Ray (Frazier Chorus album)

{{Infobox album

| name = Ray

| type = studio

| artist = Frazier Chorus

| cover = Frazier Chorus - Ray.jpg

| alt =

| released = 1991

| recorded =

| venue =

| studio = *Amazon (Liverpool)

Music Station (London)
The Windings (Wrexham)
Madam X (London)
September Sound (London)

| genre = Pop

| length = 36:28

| label = Virgin / Charisma

| producer = Ian Broudie, Clif Brigden, Frazier Chorus

| prev_title = Sue

| prev_year = 1989

| next_title = Wide Awake

| next_year = 1995

| misc = {{Singles

| name = Ray

| type = Studio

| single1 = Cloud 8

| single1date = 1990

| single2 = Nothing

| single2date = 1990

| single3 = Walking on Air

| single3date = 1991

}}

Ray is the second album by the English pop group Frazier Chorus, released in 1991 by Virgin Records.{{cite journal |last1=Lester |first1=Paul |title=Ray by Frazier Chorus |journal=Melody Maker |date=Mar 9, 1991 |volume=67 |issue=10 |page=31}}{{cite journal |last1=Mandava |first1=Bhargavi C. |title=Cloudland — Ray by the Frazier Chorus |journal=The Village Voice |date=21 May 1991 |volume=36 |issue=21 |page=78}} A limited edition version of the LP and CD included The Baby Album, a four track bonus remix disc. The four bonus remixes were also appended to the end of the cassette edition. The songs were written by Tim Freeman.{{cite news |last1=Jancik |first1=Wayne |title=Band is study in contrasts |work=Chicago Sun-Times |date=July 14, 1991 |department=Show |page=2}}

Critical reception

{{Music ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1Score = {{Rating|2.5|5}}

}}

The St. Petersburg Times opined: "What seems at first play to aspire to be little more than a collection of richly produced but understated songs turns out to be a peculiar, ambitious combination of sweet instrumentation and perversely harsh lyrics."{{cite news |last1=Carey |first1=Jean |title=Rays of Charm and Intrigue |work=St. Petersburg Times |date=12 Apr 1991 |department=Weekend |page=17}} The Boston Globe wrote that "there's mostly, hushed, seductive vocals coasting along lolling, mid-tempo rhythms and consistently ingratiating melodies: wave upon ever-shifting wave"; the paper named it one of the best albums of 1991.{{cite news |last1=Sullivan |first1=Jim |title=Record Review |work=The Boston Globe |date=2 May 1991}}{{cite news |title=Top 10 Records of 1991 |work=The Boston Globe |date=19 Dec 1991 |department=Calendar |page=14}} The State determined that "Frazier Chorus may specialize in synth pop lite, but there's a certain atmospheric artiness that seduces the listener with its simplicity."{{cite news |last1=Miller |first1=Michael |title=New Releases |work=The State |date=May 3, 1991 |location=Columbia |page=10D}}

Track listing

{{track listing

| headline =

| writing_credits =

| total_length = 36:28

| all_writing = Tim Freeman

| title1 = Cloud 8

| length1 = 3:46

| title2 = Heaven

| length2 = 3:54

| title3 = We Love You

| length3 = 3:39

| title4 = Never Wake Up

| length4 = 3:43

| title5 = All the Air

| length5 = 3:24

| title6 = Walking on Air

| length6 = 3:02

| title7 = Nothing

| length7 = 4:23

| title8 = The Telephone

| length8 = 3:52

| title9 = Here He Comes Again

| length9 = 3:22

| title10 = Prefer You Dead

| length10 = 3:29

}}

=''The Baby Album''=

{{track listing

| headline =

| writing_credits =

| total_length = 19:23

| all_writing =

| title1 = Cloud 8 (Raid Mix)

| length1 = 4:45

| title2 = Nothing (Raid Mix)

| length2 = 6:26

| title3 = Heaven (God Like Instrumental)

| length3 = 4:27

| title4 = Walking on Air (Dub Instrumental)

| length4 = 3:48

}}

Personnel

;Frazier Chorus

Chris Taplin – programming, guitar
Kate Holmes – woodwind, EWI, vocals
Tim Freeman – keyboards, vocals

;Additional musicians

Roddy Lorimer – flugel horn
Mae McKenna – backing vocals
Mark Feltham – harmonica
Reggae Philharmonic Orchestra – strings
Louis Jardim – percussion
Greg Fitzgerald – backing vocals
Michael Timoney – piano
Chris Haigh – fiddle

;Technical

Ian Broudie – producer (tracks 1–6, 8–10)
Cenzo Townsend – engineer
Clif Brigden – co-producer (track 7)
Frazier Chorus – co-producer (track 7)
Gordon Vicary – mastering
Michael Nash Associates – design
Platon Antoniou – portraits
Paul Oakenfold – remixing (The Baby Album: tracks 1–2)
Steve Osborne – engineer (The Baby Album: tracks 1–2)
Youth – remixing (The Baby Album: tracks 3–4)

Chart performance

class="wikitable sortable"

!Chart

!Peak
position

UK Albums Chart

|align="center"|66

References

{{Reflist|refs=

{{ cite web | first=Ned | last=Raggett | title=Review: Frazier Chorus - Ray | url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r7770/review|pure_url=yes}} | work=AllMusic | publisher=Rovi Corporation | accessdate=17 January 2011 }}

{{ cite web | first= | last= | title=Frazier Chorus - Ray | url=https://www.officialcharts.com/search/albums/Ray | work=Official Charts Company | publisher= | accessdate=18 January 2011 }}

}}

External links

=[[Music video]]s from ''Ray''=

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YR1I1fWCj6s 1. "Cloud 8"]
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mukuh1Z7Hus 2. "Heaven"]
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZIvOy69RXI 7. "Nothing"]

Category:1991 albums

Category:Charisma Records albums

Category:Frazier Chorus albums

Category:Virgin Records albums