White Courtesy Phone

Last updated

White Courtesy Phone
White Courtesy Phone.jpg
Studio album by
Angel Corpus Christi
Released1995
Genre Alternative rock, new wave
Label Almo Sounds/Geffen [1]
Producer Craig Leon
Angel Corpus Christi chronology
The 80's
(1989)		White Courtesy Phone
(1995)		Divine Healer
(2003)

White Courtesy Phone is an album by the American musician Angel Corpus Christi, released in 1995. [2] [3] Her major label debut, it was also the first release on Jerry Moss's and Herb Alpert's Almo Sounds label. [4]

Contents

The album's first single was "Candy". [5]

Production

The album was produced by Craig Leon. [5] Alpert, Hal Blaine, and Dawn Richardson contributed to White Courtesy Phone. [2] [6]

It was the last album to be recorded in Studio A at Sausalito's Record Plant before a technology rebuild. [7] "John Cassavetes" is about the filmmaker. [8] A song about gun violence in American schools, "Me and My Beretta", was included only on European editions of the album. [9]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [10]
Daily Breeze Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [4]
Deseret News Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [11]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Knoxville News Sentinel Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [12]
The San Diego Union-Tribune Star full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [13]

Trouser Press wrote: "Surrounding her carbon-dated canned vocal presence with diverse synth-draped arrangements that manage to sound simultaneously complex and rinkydink, Angel croons the elementary melodies of supremely ingenious hook-filled songs that bounce and bop in an echo of early-’80s dance-club pogo fare by Toni Basil, Lene Lovich, Martha and the Muffins, Algebra Suicide, Hilary, etc." [14] The Guardian noted Angel Corpus Christi's use of the accordion and her "deadpan delivery," writing that "sometimes it just sounds like half-hearted 'alternative' malarkey, but not often enough to spoil things." [15]

The San Diego Union-Tribune opined: "Uncomfortably mating Laurie Anderson and, yes, the Angels ... White Courtesy Phone has a few nicely campy moments but precious little inspiration." [13] The Deseret News thought that "those who dance to the doldrums of life may cherish this campy but innovative album—even though it does get monotonous after the fourth track." [11] The Daily Breeze concluded that "Christi's accordion playing works because it fits seamlessly with the band's low-fi sound without dominating it ... Leon keeps a light touch throughout, allowing the band to walk the fine line between enjoyable campiness and tackiness merely for its own sake." [4] The Knoxville News Sentinel praised Angel Corpus Christi's "magnetic charm" and "gratifying accordion." [12]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Big Black Cloud" 
2."Threw It Away" 
3."Homeboy" 
4."Candy" 
5."Nature Girl" 
6."Dim the Lights" 
7."Down" 
8."John Cassavetes" 
9."Lazy" 
10."Fall" 
11."Been There Done That" 
12."Way Out West" 

References

  1. 1 2 Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 1. MUZE. p. 193.
  2. 1 2 "Angel Corpus Christi Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More". AllMusic.
  3. ↑ Marsh, Dave (September 1995). "Rock — White Courtesy Phone by Angel Corpus Christi". Playboy. Vol. 42, no. 9. p. 26.
  4. 1 2 3 Gnerre, Sam (April 28, 1995). "Angel Corpus Christi". Daily Breeze. p. K28.
  5. 1 2 Shuster, Fred (April 21, 1995). "Squeezing Originality from Modern Rock". Los Angeles Daily News. p. L27.
  6. ↑ Snyder, Michael (April 9, 1995). "Voice of an Angel". Sunday Datebook. San Francisco Chronicle. p. 40.
  7. ↑ Snyder, Michael (December 18, 1994). "Angel in Heaven". Sunday Datebook. San Francisco Chronicle. p. 45.
  8. ↑ Harmon, Rick (May 18, 1995). "Alternative artist sounds wonderful on 'White Courtesy Phone'". Montgomery Advertiser. p. 5C.
  9. ↑ "Angel Corpus Christi". Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser. January 31, 1996. p. 10.
  10. ↑ "White Courtesy Phone". AllMusic.
  11. 1 2 Iwasaki, Scott (May 17, 1995). "Albums Mix Neo-Mainstream Rock, Blues, Pop". Deseret News. p. C7.
  12. 1 2 Campbell, Chuck (June 6, 1995). "New Releases: Celine Dion, Chris Isaak, Angel Corpus Christi". Knoxville News Sentinel. Scripps Howard News Service.
  13. 1 2 Toombs, Mikel (May 18, 1995). "Angel Corpus Christi, 'White Courtesy Phone'". Entertainment. The San Diego Union-Tribune. p. 20.
  14. ↑ "Angel Corpus Christi". Trouser Press. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
  15. ↑ Sullivan, Caroline (February 9, 1996). "This week's pop cd releases". The Guardian. p. T10.
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