Black Radio Won't Play This Record
| Black Radio Won't Play This Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1992 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Label | Scotti Brothers[1] | |||
| Producer | Thom Panunzio | |||
| Mother's Finest chronology | ||||
| ||||
Black Radio Won't Play This Record is an album by the American band Mother's Finest, released in 1992.[2][3] The title of the album comes from a comment made by a Scotti Brothers executive.[4] The band supported the album with a North American tour.[5] The first single was "Generator".[6]
Production
[edit]Displeased with their previous studio album, the band hired new management and recorded demos.[6] Three original members of Mother's Finest played on the album: Joyce Kennedy, Glenn Murdock, and Jerry Seay.[7] It was produced by Thom Panunzio.[8] "Power" is a tribute to female toughness.[9]
Critical reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [10] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [7] |
| The Indianapolis Star |  [11] |
| MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide | [12] |
| Rock Hard | 9.5/10[13] |
The Washington Post wrote that "lead singer Joyce Kennedy wastes no time bemoaning lack of black fan support for black rockers, singing in the first song, 'Negro': 'Like a rebel without a cause/ I play my music to no applause'."[8] Spin called the album "loud, irreverent, and oozing integrity," writing that it "dishes out a Chaka-Khan-meets-alternametal onslaught."[14] The Indianapolis Star deemed it "unadulterated hard rock," declaring that the band "manages to rage pretty effectively against racial and sexual stereotypes with an infectious metallic beat."[11] The Kingston Whig-Standard said that "the guitars tend to be grungy and delivered at a high speed but [the band] don't believe in cliches either."[15]
AllMusic wrote: "Taking off the gloves (both musically and lyrically) and throwing urban contemporary considerations to the wind, MF excels by doing what it does best: scorching heavy metal and hard rock with a touch of Ike & Tina Turner-ish soul."[10] Washington City Paper declared that "Kennedy’s voice is bred for the band’s ability to go from downtempo soul all the way up to power metal sprinkled with funk influences."[16] Miami New Times called Black Radio Won't Play This Record "one of the best rock albums of the Nineties."[17]
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Like a Negro" | Kennedy, Seay, Murdock | 5:05 |
| 2. | "Power" | Kennedy, John Hayes | 3:59 |
| 3. | "Generator" | Seay | 4:34 |
| 4. | "Cry Baby" | Kennedy, Hayes | 5:25 |
| 5. | "Shirt" | Kennedy, Hayes, Murdock | 3:00 |
| 6. | "The Wall" | Kennedy, Murdock, Hayes | 5:19 |
| 7. | "Attitude" | Murdock, Kennedy, Dion Murdock | 4:19 |
| 8. | "Crack Babies" | Seay, Murdock, Sam McCovey | 5:11 |
| 9. | "Head Bangin' and Booty Shakin'" | Murdock | 2:58 |
| 10. | "Stop" | Seay, Cris Kennedy | 3:42 |
| 11. | "Move (Get Outta My Way)" | Seay, Kennedy, Dee Dee Hakim | 4:27 |
| 12. | "L.P.F." | Kennedy, Hayes | 3:49 |
References
[edit]- ^ Heim, Chris (1 May 1992). "New kids on the block". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. S.
- ^ "Mother's Finest Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
- ^ Mahon, Maureen (June 23, 2004). Right to Rock: The Black Rock Coalition and the Cultural Politics of Race. Duke University Press.
- ^ Miller, Michael (November 13, 1992). "Message of Mother's Finest: Rock Isn't for Whites Only". The State. p. 3D.
- ^ Weatherford, Mike (4 Sep 1992). "Rock Options". Las Vegas Review-Journal. p. 2E.
- ^ a b Linafelt, Tom (15 May 1992). "Mother's Finest brings rock act to the Strand". Kicks!. The Sun News. p. 3.
- ^ a b Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 6. MUZE. p. 28.
- ^ a b "Black Rockers on the Move". The Washington Post. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
- ^ Hunt, Dennis (21 Oct 1992). "Mother's Finest Showcases Anger in Roxy Show". Los Angeles Times. p. F9.
- ^ a b "Black Radio Won't Play This Record". AllMusic.
- ^ a b Hill, Dave (10 July 1992). "Mother's Finest offers headbangin' rock". The Indianapolis Star. p. D8.
- ^ MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1998. p. 412.
- ^ "Mother's Finest – Black Radio Won't Play This Record". Rock Hard.
- ^ Blush, Steven (Jul 1992). "Spins". Spin. Vol. 8, no. 4. p. 79.
- ^ Burliuk, Greg (4 June 1992). "More Than Just Soul". Entertainment. The Kingston Whig-Standard. p. 1.
- ^ "To Do This Weekend: Persona, GoldLink, and Mother's Finest". Washington City Paper. July 27, 2018.
- ^ Baker, Greg. "Finest's Worksong". Miami New Times.
