A Flock of Seagulls (album)

A Flock of Seagulls
Studio album by A Flock of Seagulls
Released 30 April 1982
Recorded Battery Studios, London, England Summer-Late Autumn, 1981
Genre New wave, synthpop, post-punk, space rock
Length 39:45
Label Jive
Cherry Red Records (2011 remaster)
Producer Mike Howlett, Bill Nelson
A Flock of Seagulls chronology

A Flock of Seagulls
(1982)		 Listen
(1983)
Singles from A Flock of Seagulls
  1. "Telecommunication"
    Released: 16 September 1981
  2. "I Ran (So Far Away)"
    Released: 10 October 1982
  3. "Space Age Love Song"
    Released: 28 May 1982

A Flock of Seagulls is the eponymous debut album by the new wave band A Flock of Seagulls. It was released in 1982 on Jive (see 1982 in music), and featured the international hit single "I Ran (So Far Away)", which reached the Top 10 in the US and New Zealand, as well as No. 1 in Australia. The song "Space Age Love Song" also managed to score radio play. On the success of the singles, the album reached No. 10 in the US.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
AllMusic link
Robert Christgau A− link
The Rolling Stone Album Guide [1]

The album received good reviews upon its release and significant radio airplay.[2] It is generally recognised as a concept album about alien abduction with the tracks thus following a sequential story line.[1] In his review for AllMusic, Tom Demalon gave the album 4.5 stars, calling it "great fun and a wonderful collection of new wave ear candy."

Prominent critic Robert Christgau was also happy with it, giving it an A- and saying that it is "so transparently, guilelessly expedient that it actually provides the hook-chocked fun most current pop bands only advertise." Other reviews pointed out the bands "pioneering sounds, compelling hooks and undeniably addictive gimmicks."[1]

The band, and particularly this album, were influential during the 1980s, for their memorable image[3] and also for their surprisingly effective production techniques, which at one point garnered the respect of legendary record producer Phil Spector, who in the 1980s called the album "phenomenal."[4]

The album track, "D.N.A." won a Grammy Award in 1983 for Best Rock Instrumental Performance.

Track listing

All songs written and composed by A Flock of Seagulls, except where noted. 

No. Title Length
1. "Modern Love is Automatic"   3:50
2. "Messages"   2:52
3. "I Ran (So Far Away)"   3:58
4. "Space Age Love Song"   3:48
5. "You Can Run"   4:26
6. "Telecommunication"   2:32
7. "Standing in the Doorway"   4:40
8. "Don't Ask Me"   2:46
9. "D.N.A."   2:31
10. "Tokyo"   2:54
11. "Man Made"   5:40

Alternative Track listing

No. Title Length
1. "I Ran (So Far Away)"   5:05
2. "Space Age Love Song"   3:45
3. "You Can Run" (Don Covay, Willie Dennis, A Flock of Seagulls) 4:28
4. "Don't Ask Me"   2:46
5. "Messages"   2:51
6. "Telecommunication"   2:31
7. "Modern Love Is Automatic"   3:49
8. "Standing in the Doorway"   4:41
9. "D.N.A."   2:30
10. "Man Made"   5:38

Note: This is the tracklisting for the US.

2011 remaster tracklist

No. Title Length
1. "Modern Love is Automatic"   3:50
2. "Messages"   2:52
3. "I Ran (So Far Away)"   5:05
4. "Space Age Love Song"   3:48
5. "You Can Run"   4:26
6. "Telecommunication"   2:32
7. "Standing in the Doorway"   4:40
8. "Don't Ask Me"   2:46
9. "D.N.A."   2:31
10. "Tokyo"   2:54
11. "Man Made"   5:40
12. "Pick Me Up"   3:07
13. "Windows"   3:30
14. "Tanglimara"   4:30
15. "Intro"   3:24

Personnel

A Flock of Seagulls

Production

Chart performance

Chart (1982) Peak
position
Canada Albums Chart[5] 5
German Albums Chart[6] 26
Swedish Albums Chart[7] 32
UK Albums Chart[8] 32
US Billboard 200[9] 10

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Brackett, Nathan; Christian Hoard (2004). The Rolling Stone Album Guide. New York City, New York: Simon and Schuster. p. 304. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  2. ↑ US college radio, the New British Invasion and media alterity N Rubin – Radio Journal: International Studies in Broadcast
  3. ↑ "Never mind the hair bands, here's a Flock of Seagulls!". Retrieved 14 April 2011.
  4. ↑ Wall of pain: the biography of Phil Spector. D Thompson – 2003 – Sanctuary Pub Ltd
  5. ↑ "Canadian Collections". Archived from the original on 14 April 2011. Retrieved 14 April 2011.
  6. ↑ "German charts". Archived from the original on 3 March 2011. Retrieved 14 April 2011.
  7. ↑ "A Flock of Seagulls Swedish Charts". Swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 14 April 2011.
  8. ↑ "A Flock of Seagulls Chart Stats (UK)". Chartstats.com. Retrieved 14 April 2011.
  9. ↑ "A Flock of Seagulls Billboard charts". Allmusic.com. Retrieved 14 April 2011.