Bricks Are Heavy

Last updated

Bricks Are Heavy
L7 bricks are heavy.jpg
Studio album by
L7
ReleasedApril 14, 1992 (1992-04-14)
RecordedNovember 1991 [1]
Studio
Genre
Length37:28
Label Slash
Producer
L7 chronology
Smell the Magic
(1990)		Bricks Are Heavy
(1992)		 Hungry for Stink
(1994)
Singles from Bricks Are Heavy
  1. "Pretend We're Dead"
    Released: 1992
  2. "Everglade"
    Released: 1992
  3. "Monster"
    Released: 1992

Bricks Are Heavy is the third studio album by American rock band L7, released on April 14, 1992, by Slash Records. The album peaked at number 160 on the US Billboard 200 [2] and number one on the Heatseekers Albums chart. [3] As of June 2000, Bricks Are Heavy has sold 327,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen Soundscan. [4]

Contents

Production

Produced by the band and Butch Vig, musically the album is heavier and dirtier than the band's previous recordings and described as "catchy tunes and mean vocals on top of ugly guitars and a quick-but-thick bottom of cast-iron grunge" by Entertainment Weekly 's Gina Arnold. [5]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [6]
Chicago Tribune Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [7]
Christgau's Consumer Guide A [8]
Entertainment Weekly A [5]
Kerrang! 5/5 [9]
Los Angeles Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [10]
NME 8/10 [11]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [12]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [13]
Spin Alternative Record Guide 9/10 [14]

In a contemporary review for Playboy , Robert Christgau regarded Bricks Are Heavy as an "object lesson in how to advance your music by meeting the marketplace halfway", although he believed it would not sell as much as it deserved. He said Vig helped L7 produce grunge-metal featuring "intense admixtures of ditty and power chord" that "never quite gathers Nirvana's momentum, but it's just as catchy and a touch nastier." [15] NME critic Angela Lewis called Bricks Are Heavy a "polished, virile white heat rock" record that "verifies their hard rock credentials completely" and demonstrates that L7 ought not to be pigeonholed as a grunge act in the vein of "Hole–Babes–Jane". [11] Kerrang! 's Steffan Chirazi was most impressed by the album's "relentlessness" in "driving the frustrations of everyday life home", [9] and Gina Arnold said in Entertainment Weekly that L7 distinguish themselves from the musically similar Nirvana through the "clarity" of their lyrics. "Although the band's positive-plus stances on liberal issues may not instantly endear it to fuzzy-minded teen America," Arnold wrote, "L7 does manage to be simultaneously fun and furious, an intensely appealing combination." [5]

Los Angeles Times writer Jonathan Gold, while finding Bricks Are Heavy "a very good, sometimes brilliant hard-rock album", expressed reservations about Vig's polished production, saying that although it suited "a pop band at heart" like Nirvana, "L7 is a rock band, less like the Byrds than like the MC5, less about pop craft than about sheer aggression." [10] Arion Berger of Rolling Stone felt that the production's "neatly modulated dynamics" rendered the album "merely raucous where it might have been apocalyptic." [12] In the Chicago Tribune , Greg Kot opined that there were not many good songs such as "Slide" and "the performances—while certainly ferocious—aren't sufficiently varied enough to make up the difference." [7]

NME listed Bricks Are Heavy as the 39th best album of 1992. [16] It placed at number 32 in The Village Voice 's Pazz & Jop critics' poll, [17] with the poll's creator Robert Christgau ranking the album fourth on his ballot. [18]

Legacy

Reviewing Bricks Are Heavy for AllMusic, Eduardo Rivadavia said that Vig helped L7 "obtain a tight, compact sound" and sharpen their songwriting on what would be their "crowning achievement" and "an impossible act to follow". [6]

Bricks Are Heavy is now regarded as one of grunge music's best albums. Treble's Brian Roesler credited L7 with helping to define "the very best of early grunge" through the album's fusion of pop and metal musical elements. [19]

In 2015, Spin placed Bricks Are Heavy at number 249 on its list of the "300 Best Albums of the Past 30 Years". [20]

