Expecting to Fly (album)

Expecting to Fly
Studio album by
the Bluetones
Released12 February 1996 (1996-02-12)[1]
RecordedSummer–autumn 1995
StudiosRidge Farm, Surrey, England
Genres
Length53:45
Labels
  • A&M
  • Superior Quality
ProducerHugh Jones
The Bluetones chronology
Expecting to Fly
(1996)		 Return to the Last Chance Saloon
(1998)
Singles from Expecting to Fly
  1. "Bluetonic"
    Released: 2 October 1995
  2. "Slight Return"
    Released: 22 January 1996
  3. "Cut Some Rug" / "Castle Rock"
    Released: 29 April 1996

Expecting to Fly is the debut studio album by the English indie rock band the Bluetones, released on 12 February 1996 by A&M Records. Produced by Hugh Jones, it knocked Oasis's (What's the Story) Morning Glory? off the number one spot in the UK Albums Chart for a week.[4][5] Named after the 1967 Buffalo Springfield single,[6][7][8] the album was certified Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) in March 1998.[9] Its singles were "Bluetonic", "Slight Return", and "Cut Some Rug".

A 2-CD expanded edition of Expecting to Fly was released on 9 March 2009,[10][11] as well as a deluxe version released on 6 August 2021 to mark its twenty-fifth release anniversary.[12]

Background

After previously being in a group together called the Bottlegarden,[13] the Bluetones was formed in 1993 by Mark Morriss, Adam Devlin, Scott Morriss and a drummer called Greg who left around the same time they formed.[14] They tried honing a mid-60s Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young sound.[15] Living in a shared house with local Hounslow band Dodgy,[6] Matthew Priest introduced them to Eds Chesters, who was having a difficult time being in the pop group Soho.[16] While still working with Soho, Chesters ended up getting on with the Bluetones well and felt it was inevitable he would end up joining them. After hearing them demo their first written song, "A Parting Gesture", which later made it to the record, he agreed to leave Soho to join them.[17]

After spending their time together writing and perfecting songs, the band started playing live venues and released their debut single, "Are You Blue or Are You Blind?" as a stand-alone through Paradox Records in June 1995.[18] Following this, they released "Bluetonic" as the first single from Expecting to Fly in October,[19] before signing to A&M Records in early 1996,[20] where they would release their following two singles.[21] "Slight Return" was released as the second single in January 1996, after previously being listed on limited edition 7-inch blue vinyl in February 1995 through their sublabel Superior Quality Recordings,[20] released via mail order and at their tour with rock band Supergrass.[22] The reissue of the single peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart,[23] overtaken by Babylon Zoo's "Spaceman" which gained significant exposure from appearing in a Levi's jeans television advertisement.[24] Two months after the release of Expecting to Fly, "Cut Some Rug" was released as a double-A-side single in April, paired with "Castle Rock".

Production

Expecting to Fly was recorded at Ridge Farm Studio for five or six weeks during the summer of 1995,[25][14] excluding the opening track, "Talking to Clarry", which was recorded in the following autumn.[26] "Bluetonic" and its two B-sides were recorded first for its forthcoming single release in October.[14][19] Hugh Jones produced the sessions and mixed the recordings with engineer Helen Woodward. The album was later mastered by Geoff Pesche.[27]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarStarStarHalf star[28]
The Encyclopedia of Popular MusicStarStarStarStar[29]
NMEStarStarStarStarStarStarStarStar[30]
The Philadelphia InquirerStarStarStar[31]
QStarStarStarStar[32]
Rolling StoneStarStarStar[33]

Q's Sam Taylor wrote, "Perhaps the most accomplished rock debut album since The Stone Roses in 1989, Expecting to Fly avoids the usual primitive drive of first recordings, in favour of technical brilliance and adventurous songwriting... a classic rock album."[32] The List journalist Brian Donaldson likened the Bluetones to "a Squeeze for the 90s", and noted that the record has "excellence exhibited throughout".[34] David Sinclair of Rolling Stone called the album "an accomplished and varied collection of guitar-based tunes with a solid charm rooted in the best traditions of English alternative pop—no more, but certainly no less."[33]

Lily Moayeri of MTV Online wrote that the band had an "instant appeal", comparing them to the sound of a Manchester band as opposed to a London band. She acknowledged the buzz was that they sounded similar to the Stone Roses, although denied this and rather said that "if you liked the Stone Roses, you will probably like the Bluetones." Additionally, she said they were "at their melodic, guitar-driven best on tracks that have a comfortable, classic-pop feel".[35]

