Do It Yourself (The Seahorses album)

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.

Do It Yourself
Studio album by The Seahorses
Released	26 May 1997[1]
Recorded	Royaltone Studios, North Hollywood, California, Autumn 1996
Genre	Alternative rock
Length	45:35
Label	Geffen Records
Producer	Tony Visconti
Singles from Do It Yourself
"Love Is the Law" Released: 28 April 1997 "Blinded by the Sun" Released: 14 July 1997 "Love Me and Leave Me" Released: 29 September 1997

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
The List	[3]
Los Angeles Times	[4]
NME	5/10[5]
Pitchfork	6.7/10[6]
Rolling Stone	[7]

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;[8] Guitarist magazine readers voted Do It Yourself the tenth-best album of the year.[9]

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.[10] 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.[10]

Track listing

All songs composed by John Squire unless otherwise noted.

1. "I Want You to Know" – 4:52 (Chris Helme, Stuart Fletcher)
2. "Blinded by the Sun" – 4:39 (Helme)
3. "Suicide Drive" – 3:31
4. "Boy in the Picture" – 2:54
5. "Love Is the Law" – 7:43
6. "Happiness is Egg-Shaped" – 3:45
7. "Love Me and Leave Me" – 3:55 (Squire, Liam Gallagher)
8. "Round the Universe" – 3:45
9. "1999" – 3:25
10. "Standing on Your Head" – 4:39
11. "Hello" – 2:22 (Helme)

Personnel

• Chris Helme - vocals, steel-string guitar, backing vocals
• John Squire - guitar
• Stuart Fletcher - bass guitar
• Andy Watts - drums, backing vocals
• Lili Haydn - violin
• Tony Visconti - production, mellotron, tambura, theremin
• Jeff Thomas - asst. engineer

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1997) Peak position New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[11] 38 Scottish Albums (OCC)[12] 1 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[13] 35 UK Albums (OCC)[14] 2 Year-end charts Chart (1997) Position UK Albums (OCC)[15] 32

Singles Single Chart (1997) Peak position "Love Is the Law" Canada Rock/Alternative (RPM)[16] 3 Ireland (IRMA)[17] 11 Scotland (OCC)[18] 1 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[19] 38 UK Singles (OCC)[20] 3 "Blinded by the Sun" Scotland (OCC)[21] 4 UK Singles (OCC)[22] 7 "Love Me and Leave Me" Scotland (OCC)[23] 6 UK Singles (OCC)[24] 16

References

1. "The Seahorses - Albums". Virgin Media. Retrieved 2013-10-15.
2. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. Do It Yourself at AllMusic
3. Shepherd, Fiona (13 June 1997). "Music - record reviews". The List (307): 53. Retrieved 14 February 2017.
4. Scribner, Sara (15 June 1997). "In Brief". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
5. Mulvey, John (24 May 1997). "Seahorses - Do It Yourself". NME. Archived from the original on 17 August 2000. Retrieved 14 February 2017.
6. Pitchfork Media review
7. Rolling Stone review
8. "Pop Poll". NME. 1997. Retrieved 4 February 2012. Archived at rocklistmusic.co.uk.
9. "Best of 1997". Guitarist. February 1998.
10. "Ex-Seahorses Singer Chris Helme On Life With John Squire and His Solo Future". live4ever. 6 Jan, 2011. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
11. "Charts.nz – The Seahorses – Do It Yourself". Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
12. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
13. "Swedishcharts.com – The Seahorses – Do It Yourself". Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
14. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
15. "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 1997". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
16. "Top RPM Rock/Alternative Tracks: Issue 3301." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
17. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Love Is the Law". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
18. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
19. "Swedishcharts.com – The Seahorses – Love Is the Law". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
20. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
21. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
22. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
23. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
24. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 April 2018.

External links

• Do It Yourself at YouTube (streamed copy where licensed)