Heartbreak Station | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | November 20, 1990 [1] | |||
Recorded | 1990 | |||
Studio |
| |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 52:42 | |||
Label | Mercury (USA) Vertigo (Europe) | |||
Producer | John Jansen & Tom Keifer | |||
Cinderella chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Heartbreak Station | ||||
|
Heartbreak Station is the third studio album by American rock band Cinderella, released in 1990 through Mercury Records. It reached No.19 in the Billboard 200 US chart on December 21, 1990, [5] and went platinum for shipping a million albums on February 26, 1991. [1]
Three singles were released, two of which charted on the Billboard's Hot 100 in 1991. "Shelter Me" peaked at No. 36 and the title track climbed to No. 44. [6] "The More Things Change" did not chart.
Heartbreak Station marked a shift in the band's sound, wherein they moved further away from the glam metal style they had in Night Songs and Long Cold Winter and took a bluesier, stripped-down approach. In an interview with the Los Angeles Daily News a month before the album's release, when asked about the band's stylistic shift from their prior albums, lead vocalist Tom Keifer stated, "The sound has progressed from the last album. We produced it from a rawer, simpler approach. We stripped it down from a production standpoint, so there's not a lot of reverb or overdubs." Keifer also cited blues as a large influence on his songwriting in the album. [2]
John Paul Jones, the former bassist of Led Zeppelin, arranged the strings for two songs on Heartbreak Station; the band requested Jones's help after they were impressed with orchestral arrangements Jones had contributed to songs by The Rolling Stones and Donovan. [2]
In a retrospective interview with Classic Rock Revisited in 2013, Keifer reflected on his songwriting approach and his feelings towards the band's sound in Heartbreak Station, stating that, "We grew out of those '80s' processed slick things. That is the thing that was most intentional. Your writing and playing grows and grows, and it is organic, and it just happens." Keifer discussed his disillusionment with the polished sound of 80s rock that had been present on the band's prior records and that he instructed the album's mixing engineer, Michael Barbiero, to give the songs a rawer feel because "everybody was caught up in that whole '80s' sound. I told him it was time to do something different." [7]
In 2017, Keifer gave an interview with a radio host working for the Detroit-based rock radio station WRIF wherein he stated, "In terms of production, which is something that is a learning experience as you go, of the Cinderella stuff, I think Heartbreak Station [is] my favorite because I just love how dry and how raw that record is. And we evolved into that sound, whereas the first two records were a little more 'flavor of the day' in the processing – you know, things were a little slicker and kind of processed in the '80s – and we evolved into this more organic, kind of dry, raw, real sound on Heartbreak Station." Keifer stated that the raw sound made it easier to feel "the emotion. . . . of the music and the players." [8]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [3] |
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal | 7/10 [9] |
LA Times | [10] |
Rolling Stone | [11] |
In a positive review, Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic wrote, "Cinderella reached back into the Stones and Aerosmith songbooks and created a sneering, raunchy hard rock album that was artistically their finest moment, even if it didn't reach the same commercial heights as its predecessors." [3]
The Chicago Tribune wrote a review that stated, "The band's new PolyGram Records album, Heartbreak Station, features more rootsy blues rock... . Yet despite Cinderella's blues leanings, critics often lump the group in with party bands like Poison and Warrant." [2]
In a more negative review, the LA Times wrote, "Any band that can achieve a good approximation of the Stones' raw, cranking classic period--as Cinderella does here-- at least has the validity of a solid bar band. But Cinderella fails to justify and redeem its stylistic thefts by infusing a borrowed sound with a personal perspective." [10]
People began their negative review with sarcasm, "The first thing that strikes you about this new album by Poison...er, uh, this new album by Cinderella...is how utterly original it is." They continue this theme throughout: "So as I was saying, you can't go wrong if you buy this new Mötley Crüe record. Ask for it by name." [12]
All tracks are written by Tom Keifer except "Love's Got Me Doin' Time" written with Eric Brittingham
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "The More Things Change" | 4:17 |
2. | "Love's Got Me Doin' Time" | 5:15 |
3. | "Shelter Me" | 4:42 |
4. | "Heartbreak Station" | 4:27 |
5. | "Sick for the Cure" | 3:58 |
6. | "One for Rock and Roll" | 4:26 |
7. | "Dead Man's Road" | 6:30 |
8. | "Make Your Own Way" | 4:11 |
9. | "Electric Love" | 5:16 |
10. | "Love Gone Bad" | 4:14 |
11. | "Winds of Change" | 5:26 |
Track information and credits adapted from Discogs [13] and AllMusic , [14] then verified from the album's liner notes. [15]
Cinderella
Additional musicians
| Production
|
Chart (1991) | Peak position |
---|---|
Canada Top Albums/CDs ( RPM ) [16] | 28 |
Finnish Albums (The Official Finnish Charts) [17] | 39 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [18] | 34 |
Japanese Albums (Oricon) [19] | 31 |
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) [20] | 16 |
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [21] | 42 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [22] | 8 |
UK Albums (OCC) [23] | 36 |
US Billboard 200 [24] | 19 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Canada (Music Canada) [25] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
Japan (RIAJ) [26] | Gold | 100,000 [26] |
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) [27] | Gold | 25,000^ |
United States (RIAA) [28] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Led Zeppelin II is the second studio album by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, released on 22 October 1969 in the United States and on 31 October 1969 in the United Kingdom by Atlantic Records. Recording sessions for the album took place at several locations in both the United Kingdom and North America from January to August 1969. The album's production was credited to the band's lead guitarist and songwriter Jimmy Page, and it was also Led Zeppelin's first album on which Eddie Kramer served as engineer.
