The Comforts of Madness is the debut studio album by English alternative rock band Pale Saints. It was released on 12 February 1990 by 4AD.[3]
| The Comforts of Madness | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 12 February 1990 | |||
| Studio | Blackwing (London) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 41:06 | |||
| Label | 4AD | |||
| Producer | ||||
| Pale Saints chronology | ||||
| ||||
The Comforts of Madness peaked at number 40 on the UK Albums Chart.[4] On 17 January 2020, 4AD released a remastered and expanded reissue of the album for its 30th anniversary.[5][6]
Critical reception edit
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [7] |
| Mojo |  [8] |
| NME | 9/10[9] |
| Pitchfork | 7.6/10[2] |
| Q | [10] |
| Record Mirror | 4/5[11] |
| Uncut | 9/10[12] |
| Under the Radar | 9/10[13] |
Reviewing The Comforts of Madness for NME, Simon Williams praised the album as an "unnervingly multi-dimensional collage of melody and friction" with "at least eight Great Pop Tunes, all hooklines and absolutely no stinkers."[9] The magazine later named it the 45th best album of 1990.[14]
In 2016, Pitchfork ranked The Comforts of Madness at number 21 on its list of the 50 best shoegaze albums of all time.[1]
Track listing edit
All tracks are written by Pale Saints (Chris Cooper, Ian Masters, and Graeme Naysmith), except where noted
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Way the World Is" | 2:40 | |
| 2. | "You Tear the World in Two" | 3:01 | |
| 3. | "Sea of Sound" | 5:52 | |
| 4. | "True Coming Dream" | 2:30 | |
| 5. | "Little Hammer" | 2:17 | |
| 6. | "Insubstantial" | 4:20 | |
| 7. | "A Deep Sleep for Steven" | 3:44 | |
| 8. | "Language of Flowers" | 2:54 | |
| 9. | "Fell from the Sun" | Kendra Smith | 4:45 |
| 10. | "Sight of You" | 5:37 | |
| 11. | "Time Thief" | 3:26 | |
| Total length: | 41:06 | ||
Personnel edit
Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.[15]
- Pale Saints (Chris Cooper, Ian Masters, and Graeme Naysmith) – all instruments
Production
- Al Clay – engineering (tracks 4, 6–8, 11)
- Tim Davis – engineering assistance (tracks 4, 6–8, 11)
- John Fryer – production (tracks 1–3, 5, 9, 10), engineering (tracks 1–3, 5, 9, 10)
- Gil Norton – production (tracks 4, 6–8, 11)
Design
- Chris Bigg – art direction assistance, design assistance
- Bleddyn Butcher – group photography
- Vaughan Oliver – art direction, design
- Sarah Tucker – cat photography
Charts edit
| Chart (1990–2020) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[16] | 49 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[4] | 40 |
References edit
- ^ a b "The 50 Best Shoegaze Albums of All Time". Pitchfork. 24 October 2016. p. 3. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
- ^ a b Ham, Robert (23 January 2020). "Pale Saints: The Comforts of Madness". Pitchfork. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
- ^ "Pale Saints: 'The Comforts Of Madness'". 4AD. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
- ^ a b "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
- ^ "Pale Saints: 'The Comforts of Madness (30th Anniversary Remaster)'". 4AD. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
- ^ "Pale Saints: 30th Anniversary 'The Comforts of Madness' Out Now". 4AD. 21 January 2020. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
- ^ Kellman, Andy. "The Comforts of Madness – Pale Saints". AllMusic. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
- ^ Eccleston, Danny (March 2020). "Pale Saints: The Comforts of Madness". Mojo. No. 316. p. 107.
- ^ a b Williams, Simon (10 February 1990). "Beyond the Pale". NME. p. 36.
- ^ Paphides, Pete (April 2020). "Pale Saints: The Comforts of Madness". Q. No. 409. p. 118.
- ^ Southwell, Tim (10 February 1990). "Pale Saints: The Comforts of Madness". Record Mirror. p. 14.
- ^ Dale, Jon (February 2020). "Pale Saints: The Comforts of Madness". Uncut. No. 273. p. 48.
- ^ Gourlay, Dom (21 January 2020). "Pale Saints: The Comforts of Madness: 30th Anniversary Remaster (4AD)". Under the Radar. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
- ^ "NME's best albums and tracks of 1990". NME. 10 October 2016. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
- ^ The Comforts of Madness (liner notes). Pale Saints. 4AD. 1990. cad 0002 cd.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
External links edit
- The Comforts of Madness at Discogs (list of releases)
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