Time Was Gigantic... When We Were Kids
| Time Was Gigantic... When We Were Kids | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 3 November 1998 | |||
| Genres | ||||
| Length | 58:30 | |||
| Labels | Factory Too, London | |||
| Producer | Kier Stewart | |||
| The Durutti Column chronology | ||||
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Time Was Gigantic... When We Were Kids is a studio album by English post-punk band The Durutti Column, released on 3 November 1998. The album was re-released in June 2023 to mark 25 years since its original release, with a visualiser for "Pigeon" being produced.[1][2]
Background
[edit]Vini Reilly, the band's frontman, described himself as formerly being a "control freak" in the recording studio, but relinquished some control in the recording of the album, such as with Kier Stewart serving as producer.[3] Reilly also largely relinquished vocal duties, the album instead featuring vocals from singer Eley Rudge on six of its tracks; she had previously appeared on two tracks of the band's previous album Fidelity. Reilly himself performed lead vocals on the track "Twenty Trees".[3][4] The album took elements of folk and jazz, as well as electronics.[1]
It was both the band's final and final ever album released on Factory Records, on the Factory Too imprint ran by London Records.[5][6]
Reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Pitchfork | 6.9/10[4] |
| NME |   [7] |
Fred Thomas of AllMusic noted the album's "post-classical tones", and its "ethereality", partly due to guest vocals provided by Eley Rudge.[8] Rudge's vocals were also praised on the opening track by Philip Sherburne of Pitchfork, who described the album as a "subtle but unmistakable shift toward pop". However, he noted that her singing was often "so sweet that it comes off as cloying", and that it didn't entirely suit the "subtleties of Reilly’s playing", also describing the lyrics as gravitating towards "facile sentiments".[4]
Paul Pledger of noted Rudge as providing a relief "amongst the moody darkness", noting that the song Sing To Me could have been a radio hit, but describing several songs as straying, albeit with a "hopeful" closing track.[9] NME noted that Reilly seemed "overly concerned with technique in his search beyond normal musical horizons", and described the album as a "masterpiece of style over content".[7]
Track listing
[edit]All tracks are written by Vini Reilly.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Organ Donor" | 6:20 |
| 2. | "Pigeon" | 3:19 |
| 3. | "I B Yours" | 4:14 |
| 4. | "Twenty Trees" | 7:50 |
| 5. | "Abuse" | 7:55 |
| 6. | "Drinking Song" | 3:22 |
| 7. | "Sing To Me" | 7:41 |
| 8. | "My Last Kiss" | 2:27 |
| 9. | "For Rachel" | 6:05 |
| 10. | "Highfield Choir" | 7:32 |
| 11. | "Epilogue" | 1:41 |
| Total length: | 58:30 | |
Charts
[edit]| Chart (2023) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Scottish Albums (Official Charts)[10] | 100 |
| UK Album Sales (Official Charts)[11] | 88 |
References
[edit]- 1 2 Eede, Christian (3 May 2023). "The Durutti Column's 'Time Was Gigantic… When We Were Kids' Set For Reissue". The Quietus. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
- ↑ "Time Was Gigantic... When We Were Kids [London Records]". thedurutticolumn.info. 4 May 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
- 1 2 Cooper, Nell (2 December 1998). "'I don't have much control over my life, so music is a form of expression'". The Scotsman. p. 21.
- 1 2 3 Sherburne, Philip (1 July 2023). "Time Was Gigantic... When We Were Kids". Pitchfork. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
- ↑ Sinclair, Paul (9 May 2023). "Time Was Gigantic... When We Were Kids - The Durutti Column". SuperDeluxeEdition. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
- ↑ "The Durutti Column - Time Was GIGANTIC... When we were kids". Rough Trade. 30 June 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
- 1 2 "NME Reviews - Time Was Gigantic... When We Were Kids | NME.COM". NME. 12 September 2005. Archived from the original on 9 January 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
- ↑ Thomas, Fred. "Time Was Gigantic... When We Were Kids - The Durutti Column". AllMusic. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
- ↑ Pledger, Paul (10 August 2015). "DURUTTI COLUMN • A Showcase Of Durutti Column". Peek-A-Boo Magazine. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
- ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart on 13/7/2023 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
- ↑ "Official Albums Sales Chart on 7/7/2023". Official Charts. Archived from the original on 22 May 2026. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
External links
[edit]- Time Was Gigantic... When We Were Kids at Discogs (list of releases)
- Time Was Gigantic... When We Were Kids at MusicBrainz
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| Studio albums |
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