Every Man and Woman Is a Star

Every Man and Woman Is a Star is the second album by British electronic music duo Ultramarine. The original 1991 version, released by Brainiak Records, featured 12 tracks, while a subsequent 1992 reissue on Rough Trade featured two additional tracks.

Every Man and Woman Is a Star
Studio album by
Ultramarine
Released1991
Genre
Length70:50 (1992 release)
LabelBrainiak
ProducerUltramarine
Ultramarine chronology
Folk
(1989)		 Every Man and Woman Is a Star
(1991)		 United Kingdoms
(1993)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Mojo[3]
Q[4]
Select4/5[5]
Uncut[6]

AllMusic described the album as "an early ambient-techno classic."[1] The album's pastoral sound and incorporation of traditional instruments such as violin and harmonica have led critics to credit it as a progenitor of the folktronica genre.[2]

Background

According to Cooper, the duo used the Akai S900 sampler to create tracks: "to be able to experiment and write loop-based tracks opened new worlds of possibilities for us. We could gather ‘70s west coast musicians for an acoustic backing track and write synth melodies on top whilst never leaving the bedroom in New Cross."[7] In a 2015 interview, Hammond recalled the process of recording the original album demos: "it came together so effortlessly. We still feel great warmth for the record and for the period it was made in."[8]

In 2003, a remixed and expanded version of the album entitled Companion was released. This included alternative mixes (from 1990 to 1993) and live versions of the original album tracks as well as all tracks from the 1992 EP Nightfall in Sweetleaf.

The 2015 reissue of the album on Rough Trade was prompted by label head Geoff Travis.[8]

The phrase "Every man and woman is a star" is originally attributed to Aleister Crowley and is found in The Book of the Law.[9][10]

Reception

Critic Simon Reynolds called the album "the first and best stab at that seeming contradiction-in-terms, pastoral techno," likening it to "acid house suffused with the folky-jazzy ambience of Roy Harper, John Martyn, and the Canterbury Scene."[11] AllMusic called it "a warmly melodic LP of home-listening electronica produced just before the term was coined."[1] PopMatters stated that the album "fit right in with the psychedelic, ethereal 'ambient house' or 'chill out' music of acts like the Orb, KLF, and Aphex Twin," describing the duo as nature-loving would-be hippies who [...] translated that pastoral ethos into music that was full of breezy, midtempo rhythms and shaded in with traditional instruments like violin and harmonica."[2]

Track listing

Original version (1991)
  1. "Discovery" – 4:26
  2. "Weird Gear" – 5:09
  3. "Pansy" – 5:16
  4. "Honey" – 5:07
  5. "Stella" – 4:24
  6. "Geezer" – 6:32
  7. "Panther" – 4:44
  8. "British Summertime" – 8:45
  9. "Lights in My Brain" – 5:34
  10. "Gravity" – 4:35
  11. "Canoe Trip" – 2.41
  12. "Skyclad" – 5:28

Reissue (1992)
  1. "Discovery" – 4:26
  2. "Weird Gear" – 5:09
  3. "Pansy" – 5:16
  4. "Honey" – 5:07
  5. "Stella" – 4:24
  6. "British Summertime" – 6:45
  7. "Saratoga" – 5:02
  8. "Geezer" – 6:32
  9. "Nova Scotia" – 5:07
  10. "Panther" – 4:44
  11. "Lights in My Brain" – 5:34
  12. "Gravity" – 4:35
  13. "Canoe Trip" – 2:41
  14. "Skyclad" – 5:28

Companion (2003)
  1. "Intro" – 1:05
  2. "Weird Gear" (US Remix by Ultramarine) – 3:46
  3. "Lights in My Brain" (Spooky Remix) – 6:25
  4. "Geezer" (Sweet Exorcist Remix) – 6:01
  5. "The Downer" – 1:07
  6. "Panther" (Coco Steel & Lovebomb Remix) – 5:46
  7. "Outro" – 1:33
  8. "My First Canoe Trip" – 3:10
  9. "Early Discovery" – 4:34
  10. "Saratoga" (Remix) – 4:58
  11. "Stella Connects" (Edit) – 7:57
  12. "Lovelife #1" – 3:47
  13. "Nova Scotia" – 4:26
  14. "Old Geezer Dub" – 5:40
  15. "Pansy" (Live at Glastonbury) – 6:09

References
  1. Bush, John. "Every Man and Woman Is a Star – Ultramarine". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 June 2018.
  2. Bergstrom, John. "Ultramarine: This Time Last Year". PopMatters. Retrieved 31 March 2019.
  3. "Ultramarine: Every Man and Woman Is a Star". Mojo: 110. [T]he album remains a total delight, now bolstered by the addition of a Peel session.
  4. "Ultramarine: Every Man and Woman Is a Star". Q (195): 134. October 2002.
  5. Kessler, Ted (December 1991). "Ultramarine: Every Man and Woman Is a Star". Select (18): 77.
  6. "Ultramarine: Every Man and Woman Is a Star". Uncut (64): 122. September 2002.
  7. Boddy, Paul. "ULTRAMARINE Interview". The Electricity Club. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
  8. Gourley, Bob. "Ultramarine Return - Paul Hammond Interview". Chaos Control. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  9. Aleister Crowley quotes
  10. Archived 2008-02-26 at the Wayback Machine Every Man And Woman Is A Star - [tmbchr]
  11. Reynolds, Simon (2012). Energy Flash: A Journey Through Rave Music and Dance Culture. Soft Skull Press. p. 176.


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