Smallcreep's Day (album)

Smallcreep's Day
Studio album by Mike Rutherford
Released 15 February 1980
Recorded Autumn 1979, Polar Studios, Stockholm
Genre Progressive rock, pop rock
Length 51:28
Label Charisma
Passport (US)
Producer David Hentschel
Mike Rutherford chronology

Smallcreep's Day
(1980)		 Acting Very Strange
(1982)

Smallcreep's Day is the first solo album by Genesis bassist and guitarist Mike Rutherford. It was released in 1980, and reached number 13 in the UK Albums Chart.[1]

The album was produced by David Hentschel, who also produced the Genesis album Duke the same year. Anthony Phillips, Rutherford's original songwriting partner in Genesis, plays keyboards on the album. It was recorded at ABBA's Polar Studios in Stockholm, Sweden, for tax purposes, in the autumn of 1979. The title suite (occupying side 1 of the original European vinyl version and side 2 of the original US vinyl version) is based on the dark, surrealist novel of the same name by Peter Currell Brown, adapted by Rutherford to have a happy ending.[2] Former Genesis bandmate Steve Hackett telephoned Rutherford and told him that Smallcreeps's Day sounded like a great album and was liked by Chester Thompson also.[3] A live version of "Out into the Daylight" was covered by Italian band Elio e le Storie Tese. A song that had used Hackett's tapping style of guitar playing.

Background and recording

Rutherford has said that the album was unexpectedly difficult to create, as he had never before realised the extent to which he relied on the other members of Genesis to help make decisions and handle certain aspects of the music. However, he added that it was a good learning experience for him, since it forced him to learn more about vocals, drums, and keyboards than he had known before.[4]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [5]

Steve McMullen, a record store owner and contributor to Allmusic thoroughly panned the album in a retrospective review, saying that Mike Rutherford was incapable of writing "even one memorable song". He also claimed that David Hentschel's production work had marred the Genesis albums Duke and ...And Then There Were Three..., and that it had similarly flawed Smallcreep's Day. Users of the online music guide seem to disagree however, giving the album a four out of five star rating.[5]

Track listing

All tracks written by Mike Rutherford.

  1. "Smallcreep's Day" (Total Time 24:38)
    I. Between the Tick & the Tock – 3:59
    II. Working in Line – 3:07
    III. After Hours – 1:45
    IV. Cats and Rats (In This Neighbourhood) – 4:50
    V. Smallcreep Alone – 1:33
    VI. Out into the Daylight – 3:49
    VII. At the End of the Day – 5:35
  2. "Moonshine" – 6:23
  3. "Time and Time Again" – 4:52
  4. "Romani" – 5:25
  5. "Every Road" – 4:13
  6. "Overnight Job" – 5:43

The above listing is from the original UK LP. Sides one and two were swapped for US release on Passport Records.

One other track recorded during the sessions for the album, "Compression", was released as the B-side to "Working in Line" (an edited segment from the album's title suite).

Personnel

Charts

Album

Year Chart Position
1980 UK Album Chart 13
US Billboard 200 163

References

  1. ↑ Mike Rutherford UK chart history, The Official Charts. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
  2. ↑ Person, Lawrence (February 2009). Curiosities, Fantasy and Science Fiction.
  3. ↑ Rolling Stone Magazine 22 October 2012
  4. ↑ Neer, Dan (1985). Mike on Mike [interview LP], Atlantic Recording Corporation.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 McMullen, S. (2011). "Small Creep's Day – Mike Rutherford | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 25 July 2011.