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The La's (album)

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The La's
Studio album by
The La's
Released1 October 1990
Recorded1987, July–September 1988, December 1989 – February 1990
Studio
Genre
Length35:14
Label
ProducerSteve Lillywhite, Bob Andrews
The La's chronology
The La's
(1990) 		Lost La's 1984–1986: Breakloose
(1999)
Singles from The La's
  1. "Way Out"
    Released: 2 November 1987
  2. "There She Goes"
    Released: 31 October 1988
  3. "Timeless Melody"
    Released: 3 September 1990
  4. "There She Goes"
    Released: 22 October 1990 (re-issue)
  5. "Feelin'"
    Released: 4 February 1991

The La's is the debut and only studio album by English rock band the La's, released on 1 October 1990 by Go! Discs. It includes "There She Goes", the group's biggest hit, and "Timeless Melody". A deluxe edition of The La's was released on 7 April 2008.

Due to its 1960s-influenced sound, reminiscent of the British Invasion era, in contrast to many other alternative acts of the early 1990s, the album attracted substantial critical attention. The La's is widely considered to be a precursor to the Britpop phenomenon of the mid-1990s.[2] In 2013, NME ranked The La's at number 153 on its list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. Despite only being a moderate hit in the UK at the time of its release, reaching No. 30 in the UK Album Charts, The La's would prove a major reference point for many later acts, most notably the Britpop icons Oasis as well as later indie bands such as Arctic Monkeys and Fontaines D.C..[3]

Content[edit]

The La's was the subject of significant attention due to its unusual sound, which American music critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine describes as "the most beguiling" of albums that exists "outside of time or place, gently floating on their own style and sensibility", further adding that the album having a 1960s-esque sound without being "fussily retro" served as a precursor to the Britpop movement of the mid-1990s.[2] The album's sound has been compared favourably with fellow Liverpool band The Beatles especially, as well as with other 1960s British bands such as the Kinks; Pitchfork wrote in 2017 that "the songs are pure Beatles melodicism [...] mixed with Kinks guitar riffs", whilst BBC Culture stated in 2021 that the album, drawing on the influence of The Beatles, Love, Pink Floyd and The Who, was at odds with prevailing scenes of 1990 such as Madchester, shoegaze and the then-upcoming grunge with its "acoustic melodies, 1960s sensibility and pure melodicism".[4][3]

Release and reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Chicago Tribune[5]
Entertainment WeeklyA+[6]
NME8/10[7]
The Observer[8]
Q[9]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[10]
Select4/5[11]
Uncut[12]
The Village VoiceA−[13]

The La's was released in 1990 on Go! Discs in the United Kingdom and in 1991 on London Records in the United States. The album was praised by critics and embraced by fans. It was the result of nearly three years in the studio with a string of acclaimed producers. Each attempted to capture the sound sought by Lee Mavers, the lead singer and principal songwriter of the band. However, due to Mavers' exacting expectations, the sound eluded each of the producers, and the album eventually released was immediately disowned by the band.[14]

Legacy[edit]

In 2013, NME ranked The La's at number 153 on its list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.[15] In 2016, Rolling Stone placed the record at number 13 on its list of the "40 Greatest One-Album Wonders".[16] The La's was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[17]

Influence[edit]

The La's was described by Shaun Curran of BBC Culture in 2021 as "a masterpiece that shaped guitar music".[3] The record's influence on the Britpop scene, that would come to dominate the British mainstream in the mid-1990s, is well-documented. Noel Gallagher of English rock band Oasis stated that the band's mission was "to finish what The La's started". Gallagher placed it at No. 4 on his 13 favourite albums list in 2011.[18]

The album's songs have been covered by many later acts, including Pearl Jam, Sixpence None The Richer and Robbie Williams.[3]

Track listing[edit]

All tracks are written by Lee Mavers (except where stated)

No.TitleLength
1."Son of a Gun"1:55
2."I Can't Sleep"2:37
3."Timeless Melody"3:01
4."Liberty Ship"2:31
5."There She Goes"2:42
6."Doledrum"2:50
7."Feelin'"1:45
8."Way Out"2:32
9."I.O.U."2:13
10."Freedom Song"2:23
11."Failure"2:54
12."Looking Glass"7:51
Total length:35:14
Bonus tracks
Japan bonus tracks (1998)
No.TitleLength
13."Knock Me Down"3:17
14."Endless"3:11
15."Come in Come Out"2:14
16."Who Knows"3:31
17."Man I'm Only Human"4:34
18."All by Myself"5:56
19."Clean Prophet"1:49
20."There She Goes" (original single version)2:35
UK remastered edition bonus tracks (2001)
No.TitleLength
13."All by Myself"5:53
14."Clean Prophet"1:47
15."Knock Me Down"3:15
16."Over" (live in a stable in Liverpool, Lee Mavers/John Power)5:02
17."I.O.U." (alternative version)2:08
The La's – Deluxe Edition (2008)

