The Three Pyramids Club
The Three Pyramids Club is the second solo studio album by British singer Suggs known from second wave ska band Madness. It was released in 1998 and reached no. 82 on the UK album chart in its lone week on the chart.[3]
| The Three Pyramids Club | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 7, 1998 | |||
| Recorded | 1998 | |||
| Studio |
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| Genre | Ska/pop | |||
| Length | 38:19 | |||
| Label | Warner Music | |||
| Producer | Steve Lironi | |||
| Suggs chronology | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| NME | [2] |
Reception
NME were unimpressed by the album, rating it 5/10 and commenting that "the music swings drunkenly from the vaudeville cheesiness of "Straight Banana" to the rinky-dink cod-ragtime of "Our Man", with Suggs out front like some Cockney karaoke king."[2]
Evan Cater of AllMusic said the album was "far more ambitious" than Suggs' debut solo album, featuring "buoyantly energetic ska-pop". Cater was critical of "Suggs' regrettable predilection for cheesy female background singers and the eye-rolling stupidity of lyrics like "oh, girl, you got me in a whirl," but despite this noted that the album was "more consistent than the debut, and is not without variety." The review concluded by stating: "A must-have for Madness collectors, The Three Pyramids Club should also appeal to the new generation of ska fans."[1]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Graham McPherson and Steve Lironi, except where noted
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I Am" | McPherson, Nick Feldman | 4:06 |
| 2. | "So Tired" | 4:34 | |
| 3. | "Straight Banana" | 4:07 | |
| 4. | "Invisible Man" | McPherson, Mike Connaris, Boo Hewerdine | 3:18 |
| 5. | "Sing" | 3:54 | |
| 6. | "Girl" | 3:40 | |
| 7. | "The Greatest Show on Earth" | 3:59 | |
| 8. | "Our Man" | 3:36 | |
| 9. | "On Drifting Sand" | 3:37 | |
| 10. | "The Three Pyramids Club" | 3:25 |
- The opening introduction of "On Drifting Sand" has a distinct similarity to Madness' 1979 single "One Step Beyond".
Chart performance
| Chart (1998) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart[3] | 82 |
Personnel
- Suggs – vocals
- Steve Lironi – guitars, bass guitar, Jaguar & Hammond organs, piano, loops, vibes, theremin, programming, synthesiser, ARP Odyssey, backing vocals
- Jah Wobble – bass guitar
- Chris Barber – bass guitar, trombone
- Vic Pitt - double bass
- Ged Lynch – drums, percussion
- Guy Davies - organ
- Paul Sealey - banjo
- John Crocker - clarinet
- Andy Ross – saxophone
- Chris Margary – saxophone
- Vic Pitt – saxophone
- Rico Rodriguez – trombone
- Matt Coleman – trombone
- Dominic Glover – trumpet
- Kevin Robinson – trumpet
- Neil Yates – trumpet
- Pat Halcox – trumpet
- Nick Feldman – keyboards (1), backing vocals (9)
- Keith Summer – backing vocals (4, 8)
- Michael Flaherty – backing vocals (4, 8)
- Mike Connaris – backing vocals (4, 8)
- General Levy – vocals (6)
- Cutmaster Swift – scratching (8)
- Sarah Brown – backing vocals (3, 7, 10)
- Simon Gunning – backing vocals (9)
- Levine Andrade – violin (10)
- Technical
- Steve Lironi – production, mixing
- James Young – engineering, mixing
References
- Cater, Evan. "The Three Pyramids Club Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
- "Rock The Dock". NME. 12 September 2005. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
- "Suggs | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". OfficialCharts.com.