Gene – Olympian
(Costermonger Records 1995 GENE1LP)
Matrix No’s: A1/B1
Textured Sleeve in Nr MINT condition
– hype sticker on front
Inner Sleeve in Nr MINT condition
Also comes with large Photo/Lyric Book in Nr MINT condition
Vinyl in Nr MINT condition
(there are some light surface marks visible on the vinyl when held up to the light but they don’t affect the sound quality)
Gene were an English alternative rock quartet that rose to prominence in the mid-1990s. Formed in 1993, they were popularly labelled as a Britpop band and often drew comparisons to The Smiths because of their Morrissey-esque lead singer, Martin Rossiter. Gene’s music was influenced by The Jam, The Smiths, The Style Council and The Clash.
Olympian is the 1995 debut album by British rock band Gene, released on 20 March 1995 under Costermonger Records.
The album reached number 8 in the UK albums chart, selling 70,000 copies and gaining a silver disc.
It is frequently recognized as one of the crowning achievements of Britpop.
The album sound is noted for being influenced by The Smiths, The Jam & The Small Faces. Aesthetically, the album cover reminds of The Smiths’ sleeves.
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic said of the album: “While Gene manages to carve out an identity indebted to the Smiths but not dominated by them, they also fail to produce an album of consistently compelling material – considering that it’s a debut album, that’s not a fatal flaw. And Gene’s best material shows they are capable of transcending their influences.”
The image used for the cover is a still from Ingmar Bergman’s The Seventh Seal.
Track listing
All tracks written by Martin Rossiter/Steve Mason/Kevin Miles/Matt James.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | “Haunted by You” | 3:41 |
| 2. | “Your Love, It Lies” | 3:18 |
| 3. | “Truth, Rest Your Head” | 5:00 |
| 4. | “A Car That Sped” | 3:36 |
| 5. | “Left-Handed” | 2:20 |
| 6. | “London, Can You Wait?” | 3:11 |
| 7. | “To the City” | 4:00 |
| 8. | “Still Can’t Find the Phone” | 3:00 |
| 9. | “Sleep Well Tonight” | 4:36 |
| 10. | “Olympian” | 3:25 |
| 11. | “We’ll Find Our Own Way” | 2:24 |
| Total length: | 40:31 | |
Personnel
- Gene
- Martin Rossiter – Vocals, Keyboards
- Steve Mason – Guitar
- Kevin Miles – Bass
- Matt James – Drums
- Additional musicians
Electra Strings:
- Sian Bell – Cello
- Jocelyn Pook – Viola
- Jules Singleton – 2nd Violin
- Sonia Slany – Lead Violin
- Pete Thomas – String Arrangements
- Production
- Phil Vinall – Producer
- Miti Adhikari – Producer
- Pete Hofmann – Engineer
- Andy Vella – Design
- Kevin Westenberg, Melanie Cox and Andrew Carruth – Photography
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.