Wikipedia

Just for a Day

Just for a Dayis the debutstudio albumby EnglishrockbandSlowdive,released on 2 September 1991 byCreation Records.

Just for a Day
Studio albumby
Slowdive
Released2 September 1991(1991-09-02)
StudioCourtyard (Abingdon)
Genre
Length43:07
LabelCreation
Producer
Slowdivechronology
Holding Our Breath
(1991) 		Just for a Day
(1991) 		Blue Day
(1992)
Slowdivestudio album chronology
Just for a Day
(1991) 		Souvlaki
(1993)
SinglesfromJust for a Day
  1. "Catch the Breeze"
    Released: 3 June 1991

Recording

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Just for a Daywas recorded at Courtyard Studios, formerly known as Georgetown Studios, inAbingdonin theThames Valley.[2]

Release

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Just for a Daywas released on 2 September 1991 byCreation Records.[3]It peaked at number 32 on theUK Albums Chart.[4]Prior to the album's release, theEPHolding Our Breath,which featured theJust for a Daysong "Catch the Breeze" as its lead track,[5]was issued onCDand12 "vinylon 3 June 1991, along with its7 "vinylequivalent, the "Catch the Breeze" single.[6][7]In the United States,Just for a Daywas released bySBK Recordsin 1992.[8]

On 14 November 2005,[9]aremasterededition ofJust for a Daywas issued by theSanctuary Recordssubsidiary labelCastle Music,supplemented by an extra disc containing tracks from the band's first three EPs:Slowdive,MorningriseandHolding Our Breath.[10][11]Another remastered edition featuring the same bonus material was released byCherry Red Recordson 16 August 2010.[12]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[13]
Chicago Tribune[14]
Entertainment WeeklyB[15]
NME8/10[16]
Pitchfork7.0/10[17]
Q[18]
Record Collector[19]
Rolling Stone[20]
Select3/5[21]
Stylus MagazineA−[22]

The initial reception toJust for a Dayfrom the British music press was lukewarm,[23]in contrast to the enthusiasm with which Slowdive's earlier releases had been met.[24]Jon Ridge, reviewingJust for a DayforLime Lizardmagazine, thought that the album was premature, describing it as "more a continuation, or aqueous celebration rather, than an advancement" compared to the band's "rather spiffing" previous EPs.[25]Dan MaierofSelectfound Slowdive "too direct" in their musical approach, writing that they "just sing slowly, play fuzzy, and end up sounding like theCocteau Twinswith ballast. "[21]Melody Makerwas especially disparaging, with criticPaul LesterpanningJust for a Dayas a "major fucking letdown".[26]Conversely, Simon Williams ofNMEchampioned the record, calling it "frequently exceptional" and "a fine, fragrant affair".[16]

In a retrospective essay,Trouser Pressdeemed the material onJust for a Dayinconsistent, but concluded that "the songs that are solid are breathtaking, and those that aren't are at least hypnotic and slowly sensuous."[27]Reappraising the album in 2005 forPitchfork,Nitsuh Abebe said that "if anything in Slowdive's catalogue will seem dated, it's the overgroomed production on these songs", while nonetheless noting a "terrifically oceanic" quality toJust for a Dayas a whole.[17]In his review of the record forAllMusic,Abebe cited the songs "Celia's Dream" and "Erik's Song" in particular as being indicative of what he believed was the more fully realized sound of Slowdive's next album,Souvlaki(1993).[13]

Critic Ned Raggett rankedJust for a Dayat number 17 on his decade-end list of the best albums of the 1990s forFreaky Trigger.[28]In 2016,Pitchforklisted it as the seventh bestshoegazealbum of all time.[29]

Track listing

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All tracks are written byNeil Halstead,except where noted

No.TitleLength
1."Spanish Air"6:00
2."Celia's Dream"4:06
3."Catch the Breeze"4:16
4."Ballad of Sister Sue"4:31
5."Erik's Song (Instrumental)"4:24
6."Waves"5:50
7."Brighter"3:47
8."The Sadman"4:43
9."Primal"5:30
Total length:43:07
2005 reissue bonus disc
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Slowdive"5:13
2."Avalyn I"4:50
3."Avalyn II"8:08
4."Morningrise"4:18
5."She Calls"5:35
6."Losing Today"
4:59
7."Golden Hair"
4:02
8."Shine"
5:21
9."Albatross"5:15
10."Catch the Breeze" (Peelsession, 21/4/91)4:07
11."Shine" (Peel session, 21/4/91)
5:17
12."Golden Hair" (Peel session, 21/4/91)
  • Barrett
  • Joyce
3:45
Total length:60:50

Personnel

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Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.[2]

