The Flat Earth


The Flat Earth is the second studio album by the English new wave and synth-pop musician Thomas Dolby, released on 6 February 1984 by EMI and Capitol Records.
A remastered "Collector's Edition" of The Flat Earth was released on 13 July 2009, featuring bonus tracks and new sleeve notes.

Release

The Flat Earth peaked at No. 14 on the UK Albums Chart. The first single from the album was "Hyperactive!", which peaked at No. 17 in the UK Singles Chart, making it Dolby's highest-charting single in his home country. Second and third singles, "I Scare Myself" and "Dissidents", peaked at Nos. 46 and 90, respectively. The album charted at No. 35 on the US Billboard Hot 100. In Canada it reached number 21 in the weekly charts and was number 71 in the year-end chart.

Critical reception

Music journalist Robert Christgau gave the album a C+, and stated that "Dolby is a bright and honest fellow by no means in thrall to his synthesizers. "She Blinded Me With Science" proved he knows his way around a good beat, and the lyric sheet bespeaks a level of literacy rarely achieved by songwriters. But as with so many artists fascinated by synthesizers, his passion for texture subsumes what small knack he has for cruder, more linear devices. If there's an objective correlative for boring, that's it."
In a retrospective review for AllMusic, critic Glenn Swan wrote that "Exceptionally mature for a sophomore effort, The Flat Earth has held up considerably well since its 1984 release. This staying power belongs to a fantastic ensemble of supporting players as much as to Thomas Dolby's songwriting and crisp production."

Track listing

All songs written by Thomas Dolby, except where otherwise indicated.

Original LP

Side A
  1. "Dissidents" – 4:56
  2. "The Flat Earth" – 6:41
  3. "Screen Kiss" – 5:33
Side B
  2. "White City" – 5:19
  3. "Mulu the Rain Forest" – 5:00
  4. "I Scare Myself" – 5:40
  5. "Hyperactive!" – 4:13

    2009 Collector's Edition CD bonus tracks

  7. "Get Out of My Mix " – 4:44
  8. "Puppet Theatre" – 4:14
  9. "Dissidents " – 7:17
  10. "Field Work " – 4:05
  11. "Don't Turn Away" – 5:03
  12. "The Devil Is an Englishman" – 3:30
  13. "I Scare Myself" – 6:17
  14. "Marseille" – 4:41

    Bonus audio downloads from thomasdolby.com

  • "Audio Lecture/White City" – 8:11
  • "Dissidents" – 4:46
  • "I Scare Myself" – 5:36
  • "New Toy" – 4:22
  • "Puppet Theatre" – 4:19

    2024 40th Anniversary bonus tracks

  2. "Get Out of My Mix " – 4:44
  3. "Puppet Theatre" – 4:14
  4. "Dissidents " – 7:17
  5. "Hyperactive! " – 5:06
  6. "May the Cube Be With You" – 3:49
  7. "Don't Turn Away" – 5:03
  8. "The Devil Is an Englishman" – 3:30
  9. "Puppet Theatre " – 4:21
  10. "Dissidents " – 3:51
  11. "I Scare Myself" – 4:59
  12. "Therapy/Growth " – 4:06
  13. "Audio Lecture/White City" – 8:12
  14. "Marseille" – 4:41
  15. "I Scare Myself" – 6:17
  16. "New Toy" – 4:23
  17. "Dissidents " – 4:48
  18. "The Flat Earth " – 6:47

    Personnel

Musicians
Technical
  • Dan Lacksman – engineer
  • Mike Shipley – mixing
  • Alan Douglas – mixing
  • Thomas Dolby – producer; mixing ; album design
  • Ryuichi Sakamoto – producer
  • Wally Traugott – mastering
  • Richard Haughton – photography
  • Assorted iMAGes – graphics, album design

    Charts

Certifications