Book of Days (The Psychedelic Furs album)

Book of Days
Studio album by
The Psychedelic Furs
Released31 October 1989
RecordedRak Studios, London, May–July 1989
GenreAlternative rock
LabelColumbia
ProducerDavid M. Allen, Psychedelic Furs
The Psychedelic Furs chronology
All of This and Nothing
(1988) 		Book of Days
(1989) 		World Outside
(1991)

Book of Days is the sixth studio album by the English rock band the Psychedelic Furs, released in 1989 by Columbia Records.[1] It reached No. 74 on the UK Albums Chart and No. 138 on the US Billboard 200.[2][3]

Two singles were released from the album, "Should God Forget" and "House", which peaked at No. 8 and No. 1, respectively, on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.[4] "House" also reached No. 90 in the UK Singles Chart.

Production

The album was coproduced by David M. Allen.[5] It marked the return of original bandmember Vince Ely.[6]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[7]
Christgau's Record GuideC+[8]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[9]
The Great Rock Discography4/10[10]
Melody Makerfavourable[11]
MusicHound Rock[12]
NME7/10[13]
Record Mirror4.5/5[14]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[15]
Spin Alternative Record Guide5/10[16]

The St. Petersburg Times noted that "the Furs often sound downright metallic, kicking out churning, noisome arrangements and hard-rock riffs."[17] The Boston Globe deemed the album "dense, murky, agitated, hauntingly pretty and lush in places, generally caustic."[5] The Toronto Star determined that the album "merits the attention of longtime fans, if only for the raw, anxious intensity that has sprung anew in Richard Butler's doom-laden voice."[18]

The Spin Alternative Record Guide panned David M. Allen's "muddy mix," writing that "Butler's voice has never come across so biteless and small."[16]

Track listing

All lyrics written by Richard Butler; all music composed by the Psychedelic Furs.

  1. "Shine" - 4:03
  2. "Entertain Me" - 5:00
  3. "Book of Days" - 5:11
  4. "Should God Forget" - 4:21
  5. "Torch" - 4:49
  6. "Parade" - 4:45
  7. "Mother-Son" - 4:07
  8. "House" - 5:12
  9. "Wedding" - 4:19
  10. "I Don't Mine" - 3:15

Personnel

The Psychedelic Furs
Additional personnel
Technical
  • Roy Spong - engineer
  • Allan D. Martin, Richard Butler - cover design
  • Allan D. Martin, Peter Robathan - photography

Charts

Chart (1989/90) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA Charts)[19] 114
UK Albums Chart[2] 74
U.S. Billboard 200[3] 138

References

  1. ^ The Rough Guide to Rock (2nd ed.). Rough Guides Ltd. 1999. p. 781.
  2. ^ a b "The Official Charts Company - The Psychedelic Furs". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 January 2010.
  3. ^ a b "The Psychedelic Furs - Charts & Awards - Billboard Albums". AllMusic (Rovi Corporation). Retrieved 29 January 2010.
  4. ^ Book of Days - The Psychedelic Furs - Charts & Awards - Billboard Singles. AllMusic.com.
  5. ^ a b Sullivan, Jim (24 November 1989). "New Record Marks the Return of the Old-Time Psychedelic Furs". Arts and Film. The Boston Globe. p. 111.
  6. ^ Heim, Chris (3 November 1989). "New Albums". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. 63.
  7. ^ AllMusic review
  8. ^ Christgau, Robert (1990). "P". Christgau's Record Guide: The '80s. Pantheon Books. ISBN 0-679-73015-X. Retrieved 3 August 2024 – via robertchristgau.com.
  9. ^ Larkin, Colin (1998). "Psychedelic Furs". The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Groves Dictionaries. p. 4355. ISBN 1-561-59237-4.
  10. ^ Strong, Martin C. (2004). "Psychedelic Furs". The Great Rock Discography (7th ed.). Canongate Books. p. 1224. ISBN 1-84195-615-5.
  11. ^ Mico, Ted (4 November 1989). "Let It Bleed". Melody Maker. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  12. ^ Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel, eds. (1999). "The Psychedelic Furs/Richard Butler/Love Spit Love". MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. p. 903. ISBN 1-57859-061-2.
  13. ^ Lamacq, Steve (11 November 1989). "The Furs Cut". NME. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  14. ^ Beard, Tony (11 November 1989). "The Psychedelic Furs: Book of Days". Record Mirror. Vol. 36, no. 45. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
  15. ^ Coleman, Mark (1992). "Psychedelic Furs". In DeCurtis, Anthony; Henke, James; George-Warren, Holly (eds.). The Rolling Stone Album Guide (3rd ed.). Random House. pp. 565–566. ISBN 0-679-73729-4.
  16. ^ a b Hannaham, James (1995). "Psychedelic Furs". In Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig (eds.). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. pp. 313–314. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
  17. ^ Volk, Steven (17 November 1989). "Sound Bites". Weekend. St. Petersburg Times. p. 15.
  18. ^ MacInnis, Craig (24 November 1989). "Psychedelic Furs Book of Days". Toronto Star. p. E22.
  19. ^ "Bubbling Down Under Week Commencing 12 August 1991". Retrieved 12 August 2022.