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{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox Album | <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Albums -->
{{Infobox album|
⚫
| Name = Cast of Thousands
| Type = studio
| name = Cast of Thousands
| Artist = [[The Adverts]]
| type = studio
| Cover = Adverts - Cast Of Thousands album cover.jpg
| artist = [[the Adverts]]
⚫
| cover = Adverts - Cast Of Thousands album cover.jpg
| Released = 1979
| Recorded =
| alt =
| released = 12 October 1979
⚫
| Genre = [[New wave music|New wave]]/[[Punk rock]]
| Length =
| recorded =
| Label = [[RCA Records|RCA]]
| venue =
| studio = [[The Manor Studio|The Manor]], Oxfordshire; The Barge on [[Regent's Canal]], London
| Producer = Tom Newman
⚫
| genre = [[New wave music|New wave]], [[punk rock]], [[post punk]]
| Reviews = *[[Allmusic]] {{Rating|4|5}} [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:dpfrxqu5ldde link]
| length =
⚫
| Last album = ''[[Crossing the Red Sea with the Adverts]]''<br />(1978)
| label = [[RCA Records|RCA]]
| This album = '''''Cast of Thousands'''''<br />(1979)
| producer = [[Tom Newman (musician)|Tom Newman]]
| Next album =
⚫
| prev_title = [[Crossing the Red Sea with The Adverts]]
| prev_year = 1978
| next_title =
| next_year =
}}
}}
'''''Cast of Thousands''''' was [[the Adverts]]' second album, released in 1979. It featured a noticeably different, more experimental sound than their debut effort, ''[[Crossing the Red Sea with The Adverts]]''.<ref name="AllMusic" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://thequietus.com/articles/04366-the-adverts-cast-of-thousands-reissue-review|title=The Quietus &#124; Reviews &#124; The Adverts|website=The Quietus}}</ref>


==Background==
'''''Cast of Thousands''''' was [[The Adverts]]' 1979 second [[record album|album]] and featured a noticeably different 'sound' from their debut effort: ''[[Crossing the Red Sea with the Adverts]]''.
The album was produced by [[Tom Newman (musician)|Tom Newman]] (known for his work on [[Mike Oldfield]]'s ''[[Tubular Bells]]''), who played synthesizer on "I Will Walk You Home".<ref name="AllMusic" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.firerecords.com/the-adverts/|title=The Adverts|date=February 3, 2016}}</ref> [[Doctors of Madness]] frontman [[Richard Strange]] guested on synthesizer on the title track.,<ref>{{cite book |title= ''Punk''|last= Thompson|first= Dave|year= 2000|publisher= Collector’s Guide Publication|location= Ontario|isbn= 1-896522-27-0|pages= 55}};</ref>

==Reception==
{{Album ratings
| rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1Score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="AllMusic">{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r28741|pure_url=yes}}</ref>
|rev2 = ''[[Spin Alternative Record Guide]]''
|rev2score = 2/10<ref name="SP">{{cite book |title=Spin Alternative Record Guide |date=1995 |publisher=Vintage Books |page=9}}</ref>
}}
Contemporary critics were generally dismissive of the album and the band's change of direction, but it has since been reevaluated.

Writing for [[AllMusic]], critic [[Dave Thompson (author)|Dave Thompson]] said, "A flagrant departure from even the most extreme expectations, ''Cast of Thousands'' not only cast the band adrift from the [[New wave music|new wave]] mainstream, but it would also alienate all but the most adaptable of the band's following".<ref name="AllMusic" />

A retrospective review in ''[[The Quietus]]'' noted that the album was still not "an easy listen", but praised the "wild, free and comparatively sophisticated" version of the band, and called the title track a "thrilling, rolling, tumbling, swirling mess of adventure and hope".

[[Henry Rollins]] is a fan of the band, and of this album in particular. “The record shows the band’s ability to mesh pop hooks and still hold an edge. Besides The Clash, none of their peers at the time had the chops or the guts to do such work. ''Cast of Thousands'' is a brave and cool album.

"[[Ian MacKaye]] and I found the Adverts' great "Safety in Numbers"/"We Who Wait" single in a record store many years ago and played it over and over, amazed at what a great band we had found. I still listen to the Adverts and follow TV Smith's ongoing musical journey with great interest and as long as he keeps showing up, so will I".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.firerecords.com/fire-reissue-the-adverts-cast-of-thousands-crossing-the-red-sea-for-rsd16/|title=Fire Reissue the Adverts 'Cast of Thousands' + 'Crossing the Red Sea' for RSD16|date=14 March 2016}}</ref>


==Track listing==
==Track listing==
All tracks composed by T.V. Smith
All tracks composed by [[T. V. Smith]]


