Esteem (album)
title: "Esteem (album)" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1983-debut-albums", "machinations-(band)-albums", "mushroom-records-albums"] topic_path: "arts/music" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esteem_(album)" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox album"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Esteem |
| type | studio |
| artist | Machinations |
| cover | Esteem (Machinations album - cover art).jpg |
| released | April 1983 |
| genre | Synthpop |
| length | 36:38 |
| label | White |
| A&M | |
| producer | Lobby Loyde, Paul Radcliffe, Russell Dunlop, Bruce Brown |
| next_title | Big Music |
| next_year | 1985 |
| misc | {{Singles |
| name | Esteem |
| type | studio |
| single1 | Jack |
| single1date | January 1983 |
| single2 | Pressure Sway |
| single2date | April 1983 |
| :: |
| name = Esteem | type = studio | artist = Machinations | cover = Esteem (Machinations album - cover art).jpg | alt = | released = April 1983 | recorded = | venue = | studio = | genre = Synthpop | length = 36:38 | label = White A&M | producer = Lobby Loyde, Paul Radcliffe, Russell Dunlop, Bruce Brown | prev_title = | prev_year = | next_title = Big Music | next_year = 1985 | misc = {{Singles | name = Esteem | type = studio | single1 = Jack | single1date = January 1983 | single2 = Pressure Sway | single2date = April 1983 Esteem is the debut studio album from Australian synthpop band Machinations. The album was released in April 1983 on White Label Records, a subsidiary of Mushroom Records.
History
In late 1980, Machinations recorded some songs at Trafalgar Studios in November 1980, the band entered the studio with producer Lobby Loyde. These recordings resulted in the band's debut single, "Average Inadequacy"/"Arabia" in September 1981, and the four-track debut self-titled, Machinations EP, in December, both released on the independent Phantom Records label.
"Average Inadequacy" created enough interest for Mushroom's White Label to sign the band and reissue the single with a new B-side, "Machinations of Dance" in March 1982. A year later, Machinations issued a new single, "Jack"/"Be Double" in February 1983, prior to their debut album release, but it failed to chart. Esteem peaked at #54 on the Australian album charts. It was also released in the United States by A&M Records. Musically, the album contained synthpop with dark overtones, except for the single "Pressure Sway", a bright funk/pop song that was a dance-floor favourite.
Reception
Cash Box magazine said "In the disquieting-but-danceable style of Tears for Fears and Depeche Mode, Australian quartet Machinations make rhythmic music with sinister overtones. The emphasis here is on extended cuts with oblique lyrics, creating a sustained, almost hypnotic mood. Vocalist Fred Loneragan has a limited range, but uses what he has effectively to express alienated sentiments."
Singles
The first single, "Jack" was about US writer Jack Kerouac, and due to lyrical reference to illegal drugs ('I wanna take some 1960s LSD'), "Jack" was often not played in live sets when audiences included minors.
The second single off the album, "Pressure Sway", was released in April 1983 and reached #21 on the Australian singles charts during July 1983. It was released as both a 7" and 12" version. "Pressure Sway" also made an impact in the United States reaching #40 on Billboard's Club Play Singles chart.
Track listing
All songs written by Doyle, Loneragan, Starr, Swan.
Australian release | headline = Side A | title1 = Esteem | writer1 = | length1 = 6:38
| title2 = Pressure Sway | writer2 = | length2 = 3:53
| title3 = Transient | writer3 = | length3 = 6:58
| headline = Side B | title1 = Castle Hunting | writer1 = | length1 = 4:28
| title2 = Jack | writer2 = | length2 = 3:27
| title3 = Terminal Wharf | writer3 = | length3 = 5:28
| title4 = The Hunt | writer4 = | length4 = 5:16
American release | headline = Side A | title1 = Pressure Sway | writer1 = | length1 = 4:05
| title2 = Jump the Gap | writer2 = | length2 = 4:19
| title3 = Average Inadequacy | writer3 = | length3 = 3:46
| headline = Side B | title1 = Esteem | writer1 = | length1 = 6:42
| title2 = Jack | writer2 = | length2 = 3:35
| title3 = Transient | writer3 = | length3 = 6:55
Charts
::data[format=table] | Chart (1983) | Peak position | Australia (Kent Music Report) | |---|---|---| | 54 | | | ::
Certifications
Personnel
- Tim Doyle — guitar
- Fred Loneragan — vocals
- Tony Starr — keyboards
- Nick Swan — bass guitar
References
References
- "Machinations". [[Australian Rock Database]] (Magnus Holmgren).
- McFarlane, Ian. (1999). "[[Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop]]". [[Allen & Unwin]].
- (2008-06-04). "Big Music from Machinations". RetroUniverse.
- Kent, David. (1993). "[[Kent Music Report". Australian Chart Book.
- (3 December 1983). "Album Reviews".
- "''Billboard'' singles charts". [[allmusic]].
- "(APRA WebWorks) Works Search engine". [[Australasian Performing Right Association]] (APRA).
- "Release "Esteem" by Machinations - MusicBrainz".
- "Release "Esteem" by Machinations - MusicBrainz".
- Kent, David. (1993). "Australian Chart Book 1970–1992". Australian Chart Book.
- "Absolute 80s".
::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::