American Standard is the third and final album by the American band Mary's Danish, released in 1992.[1][2] The band supported the album by participating in a Rock the Vote tour, following it with a tour with the Darling Buds.[3][4] "Leave It Alone" peaked at No. 20 on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart.[5]
| American Standard | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1992 | |||
| Studio | Skywalker Sound | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Label | Morgan Creek | |||
| Producer | Peter Asher, Niko Bolas | |||
| Mary's Danish chronology | ||||
| ||||
Production
editThe album was produced primarily by Peter Asher, who also served as the band's manager.[6][7] Niko Bolas engineered and assisted with the production.[8] It was recorded in 10 days at Skywalker Sound.[9] All six bandmembers contributed to the songwriting; the band rented a loft space in Central Los Angeles prior to the recording sessions so that they could jam.[10][11] "God Said" criticizes the operations of televangelists.[12] "Porcupine" denounces detaching oneself from society.[13] "Gotcha Covered" is about life in Los Angeles.[14] Chad Smith played drums on the unlisted track, a cover of "I Fought the Law" that also appeared on the soundtrack to Buffy the Vampire Slayer.[7][15]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [16] |
| Chicago Tribune | [17] |
| Entertainment Weekly | D+[18] |
| The Indianapolis Star | [19] |
| Los Angeles Times | [12] |
The Los Angeles Times wrote that "in the key moments ... the band asserts a confident and consistent voice, shedding some of its old, distracting eclecticism in favor of a more comfortable and appealing rock 'n' roll purity."[12] Trouser Press determined that "the album's consistency makes it more listenable, if less adventurous, with an immediacy and urgency missing from prior work."[7] The Chicago Tribune opined that "siren singers Julie Ritter and Gretchen Seager belt out 'Leave It Alone', a speed-metal oeuvre in which guitarists Louis Gutierrez and David King fire up the grunge."[17]
The Indianapolis Star said that "an occasional attempt toward mainstream rock, along with some overused themes, dooms a few tunes to mediocrity."[19] Spin deemed the album "rock with that everything-but-the-kitchen-sink vibe about it."[20] The Waterloo Region Record concluded that "Mary's Danish is probably a great alternative-singles band, but as a collection American Standard just doesn't stand up to repeated listenings."[21]
AllMusic wrote that "the material here is substandard in comparison to the earlier releases, and Asher's '70s-slick production style simply doesn't mesh with the post-post-punk eclecticism at the heart of the band's sound."[16]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Killjoy" | |
| 2. | "God Said" | |
| 3. | "Underwater" | |
| 4. | "O Lonely Soul, It's a Hard Road" | |
| 5. | "Weeping Tree" | |
| 6. | "Porcupine" | |
| 7. | "Leave It Alone" | |
| 8. | "The Living End" | |
| 9. | "Ode to a Life" | |
| 10. | "My Dear Heretic" | |
| 11. | "Shotgun" | |
| 12. | "Gotcha Covered" | |
| 13. | "Sister Shade" |
References
edit- ^ "Mary's Danish Biography by Stewart Mason". AllMusic. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
- ^ "You Say It's Your Birthday: Mary's Danish's Julie Ritter". MTV News. April 27, 1997. Archived from the original on May 12, 2024. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
- ^ Harrington, Richard (23 Sep 1992). "On the Beat". The Washington Post. p. F7.
- ^ Sullivan, Jim (27 Nov 1992). "Darling Buds rise to the occasion, bury Mary's Danish". Arts & Film. The Boston Globe. p. 119.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Rock Tracks 1981-2008. Record Research. p. 157.
- ^ "Album Reviews — American Standard by Mary's Danish". Billboard. Vol. 104, no. 37. Sep 12, 1992. p. 48.
- ^ a b c "Mary's Danish". Trouser Press. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
- ^ Sculley, Alan (13 Nov 1992). "Sweet Rock Flavor of Mary's Danish". Inroads. Daily Press. Newport News. p. 15.
- ^ Punter, Jennie (26 Nov 1992). "Mary's Danish keeps fresh pastries coming". Toronto Star. p. G8.
- ^ Robins, Wayne (25 Sep 1992). "Some Electric and Eclectic New Bands". Part II. Newsday. p. 88.
- ^ Weatherford, Mike (25 Oct 1992). "Mary's Danish grows more solid and less eclectic". Las Vegas Review-Journal. p. 3J.
- ^ a b c Hilburn, Robert (20 Sep 1992). "Record Rack". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 61.
- ^ Young, Jon (Jan 7, 1993). "American Standard by Mary's Danish". Rolling Stone. No. 647. p. 47.
- ^ Saxberg, Lynn (23 Jan 1993). "Mary's Danish is sweet success". The Ottawa Citizen. p. F3.
- ^ Popson, Tom (27 Nov 1992). "So happy together: Everyone's pulling in same direction on new album by Mary's Danish". Tempo. Chicago Tribune. p. 3.
- ^ a b "American Standard Review by Stewart Mason". AllMusic. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
- ^ a b Webber, Brad (1 Oct 1992). "Mary's Danish American Standard". Tempo. Chicago Tribune. p. 6.
- ^ DiMartino, Dave (January 15, 1993). "American Standard". Music. Entertainment Weekly.
- ^ a b Bacon, Scott (9 Oct 1992). "Mary's Danish 'American Standard'". The Indianapolis Star. p. C7.
- ^ Spencer, Lauren (Oct 1992). "Spins". Spin. Vol. 8, no. 7. p. 107.
- ^ Randall, Neil (26 Nov 1992). "American Standard Mary's Danish". Waterloo Region Record. p. C9.