Strange Boutique (album)

Strange Boutique is the debut studio album by English band The Monochrome Set. It was released in 1980, through record label Dindisc.

This article is about the album. For the band, see Strange Boutique.
Strange Boutique
Studio album by
The Monochrome Set
ReleasedApril 1980
StudioSound Suite, Camden, England
GenrePost-punk
Length35:24
LabelDindisc
ProducerBob Sargeant
The Monochrome Set chronology
Strange Boutique
(1980)		 Love Zombies
(1980)

Track listing

All tracks are written by Bid except where noted.

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."The Monochrome Set (I Presume)" 5:12
2."The Lighter Side of Dating"Bid, Lester Square2:42
3."Espresso" 3:11
4."The Puerto Rican Fence Climber"Square2:59
5."Tomorrow Will Be Too Long"Bid, J.D. Haney2:59
6."Martians Go Home"Bid, Square2:01
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Love Goes Down the Drain" 2:27
2."Ici Les Enfants"Haney, Bid3:06
3."The Etcetera Stroll"Square4:42
4."Goodbye Joe" 2:42
5."The Strange Boutique"Bid, Square3:09
Total length:35:24

Release

The album reached number 62 on the UK Albums Chart.[1]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Smash Hits6/10[3]

Writing for Smash Hits in 1980, Red Starr, in a mixed review, described Strange Boutique as "virtually impossible to pigeonhole. Starr described the lyrics as an "odd mixture of amusing fantasy and sudden seriousness". Starr finished by saying the album was "light, modern and attractive, but difficult to take too seriously".[3]

AllMusic gave the album a mildly favourable review, writing "amid the austerity of post-punk England, and before we became awash with irony and archness, we needed a band who could raise their eyebrows and smirk at it all without ever being condescending (or maybe only a little bit condescending)."[2]

Personnel

The Monochrome Set

  • Bid – lead vocals, guitar
  • Lester Square – lead guitar, vocals
  • Andy Warren – bass guitar, vocals
  • J.D. Haney – drums, percussion, vocals
Technical
  • Bob Sargeant – keyboards, vocals, production
  • Alvin "2 Shades" Clark – engineering
  • Peter Saville, The Monochrome Set - cover design
gollark: It dispenses scrapboxes, which is meant to produce random items, but I only get... wooden hoes.
gollark: The Wooden Hoe Generator!
gollark: In extreme hills.
gollark: Stone brick/cobble monster eggs.
gollark: I mean completely. They spawn naturally and hide in monster eggs, you know.

References
  1. "Monochrome Set | Artist | Official Charts Company". officialcharts.com. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
  2. Ogg, Alex. "Strange Boutique – The Monochrome Set : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards : AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 23 January 2013.
  3. Starr, Red. "Albums". Smash Hits (May 15–28, 1980): 31.
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