| Dragline | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1993 | |||
| Recorded | September–December 1992 [1] | |||
| Studio | Smart Studios, Madison, Wisconsin | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 50:18 (1:08:13 in the re-release) | |||
| Label | A&M | |||
| Producer |
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| Paw chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Dragline | ||||
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Dragline is the debut studio album by the American grunge band Paw. [2] It was released in 1993 through A&M Records. It sold around 80,000 copies. [3]
The single "Jessie" released in 1993, reached number 82 in the UK. [4] Other singles from the album included "Sleeping Bag" and "Couldn't Know" in 1993.
In 2015, the album was re-released by Cherry Red Records Ltd. with all the b-sides from the singles as bonus tracks as well as extensive liner notes and slightly different artwork (the band logo and the title are smaller). [5]
Produced by Mr. Colson and the band, the album was recorded at Smart Studios, in Madison, Wisconsin. [6] [7]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | |
| Calgary Herald | C [9] |
| Classic Rock | |
| Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal | 10/10 [11] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | |
| Entertainment Weekly | B [13] |
| Los Angeles Times | |
| MusicHound Rock | |
| Vox | 6/10 [16] |
The Morning Call wrote that "the approach is elemental and effective: a rhythm pounces, and a metallic guitar groove drills holes before surrendering to softly ringing accents or gently strummed acoustics as [Mark] Hennessy sings about death and suffering in a throaty roar." [17] The Los Angeles Times deemed the album "country-grunge," writing: "It would take a major revolution to get country radio to play this—there's way too much wattage in the amps. But there is also plenty of Middle American sensibility, giving this debut a character all its own." [14] The Calgary Herald said that the album "mixes melodic guitar with in-yer-face speed metal, kind-of a Pursuit of Happiness meets Metallica." [9]
Trouser Press wrote that "much of the quartet’s sonic heft emanates from the formidable drum-pounding of Peter Fitch, whose brother Grant hammers out echo-drenched guitar riffs that revisit a limited number of arena-rock clichés with alarming frequency." [18] The New York Times wrote that "Hennessy's conviction, and his ability to distill situations into terse, allusive lyrics, make him a rival of Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder." [19] The New Yorker called the album "equal parts metallic vigor and Southern-rock grit." [20]
Rolling Stone listed Dragline at No. 35 on its list of the "50 Greatest Grunge Albums." [21] In 2007, Martin Popoff named the album the 15th greatest heavy metal album of the 1990s. [22]
All songs were written by Mark Hennessy and Grant Fitch, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Gasoline" (M. Hennessy, G. Fitch, P. Fitch) | 4:47 |
| 2. | "Sleeping Bag" | 4:07 |
| 3. | "Jessie" (M. Hennessy, G. Fitch, P. Fitch) | 3:14 |
| 4. | "The Bridge" | 3:34 |
| 5. | "Couldn't Know" | 4:12 |
| 6. | "Pansy" (M. Hennessy, G. Fitch, P. Fitch) | 3:26 |
| 7. | "Lolita" | 4:56 |
| 8. | "Dragline" | 5:07 |
| 9. | "Veronica" | 3:58 |
| 10. | "One More Bottle" | 4:04 |
| 11. | "Sugarcane" | 3:46 |
| 12. | "Hard Pig" | 5:07 |
| 13. | "Suicide Shift" (Re-release bonus track) | 3:06 |
| 14. | "Slow Burn" (Re-release bonus track) | 2:18 |
| 15. | "I Know Where You Sleep" (Re-release bonus track) | 4:37 |
| 16. | "Jessie" (Re-release bonus track (Live acoustic in Boston, Nov 29)) | 3:16 |
| 17. | "Imaginary Lover" (Re-release bonus track (Atlanta Rhythm Section cover)) | 4:37 |
| Total length: | 01:08:13 | |