Melody Maker placed Expecting to Fly at number nineteen on their 1996's Albums of the Year list.[36] NME ranked it at number eleven on their 1996 critic poll.[37][38][39] Radio X included the album in their list of the 25 best Britpop albums, complimenting "Slight Return" as the "most Britpop track".[40]

Commercial performance

Expecting to Fly entered the UK Albums Chart at number one on first-week sales of 82,000.[41] The album was certified Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) on 6 March 1998 for 300,000 sales.[9][42]

Track listing

All tracks written by Mark Morriss, Adam Devlin, Scott Morriss and Eds Chesters, except where noted.[27]

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Talking to Clarry" 6:52
2."Bluetonic"Morriss, Devlin, Morriss, Chesters, Mitchell4:08
3."Cut Some Rug" 4:32
4."Things Change" 5:38
5."The Fountainhead" 4:35
6."Carnt Be Trusted" 3:50
7."Slight Return" 3:21
8."Putting Out Fires" 6:22
9."Vampire" 4:32
10."A Parting Gesture" 4:40
11."Time & Again" 5:09
Total length:53:45

Collector's edition disc 2

No.TitleTransmittedLength
1."A Parting Gesture" (R1 The John Peel Show, 1994)18 December 19944:10
2."Cut Some Rug" (R1 The John Peel Show, 1994)18 December 19944:16
3."Bluetonic" (R1 The Mark Radcliffe Show, 1995)22 May 19953:59
4."Are You Blue or Are You Blind?" (R1 The Mark Radcliffe Show, 1995)22 May 19952:48
5."The Fountainhead" (R1 The Mark Radcliffe Show, 1995)22 May 19953:56
6."Time & Again" (R1 The Mark Radcliffe Show, 1995)22 May 19954:59
7."Driftwood" (R1 The Mark Radcliffe Show, 1995)22 May 19953:45
8."Carnt Be Trusted" (R1 The Mark Radcliffe Show, 1995)22 May 19953:18
9."Are You Blue or Are You Blind?" (Sound City 1995 Bristol)7 February 19952:53
10."Cut Some Rug" (Sound City 1995 Bristol)7 February 19954:22
11."Carnt Be Trusted" (Sound City 1995 Bristol)7 February 19953:28
12."Bluetonic" (Sound City 1995 Bristol)7 February 19954:02
13."Time & Again" (Sound City 1995 Bristol)7 February 19954:53
Total length:50:49

Personnel

Personnel per booklet.[27]

