The Comforts of Madness (album)

The Comforts of Madness is the debut studio album by English alternative rock band Pale Saints. It was released on 12 February 1990 by 4AD.[3]

The Comforts of Madness
Studio album by
Pale Saints
Released12 February 1990 (1990-02-12)
StudioBlackwing (London)
Genre
Length41:06
Label4AD
Producer
Pale Saints chronology
The Comforts of Madness
(1990)		 In Ribbons
(1992)

The Comforts of Madness peaked at number 40 on the UK Albums Chart.[4] On 17 January 2020, 4AD released a remastered and expanded reissue of the album for its 30th anniversary.[5][6]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[7]
Mojo[8]
NME9/10[9]
Pitchfork7.6/10[2]
Q[10]
Record Mirror4/5[11]
Uncut9/10[12]
Under the Radar9/10[13]

Reviewing The Comforts of Madness for NME, Simon Williams praised the album as an "unnervingly multi-dimensional collage of melody and friction" with "at least eight Great Pop Tunes, all hooklines and absolutely no stinkers."[9] The magazine later named it the 45th best album of 1990.[14]

In 2016, Pitchfork ranked The Comforts of Madness at number 21 on its list of the 50 best shoegaze albums of all time.[1]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Pale Saints (Chris Cooper, Ian Masters, and Graeme Naysmith), except where noted

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Way the World Is" 2:40
2."You Tear the World in Two" 3:01
3."Sea of Sound" 5:52
4."True Coming Dream" 2:30
5."Little Hammer" 2:17
6."Insubstantial" 4:20
7."A Deep Sleep for Steven" 3:44
8."Language of Flowers" 2:54
9."Fell from the Sun"Kendra Smith4:45
10."Sight of You" 5:37
11."Time Thief" 3:26
Total length:41:06

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.[15]

  • Pale Saints (Chris Cooper, Ian Masters, and Graeme Naysmith) – all instruments

Production

  • Al Clay – engineering (tracks 4, 6–8, 11)
  • Tim Davis – engineering assistance (tracks 4, 6–8, 11)
  • John Fryer – production (tracks 1–3, 5, 9, 10), engineering (tracks 1–3, 5, 9, 10)
  • Gil Norton – production (tracks 4, 6–8, 11)

Design

  • Chris Bigg – art direction assistance, design assistance
  • Bleddyn Butcher – group photography
  • Vaughan Oliver – art direction, design
  • Sarah Tucker – cat photography

Charts
Chart (1990–2020) Peak
position
Scottish Albums (OCC)[16] 49
UK Albums (OCC)[4] 40

References
  1. "The 50 Best Shoegaze Albums of All Time". Pitchfork. 24 October 2016. p. 3. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  2. Ham, Robert (23 January 2020). "Pale Saints: The Comforts of Madness". Pitchfork. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  3. "Pale Saints: 'The Comforts Of Madness'". 4AD. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  4. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  5. "Pale Saints: 'The Comforts of Madness (30th Anniversary Remaster)'". 4AD. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  6. "Pale Saints: 30th Anniversary 'The Comforts of Madness' Out Now". 4AD. 21 January 2020. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  7. Kellman, Andy. "The Comforts of Madness – Pale Saints". AllMusic. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
  8. Eccleston, Danny (March 2020). "Pale Saints: The Comforts of Madness". Mojo. No. 316. p. 107.
  9. Williams, Simon (10 February 1990). "Beyond the Pale". NME. p. 36.
  10. Paphides, Pete (April 2020). "Pale Saints: The Comforts of Madness". Q. No. 409. p. 118.
  11. Southwell, Tim (10 February 1990). "Pale Saints: The Comforts of Madness". Record Mirror. p. 14.
  12. Dale, Jon (February 2020). "Pale Saints: The Comforts of Madness". Uncut. No. 273. p. 48.
  13. Gourlay, Dom (21 January 2020). "Pale Saints: The Comforts of Madness: 30th Anniversary Remaster (4AD)". Under the Radar. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  14. "NME's best albums and tracks of 1990". NME. 10 October 2016. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  15. The Comforts of Madness (liner notes). Pale Saints. 4AD. 1990. cad 0002 cd.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  16. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
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