Polythene (album)

Polythene
Studio album by Feeder
Released 19 May 1997 (UK)
Recorded Mid 1996
Genre
Length 51:03
Label Echo
Producer
Feeder chronology
Swim
(1996)Swim1996		 Polythene
(1997)		 Yesterday Went Too Soon
(1999)Yesterday Went Too Soon1999
Singles from Polythene
  1. "Stereo World"
    Released: 7 October 1996
  2. "Tangerine"
    Released: 24 February 1997
  3. "Cement"
    Released: 28 April 1997
  4. "Crash"
    Released: 11 August 1997

Polythene is the debut full-length album by the Welsh-Japanese rock band Feeder. It was released 18 May 1997 on the Echo Label, and then re-issued on 28 October in the same year in an Enhanced CD version, featuring their UK top 40 breakthrough single "High" and its video. The original version of the album was deleted soon after and is relatively rare due to this reason.

Despite sizeable critical success, the album had minor commercial success, charting at number 65 in the UK albums chart. However, Polythene would later achieve Gold record status despite never having appeared in the top 50 of the album charts, a rare feat reflecting steady and consistent sales over a period of 20 years, rather than strong initial sales.

The album saw the group's early take on a more grunge-influenced sound, which was not seen on their other albums that followed. Many critics at the time called the band the UK's answer to the Smashing Pumpkins.[1]

History

Polythene's working title was Here in the Bubble.[2]

Prior to the release of Polythene, Feeder had released several singles, which helped them build a cult following.[1]

Polythene carries over two tracks – "Descend" and "Stereo World" – from Feeder's earlier EP, Swim.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic
Metal Hammer
Q
Kerrang!

Although heavily received by many critics, the initial commercial response was slightly lukewarm with a chart entry position of number 65 in May 1997, this was not however due to the public's opinion, but a lack of radio play for any of their singles, none of which appeared in the UK's airplay top 100 until "High". Those who heard of the album, immediately warmed to it and from here built up a cult following, which won the band a main stage appearance at the Reading festival in August 1997, only for their eventual breakthrough to slowly swell the sales of this album to 100,000 by late April 2017.

Their live shows in support of the album were well received by the press. Even though this is Feeder's lowest-charting album, it is however seen by many fans as one of their best albums, along with follow-up Yesterday Went Too Soon. It appeared at number 87 in an early 2005 Kerrang! magazine vote, ranking the top 100 British rock albums of all-time.[3]

The band's second single off Polythene, "Cement" was given a 5/5 review rating by Kerrang! (KKKKK), and their "Single of the Week" accolade.[4] The album itself was ranked 6th in the magazine's best albums of the year chart.[5] Metal Hammer voted it the best album of 1997 in its end of year critic's poll, which saw the album also beat the multi-million selling Urban Hymns by The Verve.[6] The album was one of only 12 released that year to appear at the top of an individual critics list.

Kerrang! later included Polythene in their 200 Albums For the Year 2000 list in the "Essential Britrock" category.[7]

Accolades

Publication Country Accolade Year Rank
Metal Hammer UK Top Twenty Albums of the Year 1997 1
Kerrang! UK Top Twenty Albums of the Year 1997 6
Kerrang! UK Top 100 British Rock Albums of All-Time (readers vote) 2005 87

Track listing

All tracks written by Grant Nicholas.

No.TitleLength
1."Polythene Girl"3:29
2."My Perfect Day"4:25
3."Cement"3:17
4."Crash"4:08
5."Radiation"4:38
6."Suffocate"3:53
7."Descend"5:20
8."Stereo World"3:24
9."Tangerine"3:58
10."Waterfall"3:10
11."Forgive"4:41
12."20th Century Trip"1:56
  • The album was reissued on 20 October 1997 with Polythene Girl being replaced with a remix by Chris Sheldon, non album single "High" was added to the track listing as track 4 and Waterfall was removed and replaced by Change as track 10 between "Stereo World" and "Tangerine"

Personnel

  • Grant Nicholas- vocals, guitar, production on "Polythene Girl", "My Perfect Day" and "Crash", concept, photography
  • Taka Hirose- bass guitar
  • Jon Lee- drums
  • Chris Sheldon - production, mixing, engineering
  • Feeder - production on "Cement"
  • Brian Sperber - production, engineering and mixing on "Polythene Girl", "My Perfect Day" and "Crash", remix on "Cement"
  • Jeremy Plumb - concept, design
  • Scarlet Page - photography
  • Dan McLewin - photography
  • Andrew Cameron - photography
  • Howie Weinberg - mastering
  • Audrey Riley - string arrangements on "High"
  • Matt Sime - engineering, mixing on "High"
  • Steve Power - mixing, additional engineering on "High"

References

  1. 1 2 Tom Demalon. "Polythene - Overview". Allmusic. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
  2. ↑ ""Two Tracker" info page". feederanorak.co.uk. Retrieved 29 July 2007.
  3. ↑ Tom Demalon. "Top 100 British Rock Albums of All Time". Kerrang!. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
  4. ↑ Kerrang! "Cement" review Archived 16 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine.
  5. ↑ Kerrang!'s Top 20 albums of 1997
  6. ↑ Metal Hammers Top 20 Albums of 1997
  7. ↑ "Kerrang! lists". rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved 25 November 2011.
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