| Swimmer | |
| Type: | Album |
| Artist: | The Big Dish |
| Cover: | The Big Dish Swimmer 1986 album cover.jpg |
| Released: | 29 September 1986[1] |
| Length: | 53:08 |
| Label: | Virgin Warner (US) |
| Producer: | Ian Ritchie, Glyn Johns, Paul Hardiman, The Big Dish |
| Next Title: | Creeping Up on Jesus |
| Next Year: | 1988 |
Swimmer is the debut studio album from Scottish pop band The Big Dish, which was released by Virgin in 1986.
The album contains three singles: "Slide", "Prospect Street" and "Christina's World". "Christina's World" reached No. 84 in the UK Singles Chart in January 1987 and "Slide" peaked at No. 86 in May 1987.[2]
On its release, Music & Media picked Swimmer as one of their "Albums of the Week" during October 1986. They described the songs as "alternating between guitar-influenced and atmospheric, melodic material". They also noted Lindsay's "strong vocals" which "lift the material up to a higher plane".[3] Billboard noted the band's "strong song sense" but added that "what may catch ears is the vocalizing of David Byrne sound-alike Steven Lindsay."[4] Cash Box wrote, "Lindsay's whispy voice and strong-based songwriting recommend the group to a wide audience. The band is at its best on heartfelt, melody-rich songs like 'Prospect Street' and 'Slide'."[5]
Paul Massey of the Evening Express noted, "Warmth and sincerity are the trademarks of Lindsay's mellow pop and the single 'Slide' is simply great."[6] Martin Wells of the Derby Evening Telegraph described Swimmer as containing "some delightful Orange Juice/Lloyd Cole-style pop songs".[7]
Brant Houston of the Hartford Courant described Swimmer as "a persuasive effort but sometimes too tidy". He added, "The songs are often sprightly, with '60s-like choruses that keep afloat the tunes that tend toward the moribund."[8] Jim Zebora of the Record-Journal as "accessible, insistent pop" but that the band "has a tendency to fall into mediocrity with many songs".
In a retrospective review, William Ruhlmann of AllMusic considered the album's material to be "tasteful, cultured and a bit dull". He commented, "The guitars chime, the machine-made beats burble, and Lindsay contemplates existence, but there is a difference between swimming and treading water that he doesn't seem to recognize."
The Big Dish
Additional musicians
Production
Other