Frestonia is the sixth and final studio album by the Scottish band Aztec Camera, released in 1995.[4][5] Roddy Frame's subsequent releases would be under his own name. The title of the album refers to the community of Frestonia, in the Notting Hill district of London.
| Frestonia | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 6 November 1995[1] | |||
| Recorded | April–August 1995 | |||
| Length | 48:33 | |||
| Label | Reprise[2] | |||
| Producer | Clive Langer, Alan Winstanley[3] | |||
| Aztec Camera chronology | ||||
| ||||
Frestonia was the lowest-charting Aztec Camera album in the United Kingdom, reaching No. 100 and at number 187 on the Australian ARIA Charts.[6]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [7] |
| Alternative Rock | 7/10[8] |
| Robert Christgau |  [9] |
| New Straits Times | [10] |
| Martin C. Strong | 5/10[11] |
| The Virgin Encyclopedia of Eighties Music | [12] |
| Wall of Sound | 80/100[13] |
The Independent determined that "apart from one or two highlights ... it's pretty dull fare, with desultory, predictable arrangements doing their best to avoid trampling over the lyrics."[14] The Record deemed the album "a repulsive bit of narcissism that can't even make a claim for tragic portent; instead, it just sounds like the work of a poser."[15] Author Dave Thompson wrote in his book Alternative Rock (2000) that Frame comes across as "bruised, battered, and a bit disillusioned by time, but he's still a hopeless romantic at heart." He added that the album "perfectly captures that state as the vividly emotional lyrics and delivery take centrestage and the evocative melodies complete the perfect tableaus."[8]
In 2021, Pitchfork wrote: "Less musically adventurous than its predecessor, Aztec’s 1995 album Frestonia is strongest in its softest moments, trading the sonic ambition of Dreamland for a classic approach to solo songwriting."[16]
Track listing
editAll tracks written by Roddy Frame.
- "Rainy Season" 5:41
- "Sun" 4:28
- "Crazy" 5:19
- "On the Avenue" 3:43
- "Imperfectly" 4:22
- "Debutante" 7:10
- "Beautiful Girl" 4:50
- "Phenomenal World" 4:09
- "Method of Love" 4:23
- "Sunset" 4:21
Personnel
edit- Roddy Frame – guitar, vocals
- Yolanda Charles – bass, background vocals
- Mark Edwards – keyboards
- Jeremy Stacey – drums
- Luís Jardim – percussion
- Claudia Fontaine – background vocals
- Audrey Riley, Chris Tombling, Leo Payne, Sue Dench – strings
See also
edit- The North Star – Frame's next release after the end of Aztec Camera
References
edit- ^ "Ad Focus" (PDF). Music Week. 4 November 1995. p. 30. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
- ^ Wener, Ben (13 December 1995). "Aztec Camera trains a murky lense on world". Cue. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. p. 6.
- ^ Thompson, Dave (12 May 2000). Alternative Rock. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN 9780879306076 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Aztec Camera Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
- ^ "Aztec Camera". Trouser Press. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
- ^ "Aztec Camera ARIA chart history (albums), received from ARIA in May 2024". ARIA. Retrieved 5 July 2024 – via Imgur.com. N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.
- ^ AllMusic Review
- ^ a b Thompson 2000, p. 165
- ^ "Robert Christgau: CG: Aztec Camera". www.robertchristgau.com.
- ^ Murthi, R.S. (15 December 1995). "AZTEC CAMERA – Frestonia". Arts. New Straits Times. p. 5.
- ^ Strong, Martin C. (2004). The Great Rock Discography (7th ed.). Canongate U.S. p. 68.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (1997). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Eighties Music. MUZE. p. 32.
- ^ Graff, Gary. "Review: Frestonia". Wall of Sound. Archived from the original on 14 April 2001. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
- ^ Gill, Andy (10 November 1995). "Aztec Camera Frestonia". POP MUSIC ALBUMS. The Independent. p. 14.
- ^ Weiler, Derek (28 December 1995). "Aztec Camera Frestonia". The Record. p. E4.
- ^ "Aztec Camera: Backwards and Forwards (The WEA Recordings 1984-1995)". Pitchfork.