What a Lemon

Last updated
What a Lemon
Album What a Lemon (NL) cover.jpg
Studio album by
Gasolin'
ReleasedAugust 1976
RecordedJune 1975 at Rosenberg studio, Copenhagen and March 1976 in New York City
Genre Rock
Length38:09
LanguageEnglish
Label Epic
Producer Roy Thomas Baker
Gasolin' chronology
Gas 5
(1975)		What a Lemon
(1976)		 Efter endnu en dag
(1976)
Alternative cover
Album What a Lemon (UK) cover.jpg
Cover of the UK version

What a Lemon is an album by Danish rock band Gasolin', released in August 1976 on Epic Records in the United States, some parts of Europe, Japan and Australia. It is the third of four albums with English lyrics that Gasolin' released between 1974 and 1978 in an attempt to break the international music market. The album received good reviews from leading American rock critics, but lack of airplay and the fact that the record company invested only small efforts in promotion and distribution meant that it never earned the band the public acclaim it was striving for. [1] [2]

Contents

History

By the start of 1976 Gasolin' was the most popular band in Denmark. Their latest LP Gas 5 , issued the previous year, had sold 65.000 copies and earned them a Gold record. But the band had ambitions of international fame, and while re-negotiating their record contract with CBS they demanded to have an album issued in the United States as part of the deal. A compromise was made that granted them a record contract with Epic Records, a subsidiary of Columbia, the equivalent to CBS in the States. In cooperation with Englishman Mick Moloney and Danish author Jan Bredsdorf, the band wrote English lyrics to the songs from Gas 5. In March Gasolin' traveled to New York to re-record the lyrics; however upon their arrival, Epic's A&R chief Lennie Petze intimated that the English lyrics needed further development and assigned the "clean-up" task to Epic employee Dan Beck who had an aspiring talent for poetry. [3]

The resulting album was released internationally on 1 August 1976, but on Gasolin's own request it wasn't initially made available to record buyers in Denmark. Despite this, it entered the Top 20 of the Danish albums chart thanks to the band's popularity in their home country and direct import by a number of record shops. Finally Gasolin' ceased their resistance, and the record was officially released in Denmark as well. [4] [5]

Title

The album was released in the United States as Gasolin' , but renamed What a Lemon for the rest of the world. The disparity is due to the band releasing previous albums named Gasolin' . All told, Gasolin' released three albums named Gasolin' : Their first Danish album, their first British album and their first American album.

Album cover

Most editions of What a Lemon were released with the cover picture from the third Danish album Gasolin' 3 , a wall-painting of an unlucky girl losing her knickers, surrounded by a white border. She had however already been used for the first English album, so instead a photo of the band members from the gatefold cover of their 1971 eponymous Danish debut album was chosen as cover for the English edition. [6]

Songs

The track list is nearly identical to the original Danish album Gas 5 (1975), except that "1975" and "Good Time Charlie" were omitted and replaced by "Rabalderstraede" and "The Last Jim". "Rabalderstraede" is the Danish version of the title song, "What a Lemon". "The Last Jim" is an instrumental taken from the Danish album Stakkels Jim (1974).

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Robert Christgau A− [7]
Rolling Stone (favorable) [8]

What a Lemon received positive reviews from leading American music magazines like The Village Voice and Rolling Stone . [9] In the former, Robert Christgau called it a "wonderfully improbable record" and awarded it the rating A− in his Consumers Guide despite the "translations provided in part by an Epic PR man who deserves a new job." [7] He also positioned it as no. 19 on his end-of-the-year "Dean's List" of his personal favorite albums, counting for the 1976 Pazz & Jop critic's poll. [10] Rolling Stone reviewer Wayne Robins called the music "American-style rock with finesse and flexibility" but was also not impressed by the English lyrics: "Not only is repeating the same song ["What a Lemon"/"Rabalderstraede"] a bit of featherbedding, but the Danish version is much better; though you don't know what singer Kim Larsen is saying, his salacious delivery makes it clear something ribald is going on." Nevertheless, he concluded the review by stating that "(...) Gasolin' plays and sings convincingly. This is certainly a band worth watching. Next time a blend of English and Danish songs might be novel enough to attract the American audience Gasolin' deserves." [8]

The album eventually sold an estimated 20,000 copies in the United States. [11]

Track listing

Side one

  1. "What a Lemon" (Music: Gasolin' / Lyrics: Gasolin', Skip Malone, Dan Beck, Jan Bredsdorf) – 4:57
  2. "Fatherless Hill" (Music: Kim Larsen, Gasolin' / Lyrics: Larsen) – 4:16
  3. "Lonesome Avenue" (Music: Larsen / Lyrics: Larsen) – 3:25
  4. "Rebel Run" (Music: Gasolin', Tommy Petersen / Lyrics: Beck) – 2:58
  5. "Lots of Success" (Music: Gasolin' / Lyrics: Gasolin', Beck) – 3:40

