Bizarro is the second studio album by The Wedding Present. It was released in October 1989 by their record label, RCA.

Bizarro
Studio album by
Released23 October 1989
Recorded1989, England
GenreAlternative rock, indie pop
Length46:58
LabelRCA
ProducerChris Allison
The Wedding Present chronology
Українські Виступи в Івана Піла
(1989)
Bizarro
(1989)
Seamonsters
(1991)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Chicago Tribune[2]
NME6/10[3]
Q[4]
Record Collector[5]
Record Mirror4/5[6]

About the album

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The Wedding Present's second studio album—and first "proper" album for RCA—came soon after the Ukrainian John Peel Sessions / Українські Виступи в Івана Піла folk music side project.[7]

Technically speaking, only one single was taken from the album, "Kennedy", which provided the band with their first Top 40 hit, reaching #33. In early 1990, The Wedding Present re-recorded "Brassneck" with Steve Albini,[8][9] which reached #24 in the UK charts. The single and its B-sides were later included on U.S. release of the album, and are also included on the Singles 1989-1991 compilation. The US CD version contains the Wedding Present's cover of "Box Elder", an early song by then unknown American band Pavement.[10] A remastered CD version, released by BMG Camden in 2001, also features the B-sides of the "Kennedy" single, including a cover version of the Tom Jones hit "It's Not Unusual".[11]

Track listing

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All tracks written by David Gedge (unless otherwise noted).

Original LP

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Side A

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  1. "Brassneck" – 4:51
  2. "Crushed" – 2:32
  3. "No" – 4:11
  4. "Thanks" – 2:22
  5. "Kennedy" – 4:20
  6. "What Have I Said Now?" – 5:18

Side B

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  1. "Granadaland" – 4:50
  2. "Bewitched" – 6:42
  3. "Take Me!" – 9:15
  4. "Be Honest" – 2:37

US CD release

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  1. "Brassneck" [original version] – 4:52
  2. "Crushed" – 2:32
  3. "No" – 4:11
  4. "Thanks" – 2:22
  5. "Kennedy" – 4:20
  6. "What Have I Said Now?" – 5:18
  7. "Granadaland" – 4:50
  8. "Bewitched" – 6:42
  9. "Take Me!" – 9:15
  10. "Brassneck" [Steve Albini version] – 4:22
  11. "Box Elder" (written by Pavement) – 2:14
  12. "Don't Talk Just Kiss" – 3:20
  13. "Gone" – 2:42
  14. "Be Honest" – 2:37

UK remastered CD

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  1. "Brassneck" [original version] – 4:52
  2. "Crushed" – 2:32
  3. "No" – 4:11
  4. "Thanks" – 2:22
  5. "Kennedy" – 4:20
  6. "What Have I Said Now?" – 5:18
  7. "Granadaland" – 4:50
  8. "Bewitched" – 6:42
  9. "Take Me!" – 9:15
  10. "Be Honest" – 2:37
  11. "Unfaithful" – 3:21
  12. "One Day This Will All Be Yours" – 2:02
  13. "It's Not Unusual" (Les Reed and Gordon Mills) – 2:09
  14. "Brassneck" (Steve Albini version) – 4:22
  15. "Don't Talk Just Kiss" – 3:20
  16. "Gone" – 2:42
  17. "Box Elder" (written by Stephen Malkmus of Pavement)[12] – 2:14

Personnel

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The Wedding Present
Additional musicians
Technical staff
Artwork

References

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  1. ^ Sendra, Tim. "Bizarro – The Wedding Present". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
  2. ^ Herrmann, Brenda (14 June 1990). "Wedding Present: Bizarro (RCA)". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  3. ^ Williams, Simon (21 October 1989). "Present Incorrect". NME. p. 40.
  4. ^ Aston, Martin (December 1989). "The Wedding Present: Bizarro". Q. No. 39.
  5. ^ Peacock, Tim (November 2014). "The Wedding Present". Record Collector. No. 433. p. 83.
  6. ^ Beard, Tony (28 October 1989). "The Wedding Present: Bizarro". Record Mirror. p. 16.
  7. ^ "The Wedding Present = Весільний Подарунок* - Ukrainski Vistupi V Johna Peela = Українські Виступи В Івана Піла". Discogs. 6 October 1988. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
  8. ^ Wright, Darryl G. (16 March 2015). "Rediscover: The Wedding Present: Bizarro". Spectrum Culture. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  9. ^ Foster, John (9 April 2010). "Judging A Cover By Its Cover: The Wedding Present "Bizarro"". Brightest Young Things. Archived from the original on 9 November 2022. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  10. ^ Modell, Josh (14 January 2014). "The Wedding Present covered Pavement before anybody knew who that was". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  11. ^ "The Wedding Present - Bizarro". Discogs. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
  12. ^ "Pavement - Slay Tracks: 1933 - 1969". Discogs. 6 October 1989. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
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