- Audio CD (5 Jun 1989)
- Number of Discs: 1
- Label: Charisma
- ASIN: B000007UEY
- Other Editions: Audio CD | Vinyl
- Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 58,594 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
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Product details |
Track Listings
| 1. Between The Tick And The Tock |
| 2. Working In Line |
| 3. After Hours |
| 4. Cats And Rats (In This Neighbourhood) |
| 5. Smallcreep Alone |
| 6. Out Into The Daylight |
| 7. At The End Of The Day |
| 8. Moonshine |
| 9. Time And Time Again |
| 10. Romani |
| 11. Every Road |
| 12. Overnight Job |
Product Description
GENESIS BASSIST WITH HIS DEBUT SOLO ALBUM INCLUDES EX MEMBER ANTHONY PHILLIPS AND NOEL McCALLA ON LEAD VOCALS.FEATURES NEAR HIT 'MOONSHINE.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
42 of 42 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I bought the original Smallcreep's Day in 1980, again in 1989 when it appeared on CD, and today it remains one of my most listened to albums. Inspired by Peter Currell Brown's 1965 book of the same name, it tells the story of an ordinary Mr Nobody going about the drugery of his nine to five job in a factory, and how he escapes the tedium with dreams of love. Sound-wise it's like early Genesis, it's like early ELO; it makes good background music but you can also listen to it turned up real loud in the car. Fat synthesized pads mix it with bass and lead guitars, all plumbed together by the talents of a human drummer. Like the book the chapters flow into one another, and don't mean much in isolation. But that doesn't mean it's a mammoth, singular piece split into bite-size chunks. Track 6 for example, "Out Into The Daylight", is fast and up beat, whereas Track 7, "At The End Of The Day", is as gentle as it is beautiful. The whole album is made all the more soothing by the wondrous vocal talents of Manfred Mann singer Noel McCalla (whom everyone thinks is Mike and the Mechanics frontman Paul Carrack, but isn't). Like the rest of the album these two tracks never lose their charm no matter how many spins you give them. Highly recommended to anyone from the sixties and seventies who enjoys early synth rock, a memorable tune, and just a little bit of plot.
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Smallcreep's Day is an album that I first had on vinyl in 1980 when I was just a kid (I had some pretty weird music tastes as a kid). It has remained one of the few vinyl albums that still gets played, most of my others being updated to CD or download.
Musically, it's prog-pop with a lot of early 80s synth noises, including drum pads that go `pyooow-pyooow'. Side one of the record, or tracks 1 to 7 if you prefer, is a concept piece about a Mr Nobody (Smallcreep) who works in a factory making the thingamabob that goes on the widget that fits to the big machine. For some reason he has no idea what the factory ultimately makes, so after hours one night he goes searching around the place to find out. Not the most exciting story in the world, but the songs are great. Side two consists of standalone songs ranging from power pop (Moonshine, Romani, and Overnight Job) to ballad (Time and Time Again) to folk pop (Every Road).
Noel McCalla's singing is fantastic, and it makes a refreshing change to hear a black singer on a prog album. Does anyone know of any other examples? Ant Philips, one of the founders of Genesis, plays keyboards including some great synth bass, while session drummer Simon Phillips and percussionist Morris Pert (sometime collaborator of Mike Oldfield and Kate Bush) provide the beats. Rutherford plays guitar and bass and writes the songs, but surprisingly does not use the solo project as a free ticket to showcase a load of guitar solos. This album is about great songs, and all the musicians get a fair look-in.
This is an overlooked treat and musically it deserves five stars. Unfortunately, the presentation lets it down as a CD purchase. The recording does not sound like it's been remastered, and there are some obvious recording drops-outs, the worst one being on the guitar solo section of `Into the Daylight'. The CD cover has an appalling `compact price' banner across the lower right corner that's printed on, not a sticker. The booklet itself is one of those ghastly fold-over sheets of paper which contains no lyrics and no information about the recording personnel, the studio, or the story of the album, all of which were in the original record sleeve. I hate it when record companies butcher album covers on re-release like this. What a bunch of cheapskates. It's still a fine album, though, and well worth checking out if you've not heard it before.
