissue German edition bonus tracks

No.	Title	Length
10.	"King of Spain"	4:33
11.	"Crazy"	1:55
Total length:		43:00

1991 / 1997 CD reissue US edition bonus track

No.	Title	Length
10.	"King of Spain"	4:33
Total length:		41:16

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes.

Galaxie 500

• Damon Krukowski – drums
• Dean Wareham – guitar, vocals
• Naomi Yang – bass guitar

Additional personnel

• Mark Kramer – production, engineering
• Marc Alghini – executive production

Cover photograph is by Eugene Atget.

Charts

Chart (2010)	Peak position
UK Independent Album Breakers (OCC) [5]	16

Release history

Year	Label	Format	Catalog	Region
1988	Aurora	LP	002	US
1989	Schemer	CD	8905	Germany
1991	Rough Trade US	CD	R266	US
1991	Rough Trade US	LP	R266	US
1994	Rockville	cassette	6082	US
1997	Rykodisc	enhanced CD	10356	US
2009	20/20/20	LP, CD	202020.07	US

References

1. "The 30 Best Dream Pop Albums". Pitchfork . April 16, 2018. p. 2. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
2. Potter, Jordan (April 11, 2022). "The most underrated albums of the 1980s year by year". Far Out Magazine. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
3. Sodomsky, Sam (January 24, 2018). "6 Great Albums Named After Other Great Albums". Pitchfork . Retrieved July 21, 2022.
4. The Rough Guide to Rock (2nd ed.). Rough Guides. 1999. p. 391.
5. "Official Independent Album Breakers Chart Top 20". Official Charts Company . Retrieved March 15, 2018.
6. Raggett, Ned. "Today – Galaxie 500". AllMusic . Retrieved December 28, 2015.
7. alex_snax (March 26, 2010). "Album Review: Galaxie 500 – Today, On Fire, This is Our Music (reissued)". Drowned in Sound . Archived from the original on January 5, 2016. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
8. Petridis, Alexis (March 11, 2010). "Galaxie 500: Today/On Fire/This Is Our Music". The Guardian . Retrieved September 9, 2025.
9. Segal, Victoria (April 2010). "Galaxie 500: Today / On Fire / This Is Our Music". Mojo . No. 197.
10. Williams, Simon (August 26, 1989). "Galaxie 500: Today". NME . p. 41.
11. Richardson, Mark (March 30, 2010). "Galaxie 500: Today / On Fire / This Is Our Music". Pitchfork . Retrieved December 28, 2015.
12. "Galaxie 500: Today / On Fire / This Is Our Music". Record Collector . No. 373. March 2010. p. 87.
13. Sheffield, Rob (2004). "Galaxie 500". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. p.  321. ISBN   0-7432-0169-8.
14. Sheffield, Rob (1995). "Galaxie 500". In Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig (eds.). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. p. 162. ISBN   0-679-75574-8.
15. Christgau, Robert (March 28, 1989). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice . Retrieved February 20, 2018.

External links

• Today at Discogs (list of releases)
• Today at MusicBrainz (list of releases)