Native Place

For the geographical and social concept, see native place.

1990 studio album by the Railway Children

Native Place

Studio album by

the Railway Children

Released| 1990
Studio| Townhouse, Battery (London)
Label| Virgin[1]
Producer| Steve Lovell, Steve Power
The Railway Children chronology
| Recurrence
(1988)  | Native Place
(1990)  | Radio One Evening Sessions
(1993)

|
|

Native Place is an album by the English band the Railway Children, released in 1990.[2][3] The band broke up after the album's release, in part due to EMI's acquisition of Virgin Records.[4]

The album peaked at No. 59 on the UK Albums Chart.[5] "Every Beat of the Heart" peaked at No. 1 on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart.[6] The band promoted the album by touring with the Heart Throbs.[7][8]

## Production

[edit]

The album was produced by Steve Lovell and Steve Power.[9] It was recorded over a period of four months, to the annoyance of chief songwriter Gary Newby.[10]

## Critical reception

[edit]

Professional ratingsReview scores

Source| Rating
AllMusic| [11]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music| [12]
Select| [13]

Trouser Press wrote: "No longer an unassuming pop group, the Railway Children are growing into dance-oriented chart hacks."[14] The Washington Post opined that "Native Place is not brave or powerful or important, but it's seriously listenable."[15]

The Daily Breeze determined that the album "leans more toward guitar-oriented pop, boasting strong melodies, airy textures and a sunny optimism."[10] The Dayton Daily News stated that "the group's sound recalls the jangling guitars of the Byrds combined with a sweeping keyboard sound from the early '80s."[16]

AllMusic wrote that "the slick production and sunny synths couldn't leech the buoyancy and emotional impact from the poetic, romantic songwriting and warm harmonies of Gary Newby."[11] MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide deemed Native Place "one of the definitive pop albums of the early '90s ... Newby's gentle vocals are flawless."[9]

## Track listing

[edit]

All tracks are written by Gary Newby

No.| Title| Length

|
|

1.| "Every Beat of the Heart"| 4:08
2.| "Music Stop"| 4:00
3.| "You're Young"| 4:32
4.| "Because"| 4:45
5.| "Cotton Counting"| 1:59
6.| "It's Heaven"| 3:34
7.| "Something So Good"| 4:14
8.| "Collide"| 4:16
9.| "Native Place"| 3:53
10.| "Fall On"| 1:27
11.| "Harbour Force"| 3:58
12.| "Blue Sky"| 4:06

## Personnel

[edit]

The Railway Children

* Gary Newby - vocals, lead guitar, keyboards, artwork, sleeve design
* Brian Bateman - rhythm guitar
* Stephen Hull - bass
* Guy Keegan - drums, percussion

with:

* Matt Irving - additional keyboards, accordion
* Matthew Taylor - saxophone on "Because"

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "The Railway Children Native Place Virgin". Entertainment. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. August 19, 1990. p. 2.
2. ^ "Railway Children Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
3. ^ Simpson, Dave (Jul 7, 1990). "Album: The Railway Children". Melody Maker. Vol. 66, no. 27\. p. 38.
4. ^ Nowell, Andrew (March 11, 2016). "Railway Children are back on track". Arts Culture and Entertainment. Wigan Evening Post.
5. ^ "Railway Children Full Official Chart History". Official Charts.
6. ^ Whitburn, Joel (March 27, 2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Rock Tracks 1981-2008. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN 9780898201741.
7. ^ Eichenberger, Bill (November 8, 1990). "'The Heart Throbs' Evoke Mixed Emotions". Weekender. The Columbus Dispatch. p. 8.
8. ^ Brown, G. (9 Nov 1990). "Heart Throbs' sound garnering accolades". The Denver Post. p. 19F.
9. ^ a b MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 916.
10. ^ a b Okamoto, Shari (November 2, 1990). "Railway Children on track with 'Native Place' album". Daily Breeze. p. E10.
11. ^ a b "Native Place". AllMusic.
12. ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 6\. MUZE. p. 745.
13. ^ Terry, Nick (July 1990). "Tunnel Vision". Select. p. 85.
14. ^ "Railway Children". Trouser Press. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
15. ^ Jenkins, Mark (23 Nov 1990). "Railway Children Cut Tuneful Tracks". The Washington Post. p. N20.
16. ^ Larsen, Dave (November 11, 1990). "Manchester Plays Home to New English Sounds". Dayton Daily News. p. 1C.

*[No.]: Number