Motel California is the third album by the American rock band Ugly Kid Joe, and released on October 22, 1996.[2][3] Motel California was the last full-length studio album until 2015. The group disbanded in January 1997 and reformed in 13 years later in January 2010. The album received lukewarm reviews and was a commercial failure.

Motel California
Studio album by
ReleasedOctober 22, 1996
Recorded1996
GenreHard rock, heavy metal, alternative rock
Length39:30
LabelEvilution[1]
Ugly Kid Joe chronology
Menace to Sobriety
(1995)
Motel California
(1996)
The Very Best of Ugly Kid Joe: As Ugly as It Gets
(1998)

The title is a parody of the Eagles' album, Hotel California. The song "Rage Against the Answering Machine" is a pun on the name of the Los Angeles rock band Rage Against the Machine.

Production

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The album was recorded with the Butcher Bros. in Philadelphia.[4]

Reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [5]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music     [6]
Rock Hard5/10[7]

AllMusic wrote that Ugly Kid Joe "return to their roots, bashing out grungy metal in their garage and recording it for posterity ... Motel California works a lot better than it should, sounding fiercer and more committed."[5]

Track listing

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All tracks written by Ugly Kid Joe.

No.TitleLength
1."It's a Lie"3:01
2."Dialogue"2:27
3."Sandwich"2:46
4."Rage Against the Answering Machine"1:40
5."Would You Like to Be There"3:18
6."Little Red Man"4:02
7."Bicycle Wheels"2:01
8."Father"3:31
9."Undertow"4:31
10."Shine"2:51
11."Strange"4:22
12."12 Cents"4:54

Personnel

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Charts

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Chart performance for Motel California
Chart (1996) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[8] 129
UK Albums (OCC) 128

References

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  1. ^ "Ugly Kid Joe". Trouser Press. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  2. ^ "Ugly Kid Joe | Biography & History". AllMusic.
  3. ^ "Ugly Kid Joe's Klaus Eichstadt". MTV News. Archived from the original on September 13, 2016.
  4. ^ "Studio Action". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. September 21, 1996 – via Google Books.
  5. ^ a b "Motel California - Ugly Kid Joe | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic.
  6. ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 8. MUZE. p. 334.
  7. ^ "UGLY KID JOE - Motel California". ROCK HARD Heavy-Metal-Magazin.
  8. ^ "Ugly Kid Joe ARIA Chart history 1988 to 2024". ARIA. Retrieved July 28, 2024 – via Imgur.com. N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.