Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Email
Answers.com

Spooky

 
Album Review: Spooky

  • Artist: Lush
  • Rating: StarStarStarHalf Star
  • Release Date: 1992 01
  • Total Time: 43:37
  • Genre: Rock

Review

For Lush's first proper full-length, the band opted to work again with Robin Guthrie. Though generally delightful, Spooky suffers from being bottlenecked into a dream-drift haze that isn't as convincing as the ones concocted by the likes of My Bloody Valentine and A.R. Kane. On paper the Guthrie/Lush collaboration seems like a match made in heaven; however, this lacks a punch and balance that begins to frustrate by the latter half. Whatever dynamics Lush appear to be capable of are rendered limp by Guthrie's sonic razing. Saving the record from being buried is a batch of quality songs. Despite its faults, it's more hit than miss. It's easy to criticize the lack of drive, but the drifting nature is rapturous in spots. Regardless, the draftiness is relied upon too often.

The three singles released from the LP ("Nothing Natural," "For Love," and "Superblast!") showcase the aggressive side, if only through a relative nature. As with much of the band's early material, guitars dart and veer all over hell's half acre -- just as you hear a gentle strum in one ear, another guitar whisks by like an overhead jet, only to be grounded to a halt by a swollen jolt from some netherworld. If stripped of its myriad effects, "For Love" would sound like a top-rate Go-Betweens song, filled with lovely jangles and smart songwriting. Closer "Monochrome" is a melancholy ballad whose cousin is Catherine Wheel's "Black Metallic." Beneath all the swooning and swaying, it almost suckers you into missing the cheesy "dum-dum-dum" drum lead-in to the choruses, airlifted out of your least favorite Top 40 schlock ballad circa '86. Those devils! ~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
Stray (Lyrics) Miki Berenyi Lush (2:07)
Nothing Natural (Lyrics) Emma Anderson Lush (5:54)
Tiny Smiles (Lyrics) Emma Anderson, Miki Berenyi Lush (4:26)
Covert (Lyrics) Miki Berenyi Lush (3:34)
Ocean (Lyrics) Miki Berenyi Lush (4:49)
For Love (Lyrics) Miki Berenyi Lush (3:29)
Superblast! (Lyrics) Emma Anderson Lush (4:07)
Untogether (Lyrics) Miki Berenyi Lush (3:33)
Fantasy (Lyrics) Emma Anderson Lush (4:27)
Take (Lyrics) Miki Berenyi Lush (3:28)
Laura (Lyrics) Emma Anderson Lush (3:22)
Monochrome (Lyrics) Emma Anderson Lush (5:05)

Credits

Lush (Main Performer), Lincoln Fong (Assistant Engineer), Robin Guthrie (Producer), Robin Guthrie (Engineer), Emma Anderson (Guitar), Emma Anderson (Vocals), Steve Rippon (Bass), Vaughan Oliver (Art Direction), Vaughan Oliver (Design), Jim Friedman (Photography), Miki Berenyi (Guitar), Miki Berenyi (Vocals), Mitsuo Tate (Assistant Engineer), Chris Acland (Drums)
Search unanswered questions...
Enter a question here...
Search: All sources Community Q&A Reference topics
Wikipedia: Spooky (album)
Top
Spooky
Studio album by Lush
Released 27 January 1992
(See release history)
Recorded July – October 1991, September Sound, London
Genre Shoegazing, dream pop
Length 43:37
Label 4AD
Producer Robin Guthrie
Professional reviews
Lush chronology
Gala
(1990)
Spooky
(1992)
Split
(1994)

Spooky is the debut album of British shoegazing act Lush, produced by Robin Guthrie of Cocteau Twins. The album follows the band's debut mini-album Scar, several EP releases, and the compilation album Gala. Spooky reached the British Top Ten and topped the national indie charts. The album produced three singles, "Nothing Natural," "For Love," and "Superblast!"

Contents

Track listing

# Title Writer(s) Length
1. "Stray"   Berenyi 2:07
2. "Nothing Natural"   Anderson 5:54
3. "Tiny Smiles"   Anderson, Berenyi 4:26
4. "Covert"   Berenyi 3:34
5. "Ocean"   Berenyi 4:49
6. "For Love"   Berenyi 3:29
7. "Superblast!"   Anderson 4:07
8. "Untogether"   Berenyi 3:33
9. "Fantasy"   Anderson 4:27
10. "Take"   Berenyi 3:28
11. "Laura"   Anderson 3:22
12. "Monochrome"   Anderson 5:05

Release history

Country Date Label Format Catalogue #
United Kingdom 27 January 1992 4AD CD CAD 2002 CD
Limited CD in digipak sleeve CAD D 2002 CD
Double 10" vinyl CAD D 2002
United States 4 February 1992 4AD/Reprise CD 9 26798-2
Japan 20 March 1996 Nippon Columbia CD (2 bonus tracks) COCY-80092

Singles

  • "Nothing Natural" (29 October 1991)
    • CD (US only, Reprise Records 9 40231-2)
      1. "Nothing Natural" – 5:56
      2. "God's Gift" – 4:10
      3. "Monochrome" – 5:07
      4. "Nothing Natural" (Version) – 3:59
  • "For Love" (30 December 1991)
    • CD (BAD 2001 CD); 10" vinyl (BAD D 2001); 12" vinyl (BAD 2001)
      1. "For Love" – 3:32
      2. "Starlust" – 4:21
      3. "Outdoor Miner" – 2:46
      4. "Astronaut" – 2:37
  • "Superblast!" (PROMO ONLY, January 1992)
    • Radio promo CD (PRO-CD-5471)
      1. "Superblast!" (Gil Norton Remix) – 4:04
      2. "Starlust" – 4:21
      3. "Fallin' in Love" – 2:38
      4. "Superblast!" (Album Version) – 4:08

Members


 
 

 

Copyrights:

Album Review. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Spooky (album)" Read more