Metro Music

Metro Music
Studio album by Martha and the Muffins
Released 1979
Recorded August 1979, Manor Studios
Genre New Wave
Label DinDisc
Producer Mike Howlett
Martha and the Muffins chronology
Metro Music
(1979)		 Trance and Dance
(1980)
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [1]
Robert Christgau B− [2]

Metro Music was Martha and the Muffins' first album, released in 1979. It contained the international hit single "Echo Beach", which reached #3 in Canada, #1 in Portugal, #5 in Australia and #10 in the UK charts in March 1980. It also reached #37 in the U.S. on the Club Play Singles chart.[3] "Saigon" was released as a follow-up single in the UK a few months later, but failed to chart. In Canada, the follow-up single was "Paint By Number Heart" — it climbed to #69. The album itself was certified gold in Canada (500,000 units) on September 1, 1980; "Echo Beach" was certfied gold there (5,000 units) on the following October 1.[4]

As DinDisc 1 (DID I) Metro Music was notable for being the first album ever released on the then-new DinDisc label,[5] followed soon after by the debut album from Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, numbered, appropriately enough, as DinDisc 2 (DID 2).

The cover image design by Peter Saville is a map of Toronto, the band's hometown and is based on a map from the National Topographic System of Canada.[6]

The entire Metro Music album also formed the first part of Martha and the Muffins' 1987 compilation Far Away in Time.

Contents

Track listing

No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "Echo Beach"   Mark Gane 3:38
2. "Paint by Number Heart"   Martha Johnson 4:23
3. "Saigon"   Johnson, Daniel Millar 4:23
4. "Indecision"   Johnson 4:25
5. "Terminal Twilight"   Gane, Martha Ladly 4:42
6. "Hide and Seek"   Gane, Ladly 3:57
7. "Monotone"   Johnson 2:46
8. "Sinking Land"   Gane 5:27
9. "Revenge (Against the World)"   Gane 3:31
10. "Cheesies and Gum"   Gane, Ladly 3:05

Personnel

Chart performance

Album

Chart (1980) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard 200 [7] 186

Singles

Single Chart (1980) Position
"Echo Beach/Paint By Number Heart" Billboard Club Play Singles [3] 37

References

  1. ^ Badgley, Aaron. "Martha and the Muffins: Metro Music > Review" at Allmusic. Retrieved 17 September 2011.
  2. ^ Christgau, Robert. "Martha and the Muffins > Consumer Guide Reviews". Robert Christgau. http://robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=martha+and+the+muffins. Retrieved 2 November 2011. 
  3. ^ a b Metro Music - Martha and the Muffins > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles at Allmusic. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
  4. ^ "Gold Platinum Database: Martha and the Muffins". Music Canada. http://www.musiccanada.com/GPSearchResult.aspx?st=&ica=False&sa=Martha%20and%20the%20Muffins&sl=&smt=0&sat=-1&ssb=Artist. Retrieved 22 October 2011. 
  5. ^ "Martha and the Muffins - Metro Music". discogs.com. http://www.discogs.com/release/59814. Retrieved 17 September 2011. 
  6. ^ Saville, Peter (2003-08-15). Designed by Peter Saville. Princeton Architectural Press. pp. 1–. ISBN 9781568984223. http://books.google.com/books?id=rxUWusUqDZAC&pg=RA1-PA75. Retrieved 19 December 2011. 
  7. ^ Metro Music - Martha and the Muffins > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums at Allmusic. Retrieved 2 November 2011.