Side two

  1. "It's All the Same to an American Dane" (Music: Gasolin' / Lyrics: Gasolin', Mick Moloney, Beck) – 3:54
  2. "Lady Oh Lady" (Music: Gasolin' / Lyrics: Gasolin', Moloney) – 2:43
  3. "Sad Song of the Bluebird" (Music: Gasolin' / Lyrics: Gasolin', Moloney) – 4:31
  4. "Rabalderstraede" (Music: Larsen, Wili Jønsson / Lyrics: Gasolin', Mogens Mogensen) – 4:50
  5. "The Last Jim" (Larsen, Franz Beckerlee) – 2:55

Personnel

Gasolin'

Additional musicians

Production

Release history

RegionTitleDateLabelFormatCatalog [6]
United StatesGasolin'August 1976 Epic Records stereo LP PE 34149
EuropeWhat a LemonAugust 1976Epic Recordsstereo LPEPC 81436
AustraliaWhat a Lemon15 November 1976Epic Recordsstereo LPELPS 3781
JapanWhat a Lemon1976Epic Recordsstereo LP25AP 301
Scandinavia A Foreign Affair II [RH 1] 2002 Sony Music Entertainment double CD SM 2965-05
  1. ↑ Reissue bundled with The Last Jim

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kim Larsen</span> Danish singer-songwriter and guitarist

Kim Mellius Flyvholm Larsen was a Danish rock and pop musician. He was a major selling Scandinavian act with over 5 million albums sold.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gasolin'</span> Danish rock band

Gasolin' were a Danish rock band from Christianshavn, Copenhagen, formed by Kim Larsen, Franz Beckerlee, and Wili Jønsson in 1969. Their first drummer was the late Bjørn Uglebjerg. He was replaced by Søren Berlev in 1971. At their formation, the guitar playing of Franz Beckerlee was inspired by Jimi Hendrix and the vocals and lyrics of Larsen were inspired by Bob Dylan, while the rhythm playing of Jønsson and Berlev owed much to The Beatles. However, they would soon develop their own musical style. The pop sensibility of Kim Larsen, the artistic attitude of Franz Beckerlee and the musical competence of Wili Jønsson would prove to be a recipe for success. Gasolin's lyrics were generally written by the entire group, often with the assistance of their friend Mogens Mogensen.

<i>Værsgo</i> 1973 studio album by Kim Larsen

Værsgo is the debut album of Kim Larsen who formed Gasolin' in 1969 with Wili Jønsson and Franz Beckerlee. It was released in 1973 while he was still a member of Gasolin', and the album contains songs which were not found suitable for Gasolin'. With 17 songs, it was apparent that Kim Larsen had a lot of songs to offer. It is also apparent why these songs did not fit into the Gasolin' frame. Unlike the hard and disciplined rock of Gasolin' the songs on Værsgo have a loose and cosy atmosphere with a lot of romance and sentimentality and childlike innocence. The album became a big surprise hit and it is considered to be a classic in Danish popular music. In 2005 the 17 songs were re-recorded by various Danish artists under the title: Værsgo 2. This album became a big seller too, confirming the iconic status of Værsgo. Værsgo was recorded in Wifoss studio in Copenhagen and produced by Poul Bruun. All the members of Gasolin' played on the album: Franz Beckerlee played the Moog, Wili Jønsson played the piano and organ and Søren Berlev played the percussion.

<i>Gasolin</i> (1971 album) 1971 album by Gasolin

Gasolin' (also called Gas 1) is the debut studio album by Danish rock band Gasolin'. It was released in November 1971 by CBS Records. Instead of boogie rock and catchy tunes, they relied on creating songs with a moody feel such as "Langebro", "Fra dag til dag" and "Tremastet beton". The latter is recited by the poet Mogens Mogensen. Lead singer Kim Larsen later jokingly referred to the song as the first Danish rap. The lyrics and the music have a dark and mysterious ambience. From this album "Langebro" was released on the single with "Lilli-Lilli" on the b-side.

<i>Gas 5</i> Album by Gasolin

Gas 5 was Gasolin's fifth album in five years and was released in October 1975. From the humble beginnings of their debut album they had developed into a confident arena rock band with this release. In hindsight, Gas 5 may be considered to be their definitive album.

<i>Live sådan</i> 1976 live album by Gasolin

Live sådan is a live album by Gasolin', released in June 1976 as a double LP album. It was recorded during their winter tour of Denmark in January 1976.

<i>Derudaf Forever</i> 1993 live album by Gasolin

Derudaf Forever is a live album by Danish rock band Gasolin', released 15 years after it was recorded.

<i>The Early Years</i> (Gasolin album) 2000 compilation album by Gasolin

The Early Years contains the non-album singles Gasolin' released in 1970-73, with the exception of "Uh-Lu-La-Lu" which was released in 1978. Especially the first seven songs released in 1970-71 are interesting as they show a band looking for a musical identity. Still, you wonder why the record company did not finish the job by including all Gasolin' non-album singles and rare songs such as "Endelig jul igen" and "Dejlig er jorden".

