Rotund for Success

Rotund for Success
Studio album by
Severed Heads
Released1989
Recorded1988
GenresEDM, synth-pop
Length49:54
LabelsNettwerk
Volition
ProducersTom Ellard, Robert Racic
Severed Heads chronology
Bad Mood Guy
(1987)		 Rotund for Success
(1989)		 Cuisine (With Piscatorial)
(1991)
Singles from Rotund for Success
  1. "Greater Reward"
    Released: 1988
  2. "All Saints Day"
    Released: 1989
  3. "Big Car"
    Released: 1990
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStar

Rotund for Success is a studio album by the Australian electronic music group Severed Heads, released in 1989. Three singles were released from the album: "Greater Reward", "All Saints Day" and "Big Car", the first two reaching the top 30 on Billboard's Dance Club Songs chart. Much like the rest of the band's discography, the album has been issued many times in several formats through a variety of labels.

Critical reception

Trouser Press wrote that "[Tom] Ellard’s lyrical sensibility is typically off-kilter and flashes of a twisted mind do erupt now and again in the mix, but the diminution of musical disturbance and the elimination of the band’s creative challenge is most disturbing." Option wrote that "each song has a catchy simple melody defined by a 'cheap & nasty synthesizer with knobs.'"

Track listing

All tracks are written by Tom Ellard.

Side One
No.TitleLength
1."All Saints Day"5:23
2."Triangle Tangle Tango"4:07
3."Bad Times Too"4:00
4."Midget Sings"3:17
5."Seven Miles"3:51
6."Greater Reward"4:15
Side Two
No.TitleLength
1."Big Car Intro"2:29
2."Big Car"6:56
3."First Steps"4:07
4."Rotund for Success"3:24
5."L.F.M."4:57
6."Chasing Skirt"3:18
CD edition bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
13."All Saints Day (Original Mix)"4:24
14."Bad Times Three"5:25
Total length:59:43
2002 Sevcom CD-R bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
15."Star Spangled Bradbury (Prank Caller Bratbury)"4:35
16."Bombs Fell (Mindless Delta Scratch)"3:21
17."Lovesick Fascist Meatloaf"4:49
18."Rich Baby (Balloon Folding Soundtrack)"6:08
Total length:78:36
2004 LTM CD bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
15."Star Spangled Bradbury"4:35
16."Bombs Fell"3:21
17."L.F.M (Part Two)"4:49
Total length:72:28

2021 Medical Records 2LP reissue

Side One
No.TitleLength
1."All Saints Day"5:25
2."Triangle Tango Tango"4:07
3."Bad Times Too"3:58
4."Midget Sings"3:09
5."Seven Miles"3:53
Side Two
No.TitleLength
1."Big Car Intro"2:29
2."Big Car"6:54
3."First Steps"4:06
4."Rotund for Success"3:23
5."LFM"4:57
Side Three
No.TitleLength
1."All Saints Day Original"4:19
2."Bad Times Three"5:22
3."The Star Spangled Bradbury"3:08
4."LFM Dub"4:18
5."Chasing Skirt"3:18
Side Four
No.TitleLength
1."Greater Reward"4:16
2."Greater Dub"7:12
3."Big Car Crash"7:44
Total length:1:21:58

Personnel

Release history

Region Date Label Format Catalog Release Notes
Australia 1989 Nettwerk LP W1-30035 First vinyl pressing
Volition Records VOLT 028
North America Nettwerk CS W4-30035 First cassette pressing, same track list as the vinyl edition
CD W2-30035 First CD pressing, includes two extra tracks not included on the vinyl and cassette editions
Europe Volition Records VOLT 028
Australia 2002 Sevcom CD-R N/A Sevcom CD-R reissue, includes four extra tracks, including the 1989 CD edition bonus tracks
United Kingdom 2004 LTM CD LTMCD 2404 LTM CD reissue, includes three extra tracks plus the 1989 CD edition bonus tracks
United States 2021 Medical Records 2LP MR-089 Expanded version, with several bonus tracks from previous (re)issues, plus two 12" single remixes

References

  1. 1 2 "Severed Heads". Trouser Press. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
  2. ↑ Cooper, William. "Rotund For Success review". allmusic.com. All Media Network, LLC. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
  3. ↑ "Encyclopedia entry for 'Severed Heads'". 5 June 2004. Archived from the original on 5 June 2004.
  4. ↑ "Severed Heads". Billboard. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
  5. ↑ "Reviews". Option. 30–35: 114. 1990.