Pictures from the Front

Last updated
Pictures from the Front
Pictures from the Front.jpg
Studio album by
Jon Butcher
Released1989
StudioThe Pasha Music House
Genre Rock, pop
Label Capitol [1]
Producer Glen Ballard, Jon Butcher, Spencer Proffer
Jon Butcher chronology
Wishes
(1987)		Pictures from the Front
(1989)		Positively the Blues
(1995)

Pictures from the Front is an album by the American musician Jon Butcher, released in 1989. [2] [3] It was Butcher's second album fronting the Jon Butcher Group. [4] He supported the album with a North American tour. [5]

Contents

The album peaked at No. 121 on the Billboard 200. [6] "Send Me Somebody" peaked at No. 7 on Billboard's Album Rock Tracks chart. [7]

Production

Produced by Glen Ballard, Butcher, and Spencer Proffer, the album was recorded in Los Angeles. [8] [9] [10] "Come and Get It" is an instrumental track; "Beating Drum" is about apartheid in South Africa. [11] [12]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [13]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide Star full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [9]

The Los Angeles Times wrote that the album shows that "Butcher is capable of conveying honest emotion while turning out a reasonably palatable brand of arena rock." [14] The St. Petersburg Times deemed it "tuneful, if rather bland, guitar-driven rock." [15]

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution determined that the album "continues the music-with-a-message style of Wishes, with guitar-playing that ranges from gently melodic to blistering and lyrics that come from Mr. Butcher's life and his concerns." [4] The Omaha World-Herald thought that "Butcher's biggest stumbling block—his throaty voice—too often crowds out his guitar playing this time out." [16] The Advocate concluded that "Butcher's lyrics are a cut above most other rockers ... his problem is that his musical style falls into that middle ground between grinding hard rock and the pop metal which is now in vogue." [17]

MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide considered Pictures from the Front to be "a desperate-sounding grab bag." [9]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."I'm Only Dreaming" 
2."Might as Well Be Free" 
3."Live or Die" 
4."99 (May Be All You Need)" 
5."Beating Drum" 
6."The Mission" 
7."Send Me Somebody" 
8."Division Street" 
9."Come and Get It" 
10."Waiting for a Miracle" 

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References

  1. ↑ Morse, Steve (2 Dec 1988). "Bits and Pieces". Arts and Film. The Boston Globe. p. 38.
  2. ↑ "Jon Butcher Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
  3. ↑ Hiltbrand, David (Apr 3, 1989). "Picks & Pans—Song: Pictures from the Front". People. Vol. 31, no. 13. p. 26.
  4. 1 2 DeVault, Russ (May 4, 1989). "Butcher Aiming High with Message-Oriented Music". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. E3.
  5. ↑ Warren, Jill (Apr 4, 1989). "Waging war against cliched rock". The Indianapolis Star. p. B8.
  6. ↑ "Jon Butcher". Billboard.
  7. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (January 16, 2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Rock Tracks 1981-2008. Hal Leonard Corporation.
  8. ↑ Titus, Christa (Jun 30, 2001). "Defying typecasting, songwriter Ballard is comfortable in multiple genres". Billboard. Vol. 113, no. 26. p. G8.
  9. 1 2 3 MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 181.
  10. ↑ Morse, Steve (12 Apr 1989). "Butcher Says What's on His Mind". Arts and Film. The Boston Globe. p. 50.
  11. ↑ Caudle, Todd (15 May 1989). "Butcher's strength dazzles". Colorado Springs Gazette-Telegraph. p. D3.
  12. ↑ Toombs, Mikel (May 17, 1989). "Butcher's no Hendrix but feels his impact – Singer-guitarist to perform at Bacchanal". The San Diego Union-Tribune. p. C4.
  13. ↑ "Pictures from the Front Jon Butcher Axis". AllMusic. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
  14. ↑ Boehm, Mike (19 May 1989). "Originality Lost in Flashy Homage to Hendrix". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 22.
  15. ↑ Snider, Eric (13 June 1989). "White heavy metal gets an infusion of color in the style of Hendrix". St. Petersburg Times. p. 1D.
  16. ↑ Healy, James (March 26, 1989). "Jon Butcher 'Pictures From the Front'". Entertainment. Omaha World-Herald. p. 14.
  17. ↑ Gilbert, Calvin (February 10, 1989). "Jon Butcher Pictures from the Front". Fun. The Advocate. p. 2.
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