Edge of Allegiance

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Edge of Allegiance
Edge of Allegiance.jpg
Studio album by
Released1989
Length40:05
Label I.R.S. [1]
Producer Timbuk 3, Denardo Coleman
Timbuk 3 chronology
Eden Alley
(1988)
Edge of Allegiance
(1989)
Big Shot in the Dark
(1991)

Edge of Allegiance is the third album by the American band Timbuk 3, released in 1989. [2] [3]

Contents

The album's first single was "National Holiday". [4]

Production

The album was produced by Timbuk 3 and Denardo Coleman. [5] [6] It was recorded in Austin and mixed in Houston. [7] [8] The band employed less overdubbing than on past albums, while also singing the harmonies in the moment. [9] The lyrics were in part influenced by Leonard Cohen; the band started listening to him after Cohen mentioned in interviews his admiration for "The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades". [10] Timbuk 3 considered the album to be evenly divided between political songs and relationship songs. [11]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [12]
Robert Christgau B+ [13]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [14]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [5]
Ottawa Citizen Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [15]
Windsor Star A− [16]

Trouser Press wrote: "Oozing sardonic desperation, Edge of Allegiance ... is yet another small triumph of sane, thoughtful songcraft—occasionally labored ('Standard White Jesus') but more often right on the money." [17] Robert Christgau posited that "their songs will remain winsome and wise for as long as the record company puts them out." [13] The Los Angeles Daily News considered the album to be one of 1989's best, calling Timbuk 3 "one of the decade's most underrated acts." [18]

The Windsor Star opined that the band "have a sardonic sense of the absurd but enough compassion so that their music never sinks to mere parody and loses its punch." [16] The Ottawa Citizen noted that "lustre and sophistication have turned the flat street-corner style into something with more depth and nuance." [15] The St. Petersburg Times deemed the album "another cunning collection of sharp-tongued diatribes against political betrayal and social apathy." [19]

Track listing

All songs written by Pat MacDonald, except where noted.

  1. "National Holiday" – 4:02
  2. "Waves of Grain" – 3:45
  3. "Dirty Dirty Rice" – 2:53
  4. "Pass It On" – 2:51
  5. "Standard White Jesus" – 4:47
  6. "Grand Old Party" – 3:16 (Pat and Barbara K. MacDonald)
  7. "Count to Ten" – 3:54
  8. "B-Side of Life" – 3:15
  9. "Acid Rain" – 3:44
  10. "Daddy's Down in the Mine" – 3:10
  11. “Don't Give Up On Me” – 2:46
  12. “Wheel of Fortune” – 2:30

Personnel

References

  1. Potter, Mitch (October 13, 1989). "Timbuk 3 Edge Of Allegiance". Toronto Star. p. D14.
  2. Young, Jon (October 1989). "Spins". Spin. 5 (7): 102–103.
  3. "Timbuk 3 Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
  4. Heim, Chris (September 8, 1989). "Alternative chic is the watchword this week...". Chicago Tribune. Friday. p. 52.
  5. 1 2 MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 1152.
  6. Metella, Helen (August 12, 1989). "Timbuk 3 stripping to basics for folk festival". Edmonton Journal. p. E1.
  7. MacCambridge, Michael (September 29, 1989). "3 FOR THE ROAD". Austin American-Statesman. p. D1.
  8. Racine, Marty (October 3, 1989). "Timbuk 3's future may be brightening". Houston Chronicle. Houston. p. 1.
  9. Pacenti, John. "Timbuk-ing The System". Phoenix New Times.
  10. Morse, Steve (November 2, 1989). "TIMBUK 3 IN BLOOM". The Boston Globe. Calendar. p. 7.
  11. Yasui, Todd Allan (November 5, 1989). "TIMBUK 3, BACK ON THE MAP". The Washington Post. p. G3.
  12. Edge of Allegiance at AllMusic
  13. 1 2 "Robert Christgau: CG: Timbuk 3". www.robertchristgau.com.
  14. Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 8. MUZE. p. 182.
  15. 1 2 Erskine, Evelyn (September 15, 1989). "Timbuk 3 Edge Allegiance". Ottawa Citizen. p. D6.
  16. 1 2 Shaw, Ted (September 9, 1989). "Pop". Windsor Star. p. C2.
  17. "Timbuk 3". Trouser Press. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  18. Britt, Bruce (December 29, 1989). "EVENTFUL COMEBACKS HELP BREAK 'BOXED-SET FEVER'". Los Angeles Daily News. p. L13.
  19. Okamoto, David (September 29, 1989). "Timbuk 3, Edge of Alliance". St. Petersburg Times. Weekend. p. 18.