Candleland

Candleland
Studio album by
Released26 September 1989
RecordedEarly 1989
StudioThe Church, Orinoco and Tower Bridge Studios, London; The Grande Armée, Paris
GenreAlternative rock
Length41:45
Label
ProducerRay Shulman
Ian McCulloch chronology
Candleland
(1989)
Mysterio
(1992)
Singles from Candleland
  1. "Proud to Fall"
    Released: 21 August 1989
  2. "Faith and Healing"
    Released: 6 November 1989
  3. "Candleland (The Second Coming)"
    Released: 30 April 1990

Candleland is the debut solo album by the English musician Ian McCulloch.[1] It was released on 26 September 1989.[2] The album marked McCulloch's departure from Echo & the Bunnymen, in 1989. It features a guest appearance by the Cocteau Twins' Elizabeth Fraser on the title song. The producer, and McCulloch's main musical collaborator on the album, was the producer, programmer, multi-instrumentalist, composer and vocalist Ray Shulman, bassist and main co-writer for 1970s progressive rock group Gentle Giant.[3] The album reached number 18 on the UK Albums Chart and number 179 on the Billboard 200.[4][5]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[6]
Chicago Tribune[7]

The Chicago Tribune noted that "the new material is even more brooding and self-reflective than usual".[7]

Track listing

All tracks written by Ian McCulloch.

  1. "The Flickering Wall" – 3:35
  2. "The White Hotel" – 3:15
  3. "Proud to Fall" – 3:57
  4. "The Cape" – 4:09
  5. "Candleland" – 3:18
  6. "Horse's Head" – 4:47
  7. "Faith and Healing" – 4:36
  8. "I Know You Well" – 4:06
  9. "In Bloom" – 5:02
  10. "Start Again" – 5:00

Personnel

References

  1. ^ Mico, Ted (23 September 1989). "Albums: Edge of Darkness". Melody Maker. Vol. 65, no. 38. p. 33.
  2. ^ Levy, Eleanor, ed. (23 September 1989). "This Week: Releases". Record Mirror. Vol. 36, no. 38. London, England, U.K.: Punch Publications. p. 39. ISSN 0144-5804. Archived from the original on 17 September 2025. Retrieved 17 September 2025. Ian McCulloch releases his first solo album, 'Candleland', on September 26.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  3. ^ "Ian McCulloch". Trouser Press.
  4. ^ Roberts, David, ed. (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). HIT Entertainment. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  5. ^ "Ian McCulloch". Billboard. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  6. ^ AllMusic review
  7. ^ a b Kot, Greg (21 December 1989). "Ian McCulloch Candleland". Tempo. Chicago Tribune. p. 13.