Flash Light (album)

Flash Light
Studio album by Tom Verlaine
Released	1987
Studio	Sorcerer 2, New York City
Genre	Post-punk
Label	Fontana (UK), IRS (US)
Producer	Fred Smith, Tom Verlaine; David Bascombe (only "The Scientist Writes a Letter")
Tom Verlaine chronology
Cover (1984) Flash Light (1987) The Wonder (1990)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Blender	[2]
Robert Christgau	A−[3]
Record Mirror	[4]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[5]

Flash Light is Tom Verlaine's fifth solo album. After a three-year hiatus, during which Verlaine lived in both New York and Europe, he released the album with a large amount of promotion and touring in the UK.

It was recorded by Mario Salvati at Sorcerer 2, New York City except "The Scientist Writes a Letter", engineered by Mark Wallis. Mixed by Paul O'Duffy at Sarm West, London.

The cover artwork was by Susan Hiller, who also created the cover artwork for the accompanying 7-inch singles, 'Cry Mercy Judge' and 'A Town Called Walker'. Layout by John Rimmer at Pointblanc.

Track listing

All songs written by Tom Verlaine

Side one

1. "Cry Mercy Judge"
2. "Say a Prayer"
3. "A Town Called Walker"
4. "Song"
5. "The Scientist Writes a Letter"

Side two

1. "Bomb"
2. "4 A.M."
3. "The Funniest Thing"
4. "Annie's Telling Me"
5. "One Time at Sundown"

Personnel

• Tom Verlaine - guitar, vocals
• Jimmy Ripp - guitar
• Fred Smith - bass
• Allan Schwartzberg - drums
• Andy Newmark - drums on "The Scientist Writes a Letter"

Technical

• Mark Wallis - engineer on "The Scientist Writes a Letter"
• Paul O'Duffy - mixing
• Mario Salvati - recording
• Susan Hiller - cover artwork
• John Rimmer - cover layout

Charts

Album

Year	Country	Chart	Peak position	Citation
1987	UK	UK Official Album Chart	99	[6]

Singles

Year	Country	Single	Chart	Peak position	Citation
1987	UK	"Cry Mercy Judge"	UK Official Singles Chart	99	[6]

References

1. AllMusic review
2. Young, Jon. "Tom Verlaine: Flash Light". Blender. Archived from the original on November 9, 2004. Retrieved October 18, 2022.
3. Robert Christgau review
4. Strickland, Andy (February 28, 1987). "Tom Verlaine: Flash Light". Record Mirror. p. 12.
5. Sheffield, Rob (2004). "Tom Verlaine". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 848–49. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
6. "UK Official Charts". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 22, 2018.

http://www.thewonder.co.uk/flash.htm