Ray (Frazier Chorus album)
Ray is the second album by the English pop group Frazier Chorus, released in 1991 by Virgin Records.[1][2] A limited edition version of the LP and CD included The Baby Album, a four track bonus remix disc. The four bonus remixes were also appended to the end of the cassette edition. The songs were written by Tim Freeman.[3]
| Ray | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1991 | |||
| Studio |
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| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 36:28 | |||
| Label | Virgin / Charisma | |||
| Producer | Ian Broudie, Clif Brigden, Frazier Chorus | |||
| Frazier Chorus chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Ray | ||||
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Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [4] |
The St. Petersburg Times opined: "What seems at first play to aspire to be little more than a collection of richly produced but understated songs turns out to be a peculiar, ambitious combination of sweet instrumentation and perversely harsh lyrics."[5] The Boston Globe wrote that "there's mostly, hushed, seductive vocals coasting along lolling, mid-tempo rhythms and consistently ingratiating melodies: wave upon ever-shifting wave"; the paper named it one of the best albums of 1991.[6][7] The State determined that "Frazier Chorus may specialize in synth pop lite, but there's a certain atmospheric artiness that seduces the listener with its simplicity."[8]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Tim Freeman
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Cloud 8" | 3:46 |
| 2. | "Heaven" | 3:54 |
| 3. | "We Love You" | 3:39 |
| 4. | "Never Wake Up" | 3:43 |
| 5. | "All the Air" | 3:24 |
| 6. | "Walking on Air" | 3:02 |
| 7. | "Nothing" | 4:23 |
| 8. | "The Telephone" | 3:52 |
| 9. | "Here He Comes Again" | 3:22 |
| 10. | "Prefer You Dead" | 3:29 |
| Total length: | 36:28 | |
The Baby Album
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Cloud 8 (Raid Mix)" | 4:45 |
| 2. | "Nothing (Raid Mix)" | 6:26 |
| 3. | "Heaven (God Like Instrumental)" | 4:27 |
| 4. | "Walking on Air (Dub Instrumental)" | 3:48 |
| Total length: | 19:23 | |
Personnel
- Frazier Chorus
- Chris Taplin – programming, guitar
- Kate Holmes – woodwind, EWI, vocals
- Tim Freeman – keyboards, vocals
- Additional musicians
- Roddy Lorimer – flugel horn
- Mae McKenna – backing vocals
- Mark Feltham – harmonica
- Reggae Philharmonic Orchestra – strings
- Louis Jardim – percussion
- Greg Fitzgerald – backing vocals
- Michael Timoney – piano
- Chris Haigh – fiddle
- Technical
- Ian Broudie – producer (tracks 1–6, 8–10)
- Cenzo Townsend – engineer
- Clif Brigden – co-producer (track 7)
- Frazier Chorus – co-producer (track 7)
- Gordon Vicary – mastering
- Michael Nash Associates – design
- Platon Antoniou – portraits
- Paul Oakenfold – remixing (The Baby Album: tracks 1–2)
- Steve Osborne – engineer (The Baby Album: tracks 1–2)
- Youth – remixing (The Baby Album: tracks 3–4)
Chart performance
| Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart[9] | 66 |
References
- Lester, Paul (9 March 1991). "Ray by Frazier Chorus". Melody Maker. 67 (10): 31.
- Mandava, Bhargavi C. (21 May 1991). "Cloudland — Ray by the Frazier Chorus". The Village Voice. 36 (21): 78.
- Jancik, Wayne (14 July 1991). "Band is study in contrasts". Show. Chicago Sun-Times. p. 2.
- Raggett, Ned. "Review: Frazier Chorus - Ray". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 17 January 2011.
- Carey, Jean (12 April 1991). "Rays of Charm and Intrigue". Weekend. St. Petersburg Times. p. 17.
- Sullivan, Jim (2 May 1991). "Record Review". The Boston Globe.
- "Top 10 Records of 1991". Calendar. The Boston Globe. 19 December 1991. p. 14.
- Miller, Michael (3 May 1991). "New Releases". The State. Columbia. p. 10D.
- "Frazier Chorus - Ray". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 January 2011.