Accolades

Critical rankings for Bricks Are Heavy
PublicationCountryTypeListYearRankRef.
TrebleUnited StatesAll-timeThe 30 Best Grunge Albums201615 [19]
Rolling Stone 50 Greatest Grunge Albums2019 [21]
Far Out United KingdomThe 10 best grunge albums of all time20214 [22]
Loudwire United StatesThe 30 Best Grunge Albums of All Time202316 [23]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Wargasm" Donita Sparks 2:40
2."Scrap"Sparks, Brett Gurewitz 2:53
3."Pretend We're Dead"Sparks3:53
4."Diet Pill"Sparks4:21
5."Everglade" Jennifer Finch, Daniel Rey 3:18
6."Slide" Suzi Gardner, Sparks3:37
7."One More Thing"Finch4:07
8."Mr. Integrity"Sparks4:06
9."Monster"Gardner2:56
10."Shitlist"Sparks2:55
11."This Ain't Pleasure"Gardner, Phil Caivano2:42
Total length:37:28

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes.

L7
Additional musician
Production

Charts

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grunge</span> Genre of rock music

Grunge is an alternative rock genre and subculture which emerged during the mid-1980s in the U.S. state of Washington, particularly in Seattle and nearby towns. Grunge fuses elements of punk rock and heavy metal. The genre featured the distorted electric guitar sound used in both genres, although some bands performed with more emphasis on one or the other. Like these genres, grunge typically uses electric guitar, bass guitar, drums and vocals. Grunge also incorporates influences from indie rock bands such as Sonic Youth. Lyrics are typically angst-filled and introspective, often addressing themes such as social alienation, self-doubt, abuse, neglect, betrayal, social and emotional isolation, addiction, psychological trauma and a desire for freedom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smells Like Teen Spirit</span> 1991 single by Nirvana

"Smells Like Teen Spirit" is a song by the American rock band Nirvana. It is the opening track and lead single from the band's second album, Nevermind (1991), released on DGC Records. The unexpected success of the song propelled Nevermind to the top of several albums charts at the start of 1992, an event often marked as the point when grunge entered the mainstream. It was Nirvana's biggest hit, charting high on music industry charts around the world in 1991 and 1992, and was number one on the charts in Belgium, France, New Zealand and Spain. It was met with wide critical acclaim, and described as an "anthem for apathetic kids" of Generation X. Although Nirvana grew uncomfortable with the mainstream and commercial attention the song brought to them, listeners and critics continue to praise "Smells Like Teen Spirit" as one of the greatest songs of all time. Having sold over 13 million units worldwide, "Smells Like Teen Spirit" is one of the best selling songs of all time.

<i>Nevermind</i> 1991 studio album by Nirvana

Nevermind is the second studio album by the American rock band Nirvana, released on September 24, 1991, by DGC Records. It was Nirvana's first release on a major label and the first to feature drummer Dave Grohl. Produced by Butch Vig, Nevermind features a more polished, radio-friendly sound than the band's prior work. It was recorded at Sound City Studios in Van Nuys, California, and Smart Studios in Madison, Wisconsin, in May and June 1991, and mastered that August at the Mastering Lab in Hollywood, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">L7 (band)</span> American punk rock band

L7 is an American punk rock band founded in Los Angeles, California, first active from 1985 to 2001 and re-formed in 2014. Their longest standing lineup consists of Suzi Gardner, Donita Sparks, Jennifer Finch, and Dee Plakas. L7 has released seven studio albums and has toured widely in the US, Europe, Japan, Australia, and South America. "Pretend We're Dead" was heavily played on US alternative radio and entered the top 10 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart in 1992.

<i>Daydream Nation</i> 1988 studio album by Sonic Youth

Daydream Nation is the fifth studio album by American alternative rock band Sonic Youth, released on October 18, 1988. The band recorded the album between July and August 1988 at Greene St. Recording in New York City, and it was released by Enigma Records as a double album.

<i>MTV Unplugged in New York</i> 1994 live album by Nirvana

MTV Unplugged in New York is the first live album by the American rock band Nirvana, released by DGC Records on November 1, 1994, nearly seven months following the suicide of Kurt Cobain. It was part of the cable television series MTV Unplugged and features a mostly acoustic performance. It was recorded at Sony Music Studios in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan, on November 18, 1993.

<i>The B-52s</i> (album) 1979 studio album by the B-52s

The B-52's is the debut album by American new wave band the B-52's, released in 1979. The kitschy lyrics and mood, and the hook-laden harmonies helped establish a fanbase for the band, who went on to release several chart-topping singles. The album cover was designed by Tony Wright.

