| Whisper Tames the Lion | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1988 | |||
| Label | Island | |||
| Producer | Anton Fier | |||
| Drivin' n' Cryin' chronology | ||||
| ||||
Whisper Tames the Lion is the second album by the American band Drivin' n' Cryin', released in 1988. [1] [2] "Powerhouse" was released as single. [3] The band supported the album with a North American tour. [4] The album peaked at No. 130 on the Billboard 200. [5] It sold more than 70,000 copies in its first year of release. [6]
Recorded in New York City, the album was produced by Anton Fier. [7] Jeff Sullivan joined the band on drums, although Fier drummed on most of the tracks. [8] [9] Frontman Kevn Kinney considered the band's sound to be an amalgamation of styles but described himself as a folk singer. [10] "Check Your Tears at the Door" is narrated by a recently deceased young man. [11] Bernie Worrell played keyboards on "Good Day Every Day". [12] "On a Clear Daze" employed acoustic guitar and mandolin. [13]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [14] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | [15] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide |  [16] |
Trouser Press wrote that the album "focuses the trio's musical attack while maintaining the polystylistic approach." [9] The Orlando Sentinel noted: "Call it eclecticism, diversity or simply musical schizophrenia, but this album veers from one extreme to the other throughout." [17] The Atlanta Constitution opined that "there are a few overproduced tracks ... and a few glutinous violins ... [but the album] hews mostly to the band's unadorned strengths." [11]
The State concluded that "Catch the Wind" "is the best Byrds song Roger McGuinn never wrote." [18] LA Weekly determined that Whisper Tames the Lion "points new directions in backward-looking alterno-pop." [19] The Morning Call panned "the combination of heavy metal and folk music." [20] The North Bay Nugget determined that the band "bring a respectability to heavy rock that has been missing since the mid-Seventies." [21]
AllMusic wrote that the band was "still inflected with hillbilly/bluegrass roots and edging ever closer toward the hard rock sound they would ultimately embrace." [14]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Whisper Tames the Lion" | |
| 2. | "Catch the Wind" | |
| 3. | "Powerhouse" | |
| 4. | "The Friend Song" | |
| 5. | "On a Clear Daze" | |
| 6. | "Ridin' on the Soul Road" | |
| 7. | "Can't Promise You the World" | |
| 8. | "Livin' by the Book" | |
| 9. | "Good Day Every Day" | |
| 10. | "Legal Gun" | |
| 11. | "Check Your Tears at the Door" | |
| 12. | "Blue Ridge Way" |
Drivin N Cryin is an American Southern rock band from Atlanta, Georgia, United States.
The Night is the fifth and final studio album by the alternative rock band Morphine, released in 2000 via DreamWorks. The album expands the band's sound beyond their usual arrangements of previous albums, introducing acoustic guitars, organs, strings and female backing vocals.
James van Buren Fowler was an American rock and roll and blues guitar player from Atlanta, Georgia. He was the lead guitarist for Southern rock band Drivin' n' Cryin' from 1988 to 1993, and had previously toured with R.E.M.
Flip-Flop is the fourth and final studio album by the American band Guadalcanal Diary. It was released in 1989 on Elektra Records. The band supported the album with a North American tour. "Always Saturday", for which a video was shot, was released as a single.
One Big Day is the third album by the American band Face to Face, released in 1988. It was produced by Anton Fier. The group disbanded shortly after the album's release.
Fly Me Courageous is the fourth studio album by the hard rock/Southern rock band Drivin' N' Cryin', released on January 8, 1991, by Island Records. The album is the band's most commercially successful release, in part due to the title track striking a patriotic chord in the United States during the start of the Persian Gulf War. In 1995, Fly Me Courageous was certified gold.
Kevin Kinney, known professionally as Kevn Kinney, is an American vocalist and guitarist, best known as lead singer and guitarist of rock band Drivin N Cryin.
Blast Off! is an album by the American rockabilly revivalist band Stray Cats, released in 1989. It marked a reunion of the band, after three years of solo endeavors; the band's previous album, 1986's Rock Therapy, was produced to fulfill a record contract.
Beatsongs is an album by the English band the Blue Aeroplanes, released in 1991. Its B-sides were collected on Friendloverplane 2.
Smoke is the fifth album from Southern rock group Drivin N Cryin. It was released in February 1993 on Island Records.
Mystery Road is the third studio album by hard/Southern rock band Drivin' N' Cryin', released on March 28, 1989, by Island Records. The Washington Post said the album "remains a classic of the genre."
MacDougal Blues is the debut solo album from Drivin N Cryin vocalist Kevn Kinney, released on Island Records in 1990. The album received positive reviews.
Perpetual Motion Machine is an album by the Canadian alternative rock band 13 Engines, released in 1993. It was the band's fourth album, and the second one released by a major label. The album's first single was "More".
Electric Juices is the second album by the American alternative rock band Fuzzy, released in 1996.
Wrapped in Sky is an album by the American rock band Drivin N Cryin, released in 1995. The album marked a return to the band's earlier, folkier sound.
Mission of the Crossroad Palms is an album by the American musician Steve Forbert, released in 1995. It was a commercial disappointment.
Every Dog Has His Day is an album by the American band Let's Active, released in 1988. It was the band's final album.
Surrender to Jonathan! is an album by the American musician Jonathan Richman, released in 1996. Richman was the first musician signed to Neil Young's Vapor Records. Richman supported the album by touring with a full band.
The Silos is an album by the American band the Silos, released in 1990. A commercial disappointment, it was the band's only album for RCA Records. The Silos peaked at No. 141 on the Billboard 200. The band supported the album with a North American tour that included shows with the Jayhawks.
Annunciation is an album by the American band the Subdudes, released in 1994. The album title refers to Annunciation Street, in New Orleans; the album was originally intended to be released on Annunciation Day. Annunciation was the band's first album for High Street Records. The Subdudes supported the album with a North American tour. Annunciation sold more than 120,000 copies in its first eight months of release.