Do It Yourself (The Seahorses album)

Do It Yourself
Studio album by
The Seahorses
Released26 May 1997[1]
RecordedAutumn 1996
StudioRoyaltone Studios, North Hollywood, California
GenreAlternative rock
Length45:35
LabelGeffen
ProducerTony Visconti
Singles from Do It Yourself
  1. "Love Is the Law"
    Released: 28 April 1997[2]
  2. "Blinded by the Sun"
    Released: 14 July 1997[3]
  3. "Love Me and Leave Me"
    Released: 29 September 1997[4]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[5]
The List[6]
Los Angeles Times[7]
NME5/10[8]
Pitchfork6.7/10[9]
Rolling Stone[10]
Uncut[11]

Do It Yourself is the only album by the Seahorses, an English alternative rock band that John Squire, formerly guitarist in the Stone Roses formed. The album's cover features a photograph of Squire's 1996 sculpture in the shape of globe made of puzzle pieces and also named Do It Yourself.

The album was released to mixed-to-positive reviews, but was well received by the British public. It entered the UK Albums Chart at #2, behind Gary Barlow's solo debut Open Road, and went on to gain platinum status after selling over 300,000 copies in the UK alone. The album featured three charting UK singles: "Love Is the Law" (No. 3), "Blinded by the Sun" (No. 7), and "Love Me and Leave Me" (No. 16), the latter of which was Liam Gallagher's first songwriting credit. NME readers voted The Seahorses the fourth best new act of 1997;[12] Guitarist magazine readers voted Do It Yourself the tenth-best album of the year.[13]

A short UK tour in December 1997, with support from American alternative rock band Third Eye Blind, promoted the album's release, as did subsequent support slots with The Rolling Stones, U2 and Oasis.[14] Ongoing recording sessions, which yielded the 1997 single "You Can Talk to Me" (UK #15, US Modern Rock Tracks #30), were aborted in January 1999, and the band split soon after, without completing the planned follow-up to Do It Yourself.[14]

  1. ^ "The Seahorses - Albums". Virgin Media. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
  2. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 26 April 1997. p. 33.
  3. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 12 July 1997. p. 31.
  4. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 27 September 1997. p. 37.
  5. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. Do It Yourself at AllMusic
  6. ^ Shepherd, Fiona (13 June 1997). "Music - record reviews". The List (307): 53. Retrieved 14 February 2017.
  7. ^ Scribner, Sara (15 June 1997). "In Brief". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
  8. ^ Mulvey, John (24 May 1997). "Seahorses - Do It Yourself". NME. Archived from the original on 17 August 2000. Retrieved 14 February 2017.
  9. ^ Pitchfork Media review [dead link‍]
  10. ^ Rolling Stone review[dead link‍]
  11. ^ Simpson, Dave (June 1997). "Horse platitudes". Uncut. No. 1. p. 94.
  12. ^ "Pop Poll". NME. 1997. Retrieved 4 February 2012. Archived at rocklistmusic.co.uk.
  13. ^ "Best of 1997". Guitarist. February 1998.
  14. ^ a b "Ex-Seahorses Singer Chris Helme On Life With John Squire and His Solo Future". live4ever. 6 Jan, 2011. Retrieved 4 February 2012.