<i>Siamese Dream</i> 1993 studio album by the Smashing Pumpkins

Siamese Dream is the second studio album by the American alternative rock band the Smashing Pumpkins, released on July 27, 1993, by Virgin Records. The album was produced by Butch Vig and frontman Billy Corgan. Despite its recording sessions being fraught with difficulties and tensions, Siamese Dream debuted at number ten on the Billboard 200, and was eventually certified 4× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), with the album selling over six million copies worldwide, catapulting the Smashing Pumpkins to mainstream success and cementing them as a significant group in alternative music.

<i>Bleach</i> (Nirvana album) 1989 studio album by Nirvana

Bleach is the debut studio album by American rock band Nirvana, released on June 15, 1989, by Sub Pop. After the release of their debut single "Love Buzz" on Sub Pop in November 1988, Nirvana rehearsed for two to three weeks in preparation for recording a full-length album. The main recording sessions for Bleach took place at Reciprocal Recording in Seattle, Washington between December 1988 and January 1989. It is the only Nirvana album released on the Sub Pop label and their only studio album to feature drummer Chad Channing.

<i>Badmotorfinger</i> 1991 studio album by Soundgarden

Badmotorfinger is the third studio album by American rock band Soundgarden, released on October 8, 1991, through A&M Records. Soundgarden began the recording sessions for the album with new bassist Ben Shepherd in the spring of 1991. The album maintained the band's heavy metal sound, while featuring an increased focus on songwriting compared to the band's previous releases. AllMusic considered the album's music to be "surprisingly cerebral and arty"; alternative tunings and odd time signatures were present on several of the album's songs, and lyrics were intended to be ambiguous and evocative.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Butch Vig</span> American musician and record producer

Bryan David "Butch" Vig is an American musician, record producer, and songwriter who is the drummer and co-producer of the rock band Garbage. Known for producing the diamond-selling Nirvana album Nevermind (1991), Vig also produced for several other alternative rock acts of the 1990s, including the Smashing Pumpkins, L7, and Sonic Youth. Some notable production credits of Vig include L7's Bricks are Heavy (1992) and the Smashing Pumpkins' Siamese Dream (1993).

<i>Hormoaning</i> 1992 EP by Nirvana

Hormoaning is an extended play (EP) by the American rock band Nirvana. It was released on January 27, 1992, through DGC Records and Geffen Records. It was released in Australia and Japan only, during the band's tour there.

<i>In Utero</i> 1993 studio album by Nirvana

In Utero is the third and final studio album by the American rock band Nirvana, released on September 21, 1993, by DGC Records. After breaking into the mainstream with their previous album, Nevermind (1991), Nirvana hired Steve Albini to record In Utero, seeking a more complex, abrasive sound that was reminiscent of their work prior to Nevermind. Although the singer and primary songwriter Kurt Cobain claimed that the album was "very impersonal", many of its songs contain heavy allusions to his personal life and struggles, expressing feelings of angst that were prevalent on Nevermind.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">In Bloom</span> 1992 single by Nirvana

"In Bloom" is a song by American rock band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain. It appears as the second track on the band's second album, Nevermind, released by DGC Records in September 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lithium (Nirvana song)</span> 1992 single by Nirvana

"Lithium" is a song by the American rock band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain. It appears as the fifth track on the band's second album, Nevermind, released by DGC Records in September 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">About a Girl (Nirvana song)</span> 1989 song by Nirvana

"About a Girl" is a song by American rock band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain. It is the third song on their debut album, Bleach, released in June 1989.

<i>Hungry for Stink</i> 1994 studio album by L7

Hungry for Stink is the fourth studio album by L7, released in July 1994 by Slash Records. The album peaked at number 117 on the Billboard 200 chart, as well as number 2 on the Heatseekers Albums chart.

<i>Album – Generic Flipper</i> 1982 studio album by Flipper

Album – Generic Flipper is the debut studio album by the noise rock band Flipper. It was released in April 1982 through Subterranean Records. It is also referred to as Album, Album: Generic, Generic Flipper and just Generic. It was issued on CD for the first time by American Recordings in 1992 and later deleted. In 2008, the rights reverted to Flipper, and the album was reissued on December 9, 2008, by Water Records. Former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic, who joined Flipper in 2006, contributed liner notes to the new reissue.

