{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}} {{Infobox album | name = Sonic Flower Groove | type = studio | artist = [[Primal Scream]] | cover = Sonic_Groove_Flower_album_cover.jpg | alt = | released = {{Start date|1987|10|05|df=yes}} | recorded = | venue = | studio = | genre = {{flatlist| * [[Indie pop]] * [[folk rock]] * [[jangle pop]] * [[neo-psychedelia]] }} | length = 34:18 | label = [[Elevation Records|Elevation]] | producer = {{flatlist| * [[Mayo Thompson]] * Colin Fairley * [[Clive Langer]] }} | prev_title = | prev_year = | next_title = [[Primal Scream (Primal Scream album)|Primal Scream]] | next_year = 1989 | misc = {{Singles | name = Sonic Flower Groove | type = studio | single1 = Gentle Tuesday | single1date = June 1987 | single2 = Imperial | single2date = September 1987 }} }} '''''Sonic Flower Groove''''' is the debut [[studio album]] by the Scottish [[rock music|rock]] band [[Primal Scream]], released on 5 October 1987 by [[Elevation Records]]. [[Mayo Thompson]] of [[Red Krayola]] was the producer of the album, after work with [[Stephen Street]] did not please the band.<ref name="Green">Green, Jim; Aswad, Jem & Neate, Wilson "[http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=primal_scream Primal Scream]", ''[[Trouser Press]]'', retrieved 2010-07-04</ref> Musically, ''Sonic Flower Groove'' features psychedelic, [[The Byrds|Byrdsy]] [[jangle pop]], being the only Primal Scream album to feature founding member [[Jim Beattie (musician)|Jim Beattie]] (credited as Jim Navajo).
The album sold well enough to reach number 62 on the [[UK Albums Chart]],<ref name="UKchart"/> but performed poorly by major-label standards.<ref name="Strong">Strong, Martin C. (2002) "The Great Rock Discography (6th edition)", Canongate, {{ISBN|1-84195-312-1}}</ref> The disappointment was a major reason for the original Primal Scream splitting up shortly after ''Sonic Flower Groove'', leaving vocalist [[Bobby Gillespie]] and the guitar duo of [[Andrew Innes]] and [[Robert Young (musician)|Robert "Throb" Young]] to reorganize the band.
==Critical reception== {{Music ratings | rev1 = [[AllMusic]] | rev1score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref name="Raggett">Raggett, Ned "[http://www.allmusic.com/album/sonic-flower-groove-r214883/review ''Sonic Flower Groove'' Review]", [[Allmusic]], retrieved 2010-07-04</ref> | rev2 = ''[[The Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]'' | rev2score = {{Rating|2|5}}<ref>{{cite book|first=Colin|last=Larkin|author-link=Colin Larkin|chapter=Primal Scream|title=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_NNmFiUnSmUC&q=primal+scream&pg=PA324|publisher=[[Omnibus Press]]|year=2011|isbn=9780857125958}}</ref> | rev3 = ''[[The Great Rock Discography]]'' | rev3score = 5/10<ref>{{cite book |last=Strong |first=Martin C.|author-link=Martin C. Strong |title= [[The Great Rock Discography]]|chapter=Primal Scream|date=2004|edition=7th|publisher=[[Canongate Books]] |page=[https://archive.org/details/greatrockdiscogr0000stro_r9o1/page/1212/mode/1up 1211–1212]|isbn=1-84195-615-5}}</ref> | rev5 = ''[[MusicHound Rock]]'' | rev5Score = {{rating|2|5}}<ref>{{cite book|editor1-last=Graff|editor1-first=Gary|editor2-last=Durchholz |editor2-first=Daniel|title=MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide |publisher=Visible Ink Press|year=1999|isbn=1-57859-061-2|chapter=Primal Scream|page=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781578590612/page/896/mode/1up 896]}}</ref> | rev6 = ''[[NME]]'' | rev6score = favourable<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Edwin|last=Pouncey|magazine=[[NME]]|title=Primal Scream: ''Sonic Flower Groove''|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/nothingelseon/51984943456/|date=1987-10-03|access-date=2024-07-19}}</ref> | rev7 = ''[[Record Mirror]]'' | rev7score = 3/5<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Stuart|last=Bailie|magazine=[[Record Mirror]]|title=Primal Scream: ''Sonic Flower Groove''|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/57779449@N02/52858385477|volume=34|date=1987-10-10|access-date=2024-07-19}}</ref> | rev8 = ''[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide]]'' | rev8score = {{Rating|2|5}}<ref>{{cite book |chapter=Primal Scream |last=Sheffield |first=Rob |author-link=Rob Sheffield |title=[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide|The