Wikipedia

Reading, Writing and Arithmetic

Not to be confused with The three Rs.

Reading, Writing and Arithmetic is the debut studio album by English alternative rock band the Sundays. It was released in 1990 on Rough Trade Records in the United Kingdom, and on DGC Records in the United States. The album's title is a reference to the band's hometown, Reading, Berkshire.[1]

Reading, Writing and Arithmetic
Studio album by
the Sundays
Released15 January 1990
Recorded1989–1990
Genre
Length38:34
LabelRough Trade, DGC
ProducerThe Sundays, Ray Shulman
The Sundays chronology
Reading, Writing and Arithmetic
(1990) 		Blind
(1992)

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [2]
Chicago Sun-Times    [3]
Entertainment WeeklyA−[4]
NME8/10[5]
Q     [6]
Record Mirror4+1⁄2/5[7]
Rolling Stone     [8]
Spin Alternative Record Guide8/10[9]
The Virgin Encyclopedia of Nineties Music     [10]

The Toronto Star compared lead vocalist Harriet Wheeler to Edie Brickell, noting that "the two bring the same trippy sense of coquettish, off-the-cuff muse to a foundation of quirky, guitar-based arrangements."[11] The Los Angeles Times determined that the album "carries just enough mystery and grace to recall the early promise of 10,000 Maniacs".[12]

Pitchfork ranked Reading, Writing and Arithmetic at number 15 on its list of "The 30 Best Dream Pop Albums".[13] The website also listed the record as one of "The 25 Best Indie Pop Albums of the '90s", commenting, "Even if the Sundays hadn't named their debut Reading, Writing and Arithmetic, its bookish nature would've been apparent. Harriet Wheeler sings like she's trying to get the librarian's attention without disturbing others, and guitarist David Gavurin strums with a studied focus."[14] Ira Robbins of Rolling Stone called it "a collection of uncommonly good songs graced by Harriet Wheeler's wondrous singing", finding that "Wheeler brings an exceptionally expressive voice to bear on the rich melodies and homely lyrics that offer offbeat thoughts about life, love and the English climate."[8] In 2024, Uncut ranked Reading, Writing and Arithmetic at No. 134 on its list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s".[15]

Track listing

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All tracks are written by David Gavurin and Harriet Wheeler.

No.TitleLength
1."Skin & Bones"4:16
2."Here's Where the Story Ends"3:54
3."Can't Be Sure"3:22
4."I Won"4:23
5."Hideous Towns"3:46
6."You're Not the Only One I Know"3:50
7."A Certain Someone"4:25
8."I Kicked a Boy"2:16
9."My Finest Hour"3:59
10."Joy"4:10
Total length:38:23

Personnel

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  • Harriet Wheeler – vocals
  • David Gavurin – guitar
  • Paul Brindley – bass
  • Patrick Hannan – drums
  • Lindsay Jamieson – tambourine

Charts

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Chart performance for Reading, Writing and Arithmetic
Chart (1990) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[16] 40
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[17] 56
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[18] 37
UK Albums (OCC)[19] 4
US Billboard 200[20] 39

References

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  1. ^ "'Sundays' Will Add Hot Stuff to Cool Repertoire". Deseret News. 3 September 1990. Retrieved 12 December 2011. employs a pun involving the band's hometown (actually pronounced RED-ing not REED-ing)
  2. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Reading, Writing and Arithmetic – The Sundays". AllMusic. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
  3. ^ McLeese, Don (11 May 1990). "Sundays take elementary approach to perfection". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on 18 November 2018. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
  4. ^ Sandow, Greg (20 April 1990). "Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
  5. ^ Williams, Simon (13 January 1990). "Teachers' Pets". NME. p. 25.
  6. ^ Barnett, Simon (August 1996). "The Sundays: Reading, Writing and Arithmetic". Q. No. 119. p. 141.
  7. ^ Southwell, Tim (13 January 1990). "The Sundays: Reading, Writing and Arithmetic". Record Mirror. p. 16.
  8. ^ a b Robbins, Ira (14 June 1990). "The Sundays: Reading, Writing And Arithmetic". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 17 December 2007. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
  9. ^ Hannaham, James (1995). "Cranberries". In Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig (eds.). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. pp. 96–97. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
  10. ^ Larkin, Colin (2000). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Nineties Music. Virgin Books. p. 381.
  11. ^ Potter, Mitch (20 April 1990). "The Sundays Reading, Writing and Arithmetic". Toronto Star. p. D16.
  12. ^ Hilburn, Robert (1 July 1990). "Drum Roll, Please: The Mid-Year Top 10". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 63.
  13. ^ "The 30 Best Dream Pop Albums". Pitchfork. 16 April 2018. p. 2. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
  14. ^ "The 25 Best Indie Pop Albums of the '90s". Pitchfork. 27 October 2022. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  15. ^ "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s". Uncut: The Archive Collection. No. 7. 2024. p. 47.
  16. ^ "Australiancharts.com – The Sundays – Reading, Writing and Arithmetic". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  17. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – The Sundays – Reading, Writing and Arithmetic" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  18. ^ "Charts.nz – The Sundays – Reading, Writing and Arithmetic". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  19. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  20. ^ "The Sundays > Chart History > Billboard 200". Billboard. Archived from the original on 30 August 2018. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
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