Evolver is the third album by English electronic dance group the Grid. It was released in 1994. "Swamp Thing" is the best-known song from the album. It became a dance club favourite and chart-hit in the UK, Europe and Australia. "Texas Cowboys" and "Rollercoaster" were also released as singles. Evolver reached number 14 on the UK Albums Chart.[4]
| Evolver | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 19 September 1994 | |||
| Recorded | 1993–1994 | |||
| Length | 66:17 | |||
| Label | Deconstruction | |||
| Producer | The Grid | |||
| The Grid chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   link |
| Melody Maker | (favorable)[1] |
| NME | 6/10[2] |
| Smash Hits | 4/5[3] |
Critical reception
editPaul Mathur from Melody Maker said, "Evolver is packed with potential incidental music for sporting highlights, but manages to cram in a heap of hitherto techno-unfriendly sounds just to further irritate those who believe in the sanctity of the dancefloor metronome."[1] Johnny Dee from NME wrote, "Like magicians conjuring white rabbits, doves and ham sandwiches from top hats into the foreign land of the theatre, The Grid's Evolver gameplan centres around their fantastic techno handbag and the ensuing merry cavalcade of a thousand comical wedding reception dances."[2] Mark Frith from Smash Hits named it Best New Album, adding, "Best is a stunning track called "Texas Cowboys" which is a frenetic hi-energy romp with Orb-type samples. Silver dreadlocks are going to be very big this autumn."[3]
Track listing
editAll tracks written by Grid members Richard Norris and Dave Ball.
- "Wake Up" – 7:53
- "Rollercoaster" – 6:34
- "Swamp Thing" – 6:41
- "Throb" – 5:04
- "Rise" – 6:07
- "Shapes of Sleep" – 6:44
- "Higher Peaks" – 6:11
- "Texas Cowboys" – 5:51
- "Spin Cycle" – 5:31
- "Golden Dawn" – 9:38
Additional information
edit- Susannah Melvoin provides vocals on the track "Rollercoaster".
- Although the track "Golden Dawn" is listed as being 9:38 long on the cover it is actually only approximately 7:21 in length. After the music finishes there is one minute of silence followed by a hidden track at 8:21. This consists of a jocular message left on a telephone answering machine.
Charts
edit| Chart (1994) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[5] | 51 |
| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[6] | 27 |
| Switzerland (Swiss Hitparade)[7] | 46 |
| UK Albums (Official Charts Company)[4] | 14 |
References
edit- ^ a b Mathur, Paul (24 September 1994). "Albums". Melody Maker. p. 36. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
- ^ a b Dee, Johnny (17 September 1994). "Long Play". NME. p. 55. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
- ^ a b Frith, Mark (14 September 1994). "New Albums: Best New Album". Smash Hits. p. 57. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
- ^ a b "Official Charts > Grid". The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved 3 September 2016.
- ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
- ^ "swedishcharts.com > The Grid in Swedish Charts". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 September 2016.
- ^ "hitparade.ch > The Grid in der Schweizer Hitparade" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 September 2016.