| This Is Our Art | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by the Soup Dragons | ||||
| Released | 1988 | |||
| Studio | Picnic Studios, West Peckham, Kent; The Chocolate Factory, London; Power Plant Studios, Willesden, London | |||
| Genre | Rock, pop | |||
| Label | Sire | |||
| Producer | Julian Standen, Pete Brown | |||
| The Soup Dragons chronology | ||||
| ||||
This Is Our Art is the debut studio album by the Scottish band the Soup Dragons, released in 1988.
The album peaked at No. 60 on the UK Albums Chart.
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | |
Trouser Press wrote that the album demonstrates "an amazing range, yet there’s something insincere about these songs, which seemingly don’t know when to end." The Washington Post stated that it displays "a deft, if overreaching, eclecticism."
The Toronto Star deemed This Is Our Art "spikey guitar pop." The Omaha World-Herald called it "catchier and more melodic" than the band's debut.
AllMusic noted that "the Soup Dragons are far more effective when they're gorging themselves on bubblegum like the sweet jangle pop of 'Soft As Your Face' and 'Turning Stone'." The Rolling Stone Album Guide panned the "astonishingly pointless stylistic range."
Track listing
All tracks are written by Sean Dickson; except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Kingdom Chairs" | 5:20 | |
| 2. | "Great Empty Space" | 3:01 | |
| 3. | "The Majestic Head?" | 3:34 | |
| 4. | "Turning Stone" | 2:48 | |
| 5. | "Vacate My Space" | 3:39 | |
| 6. | "On Overhead Walkways" | 2:25 | |
| 7. | "Passion Protein" | 5:22 | |
| 8. | "King of the Castle" | 2:46 | |
| 9. | "Soft as Your Face" | 3:39 | |
| 10. | "Family Ways" | 4:38 | |
| 11. | "Another Dreamticket" | music: Sushil K. Dade; lyrics: Sean Dickson | 2:58 |
Personnel
- The Soup Dragons
- Sean Dickson - vocals, guitar
- Jim McCulloch - guitar, backing vocals
- Sushil K. Dade - bass
- Ross Sinclair - drums
with:
- Dean Klavett, Kevin Malpass - keyboards
References
- Oldfield, Paul (May 7, 1988). "Albums". Melody Maker. Vol. 64, no. 19. p. 38.
- "The Soup Dragons Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
- Blackwell, Mark (Jan 1991). "New Music Preview". Spin. Vol. 6, no. 10. p. 41.
- Buckley, Peter (March 5, 2003). "The Rough Guide to Rock". Rough Guides – via Google Books.
- "SOUP DRAGONS | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com.
- ^ "This Is Our Art - The Soup Dragons | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
- Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 7. MUZE. p. 627.
- MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 1058.
- ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 657.
- "Soup Dragons". Trouser Press. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
- Jenkins, Mark (26 Oct 1990). "Post-Punks Mix Neo-Disco, Blues". The Washington Post. p. N18.
- Dafoe, Chris (2 Nov 1990). "Dragons roll on Stones tune". Toronto Star. p. D14.
- Healy, James (May 22, 1988). "The Soup Dragons, 'This Is Our Art'". Omaha World-Herald. Entertainment. p. SD.