Terrorvision's fourth album Shaving Peaches was something of an odd album. It didn't go down well with long term fans and critics, but saw them score their highest chart single ('Tequila', no. 2) and then get dropped by label EMI!
What a lot of people felt is that this album lacks the infectiously ... Read review
Even a bunch of carefree Bradford rockers need to test themselves occasionally. Hence ... more
Terrorvision's fourth album, in which the freewheeling clatter gives way to guest producers (Edwyn Collins, Utah Saints) and a disregard for the formula that propelle...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Even a bunch of carefree Bradford rockers need to test themselves occasionally. ... more
HenceTerrorvision's fourth album, in which the freewheeling clatter gives way to guest producers (Edwyn Collins, Utah Saints) and a disregard for the formula that propelled...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Advantages: Actually has quite a lot of good songs, with more of a mix of styles Disadvantages: Poorly received, a few bad songs, not their best, being dropped by EMI
Terrorvision's fourth album Shaving Peaches was something of an odd album. It didn't go down well with long term fans and critics, but saw them score their highest chart single ('Tequila', no. 2) and then get dropped by label EMI!
What a lot of people felt is that this album lacks the infectiously fun good-time rock of other Terrorvision albums. Personally, I think this is a rather harsh judgement; in my opinion How To Make Friends ... ...were a little harsh on Shaving Peaches.
Although the overall mood of the album is certainly a darker one than we might be used to, there are certainly a few of the normal upbeat party tracks. Most notable is 'Tequila', which comes in two versions. The original album form dwells on the rather depressed verses
"So hard so say no though it gives one the fever
Pretends to be friendly
Then it’s all over, over… more
Terrorvision's fourth album Shaving Peaches was something of an odd album. It didn't go down well with long term fans and critics, but saw them score their highest chart single ('Tequila', no. 2) and then get dropped by label EMI!
What a lot of people felt is that this album lacks the infectiously fun good-time rock of other Terrorvision albums. Personally, I think this is a rather harsh judgement; in my opinion How To Make Friends And Influence People is indeed a classic album, but no other Terrorvision album comes close to matching that - I don't think Regular Urban Survivors was that good an album either, although it had the odd hit (most notably, of course, 'Perseverance'). With this in mind, I think people were a little harsh on Shaving Peaches.
Although the overall mood of the album is certainly a darker one than we might be used to, there are certainly a few of the normal upbeat party tracks. Most notable is 'Tequila', which comes in two versions. The original album form dwells on the rather depressed verses "So hard so say no though it gives one the fever Pretends to be friendly Then it’s all over, over… Then the curse of Tequila"
The radio/chart version was a Mint Royale remix that roped in some girl backing singers and made the most of the chorus, "Tequila! It makes me happy!" It's a prime example of how a remix can alter the whole tone of a song, whichever version you prefer. The remix (included as a bonus track on all bar older copies of the album) is certainly a popular party tune, and the original is good too.
That aside there's 'Josephine' (about a boy who had a sex change), 'Hypnotised' and 'III Wishes', all of which exhibit the usual sense of fun. It's later in the album that the darker side comes out. 'In Your Shoes' is a slightly ambiguous tale from the perspective of an old person ("It really wouldn’t happen in my day None of this was going on we had to make our own fun and games… I was down a pit, up to my neck in it… now they don’t know they’re born"), it could be dark, but is treated in a light-hearted manner.
The middle of the album definitely lacks the usual fun feel. 'Swings And Roundabouts', ‘Cantankerous’ etc don't have that bouncy enthusiasm, and do seem substandard because of it. That said though, I wouldn't say any of them are really that *bad*, it's merely that they're not the usual Terrorvision fare - from a similar band without such a reputation (maybe Reef?) they probably wouldn't have been so harshly received. In fact, some of these I really like too (e.g. ‘Left To The Right’), and they set the tone for the album – though it’s hard to say whether they’re as good as the songs at the end.
It's been suggested quality control could've been tighter on this album. Including the 'Tequila' remix, there are 16 tracks - and some suggest that had weaker songs been cut, the finished product might've gone down better. Personally I'd rather have an extra ok song rather than nothing, and there's only one song I'd personally have considered cutting - 'Vegas' which just doesn't go anywhere or do anything for me; but one of my friends said she liked it, so perhaps that's why nothing was cut!
After that, I think the album rallies a bit anyway, the last tracks not being quite as good as the first few, but similarly fun. ‘On A Mission’ and 'Babyface' are rather catchy and infectious little numbers and 'When I Die' is another depressing theme treated with customary irreverence. Then, of course, there's the 'Tequila' remix…
4* out of five is probably a bit generous. It's more of a 7/10 solidly average kind of album really; but I do think it's been treated a little harshly and is better than some would have you believe. Since Terrorvision were dropped and split up, I've seen most of their albums drop to £4.99 in sales. Worth a try at that price, but definitely buy 'How To Make Friends...' first.
