Olympian (album) explained

Olympian
Type:studio
Artist:Gene
Cover:'Olympian' by Gene (album cover).jpg
Released:20 March 1995
Recorded:Autumn 1994
Studio:Townhouse 3, London
Genre:Britpop, alternative rock
Length:40:31
2:19:12 (2014 remastered & expanded reissue)
Label:Polydor (US and Europe)
Costermonger (UK)
Producer:Phil Vinall, Miti Adhikari
Next Title:To See the Lights
Next Year:1996

Olympian is the 1995 debut album by British rock band Gene, released on 20 March 1995 by Costermonger Records.

It is frequently recognized as one of the crowning achievements of Britpop.[1] [2] [3]

The album sound is noted for being influenced by The Smiths, The Jam & The Small Faces.[4] [5] Aesthetically, the album cover is reminiscent of The Smiths' sleeves.

The album reached number 8 in the UK albums chart, selling 70,000 copies and gaining a silver disc.

The image used for the cover is a still from Ingmar Bergman's The Seventh Seal.

Reception

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic said of the album: "While Gene manages to carve out an identity indebted to the Smiths but not dominated by them, they also fail to produce an album of consistently compelling material – considering that it's a debut album, that's not a fatal flaw. And Gene's best material shows they are capable of transcending their influences."

Personnel

Gene
Additional musiciansElectra Strings:
Production

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: BEST DAYS: HERE ARE 10 ESSENTIAL BRITPOP ALBUMS TURNING 20 IN 2015. Vanyaland. 5 January 2015 . 13 July 2015.
  2. Web site: 10 Essential Britpop Albums. Treble. 13 March 2014 . 13 July 2015.
  3. Web site: The Story of Britpop in 60 Albums. www.mojo4music.com. 13 July 2015.
  4. Web site: 10 Classic Albums That Wouldn't Be The Same Without The Smiths' 'Meat Is Murder'. NME. 20 July 2015.
  5. Web site: Album A&E - Gene, 'Olympian'. NME. 20 July 2015.