<i>Gasolin Forever</i> 1999 compilation album by Gasolin

Gasolin' Forever is a double-CD from 1999 that contains two previously released albums: Rabalderstræde Forever (1991) and the live album Derudaf Forever (1993).

<i>Killin Time</i> (Gasolin album) 1978 studio album by Gasolin

Killin' Time was recorded in the spring of 1977 and released in Denmark in the summer of 1978. In Sweden it was released as Tivoli. It was Gasolin's fourth and last album with English lyrics, also acting as the band's final studio album release.

<i>A Foreign Affair II</i> 2002 compilation album by Gasolin

A Foreign Affair 2 is double compilation album released by Danish rock band Gasolin' in 2002.

<i>Stakkels Jim</i> 1974 studio album by Gasolin

Stakkels Jim is a studio album by Gasolin' and was released in November 1974. It was the second album to be produced by Roy Thomas Baker.

<i>Gasolin 2</i> Album by Gasolin

Gasolin' 2 was released in November 1972 and was received very well by the critics and the public. Musically they would loosen up after the sombre music of their debut album. "På en sommerdag", "Fi-fi dong" and "På banen" are up-tempo and jolly rock songs that would become popular in concert. "Se din by fra tårnets top", "Snehvide" and "Nanna" are slower songs with lyrics inspired by left-wing humanity. The latter song was also released on Kim Larsen's Værsgo (1973). Overall, Gasolin' 2 has a laid back and cosy ambience.

<i>Gasolin 3</i> 1973 studio album by Gasolin

Gasolin' 3 was the third album from Danish rock band Gasolin', released in November 1973. It was the band's first album to be produced by Roy Thomas Baker. Gasolin' 3 was recorded in Rosenberg Studio in Copenhagen with Freddy Hansson as sound engineer.

<i>Efter endnu en dag</i> 1976 studio album by Gasolin

Efter endnu en dag is the sixth studio album by Gasolin' and was released in November 1976. It was the last Gasolin' album to be produced by Roy Thomas Baker.

<i>Rabalderstræde Forever</i> 1991 compilation album by Gasolin

Rabalderstræde Forever is a compilation album by Danish rock group Gasolin' and was released in 1991 on CD and as a double LP.

<i>Supermix 1</i> 1980 compilation album by Gasolin

Supermix 1 was released in 1980 as the first Gasolin' compilation. For some reason no songs from Gør det Noget were included, and popular songs such as "Rabalderstræde" and "Sirenesangen" are also absent. Therefore, this compilation was to become obsolete when Rabalderstræde Forever was released in 1991.

<i>A Foreign Affair</i> (Gasolin album) 1997 compilation album by Gasolin

A Foreign Affair is a double CD compilation album released by Danish rock band Gasolin' in 1997.

<i>The Last Jim</i> 1974 studio album by Gasolin

The Last Jim is the second album with English lyrics by Danish rock band Gasolin'. It was released in some Western European countries in November 1974 on CBS, simultaneously to its Danish counterpart Stakkels Jim. The songs are identical on the two albums, except for the lyrics. Like on their previous album Gasolin' of the same year, American Leonard "Skip" Malone, helped the band translate the Danish lyrics into English.

<i>Gasolin</i> (1974 album) 1974 album by Gasolin, their first with English lyrics

Gasolin' is the first album with English lyrics by rock band Gasolin' in an attempt to win the band recognition outside their native Denmark. It is almost identical to their third Danish album, Gasolin' 3 and was released in some Western European countries in the beginning of 1974 on CBS. It failed to make impact on the charts anywhere, but didn't stop Gasolin' from issuing three more albums in English in the period from 1974 to 1978.

References

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Bille, Torben (1997). "Gasolin'". Politikens dansk rock 1956-1997 (in Danish). Politikens Forlag. p. 177. ISBN   87-567-5777-8.
  2. ↑ Bundgaard (2003) p. 100
  3. ↑ Bundgaard (2003) pp. 90-91
  4. ↑ Bundgaard (2003) p. 98
  5. ↑ Bundgaard, Peder (2002). A Foreign Affair II (CD booklet) (in Danish). Gasolin'. Sony. p. 6. SM 2965-05.
  6. 1 2 Wenneberg, Jan. "Min Gasolin' samling" (in Danish). Retrieved 1 May 2010.
  7. 1 2 Christgau, Robert. "The Gasolin' Consumer Guide Reviews". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved 1 May 2010.
  8. 1 2 Robins, Wayne (2 December 1976). "Review: Gasolin'". Rolling Stone . No. 227. p. 104.
  9. ↑ Bundgaard (2003) p. 99
  10. ↑ Christgau, Robert. "Pazz & Jop 1976: Dean's List, RobertChristgau.com". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved 1 May 2010.
  11. ↑ Bundgaard (2003) p. 108
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.