Bring It On (Gomez album) explained

Bring It On
Type:studio
Artist:Gomez
Border:yes
Released:13 April 1998
Recorded:1997–1998
Length:54:06
Label:Hut
Producer:Gomez
Next Title:Liquid Skin
Next Year:1999

Bring It On is the debut album by English indie rock band Gomez, released on 13 April 1998 by Hut Records. Recording sessions for the album began in late 1997, during which time Gomez also toured the United Kingdom with Embrace. The first single, "78 Stone Wobble", was released in March 1998, while "Get Myself Arrested" and "Whippin' Piccadilly" were later released as singles.

Bring It On experienced a boost in popularity when it won the 1998 Mercury Music Prize, beating favourites such as Massive Attack's Mezzanine and The Verve's Urban Hymns. Gomez later toured the United States as the support artist for Eagle-Eye Cherry.

A 10th anniversary 2-CD edition of Bring It On was released in 2008. As of September 2020, the album has sold 502,000 copies in the UK.[1]

"Bring It On" is also the name of a song on Gomez's following album, Liquid Skin.

Critical reception

Bring It On was released to critical acclaim.[2] Contemporary critics praised Gomez's ability to "play the blues as though they were from the Deep South" despite the band members' young ages and English origins, according to The Independents John O'Reilly,[2] with the band being compared to numerous American artists. NME critic Steve Sutherland described it as "one of the most assured, poised, hilarious, out-there, plain don't-give-a-fuck enjoyable debut albums in living memory". Bring It On was awarded the 1998 Mercury Music Prize, beating out bookmakers' favourites The Verve.[2]

The album likewise drew praise from American publications. AllMusic's Greg Prato was impressed by the band's ability to "cover a lot of ground convincingly" on a debut album, concluding that "the praise [it] received is definitely not hype". David Stubbs of Spin wrote that it transcends pastiche to become a successful "product of '90s simultaneism—these days, musics from different eras and places are all equally accessible and therefore all equally contemporary... a damn beautiful record". Critic Robert Christgau gave the album a three-star honourable mention rating, naming "Whippin' Piccadilly" and "Love Is Better Than a Warm Trombone" as highlights and quipping, "Really the roots-rock—they mean it, man".[3] Neva Chonin of Rolling Stone was more critical, finding that the band "excels in sonic mimicry" but lacks a distinct musical identity.

In 2000 it was voted number 372 in Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums.[4] He stated "For once, clever inventive music got out of the cult box and into the heart and soul of the record buying public".

Track listing

All tracks written by Ball/Blackburn/Gray/Ottewell/Peacock.

Tenth anniversary CD bonus tracks

Personnel

Gomez

Additional musicians

Charts

Year-end charts

Chart (1998)Position
UK Albums (OCC)[5] 72
Chart (1999)Position
UK Albums (OCC)[6] 74

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Rob . Copsey . Mercury Prize: The best-selling winning albums . . 22 September 2020 . 14 November 2020.
  2. News: Gomez a winner made in a garage. The Independent. 17 September 1998. 24 March 2020. O'Reilly. John.
  3. Book: Christgau, Robert. https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_album.php?id=1417. Gomez: Bring It On. 15 October 2017. . Robert Christgau. St. Martin's Press. 2000. 0-312-24560-2.
  4. Book: All Time Top 1000 Albums. Colin Larkin. Colin Larkin. Virgin Books. 2000. 3rd. 0-7535-0493-6. 143.
  5. Web site: End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 1998. Official Charts Company. 15 September 2020.
  6. Web site: End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 1999. Official Charts Company. 15 September 2020.