Slowdive

Production

Design

  • Califram – photography

Charts

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Chart (1991) Peak
position
UK Albums(OCC)[4] 32
UK Independent Albums(OCC)[31] 1

References

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  1. ^Catling, Simon Jay (6 January 2014)."Lucid Dreaming: Patterns' hallucinatory pop".The Skinny.Retrieved8 May2021.
  2. ^abJust for a Day(liner notes).Slowdive.Creation Records.1991. cre cd 094.{{cite AV media notes}}:CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  3. ^"Slowdive"(Press release).Appearing.1991. Archived from the original on 8 May 2021.Retrieved8 May2021.{{cite press release}}:CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  4. ^ab"Official Albums Chart Top 100".Official Charts Company.Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  5. ^Kellman, Andy."Holding Our Breath– Slowdive ".AllMusic.Retrieved8 May2021.
  6. ^"New Releases: Singles"(PDF).Music Week.1 June 1991. p. 21.Retrieved8 May2021.
  7. ^Holding Our Breath(press advertisement).Creation Records.1991. Archived from the original on 8 May 2021.Retrieved8 May2021.{{cite AV media}}:CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  8. ^"Album Releases"(PDF).Billboard.Vol. 104, no. 3. 18 January 1992. p. 50.Retrieved8 May2021.
  9. ^Solarski, Matthew (November 2005)."Slowdive to Receive Reissue Treatment".Pitchfork.Archived fromthe originalon 23 November 2005.Retrieved8 May2021.
  10. ^Abebe, Nitsuh."Just for a Day[Sanctuary 2CD] – Slowdive ".AllMusic.Retrieved8 May2021.
  11. ^Just for a Day(liner notes).Slowdive.Castle Music.2005. CMEDD 1244.{{cite AV media notes}}:CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  12. ^"Slowdive".Cherry Red Records.Archived fromthe originalon 21 November 2010.Retrieved10 May2021.
  13. ^abAbebe, Nitsuh."Just for a Day– Slowdive ".AllMusic.Retrieved21 May2010.
  14. ^Caro, Mark (20 February 1992)."Slowdive:Just for a Day(Creation/SBK) ".Chicago Tribune.Retrieved27 July2019.
  15. ^DiMartino, Dave (21 February 1992)."Just for a Day".Entertainment Weekly.Retrieved27 July2019.
  16. ^abWilliams, Simon (24 August 1991). "Slowdive:Just for a Day".NME.p. 33.
  17. ^abAbebe, Nitsuh (28 November 2005)."Slowdive:Just for a Day/Souvlaki/Pygmalion".Pitchfork.Retrieved21 May2010.
  18. ^Aston, Martin (November 1991). "Slowdive:Just for a Day".Q.No. 62.
  19. ^"Slowdive:Just for a Day/Souvlaki/Pygmalion".Record Collector.p. 86.Just for a Dayallows for an inspection of the group's organic growth...
  20. ^Robbins, Ira (5 March 1992)."Slowdive:Just For A Day".Rolling Stone.Archived fromthe originalon 31 May 2007.Retrieved2 August2019.
  21. ^abMaier, Dan(October 1991). "Slowdive:Just for a Day".Select.No. 16. p. 71.
  22. ^Parrish, Peter (17 January 2006)."Slowdive –Just For A Day– Review ".Stylus Magazine.Archived fromthe originalon 30 March 2014.Retrieved27 July2019.
  23. ^Watson, Ian (2005)."Slowdive:Souvlaki".Souvlaki(liner notes).Slowdive.Castle Music.CMEDD 1245.Retrieved9 May2021.
  24. ^Kellman, Andy."Slowdive".AllMusic.Retrieved8 May2021.
  25. ^Ridge, Jon (October 1991). "Slowdive:Just for a Day".Lime Lizard.p. 52.
  26. ^Lester, Paul(31 August 1991). "Dive Bomb".Melody Maker.p. 32.
  27. ^Rabid, Jack; Neate, Wilson."Slowdive".Trouser Press.Retrieved10 June2016.
  28. ^Raggett, Ned."The Top 136 Or So Albums Of The Nineties".Freaky Trigger.Archived fromthe originalon 19 February 2011.Retrieved6 March2011.
  29. ^"The 50 Best Shoegaze Albums of All Time".Pitchfork.24 October 2016. p. 5.Retrieved22 September2018.
  30. ^abcdefghijkJust for a Day(liner notes).Slowdive.Cherry Red Records.2010. CDBRED 461.{{cite AV media notes}}:CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  31. ^"Distribution: Indie Albums"(PDF).Music Week.21 September 1991. p. 20.Retrieved28 May2021.
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