| 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 are an American rock band known for their hit single "A Million Miles Away" which was featured in the movie Valley Girl.
James Lee Keltner is an American drummer and percussionist known primarily for his session work. He was characterized by Bob Dylan biographer Howard Sounes as "the leading session drummer in America".
Mighty Like a Rose is the 13th studio album by the British rock singer and songwriter Elvis Costello, released in 1991 on compact disc as Warner Brothers 26575. The title is presumably a reference to the pop standard "Mighty Lak' a Rose", and although that song does not appear on the album, the words of its first stanza are quoted in the booklet of the 2002 reissue. It peaked at No. 5 on the UK Albums Chart, and at No. 55 on the Billboard 200.
The Wind is the twelfth and final studio album by American singer-songwriter Warren Zevon. The album was released on August 26, 2003, by Artemis Records. Zevon began recording the album shortly after he was diagnosed with inoperable pleural mesothelioma, and it was released just two weeks before his death on September 7, 2003. The album was awarded the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album, and "Disorder in the House", performed by Zevon with Bruce Springsteen, won the Grammy for Best Rock Vocal Performance. Songs from the album were nominated for an additional three Grammys.
Spike is the 12th studio album by the British rock singer and songwriter Elvis Costello, and his first since My Aim Is True without the Attractions, released on vinyl and compact disc as Warner Brothers 25848. It was his first album for the label and peaked at No. 5 on the UK Albums Chart. It also reached No. 32 on the Billboard 200 thanks to the single and his most notable American hit, "Veronica", which reached No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the US Modern Rock chart. In The Village Voice's annual Pazz & Jop critics poll for the year's best albums, Spike finished at No. 7.
Maria McKee is the debut album by American singer-songwriter Maria McKee, released in 1989.
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Crowded House is the debut album by New Zealand-Australian band Crowded House. Produced by Mitchell Froom, it was released in August 1986 and was certified platinum in four countries. The album includes the hit singles "Don't Dream It's Over", "Something So Strong", "Mean to Me", "World Where You Live" and "Now We're Getting Somewhere".
The Talking Animals is an album by T Bone Burnett, released in 1988.
This Old Road is an album by Kris Kristofferson, released in 2006 on New West Records. The underlying theme of the record is a retrospective and reflective look at what Kristofferson deems to have been important elements of his life.
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Get Rhythm is a studio album by Ry Cooder. It was released in 1987.
Six-Pack of Love is an album by American singer-songwriter Peter Case, released in 1992. The song "Dream About You" reached number 16 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. It was Case's last album for Geffen Records.
The Man with the Blue Post-Modern Fragmented Neo-Traditionalist Guitar is an album by American singer-songwriter Peter Case, released in 1989. Its title is a reference to the Wallace Stevens poem "The Man With the Blue Guitar."
Downtown is the third album by singer/songwriter Marshall Crenshaw. Recorded after the relative failure of his album Field Day, Downtown was a departure from his previous albums due to its more rootsy sound.
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.
Marvin Elan Etzioni is an American singer, mandolinist, bassist, and record producer. Also known as the Mandolin Man, Etzioni is best known as a founder of, and bassist for, the band Lone Justice. He is a noted record producer and has released three solo albums.