| Peter Case | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1986 | |||
| Studio | Ocean Way Recording, Sunset Sound Factory, Capitol Recorders, Los Angeles, and Eagle Audio, Fort Worth, Texas | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 47:23 | |||
| Label | Geffen | |||
| Producer | J. Henry ("T-Bone") Burnett | |||
| Peter Case chronology | ||||
| ||||
Peter Case was the debut album by American power pop singer-songwriter Peter Case, released in 1986 on Geffen Records. Omnivore Records reissued it with additional tracks in September 2016.
Peter Case was a member of the Los Angeles power pop group The Nerves along with Paul Collins (later of The Beat), and Jack Lee. After the breakup of the Nerves, Case made several albums in the early 1980s with The Plimsouls. This is his first solo album after the breakup of the Plimsouls.
Case was accompanied by 20 other musicians including T-Bone Burnett and Mitchell Froom, guitarist Mike Campbell, John Hiatt, drummers Jim Keltner and Jerry Marotta, Roger Mcguinn, Van Dyke Parks, and his then-wife Victoria Williams, among others. Case wrote five of the songs on the LP, and co-wrote six others including three with Burnett, one with Burnett and Marotta, and one with Williams. One song features lyrics by Case with music originally written by Lightnin' Hopkins. The album closes with a cover of Shane Macgowan's "Pair of Brown Eyes", originally performed by MacGowan's band The Pogues. The song "I Shook His Hand" was originally performed live in a harder-rocking version with the Plimsouls. A promo-only release from the album included a fully acoustic version of "I Shook His Hand."
The liner notes included the following unusual message:
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Robert Christgau | B [2] |
Music critic Steve Kurutz of AllMusic praised the album and wrote "... the primarily acoustic songs are adeptly arranged and filled with great melodies. Case has a reputation for being a bit too clever at times and on occasion the album's lyrics can be a bit obtuse, but overall songs like the Van Dyke Parks-arranged 'Small Town Spree' and the harmonica-driven 'Old Blue Car' rock with an immediacy that hits the listener where it should, in the gut rather than between the ears." [1] Music critic Robert Christgau rated the record as a "B" on his rating scale and wrote of the record; "Case's problem is that he's a born actor who won't cop to it... hence he's no more convincing now than he was when he led a group named after the Beatles' sneakers." [2]
All songs written by Peter Case except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Steel Strings" (Acoustic version) | Peter Case | |
| 2. | "I Shook His Hand" (Acoustic version) | Case | |
| 3. | "Trusted Friend" | Case | |
| 4. | "North Coast Blues" | Case | |
| 5. | "Toughest Gang in Town" | Case | |
| 6. | "Horse & Crow" (Alternate version) | Case | |
| 7. | "More Than Curious" (Early version) | Case, Burnett |
Note
Adapted from the AllMusic credits. [3]
Peter Case is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. His career is wide-ranging, from rock n' roll and blues, to folk rock and solo acoustic performance.
The Plimsouls were an American rock band known for their hit 1982 single "A Million Miles Away", which was featured in the movie Valley Girl.
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Peter Case is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. His discography consists of 14 studio albums, 3 compilations, 4 EPs, 11 singles, and 1 tribute album.
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