Circus Maximus (Momus album)

Circus Maximus
Studio album by
Momus
Released15 January 1986
RecordedSeptember 1985
StudioAlaska Studio
GenreFolk, indie
Length33:47
Labelél Records
ProducerMomus
Momus chronology
Circus Maximus
(1986) 		The Poison Boyfriend
(1987)
Singles from Circus Maximus
  1. "Nicky"
    Released: 1986
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic [1]

Circus Maximus is the debut album by Scottish musician Momus, released on 15 January 1986[2] on Creation Records. It deals primarily with Biblical and Ancient Roman themes,[3] making reference to figures such as Saul, St. Sebastian, Lucretia, and Solomon. The title, Circus Maximus, refers to the ancient Roman chariot racing and entertainment venue of the same name.

Background and influences

The Guardian has characterised the lyrical content of Circus Maximus as a "skewed reading of certain classical and biblical themes," adding that "the urgent, whispering [Momus] professes himself a masochistic St. Sebastian ('preferring the ache to the aspirin') and sings of 'The Rape of Lucretia' like a Morrissey who had not stopped at an enthusiasm for Oscar Wilde but mined the whole decadent tradition: Pater, Swinburne, Huysmans."[4]

Track listing

All songs written by Nicholas Currie (Momus).

  1. "Lucky Like St. Sebastian" - 3:19
  2. "The Lesson Of Sodom (According To Lot)" - 3:43
  3. "John The Baptist Jones" - 3:12
  4. "King Solomon's Song And Mine" - 3:17
  5. "Little Lord Obedience" - 5:13
  6. "The Day The Circus Came To Town" - 3:25
  7. "The Rape Of Lucretia" - 4:57
  8. "Paper Wraps Rock" - 3:58
  9. "Rules Of The Game Of Quoits" - 4:03
  10. "Nicky" - 4:16
  11. "Don't Leave" - 3:35
  12. "See A Friend In Tears" - 4:12

Personnel

  • Backing Vocals – Jane Davies
  • Engineer – Noël Thomson
  • Producer – Momus
  • Synthesizer [Emulator 2] – Neill Martin[5]

References

  1. ^ Taylor, Ken. "[1]", AllMusic. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
  2. ^ "Circus Maximus". Google Play. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
  3. ^ Currie, Nicholas. "Click Opera". iMomus. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
  4. ^ Dillon, Brian (18 September 2009). "Momus aka Nick Currie has written his first novel. Brian Dillon salutes him". the Guardian. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
  5. ^ "Discogs entry". Discogs. 3 October 1986. Retrieved 17 February 2018.