Expecting to Fly (album)
Expecting to Fly is the debut studio album by The Bluetones. It was released on 12 February 1996, knocking Oasis's (What's the Story) Morning Glory? off the number 1 spot in the UK Albums Chart for a week. The album is currently certified Platinum by the BPI. Its singles were "Bluetonic", "Slight Return" and "Cut Some Rug".

A 2 CD Expanded Edition of the album was released on 9 March 2009.

Reception

Sam Taylor in Q wrote, "Perhaps the most accomplished rock debut album since The Stone Roses in 1989, Expecting to Fly avoids the usual primitive drive of first recordings, in favour of technical brilliance and adventurous songwriting... a classic rock album." List journalist Brian Donaldson likened The Bluetones to "a Squeeze for the 90s", and noted that the record has "excellence exhibited throughout". David Sinclair of Rolling Stone called the album "an accomplished and varied collection of guitar-based tunes with a solid charm rooted in the best traditions of English alternative pop—no more, but certainly no less."

Melody Maker placed it at no. 19 on their list of 1996's Albums of the Year. NME ranked the LP at no. 11 in their 1996 critic poll.

Track listing
All tracks written by Morriss, Chesters, Devlin, Morriss unless otherwise stated.

 "Talking to Clarry" – 6:52
 "Bluetonic" – 4:08 (Morriss, Chesters, Devlin, Morriss, Mitchell)
 "Cut Some Rug" – 4:32
 "Things Change" – 5:38
 "The Fountainhead" – 4:35
 "Carnt Be Trusted" – 3:50
 "Slight Return" – 3:21
 "Putting Out Fires" – 6:22
 "Vampire" – 4:32
 "A Parting Gesture" – 4:40
 "Time & Again" – 5:09

Collector's Edition

Disc: 2

 "A Parting Guesture" (R1 The John Peel Show, 1994)
 "Cut Some Rug" (R1 The John Peel Show, 1994)
 "Bluetonic" (R1 The Mark Radcliffe Show, May 1995)
 "Are You Blue or Are You Blind?" (R1 The Mark Radcliffe Show, May 1995)
 "Fountainhead" (R1 The Mark Radcliffe Show, May 1995)
 "Time & Again" (R1 The Mark Radcliffe Show, May 1995)
 "Driftwood" (R1 The Evening Session, July 1995)
 "Can't Be Trusted" (R1 The Evening Session, July 1995)
 "Are You Blue or Are You Blind?" (Sound City 1995 Bristol)
 "Cut Some Rug" (Sound City 1995 Bristol)
 "Can't Be Trusted" (Sound City 1995 Bristol)
 "Bluetonic" (Sound City 1995 Bristol)
 "Time & Again" (Sound City 1995 Bristol)

Personnel
 Mark Morriss – vocals
 Eds Chesters – percussion, drums
 Adam Devlin – guitar, 12 string guitar
 Scott Morriss – bass, bass guitar, electric guitar, vocals
and
 Dan Crompton – harmonica on track "A Parting Gesture"
 Mac McEldon – clavinet on "Things Change"
 Caroline LaVelle – cello on "Putting Out Fires"

Credits
 Hugh Jones – producer, mixing
 Marc Newman, Superstock – front cover photography
 Roger Sargent – band photography
 Scott Morriss, Trevor Ray Hart – additional photography
 Geoff Pesche – mastering
 Helen Woodward – mixing engineer
 Julian Able, Neil Burrow – management