Only Life is the third album by the American rock band the Feelies, released in 1988.[11][12] It was made with the same line-up that appeared on the band's previous album, The Good Earth.[13] The album contains a cover of the Velvet Underground's "What Goes On".[9]
| Only Life | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 13, 1988[1] | |||
| Length | 39:17 | |||
| Label | Coyote/A&M[2] | |||
| Producer | Steve Rinkoff, Bill Million, Glenn Mercer | |||
| The Feelies chronology | ||||
| ||||
The album peaked at No. 173 on the Billboard 200.[14] Jonathan Demme directed the video for "Away".[15]
Style
editOnly Life has been described as an "updated and mature form" of its predecessor, Crazy Rhythms. It features fewer acoustic tracks, with a "greater focus on speedy jangle-strum rockers".[16]
Production
editThe album was produced by Glenn Mercer, Bill Million, and Steve Rinkoff.[17]
Critical reception
editMagnet wrote that "the songs grapple with apprehension and the longing for comfort, which the music delivers in the form of indelible hooks and transcendent rave-ups."[18] Rolling Stone wrote: "Driven by the interlocking guitars of Mercer and Bill Million, the band constructs waves of beautiful hypnotic drone, with subtle tempo shifts and percussion accents that ripple through the arrangements."[8] Trouser Press praised the "amazingly exacting sound and performances" and "riveting songs of breathless electricity."[19] USA Today listed the album at number nine on its list of the ten best albums of 1988.[20]
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by Glenn Mercer except where noted
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "It's Only Life" | 3:01 | |
| 2. | "Too Much" | Bill Million, Glenn Mercer | 4:38 |
| 3. | "Deep Fascination" | 4:07 | |
| 4. | "Higher Ground" | 4:38 | |
| 5. | "The Undertow" | 3:43 | |
| Total length: | 20:07 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6. | "For Awhile" | 4:05 | |
| 7. | "The Final Word" | Million, Mercer | 2:23 |
| 8. | "Too Far Gone" | Million, Mercer | 3:38 |
| 9. | "Away" | 5:27 | |
| 10. | "What Goes On" | Lou Reed | 3:37 |
| Total length: | 19:10 | ||
Personnel
edit- Glenn Mercer – lead, rhythm and slide guitars, lead vocals, keyboards
- Bill Million – electric and acoustic guitars, backing vocals, e-bow
- Brenda Sauter – bass, backing vocals
- Stan Demeski – drums, percussion
- Dave Weckerman – percussion, drums
References
edit- ^ Dupler, Steven (1988-09-03). "The Eye". Billboard. Vol. 100, no. 36. p. 48. ISSN 0006-2510.
Coyote/A&M act the Feelies' new single, "Away," from the album, "Only Life," due out Sept. 13
- ^ a b Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 3. MUZE. p. 415.
- ^ Ned Raggett. "Only Life - The Feelies | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2015-11-10.
- ^ "CG: feelies". Robert Christgau. 1991-03-26. Retrieved 2015-11-10.
- ^ MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 419.
- ^ Moon, Tom (9 Oct 1988). "A STRONG BAND THAT WINS WITH ITS INSTRUMENTALS". The Philadelphia Inquirer: G14.
- ^ "The Feelies: Only Life/Time For A Witness". Pitchfork.
- ^ a b "The Feelies: Only Life : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. November 3, 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-11-03.
- ^ a b The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 242.
- ^ Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. 1995. pp. 146–147.
- ^ "The Feelies | Biography & History". AllMusic.
- ^ "The Feelies: Only Life & Time for a Witness". Relix Media. June 10, 2016.
- ^ Earles, Andrew (September 15, 2014). Gimme Indie Rock: 500 Essential American Underground Rock Albums 1981-1996. Voyageur Press. ISBN 9780760346488 – via Google Books.
- ^ "The Feelies". Billboard.
- ^ "FEELIES SAYING SOMETHING - Record Collector Magazine".
- ^ Earles, Andrew (September 15, 2014). Gimme Indie Rock: 500 Essential American Underground Rock Albums 1981-1996. Yoyageur Press. p. 104.
- ^ Jenkins, Mark (14 Sep 1988). "Records: The Feelies And Pere Ubu: Polished Power". The Washington Post: C7.
- ^ "Essential New Music: The Feelies' "Only Life" And "Time For A Witness"". April 17, 2016.
- ^ "Feelies". Trouser Press. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
- ^ Gundersen, Edna (13 Dec 1988). "The year in music: Only a few stand out in a so-so period for rock: In 1988, pop falls short on substance". USA Today: 1D.