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50,000 B.C.

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50,000 B.C.
Studio album by
Shudder to Think
Released1997
Studio
GenreRock, power pop
Length44:27
LabelEpic[1]
ProducerTed Niceley
Shudder to Think chronology
Pony Express Record
(1994) 		50,000 B.C.
(1997) 		First Love, Last Rites
(1998)
Singles from 50,000 B.C.
  1. "Red House"
    Released: 1997

50,000 B.C. is the final studio album by the American band Shudder to Think, released in 1997.[2][3] The album was a commercial disappointment.[4] The band supported it with a North American tour.[5]

Production

[edit]

Kevin March, formerly of the Dambuilders, joined the band as its new drummer prior to the recording of 50,000 B.C.[2] Singer Craig Wedren was battling Hodgkin's disease during the writing of the album; the band rewrote many of its songs to avoid producing an album that sounded too much like Pony Express Record.[6][7] The album was produced by Ted Niceley.[8]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[9]
Chicago Tribune[10]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[11]
The Huntsville Times[12]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide[13]
Pitchfork3.7/10[14]
Spin5/10[15]
St. Petersburg TimesA−[16]
Uncut[17]

The Washington Post thought that "Shudder hasn't sacrificed any of its cleverness, but it has added a little bit of soul, which is what makes this the band's most compelling album."[18] Guitar Player wrote that "the band forgets about punk credibility and lets guitarist Nathan Larson fashion the kind of gleaming pop-metal hooks that his gutsy playing has always hinted at."[19] The Chicago Tribune noted that "STT has purged much of the complexity from its sound, leaving a brash, sophisticated power pop in its place."[10]

Spin opined that, "for fully half the tracks on this album, Wedren's voice could not unfairly be compared to that of Journey's Steve Perry."[15] The Sunday Times declared that "'Beauty Strike' is the perfect Shudder to Think song, rushing at breakneck speed round unpredictable musical blind corners, an irresistible melody nailed to its back bumper, but the album is eventually marooned in a swamp of lumpy metallic riffing."[20] The Independent wrote that the album "has real fibre, a depth and passion that's rare in guitar power rock."[21]

AllMusic called the album "the kind of eclectic post-punk that will primarily appeal to critics and record collectors."[9]

Track listing

[edit]

All tracks are written by Craig Wedren, except where noted. All songs arranged by Wedren, Nathan Larson, and Stuart Hill, except where noted.

No.TitleWriter(s)Arranger(s)Length
1."Call of the Playground"Wedren, Nathan LarsonWedren, Larson, Stuart Hill, Adam Wade3:25
2."Red House"Wedren, Chris MatthewsWedren, Matthews, Hill, Mike Russell3:44
3."Beauty Strike"Wedren, LarsonWedren, Larson, Hill, Wade2:48
4."The Saddest Day of My Life"  4:02
5."The Man Who Rolls" Wedren, Larson, Hill, Wade4:08
6."All Eyes Are Different"Wedren, Larson 4:05
7."Kissesmack of Past Action"  2:33
8."Resident Wine"  3:34
9."She's a Skull"Wedren, Larson 2:36
10."Survival"  4:27
11."You're Gonna Look Fine, Love"Wedren, LarsonWedren, Larson, Hill, Wade3:20
12."Hop on One Foot"  5:45
Total length:44:27
Japanese edition bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
13."There's a Word" 
14."No RM. 9, Kentucky (Acoustic Version)" 

Personnel

[edit]

Personnel per booklet.

Band

Additional musicians

  • Adam Wade – drums (11)
  • Steve Calhoun - percussion

Technical personnel

  • Ted Niceley – producer
  • Andy Baker - engineer
  • Carl Glanville - engineer & mixer
  • Juan Garcia - recording assistant
  • Jamie Campbell - recording assistant
  • Vince Reynolds - recording assistant
  • Jay Nicholis - mixing assistant
  • Artie Smith - equipment and technical support
  • Sean Evans - art direction
  • Nitin Vadukul - photography

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Shudder to Think". Trouser Press. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Shudder to Think Biography & History". AllMusic.
  3. ^ Domingues, Amy (March 14, 1997). "Shudder to Think". Washington City Paper.
  4. ^ Sherman, Heidi (July 30, 1998). "Shudder Settle the Score". Rolling Stone.
  5. ^ Strauss, Neil (10 Mar 1997). "Music in Review". The New York Times. p. C16.
  6. ^ "Shudder to Think Singer Craig Wedren's Polaroids Are Perfect Proto-Instagrams of the Indie 90s". Vanity Fair. March 5, 2019.
  7. ^ Reighley, Kurt B. (May 1997). "Shudder to Think Go Their Own Way". CMJ New Music Monthly. No. 45. p. 18.
  8. ^ "Reviews & Previews". Billboard. Vol. 109, no. 10. Mar 8, 1997. p. 55.
  9. ^ a b "50,000 B.C." AllMusic.
  10. ^ a b Reger, Rick (14 Mar 1997). "Shudder to Think 50,000 B.C.". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. 7.
  11. ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 7. MUZE. p. 437.
  12. ^ Smallwood, Dean (March 20, 1997). "James back on track with new CD; Shudder to Think scores a sell-out". The Huntsville Times. p. C2.
  13. ^ MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 1012.
  14. ^ Josephes, Jason. "Shudder to Think: 50,000 B.C." Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 2000-08-16. Retrieved 2023-02-04.
  15. ^ a b Beaujon, Andrew (May 1997). "Spins". Spin. Vol. 13, no. 2. p. 116.
  16. ^ Perez, Gregory (March 7, 1997). "Audio Files". Weekend. St. Petersburg Times. p. 11.
  17. ^ Roberts, Chris (June 1997). "Shudder to Think: 50,000 BC". Uncut. No. 1. p. 100.
  18. ^ Jenkins, Mark (19 Mar 1997). "'50,000 B.C.': Shudder's Bedrock; Epic Disc Puts Band on Solid Ground". The Washington Post. p. D7.
  19. ^ Ashare, Matt (Jul 1997). "50,000 B.C.". Guitar Player. Vol. 31, no. 7. p. 106.
  20. ^ Lee, Stewart (4 May 1997). "Shudder to Think 50,000 BC". Culture. The Sunday Times. p. 18.
  21. ^ Lewis, Angela (31 May 1997). "Pop & Jazz". Features. The Independent. p. 25.
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