Motel California

Last updated

Motel California
UKJ Motel California.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedOctober 22, 1996
Recorded1996
Genre Hard rock, heavy metal, alternative rock
Length39:30
Label Evilution [1]
Ugly Kid Joe chronology
Menace to Sobriety
(1995)
Motel California
(1996)
The Very Best of Ugly Kid Joe: As Ugly as It Gets
(1998)

Motel California is the third album by the American rock band Ugly Kid Joe, and released on October 22, 1996. [2] [3] Motel California was the last full-length studio album until 2015. The group disbanded in January 1997 and reformed in 13 years later in January 2010. The album received lukewarm reviews and was a commercial failure.

Contents

The title is a parody of the Eagles' album, Hotel California . The song "Rage Against the Answering Machine" is a pun on the name of the Los Angeles rock band Rage Against the Machine.

Production

The album was recorded with the Butcher Bros. in Philadelphia. [4]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [5]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [6]
Rock Hard 5/10 [7]

AllMusic wrote that Ugly Kid Joe "return to their roots, bashing out grungy metal in their garage and recording it for posterity ... Motel California works a lot better than it should, sounding fiercer and more committed." [5]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."It's a Lie"3:01
2."Dialogue"2:27
3."Sandwich"2:46
4."Rage Against the Answering Machine"1:40
5."Would You Like to Be There"3:18
6."Little Red Man"4:02
7."Bicycle Wheels"2:01
8."Father"3:31
9."Undertow"4:31
10."Shine"2:51
11."Strange"4:22
12."12 Cents"4:54

Personnel

Charts

Chart performance for Motel California
Chart (1996)Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA) [8] 129
UK Albums (OCC)128

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References

  1. "Ugly Kid Joe". Trouser Press. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  2. "Ugly Kid Joe | Biography & History". AllMusic.
  3. "Ugly Kid Joe's Klaus Eichstadt". MTV News. Archived from the original on September 13, 2016.
  4. "Studio Action". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. September 21, 1996 via Google Books.
  5. 1 2 "Motel California - Ugly Kid Joe | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic.
  6. Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 8. MUZE. p. 334.
  7. "UGLY KID JOE - Motel California". ROCK HARD Heavy-Metal-Magazin.
  8. "Ugly Kid Joe ARIA Chart history 1988 to 2024". ARIA. Retrieved July 28, 2024 via Imgur.com. N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.