Watusi (album)

Watusi
Studio album by
The Wedding Present
Released12 September 1994
GenreAlternative rock, indie rock
Length41:40
LabelIsland
ProducerSteve Fisk
The Wedding Present chronology
Hit Parade 2
(1993) 		Watusi
(1994) 		Saturnalia
(1996)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[2]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide[3]

Watusi is a studio album by The Wedding Present.[4][5] It was released in 1994 on Island Records.[1] It peaked at No. 47 on the UK Albums chart.[6]

Watusi was re-issued by Edsel Records in 2014; the band played the album in its entirety during their autumn 2014 UK tour.[7]

Watusi was re-issued once again in 2024 by Island / Universal Music in a deluxe edition which featured the b-sides from the two singles plus the Versions 10" outtakes EP. The band played the album in its entirety during several of their 2024 concerts.

Production

The album was produced by Steve Fisk.[8] Beat Happening's Heather Lewis guested on two tracks.[9]

Critical reception

Trouser Press wrote: "Frequently slow and spare, letting small-scale instrumental restraint release Gedge’s most luminous melodies and performances, the album is a surprising charmer — except in the lyrics of songs that shrug off guilt while acknowledging its validity."[9] Clash deemed it "a curiously 1960s-flecked, garage-pop album."[10] Spin called Watusi "a dream-pop album that obsesses instead of dreams."[11]

Track listing

  1. "So Long, Baby" – 2:28
  2. "Click Click" – 4:28
  3. "Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah" – 3:15
  4. "Let Him Have It" – 3:01
  5. "Gazebo" – 3:08
  6. "Shake It" – 3:03
  7. "Spangle" – 3:15
  8. "It's a Gas" – 3:31
  9. "Swimming Pools, Movie Stars" – 3:09
  10. "Big Rat" – 3:39
  11. "Catwoman" - 7:09
  12. "Hot Pants" - 2:03

All songs written by Belk/Dorrington/Gedge/Smith, except tracks 1 and 11 written by Belk/Dorrington/Gedge/Gregory/Smith and track 4 written by Dorrington/Gedge/Gregory/Smith.

Personnel

The Wedding Present
Additional musicians
  • Carrie Akre - extra vocals [tracks 5 & 8]
  • Heather Lewis - extra vocals [tracks 2 & 9]
  • Greg Powers - trombone
  • Steve Fisk - piano, organ, guitar

References

  1. ^ a b John Bush. "The Wedding Present: Watusi". AllMusic. Rovi. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
  2. ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 8. MUZE. p. 566.
  3. ^ MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 1219.
  4. ^ "The Wedding Present | Biography & History". AllMusic.
  5. ^ Buckley, Peter (14 February 2003). The Rough Guide to Rock. Rough Guides. ISBN 9781843531050 – via Google Books.
  6. ^ "WEDDING PRESENT | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com.
  7. ^ "The Wedding Present - Deluxe Reissues 2014". The Line of Best Fit.
  8. ^ "The Wedding Present: A Career Overview". 20 March 2005.
  9. ^ a b "Wedding Present". Trouser Press. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  10. ^ "The Wedding Present - Deluxe Reissues". Clash Magazine. December 2014.
  11. ^ "Spins". SPIN. SPIN Media LLC. 14 November 1994 – via Google Books.
  • Watusi compact disc sleeves notes.