| You and Your Sister | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1989 | |||
| Length | 46:18 | |||
| Label | Record Collect [1] | |||
| Producer | Walter Salas-Humara, Robert Ray | |||
| The Vulgar Boatmen chronology | ||||
| ||||
You and Your Sister is the debut album by the American band the Vulgar Boatmen, released in 1989. [2] The Vulgar Boatmen, at the time of the album, constituted two bands: one based in Florida and one based in Indiana. The band supported the album with a North American tour. [3] "Drive Somewhere" was released as a single. [4]
The album's songs were written by Dale Lawrence and Robert Ray. [5] [6] Ray, based in Florida, and Lawrence, based in Indiana, sent songs through the mail. [7] Aside from a few tracks recorded in Indiana, the majority of the album was made at Ray's Gainesville, Florida, home studio. [8] You and Your Sister was coproduced by Ray and Walter Salas-Humara. [9]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [10] |
| Chicago Tribune | [11] |
| Robert Christgau | B+ [12] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music |  [1] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | [13] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [14] |
| Spin Alternative Record Guide | 9/10 [15] |
| The Tampa Tribune | [16] |
Robert Christgau wrote: "These guys make much more than you expect out of what first sounds like almost nothing--just tuneful enough to warrant play two, their mild jangle gains sweetness and kick as your faith increases." [12] The Chicago Tribune thought that "all of it—even the rhythmically powerful songs—is somehow quiet; it`s the dreamy, heart-tugging stuff that drifts in from another room late at night." [11] Greil Marcus, in The Village Voice , called the songs "very '50s in their casualness, present-day in their insistence on doubt." [17] The Boston Globe said that "the band creates its own, often lethargic sound that, after a half-dozen listens, makes perfect sense." [18]
AllMusic wrote that "a dozen near-perfect roots pop tunes ... address simple concerns, like driving and changing the world all around, to a steady four-four beat that just about accomplishes that latter feat with only the occasional syncopated accent." [10] The New Yorker thought that "the sound in general was what you’d call 'organic'—you could basically hear the guitars being strummed, the drums occasionally snapped, the almost-resigned naturalness of the lead singer’s voice, the plaintiveness of the melodies." [19]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Mary Jane" | 3:53 |
| 2. | "You and Your Sister" | 4:06 |
| 3. | "Margaret Says" | 4:40 |
| 4. | "Katie" | 2:55 |
| 5. | "Drive Somewhere" | 6:00 |
| 6. | "Decision by the Airport" | 4:04 |
| 7. | "Change the World All Around" | 4:10 |
| 8. | "Fallen Down" | 3:36 |
| 9. | "Hold Me Tight" | 3:38 |
| 10. | "Cry Real Tears" | 2:14 |
| 11. | "Drink More Coffee" | 2:58 |
| 12. | "The Street Where You Live" | 4:04 |