L7 (album)

L7
Studio album by L7
Released	September 1988 [1]
Recorded	1987
Studio	Westbeach Recorders (Hollywood)
Genre	Punk rock grunge
Length	31:58
Label	Epitaph
Producer	Brett Gurewitz
L7 chronology
L7 (1988) Smell the Magic (1990)

L7 is the debut studio album by American rock band L7, released in September 1988, by Epitaph Records. ^{[2] [3]}

Production

The album was recorded in Brett Gurewitz's studio, in Hollywood, California. ^[4] It is the band's only album with drummer Roy Koutsky. ^[5]

The album's first track, "Bite the Wax Tadpole," refers to the legend that this is a Chinese transliteration of "Coca-Cola". ^[6]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[7]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[8]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide	[9]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[10]
Spin Alternative Record Guide	4/10 [11]

Trouser Press wrote that the album "is a heady but largely inconsequential introduction; it’s all brute force and speed, grunge as a sheer sonic description." ^[12] Reviewing the album for AllMusic, Steve Huey has stated that the band's "trademark grungy fusion of punk and metal" wasn't fully formed yet. ^[7]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Bite the Wax Tadpole"	Suzi Gardner	2:16
2.	"Cat-O'-Nine-Tails"	Gardner	2:12
3.	"Metal Stampede"	Donita Sparks	2:25
4.	"Let's Rock Tonight"	Gardner, Sparks	3:12
5.	"Uncle Bob"	Gardner, Sparks, Jennifer Finch, Roy Koutsky	6:32
6.	"Snake Handler"	Gardner	2:29
7.	"Runnin' from the Law"	Gardner, Sparks	3:10
8.	"Cool Out"	Sparks	2:54
9.	"It's Not You"	Gardner	1:45
10.	"I Drink"	Gardner, Sparks, Finch, Koutsky	2:55
11.	"Ms. 45"	Gardner, Sparks, Finch, Koutsky	2:40
Total length:			31:58

Personnel

L7

• Donita Sparks – vocals, guitar
• Suzi Gardner – guitar, vocals
• Jennifer Finch – bass guitar, vocals
• Roy Koutsky – drums

Production

• Brett Gurewitz – producer
• Jordan Tarlow – guitar technician
• Suzy Beal – artwork
• Donnell Cameron – engineer
• Jeff Campbell – CD layout
• Al Flipside – photography, cover photo
• Bruce Kalberg – photography
• Randall Martin – logo
• Eddy Schreyer – mastering
• N.Todd Skiles – design

References

1. "L7 Time Line". repriserec.com . Archived from the original on January 23, 1998. Retrieved August 2, 2024.
2. "L7 | Biography & History". AllMusic.
3. "L7 biography". The Great Rock Bible.
4. Niesel, Jeff. "L7's Donita Sparks Talks About Why the Hard Rock Band 'Came Back to Bitch'". Cleveland Scene.
5. Buckley, Peter (November 7, 2003). The Rough Guide to Rock. Rough Guides. ISBN   9781843531050 – via Google Books.
6. "Bite the Wax Tadpole". Snopes.com. April 5, 1999.
7. Huey, Steve. "L7 – L7". AllMusic . Retrieved March 17, 2010.
8. Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 5. MUZE. p. 48.
9. MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 698.
10. Brackett, Nathan; Christian Hoard (2004). The Rolling Stone Album Guide . New York City, New York: Simon and Schuster. p.  500. ISBN   0-7432-0169-8. rolling stone l7 album guide.
11. Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. 1995. p. 231.
12. "L7". Trouser Press. Retrieved November 7, 2020.