American Highway Flower

Last updated
American Highway Flower
American Highway Flower.jpg
Studio album by
Released1994
Genre Rock, pop, grunge, alternative rock
Label I.R.S. Records [1]
Producer Jason Corsaro, dada
Dada chronology
Puzzle
(1992)
American Highway Flower
(1994)
El Subliminoso
(1996)

American Highway Flower is the second album by the American band dada, released in 1994. [2] [3] "All I Am" peaked at No. 27 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. [4] The album sold more than 50,000 copies during its first year of release. [5]

Contents

The band supported the album with a North American tour. [6] The album was reissued in 2004, with bonus tracks, by Blue Cave Records.

Production

The album was produced by Jason Corsaro and the band. [7] The songs were written by Joie Calio and Michael Gurley. [8] The album's original title was Backyard Fruit. [9] "Feet to the Sun" addresses suicide. [10]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [11]
Chicago Tribune Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [12]
The Indianapolis Star Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [13]
Milwaukee Sentinel B [14]
Windsor Star B+ [10]

Trouser Press wrote that "the sweet harmonizing on '8 Track' is notable, but American Highway Flower feels too long by at least twenty minutes." [15] The Indianapolis Star noted that "dada mixes a knack for fine pop with clever lyrics and traditional American guitar rock." [13] The Washington Post thought that the "eclecticism seems a little too labored, and Dada is more often clever than committed." [16]

The Milwaukee Sentinel determined that, "at their most satisfying, Dada reminds us of a Dire Straits for the '90s, thanks to Michael Gurley's artful guitar work." [14] The St. Louis Post-Dispatch praised the "several concise and memorable pop tunes." [17] The Star Tribune concluded that "Dada is full of all kinds of 1980s progressive-rock touchstones—from the two-part pop harmonies to the rocking guitar solos to the well-crafted hooks." [18]

AllMusic wrote that the band's disciplined use of harmony is a rare find in the alt-rock world, and continues to define their sound." [11]

Track listing

  1. "Ask the Dust"
  2. "Feet to the Sun"
  3. "All I Am"
  4. "Scum"
  5. "Pretty Girls Make Graves"
  6. "Gogo"
  7. "Feel Me Don't You"
  8. "Real Soon"
  9. "S.F. Bar '63"
  10. "8 Track"
  11. "Green Henry"
  12. "i"
  13. "Heaven and Nowhere"
  1. "Ask the Dust"
  2. "Feet to the Sun"
  3. "All I Am"
  4. "Scum"
  5. "Pretty Girls Make Graves"
  6. "Gogo"
  7. "Feel Me Don't You"
  8. "Real Soon"
  9. "S.F. Bar '63"
  10. "8 Track"
  11. "Green Henry"
  12. "i"
  13. "Heaven and Nowhere"
  14. "I'm Feeling Nothing" [Bonus Track]
  15. "Little Insister" [Bonus Track]
  16. "All American Suicide" [Bonus Track]

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References

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  2. Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "Dada | Awards". AllMusic . Retrieved 2015-03-29.
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  6. Kening, Dan (4 Nov 1994). "dada, Thursday at the Vic Theatre". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. O.
  7. "Album review — American Highway Flower by dada". Billboard. 106 (41): 76. Oct 8, 1994.
  8. Punter, Jennie (10 Nov 1994). "Road-tight Dada hardens the edges". Toronto Star. p. H10.
  9. Monk, Katherine (3 Dec 1994). "Dada: a first word in coming bands". Vancouver Sun. p. C8.
  10. 1 2 Jones, Owen (26 Jan 1995). "DADA American Highway Flower". Windsor Star. p. X28.
  11. 1 2 "Dada - American Highway Flower Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic" via www.allmusic.com.
  12. Kening, Dan (8 Dec 1994). "Recordings". Tempo. Chicago Tribune. p. 7.
  13. 1 2 Bacon, Scott (21 Oct 1994). "dada 'American Highway Flower'". The Indianapolis Star. p. E11.
  14. 1 2 Tianen, Dave (21 Oct 1994). "Alternative rock gets some smarts". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. E10.
  15. "dada". Trouser Press. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
  16. Jenkins, Mark (18 Nov 1994). "Dada Mixes Musical Styles". The Washington Post. p. N17.
  17. Sculley, Alan (27 Oct 1994). "DADA: A BAND THAT LIVES UP TO ITS REPUTATION". Calendar. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 7.
  18. Bream, Jon (30 Nov 1994). "ROCK the HALLS". Star Tribune. p. 1E.