Evolver (The Grid album)

Evolver is the third album by English electronic dance group the Grid. It was released in 1994. "Swamp Thing" is the best-known song from the album. It became a dance club favourite and chart-hit in the UK, Europe and Australia. "Texas Cowboys" and "Rollercoaster" were also released as singles. Evolver reached number 14 on the UK Albums Chart.^[5]

Evolver
Studio album by the Grid
Released	19 September 1994
Recorded	1993–1994
Length	66:17
Label	Deconstruction
Producer	The Grid
The Grid chronology
456 (1992) Evolver (1994) Music for Dancing (1995)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	link
Melody Maker	(favorable)[1]
Music Week	[2]
NME	6/10[3]
Smash Hits	[4]

Critical reception

Paul Mathur from Melody Maker said, "Evolver is packed with potential incidental music for sporting highlights, but manages to cram in a heap of hitherto techno-unfriendly sounds just to further irritate those who believe in the sanctity of the dancefloor metronome."^[1] Alan Jones from Music Week noted, "The enormity of The Grid's 'Swamp Thing' (one of the year's 10 biggest sellers) and their cult status is such that this album will undoubtedly sell well, at least initially, but a little more adventurousness with their hybrid house/techno/trance style wouldn't have gone amiss."^[2]

Johnny Dee from NME wrote, "Like magicians conjuring white rabbits, doves and ham sandwiches from top hats into the foreign land of the theatre, The Grid's Evolver gameplan centres around their fantastic techno handbag and the ensuing merry cavalcade of a thousand comical wedding reception dances."^[3] Mark Frith from Smash Hits named it Best New Album, adding, "Best is a stunning track called 'Texas Cowboys' which is a frenetic hi-energy romp with Orb-type samples. Silver dreadlocks are going to be very big this autumn."^[4]

Track listing

All tracks written by Grid members Richard Norris and Dave Ball.

1. "Wake Up" – 7:53
2. "Rollercoaster" – 6:34
3. "Swamp Thing" – 6:41
4. "Throb" – 5:04
5. "Rise" – 6:07
6. "Shapes of Sleep" – 6:44
7. "Higher Peaks" – 6:11
8. "Texas Cowboys" – 5:51
9. "Spin Cycle" – 5:31
10. "Golden Dawn" – 9:38

Additional information

• Susannah Melvoin provides vocals on the track "Rollercoaster".
• Although the track "Golden Dawn" is listed as being 9:38 long on the cover it is actually only approximately 7:21 in length. After the music finishes there is one minute of silence followed by a hidden track at 8:21. This consists of a jocular message left on a telephone answering machine.

Charts

Chart (1994)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)[6]	51
Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)[7]	37
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[8]	27
Switzerland (Swiss Hitparade)[9]	46
UK Albums (OCC)[5]	14