Positively Phranc

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Positively Phranc
Positively Phranc.jpg
Studio album by
Phranc
Released1991
Recorded1991
Genre Folk, folk punk, punk pop [1]
Length30:42
Label Island [2]
Producer Warren Bruleigh, Phranc
Phranc chronology
I Enjoy Being a Girl
(1989)		Positively Phranc
(1991)		 Goofyfoot
(1995)

Positively Phranc is an album by the American musician Phranc, released in 1991. [3] [4] Phranc promoted the album by touring with Morrissey. [5] Phranc was dropped by Island Records after the album's release. [6]

Contents

Production

"Gertrude Stein" is Phranc's cover version of Jonathan Richman's "Pablo Picasso"; D.J. Bonebrake played drums on the song. [7] "Tipton" is a tribute to transgender jazz musician Billy Tipton. [8] "Surfer Girl", a duet with Syd Straw, is a cover of the Beach Boys song. [9] "Outta Here" is about the deaths of friends due to AIDS. [10] Dave Alvin played guitar on "Hitchcock". [11] Two Nice Girls sang on "I'm Not Romantic". [12]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [13]
Robert Christgau Scissors icon black.svg [14]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [15]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [16]
Martin C. Strong 6/10 [17]
The Tampa Tribune Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [12]

The Gazette wrote that "Phranc proves that all anyone really needs is six strings and a point of view." [18] The Chicago Tribune opined that Positively Phranc "is miles ahead of her first two albums, offering wit, a sense of balance, musical diversity and polished artistry that simply wasn't there before." [19]

Trouser Press noted that the album "intermittently brings tasteful electric accompaniment into the picture while narrowing the lyrical focus to mostly concentrate on romance." [20] Entertainment Weekly lamented that "Phranc pens ironic little ditties, high on giggles but low on the insights that should come out of a lesbian's daily life in the straight world." [21] Robert Christgau considered "'64 Ford" to be the album's best track. [14]

Track listing

All tracks composed by Phranc; except where indicated

  1. "I Like You"
  2. "I'm Not Romantic"
  3. "'64 Ford"
  4. "Hitchcock"
  5. "Tipton"
  6. "Dress Code"
  7. "Why?"
  8. "Gertrude Stein" (Jonathan Richman)
  9. "Surfer Girl" (Brian Wilson)
  10. "Outta Here"

Personnel

Release details

CountryDateLabelFormatCatalog
1991 Island CD 422-848 282-2
Cassette 422-848 282-4
1992 PolyGram CD848282

References

  1. ↑ Kramarae, Cheris; Spender, Dale (2004). Routledge International Encyclopedia of Women: Global Women's Issues and Knowledge. Routledge. p. 1210.
  2. ↑ Pener, Degen (August 15, 1993). "Phranc, As in Frank or Neil". The New York Times. p. A4.
  3. ↑ Ehrlich, Dimitri (May 1991). "Positively Phranc by Phranc". Interview. Vol. 21, no. 5. p. 48.
  4. ↑ Dery, Mark (October 1991). "Frankly Phranc". Guitar Player. Vol. 25, no. 10. p. 14.
  5. ↑ Sndyer, Michael (January 30, 1994). "Lesbian Folk Singer – Phranc Sparkles In Diamond Tribute". Sunday Datebook. San Francisco Chronicle. p. 41.
  6. ↑ Gaar, Gillian G. (1992). She's a Rebel: The History of Women in Rock and Roll. Seal Press. p. 386.
  7. ↑ Brown, Joe (July 5, 1991). "Phranc Approach For Individual Folk". The Washington Post. p. N13.
  8. ↑ "Phrancly, My Dear". Colorado Springs Gazette-Telegraph. May 8, 1992. p. E1.
  9. ↑ Takiff, Jonathan (April 9, 1991). "Vocal Feminists Are Reaching New Audiences". Features Yo!. Philadelphia Daily News. p. 27.
  10. ↑ Erskine, Evelyn (June 29, 1991). "Direct sting of punk is still Phranc's music". Ottawa Citizen. p. E3.
  11. ↑ Grobaty, Tim (March 24, 1991). "Positively Phranc". Press-Telegram. p. B5.
  12. 1 2 Garcia, Wayne (April 19, 1991). "Phranc Positively Phranc". Tampa Bay Times. The Tampa Tribune. p. 19.
  13. ↑ "Positively Phranc Review by Denise Sullivan". AllMusic. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  14. 1 2 "Phranc". Robert Christgau. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  15. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 6. MUZE. p. 528.
  16. ↑ MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. pp. 872–873.
  17. ↑ Strong, Martin C. (2003). The Great Indie Discography (2nd ed.). Canongate. p. 453.
  18. ↑ Lamey, Mary (December 24, 1991). "Girls, cars, mud-wrestling: Phranc covers musical map". The Gazette. p. C10.
  19. ↑ Heim, Chris (June 21, 1991). "Morrissey and Phranc". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. M.
  20. ↑ "Phranc". Trouser Press. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  21. ↑ Farber, Jim. "Positively Phranc". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
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