Peace at Last (The Blue Nile album)

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
Studio album by
The Blue Nile
Released10 June 1996
GenreSophisti-pop[1]
Length44:53
LabelWarner Bros.
ProducerThe Blue Nile
The Blue Nile chronology
Hats
(1989)		 Peace at Last
(1996)		 High
(2004)
Singles from Peace at Last
  1. "Happiness"
    Released: September 1996
Audio sample
Happiness
  • file
  • help

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
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
Entertainment WeeklyB[4]
The Guardian[5]
The Irish Times[6]
Mojo[7]
NME3/10[8]
Q[9]
Record Collector[10]
Rolling Stone[11]
Uncut7/10[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.

  1. "Happiness" – 4:39
  2. "Tomorrow Morning" – 4:15
  3. "Sentimental Man" – 5:05
  4. "Love Came Down" – 3:35
  5. "Body and Soul" – 5:16
  6. "Holy Love" – 2:42
  7. "Family Life" – 5:21
  8. "War Is Love" – 3:33
  9. "God Bless You Kid" (Robert Bell, Buchanan) – 4:56
  10. "Soon" – 5:27

2014 Remastered Collector's Edition CD bonus disc
  1. "Soon" (Laurel Canyon Mix) – 5:30
  2. "War Is Love" (New Vocal Mix) – 4:46
  3. "Turn Yourself Around" (Bell, Buchanan) – 4:46
  4. "Holy Love" (Picture Mix) – 4:03
  5. "A Certain Kind of Angel" (Bell, Buchanan) (unreleased demo) – 5:06
  6. "There Was a Girl" – 5:28

Personnel

The Blue Nile:

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 (OCC)[15] 3
UK Albums (OCC)[16] 13
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[17] 48

Release history
Region Date Label Format Catalog
United Kingdom and Europe 10 June 1996 Warner Bros. LP 9362-45848-1
cassette 9362-45848-4
CD 9362-45848-2
United States 11 June 1996 LP 45848-1
CD 45848-2
Canada CDW 45848
United Kingdom and Europe 3 March 2014 Virgin/Universal remastered 2-CD set LKHCDR 3

References
  1. Gross, Joe (25 February 2019). "From 'Captain Marvel' to SXSW". Austin360. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  2. Thomson, Graeme (January 2013). "'Late Night Music...'". Uncut. No. 188. London. p. 59.
  3. Ruhlmann, William. "Peace at Last – The Blue Nile". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 August 2009.
  4. Kim, Wook (21 June 1996). "Peace at Last". Entertainment Weekly. New York. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  5. Williams, Richard (14 June 1996). "CD of the week: The Blue Nile, back at last". The Guardian. London.
  6. Courtney, Kevin (28 February 2014). "The Blue Nile: Peace at Last". The Irish Times. Dublin. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  7. Doyle, Tom (April 2014). "The Blue Nile: Peace at Last". Mojo. No. 245. London.
  8. Beaumont, Mark (8 June 1996). "Blue Nile – Peace At Last". NME. London. Archived from the original on 17 August 2000. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  9. Maconie, Stuart (July 1996). "The Blue Nile: Peace at Last". Q. No. 118. London. p. 117.
  10. Staunton, Terry (March 2014). "Peace At Last | The Blue Nile". Record Collector. No. 425. London. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  11. Diehl, Matt (27 June 1996). "The Blue Nile: Peace At Last". Rolling Stone. New York. Archived from the original on 3 March 2009. Retrieved 26 August 2009.
  12. Kelly, Jennifer (30 January 2013). "At the Source of the Blue Nile: An Interview with Paul Buchanan". PopMatters. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  13. Larkin, Colin, ed. (2011). "Blue Nile". The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.
  14. "Charts.nz – The Blue Nile – Peace at Last". Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  15. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  16. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  17. "Heatseekers Albums". Billboard. 29 June 1996. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
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