Meanwhile ... Back in the States | ||||
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Studio album by Willie Alexander & the Boom Boom Band | ||||
Released | 1978 | |||
Genre | Rock | |||
Label | MCA | |||
Producer | Craig Leon | |||
Willie Alexander & the Boom Boom Band chronology | ||||
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Meanwhile ... Back in the States is an album by the American band Willie Alexander & the Boom Boom Band, released in 1978. [1] [2] Its title refers to Alexander's immense popularity in France. [3] The band supported the album with a North American tour. [4]
Alexander wrote the songs, some of which incorporated elements of reggae and disco, between 1971 and 1978. [5] [6] He was influenced by beat writers, with many of the songs about the lives of societal outcasts and struggling musicians. [7] [8] Some of the song titles were changed from the demo and original versions, in order to please MCA Records. [9] The album was produced by Craig Leon. [10] "Pass the Tabasco" quotes a musical passage from "Double Shot (Of My Baby's Love)". [11]
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Alternative Rock | 6/10 [3] |
Duluth News Tribune | 8/10 [12] |
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Omaha World-Herald | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Rolling Stone Record Guide | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Shreveport Journal | B [16] |
Toronto Star | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Lincoln Journal Star called the Boom Boom Band "the leading Boston punk rock band", noting that Alexander "comes up with some intriguing street intellectualism." [18] The Daily Illini stated that Alexander "prefers a slightly echoed deadpan delivery that was popular in the early '70s with David Bowie, Lou Reed and Mott the Hoople." [19] The Boston Globe said, "The rock is grittier and more accessible, the Boom Boom band is more dynamically involved and Alexander has tightened his vocals into a more rhythmic style without sacrificing his offbeat charm." [5]
The Shreveport Journal opined that "the band recalls the early Who"; The Buffalo News likened the sound to "pure Rolling Stones raunch". [16] [20] The Spokesman-Review said that Alexander "has the perfect punk voice". [21] The Duluth News Tribune praised the "brilliant incoherence" and "flash of unique rock and roll genius." [12] The Los Angeles Times noted the "slightly perverse, oddball charm", while concluding that the band had more in common with Bad Company than with new wave music. [10] The Toronto Star called Meanwhile ... Back in the States "sleazy and definitely not chic." [17]
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Mass Ave." | |
2. | "Modern Lovers" | |
3. | "You Looked So Pretty When" | |
4. | "Pass the Tabasco" | |
5. | "Melinda" | |
6. | "Hitchhiking" | |
7. | "R.A. Baby" | |
8. | "Sky Queen" | |
9. | "Bring Your Friend" | |
10. | "For Old Times Sake" |