Musically, it's prog-pop with a lot of early 80s synth noises, including drum pads that go `pyooow-pyooow'. Side one of the record, or tracks 1 to 7 if you prefer, is a concept piece about a Mr Nobody (Smallcreep) who works in a factory making the thingamabob that goes on the widget that fits to the big machine. For some reason he has no idea what the factory ultimately makes, so after hours one night he goes searching around the place to find out. Not the most exciting story in the world, but the songs are great. Side two consists of standalone songs ranging from power pop (Moonshine, Romani, and Overnight Job) to ballad (Time and Time Again) to folk pop (Every Road).
Noel McCalla's singing is fantastic, and it makes a refreshing change to hear a black singer on a prog album. Does anyone know of any other examples? Ant Philips, one of the founders of Genesis, plays keyboards including some great synth bass, while session drummer Simon Phillips and percussionist Morris Pert (sometime collaborator of Mike Oldfield and Kate Bush) provide the beats. Rutherford plays guitar and bass and writes the songs, but surprisingly does not use the solo project as a free ticket to showcase a load of guitar solos. This album is about great songs, and all the musicians get a fair look-in.
This is an overlooked treat and musically it deserves five stars. Unfortunately, the presentation lets it down as a CD purchase. The recording does not sound like it's been remastered, and there are some obvious recording drops-outs, the worst one being on the guitar solo section of `Into the Daylight'. The CD cover has an appalling `compact price' banner across the lower right corner that's printed on, not a sticker. The booklet itself is one of those ghastly fold-over sheets of paper which contains no lyrics and no information about the recording personnel, the studio, or the story of the album, all of which were in the original record sleeve. I hate it when record companies butcher album covers on re-release like this. What a bunch of cheapskates. It's still a fine album, though, and well worth checking out if you've not heard it before.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Excellent early mix of Genesis & Mike & The Mechanics. Great music on a less famous album that is robust and enhances the listeneing pleasure with lyrics and music that make it a must to own. I highly reccomend it to any Genesis, M&Mechanics fan. Not easily found in the high street shops, believe me, I tried!! Get a copy now......
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Why no Remaster?
A lot of people have said Phil Collins was the ruination of the band Genesis...ive always thought no, it was a 3 way thing.. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Pd Davies
Rutherford's fine debut treads a fine line twixt prog and pop
Genesis was always greater than the sum of its parts, but having exhausted the group's output some years ago, I took a chance and bought 'Smallcreep's Day' without having heard... Read more
Published 5 months ago by TheRoaringCataract
Compression
Seems like this cd was released ages ago. Tony Banks' recent re-release of 'A Curious feeling' gave us a superior (remixed sound), extended sleeve notes and complete lyrics. Read more
Published on 24 May 2010 by Rain Man
Pleasant Surprise
I'm a big fan of Genesis, Steve Hackett, Anthony Phillips etc but for some strange reason i missed this one. So getting hold of this some 30 years later was a plaesant surprise. Read more
Published on 22 Mar 2010 by Andy
smallcreeps day
Excellent solo Rutherford album from seventies, some great 'bits' developed into tingling tunes. Nothing like the 'Mike and Mechanics 'stuff, much more semi Genesis Wind and... Read more
Published on 11 Oct 2009 by Mr. T. J. Bunn
Great music, poor presentation
Spuddy Spud's review is pretty much spot on. If you like the quality of musicianship, clever lyrics, uplifting prog workouts (think Los Endos here) that early/ mid Genesis stood... Read more
Published on 6 May 2009 by T. Braddick
Genesis of a Solo Artist?
Although quite a Genesis fan, I was more than a bit cautious about buying Mr Rutherford's first solo effort. Still, eventually I took the plunge and I'm glad I did. Read more
Published on 23 Dec 2003 by Ms. Pj Jones
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