Massive Blur
| Massive Blur | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1993 | |||
| Genre | Pop, rock | |||
| Label | Atlantic | |||
| Producer | Gavin MacKillop | |||
| Melissa Ferrick chronology | ||||
| ||||
Massive Blur is the debut album by the American musician Melissa Ferrick, released in 1993.[1][2] Ferrick supported the album by opening for Marc Cohn on a North American tour.[3]
The album was a commercial disappointment, prompting Ferrick to release a song, "The Juliana Hatfield Song!", that poked fun at the large gap between her and her friend and labelmate Hatfield's "radio adds".[4]
Production
[edit]Recorded in Los Angeles, the album was produced by Gavin MacKillop; Ferrick had considered Lenny Kaye for the job.[5][6] Peter Holsapple, Susan Cowsill, and Vicki Peterson contributed to Massive Blur.[7]
Critical reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [8] |
| Chicago Tribune | [9] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide |  [6] |
Trouser Press opined that Ferrick's "songs are pensive and rocking, direct and oblique, often about relationships but not strictly romantic ones."[10] The Sun Sentinel thought that "these songs read like short stories, strong and complete from first line to final verse."[11] The Chicago Tribune wrote: "A pop belter from Boston, this singer-songwriter's first album delivers the same kind of jolt that came in first hearing Melissa Etheridge's debut disc."[9]
Newsday declared: "Armed with a powerfully dramatic voice and the prudent artistry not to overdo it, Ferrick writes about love and identity and family with piercing honesty and ingenuous uncertainty."[12] The Telegram & Gazette concluded that Ferrick "showcases all her complicated and flighty moods, her spunkiness, smart melodies and the indelible voice that makes her one of the most refreshing singers to appear this year."[13] The Virginian-Pilot noted that "the album kicks off with a killer couple of cuts, the pleading 'Honest Eyes' and 'Happy Song', a nice little rocker."[14] Steve Morse, of The Boston Globe, listed the album as the fifth best of 1993.[15]
AllMusic wrote that the album "showed her to be a convincing, expressive pop/rock vocalist as well as a thoughtful and probing lyricist."[8] Out, in 2000, deemed the album "forgettable folk rock."[16]
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Honest Eyes" | |
| 2. | "Happy Song" | |
| 3. | "Hello Dad" | |
| 4. | "What Have I Got to Lose" | |
| 5. | "Love Song" | |
| 6. | "Ten Friends" | |
| 7. | "For Once in My Life" | |
| 8. | "Blue Sky Night" | |
| 9. | "Massive Blur" | |
| 10. | "Take Me All" | |
| 11. | "Wonder Why" | |
| 12. | "The Meaning of Love" | |
| 13. | "In a World Like This" | |
| 14. | "Breaking Vows" |
References
[edit]- ^ "Melissa Ferrick Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 2021-10-21. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
- ^ Armstrong, Gene (April 15, 1994). "3 (female) writer-singers to grace Tucson". Arizona Daily Star. p. 5E.
- ^ Marymont, Mark (23 Sep 1993). "Marc Cohn at Theater of Living Arts". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. E3.
- ^ Morse, Steve (24 Dec 1993). "For rocker Melissa Ferrick, life is a 'Massive Blur'". Arts & Film. The Boston Globe. p. 32.
- ^ Romandetta, Julie (August 13, 1993). "Quantum leaps". Boston Herald. p. S3.
- ^ a b MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 420.
- ^ "Album reviews — Massive Blur by Melissa Ferrick". Billboard. Vol. 105, no. 35. Aug 28, 1993. p. 62.
- ^ a b "Massive Blur". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 2021-10-21. Retrieved 2021-10-21 – via www.allmusic.com.
- ^ a b Dretzka, Gary (11 Nov 1993). "Melissa Ferrick Massive Blur". Tempo. Chicago Tribune. p. 7.
- ^ "Melissa Ferrick". Trouser Press. Archived from the original on 21 October 2021. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
- ^ "Melissa Ferrick: Massive Blur". Arts & Leisure. Sun Sentinel. 12 Sep 1993. p. 3.
- ^ Robbins, Ira (22 Aug 1993). "Busting the Boys' Club: Girls With Guitars". Fanfare. Newsday. p. 15.
- ^ Semon, Craig S. (10 Oct 1993). "'Massive Blur' shows Melissa Ferrick is the real thing". Datebook. Telegram & Gazette. p. 11.
- ^ Morrison, Jim (October 22, 1993). "Pop/Rock". Preview. The Virginian-Pilot. p. 8.
- ^ Morse, Steve (16 Dec 1993). "The Year's Top 10 Recordings". Calendar. The Boston Globe. p. 21.
- ^ Thorpe, David (May 2000). "In Your Ear". Out. Vol. 8, no. 11. p. 86.
