A Rose for Iconoclastes

Last updated
A Rose for Iconoclastes
A Rose for Iconoclastes front cover.jpg
Studio album by
Steven Brust
Released1993
Genre Folk pop
Length47:18
Label Beer & Pizza, Inc.
Producer Adam Stemple

A Rose for Iconoclastes is a folk album by drummer Steven Brust, an author of fantasy and science fiction novels and a member of the Minneapolis-based band Cats Laughing.

Contents

It is Brust's only solo album, released in 1993. [1] The album was produced by Adam Stemple, a fellow fantasy writer and member of Cats Laughing. Twelve of the album's fourteen songs were written or co-written by Brust.

The album's title is a reference to "A Rose for Ecclesiastes", a short story by Brust's literary hero and mentor Roger Zelazny. [2]

Two songs from this album, "I Was Born About Ten Million Songs Ago" and "Backward Message," were featured by Doctor Demento on his syndicated program, receiving radio airplay on shows from 1994 through 2009. [3] "I Was Born About Ten Million Songs Ago" also appeared on an anthology, Dr. Demento's Basement Tapes #3, later part of a limited-edition CD boxed set. [3]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [4]

AllMusic reviewer Steven McDonald wrote, "Brust serves up a decent folksy stew with a few blasts of sarcastic humor, salted with performances from a handful of well-known friends." [4] According to McDonald, "the writing tends to be stronger in the lyrical department than in the compositional area," and Brust's "satirical material tends to work better than the more serious material." [4]

Track listing

Track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Marion"Steven Brust3:37
2."I Was Born About Ten Million Songs Ago"Steven Brust, lyrics by Nate Bucklin3:01
3."Till My Baby Comes Home"Adam Stemple, Jay Koelsch, & Steven Brust3:41
4."Backward Message"Steven Brust2:57
5."Brother and Sister"Steven Brust & Lorraine Garland1:53
6."Neil Gaiman Pastiche #27"Steven Brust3:08
7."If I Should Happen to Leave"Nate Bucklin & Steven Brust2:49
8."She's Gone"Adam Stemple & Steven Brust4:04
9."War Is Bad"Steven Brust2:08
10."Stream of Consciousness Blues"Adam Stemple1:42
11."Drift"Steven Brust2:42
12."Little Beggarman"Traditional2:12
13."Latex Man"Steven Brust3:55
14."The Visit"Steven Brust9:29

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References

  1. Brust, Steven (1993). A Rose for Iconoclastes (CD). Beer & Pizza, Inc. (BMI). ASIN   B000R9RCQY.
  2. Martini, Adrienne (May 2004). "An Interview With Steven Brust". Bookslut. Archived from the original on 2022-03-19. Retrieved 2017-11-12. (Interview in which Brust notes that a picture of Zelazny is on his desk.)
  3. 1 2 Captain Wayne. "Steven Brust". The Mad Music Archive. Archived from the original on 2012-07-22.
  4. 1 2 3 McDonald, Steven. A Rose for Iconoclastes review at AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-04-02.