Striving for the Lazy Perfection is an album by The Orchids

The Orchids

The Orchids are a Scottish twee pop band that achieved success with Sarah Records. Formed near Glasgow in 1986, the Orchids released a series of underground singles on the influential Sarah Records . The group's line-up comprised James Hackett , John Scally , Chris Quinn , Matthew Drummond and...

, released in 1994. It was the last release by the group before they split up the following year.

Striving for The Lazy Perfection was the group's third album (excluding the compilation Epicurean) and its mixture of musical styles was heavily at odds with the usual perception of Sarah Records

Sarah Records

Sarah Records was a UK independent record label active between 1987 and 1995, best known for its recordings of indie pop.The label was formed in Bristol in 1987 by Clare Wadd and Matt Haynes, and grew out of the fanzine scene at the time, Haynes having previously edited Are You Scared To Get...

 as a twee pop label. With the assistance of long-serving producer Ian Carmichael

Ian Carmichael

Ian Gillett Carmichael, OBE was an English film, stage, television and radio actor.-Early life:Carmichael was born in Hull, in the East Riding of Yorkshire. The son of an optician, he was educated at Scarborough College and Bromsgrove School, before training as an actor at RADA...

(also a member of the dance music group One Dove

One Dove

One Dove was a Scottish alternative dance music group active in the early 1990s, consisting of Dot Allison, Ian Carmichael and Jim McKinven, a former member of Altered Images.-History:...

), the group recorded an album which took in styles ranging from their traditional melancholy guitar pop to rock numbers with a harder edge, upbeat pop songs and dancefloor-friendly electronic music.

As was usual for albums on Sarah Records, no singles were released from it, though the title track did appear on a split 7" on the Bring On Bull label. Although the 7" fades out early, it is the same version as appears on the album.

The album was well-received by critics but sold poorly at the time. It was reissued in 2005 with five bonus tracks.

Track listing

1. "Obsession N° 1" – 3:57
2. "Striving For The Lazy Perfection" – 3:56
3. "The Searching" – 3:25
4. "Welcome To My Curious Heart" – 4:40
5. "Avignon" – 3:02
6. "A Living Ken And Barbie" – 6:36
7. "Beautiful Liar" – 3:46
8. "A Kind Of Eden" – 4:15
9. "Prayers To St Jude" – 2:52
10. "Lovechild" – 4:51
11. "Give A Little Honey" – 4:31
12. "I've Got To Wake Up To Tell You My Dreams" – 3:38
13. "The Perfect Reprise" – 1:34

The US release included "I Was Just Dreaming" and "Between Sleeping and Waking".

2005 Reissue

1. "Obsession N° 1" – 3:57
2. "Striving For The Lazy Perfection" – 3:56
3. "The Searching" – 3:25
4. "Welcome To My Curious Heart" – 4:40
5. "Avignon" – 3:02
6. "A Living Ken And Barbie" – 6:36
7. "Beautiful Liar" – 3:46
8. "A Kind Of Eden" – 4:15
9. "Prayers To St Jude" – 2:52
10. "Lovechild" – 4:51
11. "Give A Little Honey" – 4:31
12. "I've Got To Wake Up To Tell You My Dreams" – 3:38
13. "The Perfect Reprise" – 1:34
14. "Thaumaturgy" - From "Thaumaturgy" Single A-side, Sarah Records, September 1992
15. "I Was Just Dreaming" - Single B-side
16. "Between Sleeping and Waking" - Single B-side
17. "It's Ours" - Unreleased demo
18. "The Letter" - Unreleased demo