Tenterhooks (Chris Mars album)

Last updated

Tenterhooks
CMars Tenterhooks.jpg
Studio album by
Chris Mars
Released1995
Length42:36
Label Bar/None [1]
Producer Chris Mars
Chris Mars chronology
75% Less Fat
(1993)		Tenterhooks
(1995)		Anonymous Botch
(1996)

Tenterhooks is the third album by the American musician Chris Mars, released in 1995. [2] [3] Its title comes from the tenterhooks used to stretch cloth.

Contents

Mars chose not to tour in support of the album; instead, a band named the Wallmen promoted it, placing a cardboard model of Mars onstage. [4]

Production

Produced by Mars, the album was recorded in his living room. [5] [6] Mars's deal with Bar/None provided him with digital recording equipment. [7] Mars created the album artwork. [8]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [9]
Entertainment Weekly B− [10]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [11]
MusicHound Rock Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [12]

Trouser Press noted the "new-found fascination with an odd amalgamation of styles that run from rap and jazz to disco and Midwestern surf-rock—complete with kettle drums, strings and found sounds." [6] Entertainment Weekly deemed the album "twisted, stylized, and strained, a concoction of decadent cocktail music." [10]

Stereo Review called it "left-field, eclectic Brit-styled pop." [13] Rolling Stone likened Mars's voice to that of Ray Davies. [11] The Toronto Sun considered "White Patty Rap" to be "a contender for party song of the year." [14]

AllMusic wrote: "As was evident on his first two releases, Mars has a distinctive voice, but the appeal of his vocals is limited, and it's likely only hardcore fans of his old band, the Replacements, would be willing to submit to it." [9]

Track listing

  1. "White Patty Rap"
  2. "Forkless Tree"
  3. "Mary"
  4. "Lizard Brain"
  5. "Hate It"
  6. "Brother Song"
  7. "Water Biscuits"
  8. "E.I.B. Negative"
  9. "Haunted Town"
  10. "Floater"
  11. "Cadaver Dogs"
  12. "New Day"

References

  1. ↑ Gilstrap, Peter. "DESTINATION MARSWELCOME TO THE WORLD OF CHRIS MARS--ARTIST/SONGWRITER/PET OWNER". Phoenix New Times.
  2. ↑ "Chris Mars Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
  3. ↑ Thompson, Dave (June 17, 2000). Alternative Rock. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN   978-0-87930-607-6 – via Google Books.
  4. ↑ Mirkin, Steven (April 8, 1995). "Mars sinks 'Hooks' into own studio on Bar/None debut". Billboard. Vol. 107, no. 14. p. 12.
  5. ↑ "Record Reviews". www.austinchronicle.com.
  6. 1 2 "Chris Mars". Trouser Press. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
  7. ↑ Gladstone, Eric (May 1995). "Reviews". CMJ New Music Monthly (21): 36.
  8. ↑ Riefe, Stephanie (May 11, 1995). "TENTERHOOKS Chris Mars". Calendar. Hartford Courant. p. 4.
  9. 1 2 "Chris Mars Tenterhooks Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
  10. 1 2 "Tenterhooks". EW.com.
  11. 1 2 "CHRIS MARS: Tenterhooks". News & Record. Rolling Stone. March 3, 1995. p. W13.
  12. ↑ Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Saniel, eds. (1999). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. New York: Schirmer Trade Books. ISBN   978-0-8256-7256-9 . Retrieved December 19, 2024.
  13. ↑ Nash, Alanna (June 1995). "Popular music — Tenterhooks by Chris Mars". Stereo Review. 60 (6): 79.
  14. ↑ Sakamoto, John (May 16, 1995). "ANTI-HIT LIST". Entertainment. Toronto Sun. p. 55.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.