Automatic for the People is the eighth studio album by American alternative rock band R.E.M., released by Warner Bros. Records on October 5, 1992, in the United Kingdom and Europe, and on the following day in the United States. R.E.M. began production on the album while their previous album, Out of Time (1991), was still ascending top albums charts and achieving global success. Aided by string arrangements from John Paul Jones and conducted by George Hanson, Automatic for the People features ruminations on mortality, loss, mourning, and nostalgia.
Wildflowers is the second solo studio album by American musician Tom Petty, released on November 1, 1994. The album was the first released by Petty after signing a contract with Warner Bros. Records and the first of three albums produced by Rick Rubin. The album was certified 3× platinum in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America.
Cinderella was an American rock band formed in the suburbs of Philadelphia in 1983. The band emerged in the mid-1980s with a series of multi-platinum studio albums and hit singles whose music videos received heavy MTV rotation and popularity. Cinderella initially had a glam metal sound throughout the late 1980s before shifting into a more blues rock-based sound during the early to mid 1990s.
The Last DJ is the 11th studio album by American rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. The title track, "Money Becomes King", "Joe" and "Can't Stop the Sun" are all critical of greed in the music industry, which led to a song boycott by some radio stations.
Night Songs is the debut studio album by American glam metal band Cinderella. It was released on June 9, 1986, by Mercury Records. Mercury issued the album worldwide, while Vertigo Records handled the album's release in the UK.
Behind the Mask is the fifteenth studio album by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, released on 9 April 1990. It was the first album released by the band after the departure of guitarist Lindsey Buckingham. He was replaced by Billy Burnette and Rick Vito, both guitar players, singers and songwriters. Fleetwood Mac thus became a six-piece band with four singer/songwriters. The album was not as successful as its predecessor, Tango in the Night, nor did it spawn any big hit singles, although "Save Me" made both American and Canadian Top 40, while "Love Is Dangerous" and "Skies the Limit" enjoyed some airplay. Though Behind the Mask barely reached the US Top 20, the album entered the UK Albums Chart at number 1 and achieved platinum status there. Following the album's release and subsequent world tour, band members Stevie Nicks and Rick Vito left the band, though Nicks would rejoin in 1997.
Pump is the tenth studio album by American rock band Aerosmith. It was released on September 12, 1989, by Geffen Records. The album peaked at No. 5 on the US charts, and was certified septuple platinum by the RIAA in 1995.
Dosage is the fourth studio album by the American alternative rock rock band Collective Soul. The album was released on Atlantic Records in February 1999 and peaked at number 21 on the Billboard albums chart. The album's title was derived from a catchphrase they used to describe burnout after their previous tour.
Carl Thomas Keifer is an American musician. He is the lead singer, primary songwriter, and one of the guitarists for the hard rock band Cinderella.
Big Ones is a compilation album by American rock band Aerosmith, released on November 1, 1994 by Geffen Records. Big Ones features 12 hits from the band's three consecutive multi-platinum albums, Permanent Vacation (1987), Pump (1989), and Get a Grip (1993), as well as the hit "Deuces Are Wild" from the compilation The Beavis and Butt-Head Experience (1993), and two new songs, "Blind Man" and "Walk on Water", which were recorded during a break in the band's Get a Grip Tour. These songs were also included on the band's 2001 compilation album, Young Lust: The Aerosmith Anthology. Big Ones is the band's second best-selling compilation album, reaching #6 on the Billboard charts, and selling four million copies in the United States alone. The album quickly became a worldwide hit reaching the Top 10 in nine countries before the end of the year.
Into the Great Wide Open is the eighth studio album by American rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Released in July 1991, it was the band's last with MCA Records. The album was the second that Petty produced with Jeff Lynne, following the successful Full Moon Fever (1989).
Still Life is a live album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released on 1 June 1982. Recorded during the band's 1981 American tour, it was released in time for their 1982 European tour.
Long Cold Winter is the second studio album by American glam metal band Cinderella. It was released in July 1988 on Mercury Records.
Still Climbing is the fourth and final studio album by the American rock band Cinderella, released on November 8, 1994, by Mercury Records. The release of Still Climbing was delayed due to lead vocalist Tom Keifer losing his voice in 1991.
This is the discography of Tom Petty, who was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. Petty released 13 studio albums as the lead singer of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, three with supergroup the Traveling Wilburys and two with his previous band Mudcrutch, in addition to three solo albums.
For Those About to Rock (We Salute You) (shortened to For Those About to Rock on its cover) is the eighth studio album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC. It was released on 20 November 1981 in the United States, 23 November 1981 in the United Kingdom and 7 December 1981 in Australia.
The Circle is the eleventh studio album by American rock band Bon Jovi. Released on November 10, 2009, the album was produced by John Shanks. The album debuted at number 1 in several countries, including the U.S., where it sold 163,000 copies in its first week.
Mojo is the twelfth studio album by American rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, released on June 15, 2010 on CD and June 29 on Blu-ray. It was Petty's first album with the Heartbreakers in eight years. Mojo debuted at No. 2 on the U.S. Billboard 200, selling 125,000 copies in its first week of release. The album was also the band's first full album with bassist Ron Blair since 1981's Hard Promises, as he played on only two tracks on the previous Heartbreakers album, The Last DJ.
Hypnotic Eye is the thirteenth and final studio album by American rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, released in the UK on July 28, 2014 and in the United States on July 29, by Reprise Records. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, becoming the only Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers album ever to top the chart. Hypnotic Eye was nominated for the 2015 Grammy Award for Best Rock Album. It was the Heartbreakers' final studio album before disbanding in 2017, following Petty's death in October of that year.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)