<i>Squeezing Out Sparks</i> 1979 studio album by Graham Parker

Squeezing Out Sparks is the fourth studio album by English singer-songwriter Graham Parker and his band the Rumour. The album was released in March 1979. Although the Rumour were not credited on the cover, their name was included on the album label.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seasons (Waiting on You)</span> 2014 song by Future Islands

"Seasons (Waiting on You)" is a song by American synthpop band Future Islands. It is the opening track on their fourth studio album Singles, and was released as the album's lead single on February 4, 2014. The song received much critical acclaim, topping The Village Voice's annual year-end Pazz & Jop critics' poll and also being named the best track of 2014 by publications such as NME, Pitchfork, and Spin. In 2019, it was named the 34th best song of the 2010s by Pitchfork, and was ranked 94th on Rolling Stone's 100 Best Songs of the 2010s.

References

  1. ↑ "L7 Time Line". repriserec.com . Archived from the original on January 23, 1998. Retrieved August 2, 2024.
  2. 1 2 "L7 - Billboard 200". Billboard . Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  3. 1 2 "L7 - Heatseekers Albums". Billboard . Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  4. ↑ Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. June 24, 2000.
  5. 1 2 3 Arnold, Gina (June 19, 1992). "Bricks Are Heavy". Entertainment Weekly . No. 123. p. 71. Retrieved May 9, 2013.
  6. 1 2 Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Bricks Are Heavy – L7". AllMusic . Retrieved March 17, 2010.
  7. 1 2 Kot, Greg (May 7, 1992). "L7: Bricks are Heavy (Slash)". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved February 5, 2017.
  8. ↑ Christgau, Robert (2000). "L7: Bricks Are Heavy". Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s. St. Martin's Griffin. p. 184. ISBN   0-312-24560-2 . Retrieved February 5, 2017.
  9. 1 2 Chirazi, Steffan (April 4, 1992). "Brick it up!". Kerrang! . No. 386. p. 25.
  10. 1 2 Gold, Jonathan (May 3, 1992). "L7, 'Bricks Are Heavy', Slash". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved February 5, 2017.
  11. 1 2 Lewis, Angela (April 11, 1992). "Kicking Against the Bricks". NME . p. 32.
  12. 1 2 Berger, Arion (September 17, 1992). "L7: Bricks Are Heavy". Rolling Stone . No. 639. p. 94. Archived from the original on November 12, 2007. Retrieved May 9, 2013.
  13. ↑ Harris, Keith (2004). "L7". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. p.  500. ISBN   0-7432-0169-8.
  14. ↑ Stovall, Natasha (1995). "L7". In Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig (eds.). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. p. 231. ISBN   0-679-75574-8.
  15. ↑ Christgau, Robert (June 1992). "L7, Roches, Yo Yo, Rosie Flores". Playboy . Retrieved February 5, 2017.
  16. ↑ "1992 – The Loved Albums". NME . December 19–26, 1992. pp. 56–57. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  17. ↑ "The 1992 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll". The Village Voice . March 2, 1993. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  18. ↑ Christgau, Robert (March 2, 1993). "Pazz & Jop 1992: Dean's List". The Village Voice . Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  19. 1 2 Treble staff (October 6, 2016). "The 30 Best Grunge Albums | Treble". Treble. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  20. ↑ "The 300 Best Albums of the Past 30 Years (1985–2014)". Spin . May 11, 2015. p. 1. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  21. ↑ "Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden: 50 Best Grunge Albums". Rolling Stone . April 1, 2019. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  22. ↑ Starker, Arun (May 12, 2021). "From Pearl Jam to Nirvana: The 10 best grunge albums of all time". Far Out . Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  23. ↑ Loudwire staff (January 10, 2023). "The 30 Best Grunge Albums of All Time - Loudwire". Loudwire . Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  24. ↑ "Australiancharts.com – L7 – Bricks Are Heavy". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
  25. ↑ "L7". Official Charts Company . Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  26. ↑ "L7 Discography". australian-charts.com. Retrieved December 2, 2009.
    • "Everglade": Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 159.
  27. ↑ "L7". Official Charts Company . Retrieved January 31, 2009.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.