Disc 1 tracks 1–12 per original release

Disc 1: Bonus material
No.TitleLength
13."Son of a Gun" (Gary Crowley, GLR Session Dec '88)1:55
14."Doledrum" (Gary Crowley, GLR Session Dec '88)3:00
15."I Can't Sleep" (Gary Crowley, GLR Session Dec '88)2:34
16."Way Out" (Key 103, Jan '89)2:42
17."I Am the Key" (Key 103, Jan '89)3:05
18."That'll Be the Day" (BBC2 The Late Show Feb '89, Buddy Holly/Jerry Allison/Norman Petty)2:07
Disc 2: Mike Hedges album
No.TitleLength
1."I.O.U." (Mike Hedges version)2:05
2."I Can't Sleep" (Mike Hedges version)2:43
3."Knock Me Down" (Mike Hedges version)2:56
4."Way Out" (Mike Hedges version)2:47
5."Doledrum" (Mike Hedges version)2:57
6."There She Goes" (Mike Hedges version)2:49
7."Feelin'" (Mike Hedges version)1:48
8."Timeless Melody" (Mike Hedges version)3:07
9."Son of a Gun" (Mike Hedges version)2:05
10."Clean Prophet" (Mike Hedges version)2:09
11."Come in Come Out" (Mike Hedges version)2:16
12."Failure" (Mike Hedges version)3:08
13."Looking Glass" (Mike Hedges version)7:28
Disc 2: Bonus material
No.TitleLength
14."Doledrum" (John Porter mix)2:53
15."Way Out" (Andy MacDonald mix)2:39
16."There She Goes" (John Leckie mix)2:44
17."Man I'm Only Human" (John Leckie mix)5:00
18."Feelin'" (Bob Andrews mix)1:53
19."Clean Prophet" (Bob Andrews mix)2:02
20."I Can't Sleep" (Jeremy Allom mix)2:41

Personnel[edit]

Chart performance[edit]

Charts (1990–1991) Peak chart position
UK Albums Chart[20] 30
US Billboard 200[21] 196

References[edit]

  1. ^ Mueller, Andrew (2010). "The La's Callin' All Review". Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  2. ^ a b c Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "The La's – The La's". AllMusic. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  3. ^ a b c d Curran, Shaun (21 March 2021). "The mystery of 'lost' rock genius Lee Mavers". BBC Culture. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  4. ^ "The 50 Best Britpop Albums". Pitchfork. 29 March 2017. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  5. ^ Kot, Greg (14 February 1991). "The La's: The La's (Go! Discs/London)". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  6. ^ Arnold, Gina (5 April 1991). "The La's". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  7. ^ Maconie, Stuart (6 October 1990). "The La's – The La's". NME. p. 54. Archived from the original on 17 August 2000. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
  8. ^ Boden, Sarah (16 March 2008). "The La's, The La's – Deluxe Edition". The Observer. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  9. ^ "The La's: The La's". Q. No. 174. March 2001. pp. 126–127.
  10. ^ Moon, Tom (2004). "The La's". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. p. 476. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  11. ^ Harrison, Andrew (November 1990). "The Scally Army". Select. No. 5. p. 98.
  12. ^ "The La's: The La's". Uncut. No. 132. May 2008. p. 96.
  13. ^ Christgau, Robert (30 July 1991). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  14. ^ Simpson, Dave (2 May 2008). "The madness of perfection". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 April 2010.
  15. ^ "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time: 200–101". NME. 25 October 2013. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  16. ^ Weingarten, Christopher R.; Spanos, Brittany; Exposito, Suzy; Reeves, Mosi; Grow, Kory; Harris, Keith; Fischer, Reed; Gehr, Richard; Johnston, Maura; Levy, Joe; Greene, Andy (4 April 2021). "40 Greatest One-Album Wonders". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  17. ^ Dimery, Robert, ed. (2010). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die (revised and updated ed.). Universe Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7893-2074-2.
  18. ^ Doran, John (17 October 2011). "Noel Gallagher Selects His Thirteen Favourite Albums". The Quietus. p. 5. Retrieved 24 October 2018.
  19. ^ a b c d e The La's: Deluxe Edition (booklet). The La's. UK: Polydor Records. 2008. 5306021.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  20. ^ LA'S | Artist | Official Charts
  21. ^ The La's Music News & Info | Billboard

External links[edit]

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