Days in Europa

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Days in Europa
File:Skids - Days In Europa - Initial (withdrawn) release.jpg
Studio album by Skids
Released October 12, 1979 (1979-October-12) (withdrawn)
March 7, 1980 (1980-March-07)
Recorded Rockfield Studios, Wales; Basing Street; The Manor
Genre New wave, post-punk
Label Virgin
Producer Bill Nelson
Skids chronology
Scared to Dance
(1979)Scared to Dance1979		 Days in Europa
(1979)		 The Absolute Game
(1980)The Absolute Game1980
Alternate cover
Second edition album cover, 1980
Second edition album cover, 1980

Days in Europa is the second album by Scottish punk rock and new wave band Skids. It was released in 1979 by record label Virgin.

Writing

A rough translation of "Dulce et Decorum Est (Pro Patria Mori)" is "It is a sweet and glorious thing (to die for one's country)". "Dulce et Decorum Est" is also the name of a poem by Wilfred Owen.

Thanatos is the Greek word for "death" and the ancient Greek god of death, and is used in Freudian psychology to refer to the death wish/destructive urge, as opposed to Eros, the reproductive urge.

The album features lyrical references to World War I and World War II.

Release

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Days in Europa was released in 1979.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
AllMusic 3/5 stars[1]
Smash Hits 8/10[2]

Days in Europa has received a generally mixed response from critics. Ira Robbins of Trouser Press wrote "In polishing and refining the band's sound even a little, [producer Bill Nelson] smoothed off the vital edge."[3]

Album cover controversy

The album was initially released with an Aryan album cover reminiscent of the 1936 Olympics, complete with Germanic Gothic-style lettering, which was quickly withdrawn and a new cover was designed. At the same time the opportunity was taken to change the album's track listing and re-mix some of the original songs, allegedly for the US market.[citation needed] Some of the deleted songs re-surfaced on later albums.

The second release's cover includes the controversial first cover as a picture on the wall behind the woman in white's head. On the back of the cover the illustration is repeated, only with the withdrawn release's picture on the wall being replaced with that of the earlier Scared to Dance album. The track "Pros and the Cons" is removed, and "Masquerade", also released as a single, is added.

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Richard Jobson and Stuart Adamson, except "Home of the Saved", written by Adamson. 

Side A
No. Title Length
1. "Animation"   4:51
2. "Charade"   3:53
3. "'Dulce et Decorum Est (Pro Patria Mori)'"   4:08
4. "Pros and Cons"   3:19
5. "Home of the Saved"   5:05
Side B
No. Title Length
1. "Working for the Yankee Dollar"   4:53
2. "The Olympian"   3:32
3. "Thanatos"   4:06
9. "A Day in Europa"   3:01
10. "Peaceful Times"   5:05

1980 re-release

Side A
No. Title Length
1. "Animation"   4:27
2. "Charade"   4:00
3. "'Dulce et Decorum Est (Pro Patria Mori)'"   4:34
4. "The Olympian"   3:22
5. "Home of the Saved"   4:26
Side B
No. Title Length
6. "Working for the Yankee Dollar"   3:52
7. "Thanatos"   4:02
8. "Masquerade"   2:44
9. "A Day in Europa"   2:56
10. "Peaceful Times"   5:00

Personnel

Skids
Additional personnel

References

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  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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