I Was the King, I Really Was the King
Encyclopedia
I Was the King, I Really Was the King is the second album by British
alternative rock
band Animals That Swim
, released in June 1996 via Elemental Records.
's solo material and the songs of Simple Minds
, and highlighted "The Longest Road" as one of the album's best tracks, stating that the trumpet playing of Del Crabtree gave the band's sound an integral uniqueness;
John Harris
, writing for Q magazine
in July 1996, thought that the album was "slightly compromised by a new-found accent on aural polish" compared to the that of the group's debut LP, but went on to single out "Faded Glamour", "Kitkats and Vinegar" and "The Greenhouse" as the album's highlights, in which "chief vocalist and lyricist Hank Starrs sculpts beautifully human vignettes, while the band provide shining evidence of their lofty musicality." Vox magazine
's Mark Beaumont thought that the record was "a far more solid affair" than Workshy, surmising that the group had placed more emphasis on melody
in comparison to their earlier output. He highlighted "The Greenhouse" and "East St O'Neill" as standout tracks, and ended his review with a short summation of the album's overall sound; "Horns parp convincingly, guitars swagger rather than stagger, choruses seem to have some idea of where they want to be in 30 seconds' time and Animals That Swim emerge as – gasp! – actual, potential pop stars".
Additional personnel
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band Animals That Swim
Animals That Swim
Animals That Swim are a musical group who formed in London, England, 1989, with a line-up of stand-up drums, piano, trumpet and "a nifty line in clever narrative lyrics"...
, released in June 1996 via Elemental Records.
Critical reception
I Was the King, I Really Was the King received mixed to positive reviews upon release. Allmusic's Ned Raggett saw the LP as a natural progression from the band's debut album, Workshy, but more energetic and "pop-friendly". He drew musical comparisons with Marc AlmondMarc Almond
Marc Almond is an English singer-songwriter and musician, who originally found fame as half of the seminal synthpop/New Wave duo Soft Cell...
's solo material and the songs of Simple Minds
Simple Minds
Simple Minds are a Scottish rock band who achieved worldwide popularity from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s. The band produced a handful of critically acclaimed albums in the early 1980s and best known for their #1 US, Canada and Netherlands hit single "Don't You ", from the soundtrack of the...
, and highlighted "The Longest Road" as one of the album's best tracks, stating that the trumpet playing of Del Crabtree gave the band's sound an integral uniqueness;
Crabtree's trumpet once more gives a very specific identity to the songs — it isn't simply added on, but becomes part of it, replacing what might have been in a less inventive group go-nowhere guitar or keyboard soloing... Fine numbers include "The Longest Road," one of Crabtree's best performances featuring on an at once brisk and melancholy song with a wonderful, subtly addicting chorus...
John Harris
John Harris (critic)
John Rhys Harris is a British journalist, writer, and critic.-Early life:Harris was raised in Wilmslow in north Cheshire by a university lecturer and a teacher, daughter of a nuclear research chemist...
, writing for Q magazine
Q (magazine)
Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology...
in July 1996, thought that the album was "slightly compromised by a new-found accent on aural polish" compared to the that of the group's debut LP, but went on to single out "Faded Glamour", "Kitkats and Vinegar" and "The Greenhouse" as the album's highlights, in which "chief vocalist and lyricist Hank Starrs sculpts beautifully human vignettes, while the band provide shining evidence of their lofty musicality." Vox magazine
Vox (magazine)
Vox was a British music magazine, first issued in October 1990. It was published by IPC Media, and was later billed as a monthly sister-magazine to IPC's music weekly, the NME....
's Mark Beaumont thought that the record was "a far more solid affair" than Workshy, surmising that the group had placed more emphasis on melody
Melody
A melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...
in comparison to their earlier output. He highlighted "The Greenhouse" and "East St O'Neill" as standout tracks, and ended his review with a short summation of the album's overall sound; "Horns parp convincingly, guitars swagger rather than stagger, choruses seem to have some idea of where they want to be in 30 seconds' time and Animals That Swim emerge as – gasp! – actual, potential pop stars".
Accolades
| Publication | Country | Accolade | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NME NME The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles... |
United Kingdom | Best 50 Albums of the Year | 1996 | 39 |
| Vox Vox (magazine) Vox was a British music magazine, first issued in October 1990. It was published by IPC Media, and was later billed as a monthly sister-magazine to IPC's music weekly, the NME.... |
United Kingdom | Best 50 Albums of the Year | 1996 | 33 |
Track listing
- Track 5 is an alternate version to the single release issued in February, 1996.
Personnel
Animals That Swim- Hank Starrs – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, lead vocals, artworkAlbum coverAn album cover is the front of the packaging of a commercially released audio recording product, or album. The term can refer to either the printed cardboard covers typically used to package sets of 10" and 12" 78 rpm records, single and sets of 12" LPs, sets of 45 rpm records , or the front-facing... - Hugh Barker – guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, melodicaMelodicaThe melodica, also known as the "blow-organ" or "key-flute", is a free-reed instrument similar to the melodeon and harmonica. It has a musical keyboard on top, and is played by blowing air through a mouthpiece that fits into a hole in the side of the instrument. Pressing a key opens a hole,...
, harmonicaHarmonicaThe harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, lead vocals - Al Barker – pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, hammond organHammond organThe Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s it became a standard keyboard...
, guitar, vocals - Del Crabtree – trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
, talking, artwork - Anthony Coote – bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, guitar, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
, additional vocals
Additional personnel
- Dare Mason – producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, engineerAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
, programmingProgramming (music)Programming is a form of music production and performance using electronic devices, often sequencers or computer programs, to generate music. Programming is used in nearly all forms of electronic music and in most hip hop music since the 1990s. It is also frequently used in modern pop and rock... - Rachel Davies – violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
- Derek Crabtree – additional vocals
- Una McNulty – additional vocals
- Michelle Grass – additional vocals
- Julie Green – additional vocals
- Andrew Scroope – sleeve photographyPhotographyPhotography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
- Howard Sooley – band photography, artwork
Release history
| Region | Date | Format | Label | Catalogue No. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | June, 1996 | LP Gramophone record A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove... CD Compact Disc The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,... MC Compact Cassette The Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. It was designed originally for dictation, but improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant the Stereo 8-track cartridge and reel-to-reel... |
Elemental Records | ELM37LP ELM37CD ELM37MC |