Smallcreep's Day (album)

Smallcreep's Day
Studio album by Mike Rutherford
Released 15 February 1980
Recorded Autumn 1979
Studio Polar Studios, Stockholm, Sweden
Genre Progressive rock, pop rock
Length 51:28
Label Charisma (UK)
Passport (US)
Producer David Hentschel
Mike Rutherford chronology
Smallcreep's Day
(1980)		 Acting Very Strange
(1982)

Smallcreep's Day is the first studio album from English guitarist Mike Rutherford, released in February 1980 on Charisma Records. It was recorded in 1979 during a period of inactivity from his rock band Genesis, during which Rutherford and Genesis keyboardist Tony Banks recorded their first solo albums at Polar Studios in Stockholm, Sweden. The title track is based on the 1965 novel Smallcreep's Day by Peter Currell Brown, adapted to have a happy ending.[1]

Recording

Rutherford has said that the album was unexpectedly difficult to create, as he had never before realised the extent to which he relied on the other members of Genesis to help make decisions and handle certain aspects of the music. However, he added that it was a good learning experience for him, since it forced him to learn more about vocals, drums, and keyboards than he had known before.[2] Former Genesis band mate Steve Hackett telephoned Rutherford and told him that Smallcreeps's Day sounded like a great album and was liked by Genesis' live drummer Chester Thompson also.[3] A live version of "Out Into the Daylight" was covered by Italian band Elio e le Storie Tese.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[4]

Steve McMullen, a record store owner and contributor to Allmusic thoroughly panned the album in a retrospective review, saying that Mike Rutherford was incapable of writing "even one memorable song". He also claimed that David Hentschel's production work had marred the Genesis albums Duke and ...And Then There Were Three..., and that it had similarly flawed Smallcreep's Day. Users of the online music guide seem to disagree however, giving the album a four out of five star rating.[4] The album, is a great prog record, with a theme running through it. The music is dreamy, lyrical and has a couple of stand out 'singles' in it. In some ways it is an album of two halves. The first a long and intricate story. The other side a number of single songs, all of which combine together perfectly. This is such an underrated album but one of which I think is in my top 5 at any time over the last 35 years.

Track listing

All tracks written by Mike Rutherford.

Side one
  1. "Smallcreep's Day" (24:41)
    I. Between the Tick & the Tock – 3:59
    II. Working in Line – 3:08
    III. After Hours – 1:44
    IV. Cats and Rats (In This Neighbourhood) – 4:51
    V. Smallcreep Alone – 1:24
    VI. Out into the Daylight – 3:53
    VII. At the End of the Day – 5:38
Side two
  1. "Moonshine" – 6:26
  2. "Time and Time Again" – 4:54
  3. "Romani" – 5:27
  4. "Every Road" – 4:15
  5. "Overnight Job" – 5:44

The above listing is from the original UK LP. Sides one and two were swapped for US release on Passport Records.

One other track recorded during the sessions for the album, "Compression", was released as the B-side to "Working in Line" (an edited segment from the album's title suite).

Personnel

Charts

Album

Year Chart Position
1980 UK Album Chart 13
US Billboard 200 163

References

  1. ↑ Person, Lawrence (February 2009). Curiosities, Fantasy and Science Fiction.
  2. ↑ Neer, Dan (1985). Mike on Mike [interview LP], Atlantic Recording Corporation.
  3. ↑ Rolling Stone Magazine 22 October 2012
  4. 1 2 McMullen, S. (2011). "Small Creep's Day – Mike Rutherford | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 25 July 2011.
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