Swimmer (The Big Dish album)
| Swimmer | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 29 September 1986[1] | |||
| Length | 53:08 | |||
| Label | Virgin Warner (US) | |||
| Producer | Ian Ritchie, Glyn Johns, Paul Hardiman, The Big Dish | |||
| The Big Dish chronology | ||||
| ||||
Swimmer is the debut studio album from Scottish pop band The Big Dish, which was released by Virgin in 1986.
The album contains three singles: "Slide", "Prospect Street" and "Christina's World". "Christina's World" reached No. 84 in the UK Singles Chart in January 1987 and "Slide" peaked at No. 86 in May 1987.[2]
Critical reception[edit]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| Record-Journal | C[4] |
| The Sheboygan Press | [5] |
| Sounds | [6] |
On its release, Music & Media picked Swimmer as one of their "Albums of the Week" during October 1986. They described the songs as "alternating between guitar-influenced and atmospheric, melodic material". They also noted Lindsay's "strong vocals" which "lift the material up to a higher plane".[7] Billboard noted the band's "strong song sense" but added that "what may catch ears is the vocalizing of David Byrne sound-alike Steven Lindsay."[8] Cash Box wrote, "Lindsay's whispy voice and strong-based songwriting recommend the group to a wide audience. The band is at its best on heartfelt, melody-rich songs like 'Prospect Street' and 'Slide'."[9]
Paul Massey of the Evening Express noted, "Warmth and sincerity are the trademarks of Lindsay's mellow pop and the single 'Slide' is simply great."[10] Martin Wells of the Derby Evening Telegraph described Swimmer as containing "some delightful Orange Juice/Lloyd Cole-style pop songs".[11]
Brant Houston of the Hartford Courant described Swimmer as "a persuasive effort but sometimes too tidy". He added, "The songs are often sprightly, with '60s-like choruses that keep afloat the tunes that tend toward the moribund."[12] Jim Zebora of the Record-Journal as "accessible, insistent pop" but that the band "has a tendency to fall into mediocrity with many songs".[4]
In a retrospective review, William Ruhlmann of AllMusic considered the album's material to be "tasteful, cultured and a bit dull". He commented, "The guitars chime, the machine-made beats burble, and Lindsay contemplates existence, but there is a difference between swimming and treading water that he doesn't seem to recognize."[3]
Track listing[edit]
All tracks are written by Steven Lindsay except "Second Swimmer" by Lindsay and Brian McFie
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Prospect Street" | 3:23 |
| 2. | "Christina's World" | 4:10 |
| 3. | "Slide" | 5:08 |
| 4. | "Big New Beginning" | 3:23 |
| 5. | "Another People's Palace" | 4:49 |
| 6. | "Swimmer" | 5:22 |
| 7. | "The Loneliest Man in the World" | 3:40 |
| 8. | "Jealous" | 4:28 |
| 9. | "Her Town" | 3:58 |
| 10. | "Beyond the Pale" | 3:58 |
| 11. | "Second Swimmer" | 2:41 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 12. | "From the Neighbourhood" | 3:44 |
| 13. | "Back Door Bound" | 4:05 |
Personnel[edit]
The Big Dish
- Steven Lindsay – vocals, guitar, keyboards
- Brian McFie – lead guitar, second guitar
- Raymond Docherty – bass
Additional musicians
- Ian Ritchie – programming, saxophone
Production
- Ian Ritchie – producer (tracks 1–3, 6–7, 9–11, 13)
- Chris Sheldon – engineer (tracks 1–3, 6–7, 9–11, 13)
- Paul Hardiman – producer (track 4)
- Glyn Johns – producer (tracks 5, 12)
- The Big Dish – producers (track 8)
Other
- Gary Wathen – art direction
- Red Ranch – design
- Heather Angel – photography
Charts[edit]
| Chart (1986) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart[2] | 85 |
References[edit]
- ^ Strickland, Andy (27 September 1986). "News Digest" (PDF). Record Mirror. p. 50. Retrieved 25 May 2021 – via World Radio History.
- ^ a b "BIG DISH; full Official Chart History; Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
- ^ a b "Swimmer - Big Dish | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
- ^ a b Zebora, Jim (22 March 1987). "Pleasant sounds lack character". The Record-Journal. p. E2.
- ^ Novak, Bill (14 May 1987). "On the record...". The Sheboygan Press. p. 36.
- ^ Wilde, John (4 October 1986). "Albums". Sounds. p. 28.
- ^ "M&M Euro Tip Page". Music & Media. 18 October 1986. p. 16.
- ^ "Reviews: Albums". Billboard. 7 March 1987. p. 76.
- ^ "Reviews: Albums". Cash Box. 28 February 1987. p. 8.
- ^ Massey, Paul (29 October 1986). "Citysound: Albums". Evening Express. p. 11.
- ^ Wells, Martin (1 November 1986). "Pop albums". Derby Evening Telegraph. p. 12.
- ^ Houston, Brant (2 April 1987). "Records: Del Fuegos' latest, country kitsch and marvelous Marsalis". The Hartford Courant.