James Reyne (album)

James Reyne
Studio album by
James Reyne
ReleasedSeptember 1987
Recorded1987
GenreRock
Length50:39
LabelCapitol, EMI
ProducerDavitt Sigerson
James Reyne chronology
James Reyne
(1987) 		Hard Reyne
(1989)
Singles from James Reyne
  1. "Fall of Rome"
    Released: July 1987
  2. "Hammerhead"
    Released: September 1987
  3. "Rip It Up"
    Released: December 1987
  4. "Heaven on a Stick"
    Released: February 1988
  5. "Motor's Too Fast"
    Released: June 1988
  6. "Always the Way"
    Released: November 1988
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]

James Reyne is the debut studio album by Australian singer-songwriter James Reyne, released in September 1987. It was the singer's first solo venture since the break-up of the band Australian Crawl in 1986.

Six singles were released from the album: "Fall of Rome", "Hammerhead", "Rip it Up", "Heaven on a Stick", "Motor's Too Fast" and "Always The Way".

The album was re-released on vinyl in January 2017 to celebrate its 30th anniversary.[2]

Review

Tomas Mureika of AllMusic said, "Reyne uses his voice as an instrument, leaping wildly across complex melody lines littered with irresistable [sic] hooks" adding the album is "one of the most striking albums of the late-eighties".[3]

In a Cash Box review, they said "Australian musician's American debut showcasing accessible and intelligent pop/rock and should garner healthy AOR attention immediately."[4]

Track listing

  1. "Fall of Rome" (Reyne) – 4:57
  2. "Hammerhead" (Reyne / Hussey) – 4:46
  3. "Mr. Sandman" (Reyne / Hussey) – 4:25
  4. "Counting on Me" (Reyne / Sigerson) – 4:29
  5. "Always the Way" (Reyne / Hussey) – 7:23
  6. "Land of Hope and Glory" (Reyne) – 4:18
  7. "Heaven on a Stick" (Reyne / Hussey) – 3:24
  8. "Motor's Too Fast" (Reyne / Hussey) – 4:13 (US & European release and 1988 Australian re-release)
  9. "Rip it Up" (Reyne / Scott / Sigerson) – 5:42
  10. "Burning Wood" (Reyne) – 2:43
  11. "The Traveller" (Reyne / Scott / Sigerson) – 4:18
  12. "Coin in a Plate" (Reyne / Hussey) (1987 Australian release only) – 4:14

Personnel

  • James Reyne – vocals, guitar
  • Jef Scott – guitars, bass, vocals
  • Davey Faragher – bass
  • John Watson – drums and percussion

Guests

  • Phil Shenale – keyboards
  • David Baerwald – guitar
  • David Lindley – lap steel and Hawaiian guitars
  • Paulinho Da Costa – percussion
  • Olivia Newton-John – backing vocals on "Hammerhead"
  • Bill Payne – piano
  • David Ricketts – guitar, keyboards
  • Peter Snell – guitar
  • Lee Curreri – keyboards
  • Bob Thiele – keyboards

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1987) Peak
position
Australian Albums (Australian Music Report) 4

Year-end charts

Chart (1987) Position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) 25

Certification

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[5] 2× Platinum 140,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also

References

  1. ^ ""James Reyne" by James Reyne". Allmusic. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
  2. ^ "James Reyne Self-Titled Debut To Be Reissued In January". noise11. 15 December 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  3. ^ "James Reyne by James Reyne". www.allmusic.com. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
  4. ^ "Feature Picks" (PDF). Cash Box. 16 April 1988. p. 8. Retrieved 15 November 2021 – via World Radio History.
  5. ^ "James Reyne ARIA Albums chart history 1988 to 2022, received from ARIA in 2022 page 1". ARIA. Retrieved 2 December 2023 – via Imgur.com. N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.



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