Strange Free World is the second album by British alternative rock band Kitchens of Distinction, released on 19 February 1991 in the US by A&M Records and on 18 March 1991 in the UK by One Little Indian Records. It is the follow-up to their 1989 debut Love Is Hell. Noted producer Hugh Jones, who worked with Echo & the Bunnymen (on their 1981 album Heaven Up Here), among many others, helped KOD to sound more at ease in the studio.
| Strange Free World | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 18 March 1991 | |||
| Recorded | 1990 | |||
| Studio | Chipping Norton Recording Studios, Oxfordshire | |||
| Genre | Shoegaze, dream pop | |||
| Length | 43:28 | |||
| Label | One Little Indian | |||
| Producer | Hugh Jones | |||
| Kitchens of Distinction chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Strange Free World | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B[2] |
| NME | 9/10[3] |
| Record Mirror | 8/10[4] |
| Select | 4/5[5] |
Reviewer Ned Raggett of AllMusic notes that "Musically, the tunes sound quite ambitious in many ways, often steering away from conventional verse-chorus-verse formulas," and calling the album an overall excellent effort.[1] It is often considered one of the group's best works, as well as possibly its most popular and commercially successful, peaking at number 45 on the UK Albums Chart.[6] The album also includes their first UK charting single "Drive That Fast," which peaked at number 93 on the UK Singles Chart.[6]
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by Kitchens of Distinction
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Railwayed" | 4:57 |
| 2. | "Quick as Rainbows" | 3:48 |
| 3. | "Hypnogogic" | 4:01 |
| 4. | "He Holds Her, He Needs Her" | 3:48 |
| 5. | "Polaroids" | 4:51 |
| 6. | "Gorgeous Love" | 4:21 |
| 7. | "Aspray" | 3:37 |
| 8. | "Drive That Fast" | 5:36 |
| 9. | "Within the Daze of Passion" | 3:57 |
| 10. | "Under the Sky, Inside the Sea" | 4:32 |
Singles
edit- "Quick as Rainbows" (March 1990)
- UK single:
- "Quick as Rainbows"
- "Mainly Mornings" (Live)
- "In a Cave" (Live)
- "Shiver" (Live)
- US promo 12" single:
- "Quick as Rainbows"
- "These Drinkers"
- "Elephantiny" [acoustic version of "Elephantine"]
- "Three to Beam Up"
- "Drive That Fast" (January 1991)
- UK single:
- "Drive That Fast" (7" Edit)
- "These Drinkers"
- "Elephantiny"
- "Three to Beam Up"
- US promo 12" single:
- "Drive That Fast"
- "Railwayed"
Personnel
edit- Kitchens of Distinction
- Patrick Fitzgerald – vocals, bass
- Julian Swales – guitar
- Dan Goodwin – drums
with:
- Roddy Lorimer – trumpet on "Under the Sky, Inside the Sea"
- Technical
- Hugh Jones – producer, engineer
- Michael Ade – assistant engineer
- Helen Woodward – mixing engineer
- Richard Norris – assistant mixing engineer
- Ken Perry – mastering
- Colin Bell – photography
- Art direction and design by Two Guys and Kitchens of Distinction
- Mixed at Master Rock
- Mastered at A&M Mastering
References
edit- ^ a b Raggett, Ned. "Strange Free World – Kitchens of Distinction". AllMusic. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
- ^ Arnold, Gina (22 March 1991). "Strange Free World". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 1 April 2007. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
- ^ "Kitchens of Distinction: Strange Free World". NME: 32. 16 March 1991.
- ^ Crook, Darren (6 April 1991). "Kitchens of Distinction: Strange Free World". Record Mirror. p. 17.
- ^ Linehan, Graham (March 1991). "The Comfort of Strangers". Select (9): 75.
- ^ a b "Kitchens of Distinction". Official Charts. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 19 May 2019.