Bloodsport (album)


Bloodsport is the third and final studio album by English electronic band Sneaker Pimps. It was released on 22 January 2002, through record label Tommy Boy.
Despite a positive fan reception, it received a mediocre response from music critics at the time of its release, and was commercially unsuccessful, failing to chart in the band's home country of the UK.

Content

The album opener "Kiro TV" is named after the US television station KIRO-TV. The title of "Loretta Young Silks" refers to the US actress Loretta Young.

Musical style

Described as trip hop, the album had the label "goth" affixed to it by more than one reviewer.

Release

Bloodsport was released on 22 January 2002 on CD as well as double red vinyl, through record label Tommy Boy.
It failed to chart in the band's home country of the UK, but reached number 68 in the Austrian top 75 album chart. Lead single "Sick" charted at 100 on the UK Singles Chart.
Several Bloodsport-era songs which weren't included on the album were released elsewhere: "Miami Counting" appears as a B-side for the "Loretta Young Silks" single; the "Sick" single and the Japanese edition of Bloodsport contain a track called "After Every Party I Die", which was later re-recorded by Chris Corner's side project IAMX and released on the album The Alternative; "O-Type" was included as a B-side on the 12-inch vinyl single of "Bloodsport". An alternative version of this track has circulated online.

Reception

Despite garnering a positive response from listeners and fans on Metacritic, Bloodsport was given a generally negative reception from music critics at the time of its release. This was perhaps epitomised in Drowned in Sound's review: "How do you criticise one of your favourite bands ever? this is classic Sneaker Pimps, which is my main gripe about this album, its too classic Sneaker Pimps. All of the songs seem to be rehashes of previous releases. To put it bluntly this band should have and could have progressed. "

Track listing

Samples

More information can be found on