Grim (album)

Grim
Studio album by Ass Ponys
Released	1992 (OKra) 1993 (Safe House)
Studio	Ultrasuede Studio, Cincinnati, OH
Genre	Indie rock Country rock
Length	65:42
Label	OKra Safe House
Ass Ponys chronology
Mr. Superlove (1990) Grim (1992) Electric Rock Music (1994)

Grim is the second studio album by Cincinnati, Ohio-based indie rock band Ass Ponys. It was originally released in 1992 on OKra Records, and was re-released by Safe House Records in 1993.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Chicago Tribune	[2]
Christgau's Consumer Guide	[3]
The Daily Vault	A [4]
Spin	[5]

Grim received mixed reviews from critics. Greg Adams of AllMusic gave the album 3 out of 5 stars, writing that "Grim, when it hits its mark, is strong stuff." He added that on the album, "[Ass Ponys singer/songwriter Chuck] Cleaver takes twisted backwoods tales and freak-show tragedies and infuses them with just enough wistful reflection to turn Deliverance -style black humor into sometimes crushingly affecting narratives." ^[1] In a 3-star (out of 4) review, Greg Kot wrote that the album's "...harmony vocals are plaintive and, on tunes such as "It's Not Happening," just about the prettiest thing you'll hear on a pop record this year." ^[2]

In 2006, PopMatters' John Kenyon criticized the album for what he said was its "muddy production that made finding the hooks in some of the band’s songs an expedition of sorts". ^[6] Trouser Press was also critical of the album's production, writing that "Maybe it's the occasionally muffled production that takes the fun down a peg, but Grim takes the "more serious" mission too seriously." ^[7]

Track listing

1. Big Rock Ending – 0:24
2. Azalea – 4:13
3. It's Not Happening – 4:32
4. No Dope No Cigarettes – 4:45
5. Ballpeen – 5:58
6. Not Since Superman Died – 2:39
7. I Love Bob – 2:57
8. Stupid – 4:38
9. Dirty Backseat Car Thing – 4:02
10. High Heaven – 4:19
11. Julia Pastrana – 3:31
12. Disappointed – 3:31
13. Her Father Was A Sailor – 5:33
14. The Big E – 4:07
15. Good With Guns – 5:11
16. California Bingo – 5:17

Personnel

Ass Ponys

• Randy Cheek – bass, guitar, vocals
• Chuck Cleaver – guitar, vocals
• John Erhardt – bass, guitar, pedal steel, vocals
• Dave Morrison – drums, percussion

Other

• Niki Buehrig – backing vocals
• John Curley – engineer, mixing
• Jimmy Davidson – producer
• Dan Kleingers – drums, percussion, backing vocals
• Zy Orange Lyn—fiddle
• Gary Shell – engineer, mixing, producer

References

1. Adams, Greg. "Grim". AllMusic.
2. Kot, Greg (September 16, 1993). "Ass Ponys Grim (OKra)". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on April 24, 2015.
3. Christgau, Robert (October 15, 2000). "Ass Ponys: Grim". Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s . Macmillan. pp.  10. ISBN   9780312245603.
4. Crigler, Pete (January 21, 2018). "Ass Ponys: Grim". The Daily Vault. Retrieved February 15, 2018.
5. Stowe, Jay (November 1993). "Grim". Spin. SPIN Media LLC. p. 137.
6. Kenyon, John (April 25, 2006). "Ass Ponys: The Okra Years". PopMatters. Retrieved July 14, 2017.
7. Gilmer, Vickie. "Ass Ponys". Trouser Press.