Gato Negro (Spanish: "Black Cat") is the third and final studio album by American rock band 7 Year Bitch, released on March 12, 1996. It was the band's only album released through Atlantic Records, after signing to the label in 1994.[9][10]

Gato Negro
Studio album by
ReleasedMarch 12, 1996
RecordedOctober 1995
GenrePunk rock
Length35:00
LabelAtlantic
Producer
  • Billy Anderson
  • 7 Year Bitch
7 Year Bitch chronology
¡Viva Zapata!
(1994)
Gato Negro
(1996)
Live at Moe
(2016)
Singles from Gato Negro
  1. "Miss Understood"
    Released: January 1996[1]
  2. "The History of My Future"
    Released: March 1996[2]
  3. "24,900 Miles Per Hour"
    Released: June 18, 1996[3]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]
Alternative Press[5]
Christgau's Consumer Guide(1-star Honorable Mention)[6]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[7]
Entertainment WeeklyC[8]

The record spawned three singles: "The History of My Future", "24,900 Miles Per Hour" and "Miss Understood",[11] as well as a video for "24,900 Miles Per Hour".

Critical reception

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Gato Negro received mixed reviews from critics. Eric Bensel of Alternative Press wrote that while the album was "at times a generic grunge [sic] fronted by the predictable riot grrrl snarl", it provided a "refreshing foil to the testosterone-laden cock-rock that has dominated AOR radio stations for the past 25 years".[5] Entertainment Weekly critic Mike Flatherty dismissed the album as "a humorless clutch of tough-grrrl conventions and abrasive bluster".[8] In her review of Live at Moe (2016), Pitchfork's Estelle Tang called Gato Negro "simultaneously less scrappy and less compelling" than the band's previous albums.[12] In a positive review for Trouser Press, Grant Alden called the album 7 Year Bitch's "most varied, accomplished and coherent outing", praising its instrumentation.[13]

Track listing

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All songs written by Vigil/Davis
  1. "The History of My Future" 2:14
  2. "Crying Shame" 4:09
  3. "Disillusion" 3:05
  4. "Deep in the Heart" 3:02
  5. "The Midst" 3:29
  6. "24,900 Miles Per Hour" 3:27
  7. "Whoopie Cat" 3:02
  8. "Miss Understood" 3:07
  9. "Sore Subject" 2:06
  10. "Rest My Head" 2:57
  11. "2nd Hand" 1:44
  12. "Jack" 2:36

Personnel

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Adapted from liner notes.[14]

7 Year Bitch

  • Selene Vigil — vocals
  • Roisin Dunne — guitar
  • Elizabeth Davis — bass
  • Valerie Agnew — drums

Production

  • 7 Year Bitch — production
  • Billy Anderson — production, mixing, engineering
  • Mike Bogus — assistant engineer
  • Adam Munaz — mixing assistant, pre-mastering
  • Stephen Marcussen — mastering
  • Don C. Tyler — digital editing

References

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  1. ^ Strong, Martin C. (2003). "7 Year Bitch". The Great Indie Discography. Canongate. p. 965. ISBN 978-1-84195-335-9 – via Internet Archive.
  2. ^ Baltin, Steve (March 16, 1996). "Pop Singles: Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. 59 (27): 7 – via worldradiohistory.com.
  3. ^ Anon. (June 7, 1996). "Be on the Lookout" (PDF). Gavin Report (2108). Miller Freeman, Inc.: 19 – via worldradiohistory.com.
  4. ^ "Gato Negro Review". Allmusic.
  5. ^ a b Bensel, Eric (May 1996). "7 Year Bitch: Gato Negro". Alternative Press. Vol. 10, no. 94. pp. 89, 91.
  6. ^ "Robert Christgau: Album: 7 Year Bitch: Gato Negro". robertchristgau.com. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
  7. ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 7. MUZE. p. 357.
  8. ^ a b Flaherty, Mike (March 29, 1996). "Gato Negro". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
  9. ^ Arieff, Rachel (January 2009). "Int: Valerie Agnew, 7 Year Bitch « Popular 1". popular1.com. Archived from the original on September 4, 2009. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  10. ^ Tolleson, Ron (October 1996). "Seven Year Bitch: Scratching Their Itch". Hit Parader. No. 385. Hit Parader Publications, Inc. pp. 64–65 – via Internet Archive.
  11. ^ "The Frank Kozik Resource Center - Seven Year Bitch - MR 026". mansruin.com. Archived from the original on June 14, 1998. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  12. ^ Tang, Estelle (January 14, 2016). "7 Year Bitch: Live at Moe". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  13. ^ Alden, Grant. "7 Year Bitch". Trouser Press. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  14. ^ 7 Year Bitch (1996). Gato Negro (booklet). Atlantic Records. 82873-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)