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Construction for the Modern Idiot

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Construction for the Modern Idiot
Studio album by
The Wonder Stuff
Released4 October 1993
RecordedSpring–Summer 1993
StudioGreenhouse
GenreIndie rock
LabelPolydor
ProducerPat Collier
The Wonder Stuff chronology
Never Loved Elvis
(1991) 		Construction for the Modern Idiot
(1993) 		If The Beatles Had Read Hunter...The Singles
(1994)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]

Construction for the Modern Idiot is The Wonder Stuff's fourth album from October 1993, and their last studio album before their split on 15 July 1994. The album was a UK Top 5 Album (#4) which yielded 3 UK hit singles, of which "On the Ropes (EP)" made the Top 10 (#10) and "Hot Love Now" (#19) and "Full Of Life (Happy Now)" #29 both made it inside the Top 30.

The album was dedicated to the memory of Rob "The Bass Thing" Jones, the band's original bassist who died from a heart attack in New York soon after leaving the band. It was released as Polydor 519894-2.

Artwork

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Much of the artwork came from 1960s photographs of a space observation project at Oakmead School in Bournemouth.

The person featured on the album cover is Peter Johnson - Head of Geography at Oakmead School for Boys, Duck Lane Bournemouth later to become its Deputy Head. This invention won for Peter Johnson an FRGS (Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society).

After the album was released the machine was rediscovered in a science storeroom at Oakmead School and started to be used again in science lessons.

Track listing

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All songs written by The Wonder Stuff; all lyrics composed by Miles Hunt

  1. "Change Every Light Bulb"
  2. "I Wish Them All Dead"
  3. "Cabin Fever"
  4. "Hot Love Now!"
  5. "Full of Life (Happy Now)"
  6. "Storm Drain"
  7. "On the Ropes"
  8. "Your Big Assed Mother"
  9. "Swell"
  10. "A Great Drinker"
  11. "Hush"
  12. "Sing the Absurd" (includes unlisted track; "Something for Sammy")

2000 Reissue bonus tracks

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  1. Hank and John"
  2. "Closer to Fine"
  3. "I Think I Must've Had Something Really Useful to Say"
  4. "Room 512, All the News That's Fit to Print"

Personnel

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  • Miles Hunt - voice, guitar, harmonica
  • Malc Treece - guitar, voice
  • Paul Clifford - bass guitar
  • Martin Gilks - drums, percussion
  • Martin Bell - fiddle, accordion, mandolin, guitar, sitar, keyboards, brass arrangements
  • Pete Whittaker - piano, Hammond organ, mellotron, additional keyboards, brass arrangements
  • Nigel Hitchcock - saxophone
  • Steve Sidwell - trumpet
  • Neil Sidwell - trombone
  • Paul Pritchard - French horn

Charts

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Chart performance for Construction for the Modern Idiot
Chart (1993) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[2] 133
UK Albums (OCC) 4

Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[3] Silver 60,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ https://www.allmusic.com/album/r620910
  2. ^ "The Wonderstuff ARIA Chart history complete to 2024". ARIA. Retrieved 28 July 2024 – via Imgur.com. N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.
  3. ^ "British album certifications – The Wonder Stuff – Construction for the Modern Idiot". British Phonographic Industry.
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