A Flock of Seagulls (album)

A Flock of Seagulls is the eponymous debut album by the new wave band A Flock of Seagulls. It was released in 1982 on Jive (see 1982 in music), and featured the international hit single "I Ran (So Far Away)", which reached the Top 10 in the US and New Zealand, as well as No. 1 in Australia. The song "Space Age Love Song" also managed to score radio play. On the success of the singles, the album reached No. 10 in the US.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	link
Robert Christgau	A− link
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	^[1]

The album received good reviews upon its release and significant radio airplay.^[2] It is generally recognised as a concept album about alien abduction with the tracks thus following a sequential story line. If this is true, the storyline was presented out of sequence for the USA edition of the album, as the tracks had been shuffled while one song, 'Tokyo', was removed altogether. Also, the version of 'I Ran' with the extended intro was replaced with the UK single and video version of the song as the opening track.

^[1] In his review for AllMusic, Tom Demalon gave the album 4.5 stars, calling it "great fun and a wonderful collection of new wave ear candy."

Prominent critic Robert Christgau was also happy with it, giving it an A- and saying that it is "so transparently, guilelessly expedient that it actually provides the hook-chocked fun most current pop bands only advertise." Other reviews pointed out the bands "pioneering sounds, compelling hooks and undeniably addictive gimmicks."^[1]

The band, and particularly this album, were influential during the 1980s, for their memorable image^[3] and also for their surprisingly effective production techniques, which at one point garnered the respect of legendary record producer Phil Spector, who in the 1980s called the album "phenomenal."^[4]

The album track, "D.N.A." won a Grammy Award in 1983 for Best Rock Instrumental Performance.

Track listing

All songs written and composed by All tracks written by Mike Score, Ali Score, Frank Maudsley and Paul Reynolds, except where noted.

Original UK LP
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Modern Love Is Automatic"	3:50
2.	"Messages"	2:52
3.	"I Ran (So Far Away)"	5:07
4.	"Space Age Love Song"	3:48
5.	"You Can Run"	4:26
6.	"Telecommunication"	2:32
7.	"Standing in the Doorway"	4:40
8.	"Don't Ask Me"	2:46
9.	"D.N.A."	2:31
10.	"Tokyo"	2:54
11.	"Man Made"	5:40

2011 remaster CD bonus tracks
No.	Title	Length
12.	"Pick Me Up"	3:07
13.	"Windows"	3:30
14.	"Tanglimara"	4:30
15.	"Intro"	3:24

US track listing
No.	Title	Length
1.	"I Ran (So Far Away)"	5:07
2.	"Space Age Love Song"	3:45
3.	"You Can Run" (Don Covay, Willie Dennis, A Flock of Seagulls)	4:28
4.	"Don't Ask Me"	2:46
5.	"Messages"	2:51
6.	"Telecommunication"	2:31
7.	"Modern Love Is Automatic"	3:49
8.	"Standing in the Doorway"	4:41
9.	"D.N.A."	2:30
10.	"Man Made"	5:38

Personnel

A Flock of Seagulls

Mike Score – lead vocals, keyboards, additional rhythm guitar
Paul Reynolds – lead & rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Frank Maudsley – bass guitar, backing vocals
Ali Score – drums, percussion

Production

Mike Howlett - producer (all tracks except "Telecommunication", "Tanglimara" and "Intro")
Bill Nelson - producer ("Telecommunication")
Steve Lovell and A Flock of Seagulls - producer ("Tanglimara" and "Intro")
Mark Dearnley - engineer
Mike Shipley - engineer
"BillBo" - mastering

Chart performance

Chart (1982)	Peak position
Canada Albums Chart^[5]	5
German Albums Chart^[6]	26
Swedish Albums Chart^[7]	32
UK Albums Chart^[8]	32
US Billboard 200^[9]	10

References

1 2 3 Brackett, Nathan; Christian Hoard (2004). The Rolling Stone Album Guide. New York City, New York: Simon and Schuster. p. 304. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
↑ US college radio, the New British Invasion and media alterity N Rubin – Radio Journal: International Studies in Broadcast
↑ "Never mind the hair bands, here's a Flock of Seagulls!". Retrieved 14 April 2011.
↑ Wall of pain: the biography of Phil Spector. D Thompson – 2003 – Sanctuary Pub Ltd
↑ "Canadian Collections". Archived from the original on 14 April 2011. Retrieved 14 April 2011.
↑ "German charts". Archived from the original on 3 March 2011. Retrieved 14 April 2011.
↑ "A Flock of Seagulls Swedish Charts". Swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 14 April 2011.
↑ "A Flock of Seagulls Chart Stats (UK)". Chartstats.com. Retrieved 14 April 2011.
↑ "A Flock of Seagulls Billboard charts". Allmusic.com. Retrieved 14 April 2011.

A Flock of Seagulls

Mike Score Joe Rodriguez Pando Michael Brahm Paul Reynolds

Studio albums	A Flock of Seagulls (1982) Listen (1983) The Story of a Young Heart (1984) Dream Come True (1986) The Light at the End of the World (1995)

Compilation albums	The Best of A Flock of Seagulls (1987) 20 Classics of the 80's (1995) Wishing (1996) Greatest Hits Remixed (1999) Platinum & Gold Collection (2003) I Ran: The Best of A Flock of Seagulls (2004) We Are the 80's (2006)

Singles	"Talking" "Telecommunication" "I Ran (So Far Away)" "Space Age Love Song" "Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You)" "The More You Live, the More You Love"

Songs	"D.N.A." "Modern Love Is Automatic"

Related	Discography

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