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"Swimmer" is the debut studio album from Scottish pop band The Big Dish, which was released by Virgin in 1986.
The group sound is of that jingle-jangly type redolent of the Postcard sound of the time although in hindsight the record is hindered somewhat by 80's production values with at times bounce-around drums and occasionally using synths where strings would do.
Lindsay happily conforms to the dictum of trying to start his songs with good opening lines but invariably follows through with lyrics markedly more interesting than was usual for the time.
Sure, some of them evince the preciousness and pretentiousness of which Morrissey was the high-priest of the day, but the art-lover in me particularly reveres the wraparound world he portrays in bringing Andrew Wyeth's wonderful painting "Christina's World" to life (Lindsay was a student at Glasgow School Of Art), while the Glaswegian in me also gets the reference to the city's fine museum of its own history the People's Palace in, naturally "Another People's Palace".
These are two of the highlights, along with the afore-mentioned debut single and album opener "Prospect Street" a sort-of anthem-for-doled-youth, cheekily borrowing Springsteen's "Born To Run" riff for ironic effect.
Other tracks of note include the acoustic rumination of "Jealous", the optimistic glide of "Slide" and the two-part sound-experimental "Swimmer".
If the rest trip and occasionally fall into wallowing self-pity like "The Loneliest Man In The World" or too obvious soda-pop derivation like "Back Door Bound", indeed the album could have shorn a track or three to better overall effect, overall it's still a highly listenable and confident debut which really deserved some sort of success at the time and, failing that, retrospective kudos too.
As it was, the likes of Orange Juice, Aztec Camera and Lloyd Cole fared better at getting onto the charts but there really should have been room for one more in my opinion, then as now.
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.
Side one
1. Prospect Street - 3:21
2. Christina’s World - 4:10
3. Slide - 5:06
4. Big New Beginning - 3:21
5. Another People’s Palace - 4:46
Side two
1. Swimmer - 5:22
2. The Loneliest Man In The World - 3:39
3. Jealous - 4:29
4. Her Town - 3:56
5. Beyond The Pale - 3:57
6. Second Swimmer - 2:43
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
Notes
Release: 1986
Format: LP, Vinyl
Genre:
Label: Virgin
Catalog# 207 987-630
Vinyl: Goed (VG)
Cover: Goed (VG)
Prijs: €10,00



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