Hope and Glory is an album by the British musician Tom Robinson.[3] It was released in 1984.[4]
| Hope and Glory | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1984 | |||
| Studio |
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| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 41:16 | |||
| Label | Castaway[1] Geffen[2] | |||
| Producer | Robin Millar, Tom Robinson | |||
| Tom Robinson chronology | ||||
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The album peaked at No. 21 on the UK Albums Chart.[5] It contained three charting singles.[6] Hope and Glory was a commercial failure in the United States; it would be 10 years before Robinson released another album in the U.S.[7][8]
Production
editThe album was produced by Robin Millar and Tom Robinson.[9] "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" is a cover of the Steely Dan song.[10] "Atmospherics: Listen to the Radio" was written with Peter Gabriel.[11]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [12] |
| Robert Christgau | B+[13] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [6] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide |  [9] |
Robert Christgau thought that "'War Baby' is a wrenching triumph and 'Rikki Don't Lose That Number' a great moment in gay liberation."[13] Trouser Press concluded that, "with the exception of 'Cabin Boy', a bouncy bit of gay double entendre, the best tracks are redone Sector 27 tunes."[1] The Wall Street Journal opined that "the record offers some first-rate material—particularly the wistful 'Atmospherics'—all delivered with Mr. Robinson's warm, throaty voice."[14]
The Washington Post wrote that Hope and Glory "treats gay life to the sort of love songs heterosexual romance has enjoyed for centuries... In a sense, the most exceptional thing about these songs is how mundane they seem."[2] The Globe and Mail likened the sound of the album to soul music, writing that "lots of jagged edges, spluttering saxophones, and dated production techniques ... enhance the rough-and-tumble arrangements, melodramatic poetry, and a constant edge of drive and anguish in Robinson's uneven, sore-throat vocal style."[15]
The Boston Globe listed the album among the best albums of 1984, calling it "a shamefully overlooked album by the gay British singer who has become an intelligent rocker of the first rank."[16] Newsday considered Hope and Glory to be the fifth best album of 1985.[17]
AllMusic deemed the album "a politically tinged but mostly mainstream rock record."[4]
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by Tom Robinson; except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Murder at the End of the Day" | 4:55 | |
| 2. | "Prison" | 4:12 | |
| 3. | "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" | Walter Becker, Donald Fagen | 3:52 |
| 4. | "Old Friend" | 4:15 | |
| 5. | "Looking for a Bonfire" | 3:29 | |
| 6. | "War Baby" | 4:11 | |
| 7. | "Atmospherics: Listen to the Radio" | Tom Robinson, Peter Gabriel | 3:43 |
| 8. | "Cabin Boy" | 3:28 | |
| 9. | "Blond and Blue" | 3:50 | |
| 10. | "Hope and Glory" | 5:21 |
Personnel
edit- Tom Robinson - vocals, bass, keyboards
- Danny Kustow, Paul Harvey, Pete Glenister, Robin Millar, Deezal Martin - guitar
- Felix Krish, David H. Smith, Simon Skinner, Pat Davey - bass
- Danny Shogga, Sean Mayes, John "Rabbit" Bundrick - keyboards
- Steve Laurie - drums
- Martin Ditcham - percussion
- Bimbo Acock, Mark Ramsden, Iain Ballamy - saxophone
- Guy Barker - trumpet
- Paul Jones - harmonica
- Ebo Ross, Marsha Hunt - backing vocals
References
edit- ^ a b "Tom Robinson". Trouser Press. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
- ^ a b "Tom Robinson: Gay Love Songs". The Washington Post. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
- ^ Infusino, Divina (February 1, 1985). "Tom Robinson mellowing into his music". The San Diego Union-Tribune. p. D3.
- ^ a b "Tom Robinson Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
- ^ "Tom Robinson Full Official Chart History". Official Charts.
- ^ a b Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 7. MUZE. p. 75.
- ^ Van Matre, Lynn (17 Mar 1985). "Now That Gay Rock Is Out of the Closet, Will the Public Let It Stay?". Arts. Chicago Tribune. p. 5.
- ^ Holden, Stephen (September 4, 1994). "The Mellowing of a Gay Punk Rebel". The New York Times.
- ^ a b MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 946.
- ^ Thompson, Dave (December 3, 2000). Alternative Rock. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN 9780879306076.
- ^ The Rough Guide to Rock. Rough Guides. December 3, 2003. ISBN 9781858284576.
- ^ "Hope and Glory". AllMusic.
- ^ a b "Tom Robinson". Robert Christgau.
- ^ Lambert, Pam (23 Jan 1985). "Rock: Everything Old Is New Again". Leisure & Arts. The Wall Street Journal. p. 1.
- ^ Lacey, Liam (29 Nov 1984). "Beyond usual fluff on U.K. pop charts: Hope and Glory Tom Robinson". The Globe and Mail. p. E5.
- ^ Morse, Steve (20 Dec 1984). "Records: The Best of 1984". Calendar. The Boston Globe. p. 10.
- ^ Williams, Stephen (29 Dec 1985). "1985's top ten list of records". Part II. Newsday. p. 18.