Saint EtienneFoxbase Alpha
- Label
-
Columbia
- Running length
- 13 tracks
- Running time
- 48:16
Tags
Tracklist
| Track | Duration | Listeners | ||||
| 1 |
 |
This Is Radio Etienne | 0:43 | 20,384 | ||
| 2 | Only Love Can Break Your Heart | 4:29 | 98,012 | |||
| 3 |
|
Wilson | 1:59 | 17,792 | ||
| 4 |
|
Carnt Sleep | 4:44 | 22,174 | ||
| 5 | Girl VII | 3:46 | 13,941 | |||
| 6 |
|
Spring | 3:42 | 29,085 | ||
| 7 |
|
She's the One | 3:07 | 14,927 | ||
| 8 |
|
Stoned to Say the Least | 7:41 | 14,033 | ||
| 9 |
|
Nothing Can Stop Us | 4:19 | 50,815 | ||
| 10 |
|
Etienne Gonna Die | 1:30 | 13,839 | ||
| 11 |
|
London Belongs to Me | 3:57 | 15,018 | ||
| 12 |
|
Like the Swallow | 7:39 | 11,385 | ||
| 13 |
|
Dilworth's Theme | 0:40 | 11,792 |
About this album
The album was recorded in a style which is close to the house music sound of the time, but songs like
Nothing Can Stop Us and Wilson display the group’s characteristic love of ‘60s pop and several samples. Longer songs like Stoned to Say the Least and Like the Swallow are reminiscent of ambient house akin to The Orb.
Like its follow-up So Tough, Foxbase Alpha’s songs are bridged by samples from films or by short songs. At the time of recording, Sarah Cracknell was not fully part of group, and as a result she does not sing on Only Love Can Break Your Heart, which is sung by Moira Lambert.Foxbase Alpha was shortlisted for the inaugural Mercury Music Prize.
The album includes one of the group’s best-known songs: a cover of Neil Young’s Only Love Can Break Your Heart. The cover is relatively faithful to the original but is arranged in 4/4 (as opposed to the original’s waltz time), with a driving piano-bass-drum section. Andrew Weatherall later remixed the song to further emphasise the dub bassline; this remix was featured on both releases of the single and on the compilation Casino Classics. The follow-up single Kiss and Make Up is also a (comparatively obscure) cover version of a song written and originally recorded by The Field Mice. Ian Catt was the engineer/co-producer on both versions.
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Saint Etienne – Only Love Can Break Your Heart
Shoutbox
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SimonePerrota
Foxbase Alpha is a special album but So Tough is considerably better - more people should peep it...
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ahblahblah
Part of my finest reserve collection. A masterpiece no less.
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alin1
Their best album!
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android1985
Magnificent album, and quite possibly their best and definitely my favorite of the moment (which is saying a whole lot)
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luchozepp
outstanding album, I love it!! I even made myself a t-shirt with the logo :D
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TimOfNewbury
Now I understand why there were people walking around the Uncut arena tent at Latitude festival on Sunday carrying 'Fox Base Alpha' placards! Big turnout to see the band there.
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farpin
The deluxe edition is so damn good.
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jamesy247
A must have!
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Cylob
Foxbase Alpha goes down as a MAC essential.
