Peace at Last (The Blue Nile album)
1996 studio album by The Blue Nile
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Peace at Last is the third studio album by Scottish band The Blue Nile, released on 10 June 1996 via Warner Bros. Records.
| Peace at Last | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 10 June 1996 | |||
| Genre | Sophisti-pop[1] | |||
| Length | 44:53 | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Producer | The Blue Nile | |||
| The Blue Nile chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Peace at Last | ||||
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| Audio sample | ||||
Happiness | ||||
Following the reissue of their first two albums in 2012 as 2-CD deluxe editions, Peace at Last was also reissued in a similar 2-CD version on 3 March 2014.
Background
Peace at Last was a considerable musical departure for the band, marking a shift towards a more acoustic sound.[2] Unlike their prior two albums A Walk Across the Rooftops and Hats, which featured electronic instrumentation almost exclusively, Peace at Last was primarily driven by Paul Buchanan's acoustic guitar. A gospel choir made a brief appearance on the lead single, "Happiness".
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B[4] |
| The Guardian | [5] |
| The Irish Times | [6] |
| Mojo | [7] |
| NME | 3/10[8] |
| Q | [9] |
| Record Collector | [10] |
| Rolling Stone | [11] |
| Uncut | 7/10[2] |
Critical reaction to Peace at Last was mixed.[12] Despite some initial high praise, including a five-star review from Q, in the years following the album's release it remained largely overshadowed by A Walk Across the Rooftops and Hats.[13]
Track listing
All songs written by Paul Buchanan, except where noted.
- "Happiness" – 4:39
- "Tomorrow Morning" – 4:15
- "Sentimental Man" – 5:05
- "Love Came Down" – 3:35
- "Body and Soul" – 5:16
- "Holy Love" – 2:42
- "Family Life" – 5:21
- "War Is Love" – 3:33
- "God Bless You Kid" (Robert Bell, Buchanan) – 4:56
- "Soon" – 5:27
2014 Remastered Collector's Edition CD bonus disc
- "Soon" (Laurel Canyon Mix) – 5:30
- "War Is Love" (New Vocal Mix) – 4:46
- "Turn Yourself Around" (Bell, Buchanan) – 4:46
- "Holy Love" (Picture Mix) – 4:03
- "A Certain Kind of Angel" (Bell, Buchanan) (unreleased demo) – 5:06
- "There Was a Girl" – 5:28
Personnel
The Blue Nile:
- Robert Bell – bass, synthesizer
- Paul Buchanan – vocals, guitar, synthesizer
- Paul Joseph Moore – keyboards, synthesizer
Additional musicians:
- Craig Armstrong – string orchestration ("Family Life")
- Calum Malcolm – keyboard
- Eddie Tate & Friends – gospel choir ("Happiness")
- Nigel Thomas – drums
Technical:
Charts
| Chart (1996) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[14] | 46 |
| Scottish Albums (Official Charts)[15] | 3 |
| UK Albums (Official Charts)[16] | 13 |
| US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[17] | 48 |