A Series of Sneaks
| A Series of Sneaks | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Spoon | ||||
| Released |
May 5, 1998 (Elektra Records) 2002 (Merge Records) | |||
| Recorded | 1997 in Austin, Texas | |||
| Genre | Indie rock, art punk,[1][2] alternative rock | |||
| Length | 33:14 | |||
| Label | Merge Records | |||
| Producer | John Croslin, Spoon | |||
| Spoon chronology | ||||
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A Series of Sneaks is the second album released by the band Spoon. It was released in 1998 by Elektra, then re-released with The Agony of Laffitte CD single tracks added on in 2002 by Merge Records. Despite being overlooked critically and commercially upon release, the album has since gained a cult status amongst fans and critics.[3][4]
Reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   1998 |
| Pitchfork Media | 9.4/10 2003 at the Wayback Machine (archived June 8, 2003) |
| Rolling Stone | favorable [5] |
| Stylus Magazine | A[6] |
| The A.V. Club | favorable[7] |
| The Austin Chronicle | [8] |
| Treble | very favorable[9] |
The album has been positively received by critics upon release, its music being compared to that of the Pixies, Wire, Pavement, Gang Of Four, Robert Pollard and The Fall. The songs have also been praised by critics for their brevity, intelligent lyrics and abundance of catchy hooks. Micheal Chamy of The Austin Chronicle calls it one of the "great achievements of the late Nineties".[10] Nick Mirov of Pitchfork Media called it "one of the catchiest albums of the year" giving it a 9.4 out of ten (the highest score received by any Spoon release till date from the website). Chris Morgan of Treble writes:" It would be a bit hasty to say that A Series of Sneaks was ahead of its time, an achievement that is more daunting with every passing decade. Rather Spoon simply dusted off sounds of an era not yet fully appreciated by American audiences and it could be said that albums of this type were catalysts that made it possible for a band like Modest Mouse to become the next Green Day.".[11]
The album also went on to be included in several lists. Magnet ranked it at #29 on their "Top 60 Albums, 1993-2003" list.[12] Pitchfork Media ranked the album at #54 on their original "Top 100 Favorite Records of the 1990s" list, though it was later excluded from the updated one.[13] Treble magazine also ranked the album the 9th best of the decade.[14]
Track listing
All songs written by Britt Daniel, except for where noted.
- "Utilitarian" – 1:51
- "The Minor Tough" – 2:43
- "The Guestlist/The Execution" – 2:03
- "Reservations" – 2:36
- "30 Gallon Tank" (Daniel, Jim Eno) – 4:00
- "Car Radio" – 1:30
- "Metal Detektor" – 3:39
- "June's Foreign Spell" – 3:00
- "Chloroform" – 1:10
- "Metal School" (Daniel, Josh Zarbo) – 2:54
- "Staring at the Board" – 0:54
- "No You're Not" – 1:43
- "Quincy Punk Episode" – 2:17
- "Advance Cassette" – 2:54
UK bonus tracks
- "Revenge!"
- "Shake It Off"
- "I Could Be Underground"
Re-release bonus tracks
- "Laffitte Don't Fail Me Now" – 3:45
- "The Agony of Laffitte" – 3:27
Personnel
- Britt Daniel - vocals, guitar, organ
- Joshua Zarbo - bass, backing vocals
- Jim Eno - drums
References
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