Charts

References

  1. ↑ "BRIT Certified Awards". BPI. Retrieved 20 June 2026.
  2. ↑ "50 Greatest Britpop Songs Ever – As Voted By You". NME. 13 May 2013. Retrieved 20 June 2026.
  3. ↑ Stiernberg, Bonnie (11 June 2014). "The 50 Best Britpop Songs". pastemagazine.com. Retrieved 23 June 2026.
  4. ↑ Britton, Luke (13 April 2015). "The Bluetones announce 20th anniversary reunion tour". NME. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
  5. ↑ "MM-1996-05-04.pdf" (PDF). Music & Media. 4 May 1996. p. 21. Retrieved 25 June 2026.
  6. 1 2 Lester, Paul (24 April 2014). "Britpop casualties: 'It felt like we crashed someone else's party'". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 June 2026.
  7. ↑ Green, Matt (29 February 2016). "Issue #5: Expecting to Fly by The Bluetones". offyourradar.com. Retrieved 20 June 2026.
  8. ↑ Hodge, Neil (30 July 2021). "The Bluetones: Expecting to Fly – Box Set review". Louder Than War. Retrieved 20 June 2026.
  9. 1 2 "BRIT Certified Awards". BPI. Retrieved 20 June 2026.
  10. ↑ Tyers, Simon (19 March 2009). "The Bluetones – Expecting to Fly (Expanded Edition)". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
  11. ↑ Skinner, James (16 April 2009). "Album Review: The Bluetones - Expecting To Fly (Box Set)". Drowned in Sound. Retrieved 23 June 2026.
  12. ↑ "Expecting To Fly (25th Anniversary Edition) Boxset". bluetones.tmstor.es. 6 August 2021. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
  13. ↑ "with a little charm...: faq: band history". bluetones.org.uk. Retrieved 20 June 2026.
  14. 1 2 3 "Live Wyre Music Podcast Episode 7 The Bluetones". YouTube. 15 March 2026. Retrieved 16 May 2026.
  15. ↑ Pelley, Rich (1 June 2026). "'People get confused, think it's called Where Did You Go?' How the Bluetones made Slight Return". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 June 2026.
  16. ↑ "Eds Chesters - Down To Earth". Rhythm. July 1998. Retrieved 20 June 2026.
  17. ↑ Kessler, Ted (21 January 1995). "BLUE MOVERS". NME. p. 13. Retrieved 20 June 2026.
  18. ↑ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 3 June 1995. p. 35.
  19. 1 2 "MM-1996-05-04.pdf" (PDF). Music & Media. 4 May 1996. p. 21. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
  20. 1 2 Strong, Martin C. (2000). The Great Rock Discography (5th ed.). Edinburgh: Mojo Books. p. 96. ISBN 1-84195-017-3.
  21. ↑ "Bluetones". onamrecords.com. Retrieved 2 July 2026.
  22. ↑ "with a little charm...: discography: singles: slight return (mail order)". bluetones.org.uk.
  23. ↑ "MM-1996-05-04.pdf" (PDF). Music & Media. 4 May 1996. p. 32. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
  24. ↑ Sweney, Mark (15 July 2010). "Bartle Bogle Hegarty parts company with Levi's after 28 years of ads". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
  25. ↑ Burrows, Marc (19 October 2015). "Album by Album with The Bluetones / In Depth /". Drowned in Sound. Retrieved 16 May 2026.
  26. ↑ Expecting to Fly (UK 12-inch vinyl notes). Demon. 6 August 2021. DEMREC853.
  27. 1 2 3 Expecting to Fly (booklet). The Bluetones. Superior Quality Recordings. 1996. BLUECD 004/540 475-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  28. ↑ AllMusic review
  29. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0195313734.
  30. ↑ Robinson, John (10 February 1996). "The Bluetones: Expecting to Fly". NME.
  31. ↑ DeLuca, Dan (4 August 1996). "A guide to the explosion in pop music that's got the British all excited". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
  32. 1 2 Taylor, Sam (April 1996). "The Bluetones: Expecting to Fly". Q. p. 105.
  33. 1 2 Sinclair, David (5 September 1996). "The Bluetones: Expecting to Fly". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 10 May 2008.
  34. ↑ Donaldson, Brian (23 February 1996). "Bluetones: Expecting to Fly". The List (273): 46. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
  35. ↑ Moayeri, Lily. "MTV Online: Bluetones, Expecting To Fly (A&M;)". MTV Online. Archived from the original on 15 October 1997. Retrieved 16 May 2026.
  36. ↑ "Melody Maker Best Albums of 1996 by Melody Maker (1996)". bestalbumsever.com. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
  37. ↑ "Rocklist.net...NME End of Year Lists 1996..." music.co.uk. Retrieved 23 June 2026.
  38. ↑ "NME Albums Of The Year 1996 by New Music Express (1996)". besteveralbums.com. Retrieved 23 June 2026.
  39. ↑ "NME's best albums and tracks of 1996". NME. 10 October 2016. Retrieved 23 June 2026.
  40. ↑ "The 25 best Britpop albums". Radio X. 16 August 2026. Retrieved 17 August 2026.
  41. ↑ Sexton, Paul (16 March 1996). "A&M's Bluetones 'Expecting To Fly'". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 11. p. 117. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  42. ↑ "Newsfile: Robbie Goes Twice Platinum". Music Week. 14 March 1998. p. 5.
  43. ↑ "Australiancharts.com – The Bluetones – Expecting to Fly". Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  44. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart on 18/2/1996 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  45. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – The Bluetones – Expecting to Fly". Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  46. ↑ "Official Albums Chart on 18/2/1996 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  47. ↑ "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 1996". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  48. ↑ "Official Singles Chart on 8/10/1995 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 June 2026.
  49. ↑ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13, no. 6. 10 February 1996. p. 15. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
  50. ↑ "The Bluetones: Slight Return" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  51. ↑ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (30.3. – 5.4. '96)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 30 March 1996. p. 52. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  52. ↑ "Slight Return | IRMA". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  53. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart on 3/2/1996 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  54. ↑ "The Bluetones – Slight Return". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  55. ↑ "Official Singles Chart on 3/2/1996 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 June 2026.
  56. ↑ "Independent Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 17 February 1996. p. 38. ISSN 0265-1548 – via World Radio History.
  57. ↑ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13, no. 20. 18 May 1996. p. 24. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
  58. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart on 11/5/1996 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 June 2026.
  59. ↑ "Official Singles Chart on 11/5/1996 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 June 2026.
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