Length 24:07 Artist Magnapop Label PIAS Recordings | Language English Release date 16 October 1992 Compiler Magnapop | |
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Released October 16, 1992 (1992-10-16) Recorded December 1990, John Keane Studio, Atlanta, Georgia, United States and March 1992, Furies Studio, Marietta, Georgia, United States Producer Magnapop, Michael Stipe Genres Pop rock, Pop punk, Power pop Similar Chase Park, Hot Boxing, Rubbing Doesn't Help, Mouthfeel | ||
Magnapop lay it down video
Magnapop is the debut album by Magnapop, released in 1992 and re-released with bonus tracks on July 29, 1997.
Contents
Magnapop here it comes
Recording and release
Four of the tracks—"Favorite Writer", "Chemical", "Complicated", and "Merry"—were recorded in John Keane Studio, Athens, Georgia in December 1990 with Linda Hopper's friend Michael Stipe producing. (The band also recorded the song "Texas", but subsequently re-recorded it for their first proper studio album, Hot Boxing.) The rest were self-recorded through March 1992 at Furies Studio in Atlanta suburb Marietta. The album produced one single—"Merry"/"Complicated"—released as a 7" on Solid Records (catalogue number 527.9013.40); a music video for the song was created in 1992.
The song "Favorite Writer" would later be covered by R.E.M. for their 2003 single "Bad Day" and during their 2003 tour to support In Time: The Best of R.E.M. 1988–2003. On September 13, 2011, Creative Loafing announced that Mulvaney had attempted to re-form the original line-up of Magnapop to perform a benefit concert for local independent music store Criminal Records. The benefit was later scheduled for October 15, and the band announced that they would be performing their self-titled debut album in its entirety.
The original cover to the album features the band's name in pale blue, with the re-release lettering in golden yellow.
Reception
The album received a positive review from Allmusic, with reviewer Heather Phares labeling their cover version of Big Star's "Thirteen" "a welcome addition to this good beginning." Pitchfork Media's review was more ambivalent, characterizing the album as "some impressive work for so early in their career" but hampered by minimal production and the price of a full-length album for only 25 minutes of music.
Track listing
All songs written by Linda Hopper and Ruthie Morris, except where noted.
- "Garden" – 2:21
- "Guess" – 2:53
- "Ear" (Ernest Noyes Brookings, Linda Hopper, and Ruthie Morris) – 2:21
- "13" (Chris Bell and Alex Chilton of Big Star) – 2:42
- "Spill It" – 2:48
- "Chemical" – 3:31
- "Favorite Writer" – 2:56
- "Complicated" – 1:52
- "Merry" – 3:04
- "Snake" (Demo) (Hopper, Morris, Shannon Mulvaney) – 5:45
- "Skinburns" (Demo) – 4:03
Personnel
Release history
The album was initially released on Caroline Records in the United States and Play It Again Sam/Priority Records in the United Kingdom, with later editions published by Solid (The Netherlands) and King (Japan); the re-release with bonus tracks was published in the United States by Never.
†Re-release with bonus tracks
Songs
1Garden2:21
2Guess2:53
3Ear2:22