The Known Universe is the fourth studio album by Cincinnati-based indie rock band Ass Ponys, released in April 1996 on A&M Records. It was the band's second album for A&M (after 1994's Electric Rock Music), and was produced by the Afghan Whigs' John Curley.[1]
| The Known Universe | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 1996 | |||
| Genre | Indie rock | |||
| Length | 78:17 | |||
| Label | A&M | |||
| Producer | John Curley | |||
| Ass Ponys chronology | ||||
| ||||
Critical reception
editThe Known Universe received favorable reviews from Spin, Rolling Stone, and Details upon its release.[2] Trouser Press' Vickie Gilmer, however, was less favorable, writing of the album that "Sounding like slapdash country kin of the Barenaked Ladies, the Ass Ponys retread familiar soil, relying on exhausted film jokes ("God Tells Me To") and mild outrage ("Cancer Show"), all the while belaboring clichés like "I could rule the world if..." (a self-mocking line Tin Huey used to better effect fifteen years earlier) and real-life oddities like the oft-derided "Satin lives in hell" graffiti."[3]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Chicago Tribune | [5] |
| Christgau's Consumer Guide |  [6] |
| Entertainment Weekly | A–[4] |
| Los Angeles Times | [8] |
| Spin | 7/10[7] |
Track listing
editAll songs written by Bill Alletzhauser, Randy Cheek, Chuck Cleaver, and David Morrison, except where noted.
- Shoe Money
- Under Cedars And Stars (Alletzhauser, Cheek, Cleaver, Jack Ison, Morrison)
- God Tells Me To
- Blow Oskar
- Cancer Show
- Dead Fly The Birds
- And She Drowned
- Redway
- French Muscleman
- It's Summer Here
- John Boat
- Hagged
- Some Kind Of Fun
Personnel
edit- Ass Ponys – producer
- John Curley – engineer, producer
- Steve Girton – engineer
- Jack Ison – keyboards
References
edit- ^ a b Raggett, Ned. "The Known Universe". AllMusic. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
- ^ "Ass Ponys". Cincinnati Magazine. 29 (9): 22. June 1996.
- ^ Gilmer, Vickie. "Ass Ponys". Trouser Press. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
- ^ Flaherty, Mike (19 April 1996). "The Known Universe". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
- ^ McKeough, Kevin (27 June 1996). "Ass Ponys The Known Universe (A&M)". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on August 8, 2017. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (2000). "Ass Ponys". Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s. Macmillan Publishing. p. 10.
- ^ Weisbard, Eric (May 1996). "Records". Spin. 12 (2): 108.
- ^ Gardner, Elysa (1996-05-12). "Record Rack". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2017-08-07.