New Rolling Stone Album Guide]] |year=2004 |publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]] |edition=4th |editor1-last=Brackett |editor1-first=Nathan |editor2-last=Hoard |editor2-first=Christian |isbn=0-7432-0169-8 |page=[https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac/page/654 654] }}</ref> | rev9 = ''[[Select (magazine)|Select]]'' | rev9score = 4/5<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Perry |first=Andrew |title=Primal Scream: ''Sonic Flower Groove'' |url=https://selectmagazinescans.monkeon.co.uk/showpage.php?file=wp-content/uploads/2014/11/reissues2.jpg|magazine=[[Select (magazine)|Select]] |issue=14 |date=August 1991 |page=78|access-date=2024-07-19}}</ref> | rev10 = ''[[Sounds (magazine)|Sounds]]'' | rev10score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Wilkinson |first=Roy |date=1987-10-10 |title=Primal Scream: ''Sonic Flower Groove'' (Elevation ELV2) *** |url=https://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/primal-scream-isonic-flower-groovei-elevation-elv2- |access-date=2024-07-19|magazine=[[Sounds (magazine)|Sounds]]}}</ref> }} At the time of its release, critical reception was mixed. ''Underground'' called it "a real gem of a debut album" and "one that's sure to top all the polls come the end of the year", but others were less impressed. ''[[Melody Maker]]'' were impressed with "Gentle Tuesday" but said "the rest is not pop. It is dandelion fluff", stating that the album was "swamped with problems" with "no songs, just a dusty pile of dull leftovers".<ref name="Wilde">Wilde, Jon (1987) "Primal Scream ''Sonic Flower Groove''", ''[[Melody Maker]]'', 3 October 1987</ref>
A later [[AllMusic]] review called it "one goofy headscratcher of a release, the sound of a band that didn't quite know exactly what to do yet trying to record a big-budget (of sorts) debut album and ending up with little more than a pristine but dull photocopy of ''[[Turn! Turn! Turn! (album)|Turn! Turn! Turn!]]''".<ref name="Raggett" /> In 2002, the ''[[Evening Times]]'' stated that it is "now regarded as a retro masterpiece".<ref name="Middleton">Middleton, Fraser (2002) "Explosive; THEY SANG ABOUT BOMBING THE PENTAGON, THEN IT HAPPENED. SO WHAT NEXT FOR PRIMAL SCREAM?", ''[[Evening Times]]'', 12 December 2002, p. 124</ref>
==Track listing== {{Track listing | all_writing = [[Bobby Gillespie]] and [[Jim Beattie (musician)|Jim Beattie]], except where noted | title1 = Gentle Tuesday | length1 = 3:49 | title2 = Treasure Trip | length2 = 3:15 | title3 = May the Sun Shine Bright for You | length3 = 2:41 | title4 = Sonic Sister Love | length4 = 2:36 | title5 = Silent Spring | length5 = 3:52 | title6 = Imperial | length6 = 3:38 | title7 = Love You | length7 = 4:45 | title8 = Leaves | length8 = 3:32 | title9 = Aftermath | length9 = 2:47 | title10 = We Go Down Slowly Rising | length10 = 3:23 }} {{Track listing | headline = Japanese edition bonus tracks | title11 = Black Star Carnival | length11 = 2:39 | title12 = I'm Gonna Make You Mine | writer12 = William Carr, Carl D'Errico, [[Carole Bayer Sager]] | length12 = 2:12 | title13 = Star Fruit Surf Rider | length13 = 1:58 | title14 = [[So Sad About Us]] | writer14 = [[Pete Townshend]] | length14 = 4:17 | title15 = Imperial | note15 = demo | length15 = 3:43 }}
==Personnel== Credits adapted from liner notes. ;[[Primal Scream]] * [[Bobby Gillespie]] – lead and backing vocals * [[Jim Beattie (musician)|Jim Navajo]] – 12-string electric guitar * [[Robert Young (musician)|Robert Young]] – bass guitar * [[Andrew Innes]] – rhythm guitar
;Additional personnel * Dave Morgan – drums * Gavin Skinner – drums * [[Martin Duffy]] – piano * Frank Sweeney – viola
;Technical * Pat Collier – engineering *Helen Backhouse – design *[[Andrew Catlin]] – cover photography
==Charts== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |- !scope="col"| Chart !scope="col"| Peak<br />position |- {{album chart|UK2|62|date=19871011|rowheader=true|refname=UKchart|accessdate=4 March 2020}} |- |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{Discogs master|28338|Sonic Flower Groove}}
{{Primal Scream}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:1987 debut albums]] [[Category:Primal Scream albums]] [[Category:Albums produced by Mayo Thompson]] [[Category:Albums produced by Clive Langer]] [[Category:Jangle pop albums]]