Eye (Robyn Hitchcock album)

Eye
Studio album by
Robyn Hitchcock
ReleasedMarch 12, 1990
Recorded1989–90
StudioHyde Street Studios, San Francisco
GenreFolk rock
Length63:57
LabelTwin/Tone
Robyn Hitchcock chronology
Queen Elvis
(1989) 		Eye
(1990) 		Perspex Island
(1991)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Chicago Sun-Times[2]
Chicago Tribune[3]
Entertainment WeeklyA−[4]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[5]
Select4/5[6]

Eye is the eighth studio album and fourth solo album by Robyn Hitchcock. It was released in 1990 on Glass Fish (UK) and Twin/Tone Records (US). This was Hitchcock's only solo album released between 1985 and 1995, a period in which he recorded most of his music with his backing band, the Egyptians.

Eye was recorded acoustically in the style of I Often Dream of Trains (1984) with which it shares a similar green/gold sleeve design, and could therefore be seen as a sequel piece. Eye is entirely self-composed and ran to fourteen songs (vinyl) and eighteen (CD). Hitchcock plays all instruments (mostly guitars), and sings all the vocals.

Eye was reissued in 1995 by Rhino and added the tracks "Raining Twilight Coast (demo)", "Agony of Pleasure (demo)", and "Queen Elvis (demo)". A third CD edition saw the previous demo bonus tracks dropped, along with "College of Ice", while adding yet more.

Track listing

All songs written by Robyn Hitchcock.

Side one

  1. "Cynthia Mask" – 4:35
  2. "Certainly Clickot" – 2:14
  3. "Queen Elvis" – 4:22
  4. "Flesh Cartoons" – 4:22
  5. "Chinese Water Python" – 2:12
  6. "Executioner" – 3:43
  7. "Linctus House" – 5:12

Side two

  1. "Beautiful Girl" – 2:12
  2. "Raining Twilight Coast" – 4:38
  3. "Clean Steve" – 3:51
  4. "Agony of Pleasure" – 2:23
  5. "Glass Hotel" – 3:26
  6. "Satellite" – 1:43
  7. "Aquarium" – 4:19

1st issue CD bonus tracks

  1. "Sweet Ghost of Light" – 3:07
  2. "College of Ice" – 3:41
  3. "Transparent Lover" – 3:35
  4. "Queen Elvis II" – 4:37

2nd issue CD bonus tracks (Rhino Records 1995)

  1. "Sweet Ghost of Light" – 3:07
  2. "College of Ice" – 3:41
  3. "Transparent Lover" – 3:35
  4. "Queen Elvis II" – 4:22
  5. "Raining Twilight Coast" (Demo) – 4:38
  6. "Agony of Pleasure" (Demo) – 2:40
  7. "Queen Elvis" (Demo) – 4:32

3rd issue CD bonus tracks (Yep Roc Records 2007)

  1. "Sweet Ghost of Light" – 3:07
  2. "Transparent Lover" – 3:35
  3. "Queen Elvis II" – 4:22
  4. "Century" – 3:41
  5. "Shimmering Distant Love" – 3:21
  6. "Lovers Turn to Skulls" – 1:40
  7. "The Beauty of Earls Court" – 3:59
The sleeve notes erroneously omit the first two bonus tracks.
"College of Ice", "Raining Twilight Coast" (Demo), "Queen Elvis" (Demo) moved to "While Thatcher Mauled Britain".
"Agony of Pleasure" (Demo) dropped.

References

  1. ^ Deming, Mark. "Eye – Robyn Hitchcock". AllMusic. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  2. ^ McLeese, Don (2 April 1990). "Robyn Hitchcock, 'Eye' (Twin/Tone)". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
  3. ^ Kot, Greg (10 May 1990). "Robyn Hitchcock: Eye (Twin/Tone)". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
  4. ^ Sandow, Greg (16 March 1990). "Eye". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
  5. ^ Considine, J. D. (2004). "Robyn Hitchcock". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 378–380. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  6. ^ Collis, Clark (July 1995). "Robyn Hitchcock: Eye / You & Oblivion / Invisible Hitchcock". Select. No. 61. p. 101.