Giant Steps is the third studio album by the Boo Radleys, released in 1993. The title is inspired by John Coltrane's album of the same name, and the record features an assortment of influences — their previous shoegazing sound backed by pop, reggae, noise pop and orchestral sounds. Background Guitarist Martin Carr had wanted to make an album that was more musically ambitious than the shoegaze sound they were known for. He said the rest of the band felt that no other act on the Creation Records roster were as competent as them. Journalist David Cavanagh said the band used the studio as an instrument, "push[ing] back the boundaries" of music as Screamadelica (1991) by Primal Scream had previously done, "crashing from genre to genre" as if the Boo Radleys were making their own iteration of the White album (1968) by the Beatles. Release Assistant press officer Andy Saunders was enamoured with the album; him and label co-founder Dick Green told marketing consultant Tim Abbot to "chuck everything at it", in terms of promotional efforts. While label co-founder Alan McGee liked "Lazarus", he thought the rest of it was too avant-garde for his music tastes. Carr was not worried by this response as McGee had taken some time to change his similar opinion on Everything's Alright Forever. "Lazarus" was released was the album's lead single in November 1992. McGee understood the change in the band's sound, but informed them that the label would be focussing their efforts on Mezcal Head (1993) by labelmates Swervedriver, who had the chance of becoming bigger in the US. To help aid the album's promotion, Saunders wanted Carr to be perceived by the press as a musical genius akin to Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys or Kevin Shields from former Creation group My Bloody Valentine. Alongside this, the band performed at Sound City festival in Glasgow. Reception Giant Steps received favourable reviews upon its release. It had sold 60,000 copies in 1993, becoming Creation Records' best selling release of the year. It reached the UK Top 20; "Lazarus" reached number 76 in the UK. NME and Select named it as album of the year, and it was ranked as #1 in Fanning's Fab Fifty for that year. Reviewing the album's rerelease in 2008, Sic Magazine wrote, "For 64 minutes they were the greatest band on the planet." The album was also included in the