Advantages: Two or Three Terrorvision classics Disadvantages: Two much depression not enough fun and bounce
Shaving Peaches is the fourth studio album produced by the Bradford based Terrorvision. The album though failed to meet the chart heights expected of the band, peaking in the chart at 34 in 1998, as opposed to the 8 reached by "Regular Urban Survivors" their preceding release. Nor does this album match the quality of "How to Make Friends and Influence People".
Terrorvision were the atypical UK rock/pop band, and benefited from a large student following, ... ...a sing-a-long chrous and bouncability. Shaving Peaches though fails to bring together the key ingredients and of the 15 tracks only "III Wishes" can be said to be Terrorvision type song.
To be fair the Album starts off quite well with "III Wishes" and "Josephine", which both are good enough to make it on to the greatest hits album. The overall feel for the album though as depressing and is as far removed from the fun up beat lyrics that I have always ...
mrtimharry 04.12.2007
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Advantages: It's distinctively Def Leppard Disadvantages: They're trying to recapture former glories
I didn't want them suddenly being on the rockier side of pop! The DJ at my favourite rock club had already termed them "Deflife" after playing the single.
Musically, my concern was that the lead single from the album, "Now", wasn't really all that impressive, and the available snippets from the website didn't inspire much more hope. Worse was to come when the NME rated the album very highly indeed. They did the same with Terrorvision's "ShavingPeaches" album, which turned out to be the worst of the band's career. They also called it "the best rock album since Andrew WK's 'I Get Wet'." Damned with faint praise, maybe, as that album is only about a year old and wasn't actually all that good! I'd hope that this would be better than that.
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Soho_Black 25.09.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of X - Def Leppard
Advantages: A side of Terrorvision never seen before Disadvantages: You have to be a fan already to appreciate how good this is
from the final version and whilst it's not a bad rock-pop song in this version, it's nowhere near as good as it was to become, feeling a little disjointed in this version.
"That's Life" is another from several tracks on this album that were recorded but never made the albums. This one was done just before 1999's "ShavingPeaches" album, but wouldn't have fit there. It's got quite a laid back rock groove with an almost reggae feel at some points, much like "New Policy One" from their debut album, "Formaldehyde". Sadly, it's a mid-tempo rock-pop song which is as close to dull as Terrorvision have come as their trademark "bounce" seems to be missing.
The next track takes us back to Terrorvision's first ever release, the "Thrive" EP and this track would have gone onto the "Formaldehyde" album perfectly. "Blackbird" is more ...
Advantages: Better than the previous album Disadvantages: Not the greatest way to end a recording career
In mid-1999, a very sad thing happened. Due to musical differences, the EMI record label decided to drop Terrorvision, one of the best and most fun rock bands of the 1990?s. The reasoning behind it was simple ? EMI had lost around £1 million on Terrorvision in the eight years they had been together. After the huge (No 2 in the charts!) success of a song called ?Tequila? from the band?s ?ShavingPeaches? album (ironic that the band?s biggest single should be from what was their worst album), EMI suddenly got pound signs in their eyes. They decided that if they marketed Terrorvision as a heavy-pop band, rather than as a soft-rock band, they would have more Top 10 singles and would get their money back.
The band didn?t like this idea at all. Although ?ShavingPeaches? had been more pop friendly that their previous albums, their long ...
Product Information for "Shaving Peaches - Terrorvision" »
Product details
Title
Shaving Peaches
Performer
Terrorvision
Genre
Rock & Pop
Release Date
05/10/1998
Original Release Year
1998
Label / Distributor
Total Vegas / EMI Operations/CEVA Logistics
Pieces in Set
1
Studio / Live
Studio
Format
Performer
EAN
724349613225
Catalogue Number
4961322
Additional notes
Album Notes
The follow up to 1996's 'Regular Urban Survivors' saw the band head in a more chart oriented pop direction with co-production from Edwyn Collins. Here, the band push their sound further than before, veering away from metal towards a soft rock sound that utilises actual electronic beats. 'Day After Day' and 'When I Die' retain the melancholy that featured on earlier albums, whilst the rest of the album follows the template of the positive and upbeat single, 'Tequila'.
Titles on disc 1
1.
Ill Wishes
2.
Josephine
3.
Hypnotised
4.
Can't Get You Out Of My Mind
5.
In Your Shoes
6.
Swings And Roundabouts
7.
Day After Day
8.
Left To The Right
9.
Cantankerous
10.
Tequila
11.
Vegas
12.
Baby Face
13.
Spanner In The Works
14.
When I Die
15.
On A Mission
16.
Tequila (Mint Royale mix)
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