# "Cast of Thousands"
# "Cast of Thousands" - 5:26
# "The Adverts"
# "The Adverts" - 3:06
# "My Place"
# "My Place" - 2:49
# "Male Assault"
# "Male Assault" - 2:26
# "Television's Over"
# "Television's Over" - 3:17
# "Fate of Criminals"
# "Fate of Criminals" - 3:09
# "Love Songs"
# "Love Songs" - 2:27
# "I Surrender"
# "I Surrender" - 3:02
# "I Looked at the Sun"
# "I Looked at the Sun" - 4:15
# "I Will Walk You Home"
# "I Will Walk You Home" - 4:04


==Personnel==
==Personnel==
;The Adverts
*[[T.V. Smith]] - vocals
*[[T. V. Smith]] - vocals, guitar
*[[Gaye Advert]] - bass
*[[Gaye Advert]] - bass
*Howard Pickup - guitar, vocals
*Howard Pickup - guitar, vocals
*Laurie Driver - drums
*Rod Latter - drums
*Tim Cross - piano, synthesizer
with:
*[[Richard Strange]] - synthesizer on "Cast of Thousands"
*[[Tom Newman (musician)|Tom Newman]] - synthesizer on "I Will Walk You Home"

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}


[[Category:The Adverts albums]]
[[Category:The Adverts albums]]
[[Category:1979 albums]]
[[Category:1979 albums]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Tom Newman (musician)]]
[[Category:RCA Records albums]]
[[Category:RCA Records albums]]
[[Category:Fire Records (UK) albums]]


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{{punk-album-stub}}


⚫
{{punk-album-stub}}
[[it:Cast of Thousands (The Adverts)]]
[[ru:Cast of Thousands]]

Latest revision as of 23:10, 25 December 2023

Cast of Thousands
Studio album by
the Adverts
Released12 October 1979
StudioThe Manor, Oxfordshire; The Barge on Regent's Canal, London
GenreNew wave, punk rock, post punk
LabelRCA
ProducerTom Newman
The Adverts chronology
Crossing the Red Sea with The Adverts
(1978) 		Cast of Thousands
(1979)

Cast of Thousands was the Adverts' second album, released in 1979. It featured a noticeably different, more experimental sound than their debut effort, Crossing the Red Sea with The Adverts.[1][2]

Background

[edit]

The album was produced by Tom Newman (known for his work on Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells), who played synthesizer on "I Will Walk You Home".[1][3] Doctors of Madness frontman Richard Strange guested on synthesizer on the title track.,[4]

Reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Spin Alternative Record Guide2/10[5]

Contemporary critics were generally dismissive of the album and the band's change of direction, but it has since been reevaluated.

Writing for AllMusic, critic Dave Thompson said, "A flagrant departure from even the most extreme expectations, Cast of Thousands not only cast the band adrift from the new wave mainstream, but it would also alienate all but the most adaptable of the band's following".[1]

A retrospective review in The Quietus noted that the album was still not "an easy listen", but praised the "wild, free and comparatively sophisticated" version of the band, and called the title track a "thrilling, rolling, tumbling, swirling mess of adventure and hope".

Henry Rollins is a fan of the band, and of this album in particular. “The record shows the band’s ability to mesh pop hooks and still hold an edge. Besides The Clash, none of their peers at the time had the chops or the guts to do such work. Cast of Thousands is a brave and cool album.

"Ian MacKaye and I found the Adverts' great "Safety in Numbers"/"We Who Wait" single in a record store many years ago and played it over and over, amazed at what a great band we had found. I still listen to the Adverts and follow TV Smith's ongoing musical journey with great interest and as long as he keeps showing up, so will I".[6]

Track listing

[edit]

All tracks composed by T. V. Smith

  1. "Cast of Thousands" - 5:26
  2. "The Adverts" - 3:06
  3. "My Place" - 2:49
  4. "Male Assault" - 2:26
  5. "Television's Over" - 3:17
  6. "Fate of Criminals" - 3:09
  7. "Love Songs" - 2:27
  8. "I Surrender" - 3:02
  9. "I Looked at the Sun" - 4:15
  10. "I Will Walk You Home" - 4:04

Personnel

[edit]
The Adverts
  • T. V. Smith - vocals, guitar
  • Gaye Advert - bass
  • Howard Pickup - guitar, vocals
  • Rod Latter - drums
  • Tim Cross - piano, synthesizer

with:

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d https://www.allmusic.com/album/r28741
  2. ^ "The Quietus | Reviews | The Adverts". The Quietus.
  3. ^ "The Adverts". 3 February 2016.
  4. ^ Thompson, Dave (2000). Punk. Ontario: Collector’s Guide Publication. p. 55. ISBN 1-896522-27-0.;
  5. ^ Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. 1995. p. 9.
  6. ^ "Fire Reissue the Adverts 'Cast of Thousands' + 'Crossing the Red Sea' for RSD16". 14 March 2016.


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