Volo Volo
| Volo Volo | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1992 | |||
| Genre | Worldbeat | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Producer | Alan Winstanley, Clive Langer, Jerry Harrison | |||
| Poi Dog Pondering chronology | ||||
| ||||
Volo Volo is an album by the American worldbeat band Poi Dog Pondering.[1][2] It was released in 1992 via Columbia Records.[3] The album title is allegedly Swahili for "revolver".[4] Poi Dog Pondering supported the album with a North American tour.[5]
The album was a commercial disappointment, with only 50,000 copies sold by the fall of 1993.[6] Columbia dropped the band; to regroup, several members of Poi moved from Austin to Chicago.[7]
Production
[edit]The band built the songs by creating the rhythms first, before adding other instruments on top of the drum patterns.[8] About half of the album was produced by Alan Winstanley and Clive Langer.[9] Jerry Harrison also worked on Volo Volo.[10][11]
Critical reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [12] |
| Chicago Tribune | [9] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | [13] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [14] |
The Washington Post wrote that "instead of acoustic rag-tag charm and unpredictability, something [the band's] early recordings had in abundance, Volo Volo offers a more focused and groove-oriented sound."[8] Trouser Press thought that the album "bears an occasional disconcerting resemblance to smart UK popsters like the Smiths, Wedding Present and Waterboys."[15]
The New York Times deemed the band's sound "a kind of world beat-influenced earth music," writing that Volo Volo "celebrates buildings, collarbones, thunder and the joy of shaking one's booty."[16] Spin panned the album, declaring that "this is kinda like a 'Don't Worry Be Happy' stew that's so dull you'll be jonesin' for some raw flesh to bite into."[17] The Philadelphia Inquirer disparaged the "techno-dance seasonings," opining that Poi had hopped on the "EMF/Happy Mondays bandwagon."[18]
AllMusic wrote that "interestingly, Poi Dog Pondering here seems to be attempting a move into a more pop-oriented direction, sounding at times like a bizarre meeting between Santana, the Meters, Wham!, and Simple Minds."[12] MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide praised the "amazingly haunting" violin of Susan Voeltz.[13]
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Lackluster" | |
| 2. | "Collarbone" | |
| 3. | "Get Me On" | |
| 4. | "The Hardest Thing" | |
| 5. | "Ta Bouche Est Tabou" | |
| 6. | "I've Got My Body" | |
| 7. | "Jack Ass Ginger" | |
| 8. | "Be the One" | |
| 9. | "Tall" | |
| 10. | "Building" | |
| 11. | "Te Manu Pukarua" | |
| 12. | "Blood and Thunder" | |
| 13. | "Entrance" | |
| 14. | "Endtrance" |
References
[edit]- ^ "Poi Dog Pondering Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
- ^ Zane (Jun 6, 1992). "Albums — Volo Volo by Poi Dog Pondering". Melody Maker. Vol. 68, no. 23. p. 30.
- ^ "Poi Dog Pondering, Unleashed: Free of Record-Label Control, the Chicago Band Has Emerged with a New Groove-Heavy Beat". Los Angeles Times. September 10, 1996.
- ^ Okamoto, David (1 Nov 1991). "Poi Dog Pondering leaves blissful hippie image behind". Colorado Springs Gazette-Telegraph. p. D8.
- ^ Allan, Marc D. (3 May 1992). "Poi Dogs ponder their promise". The Indianapolis Star. p. G4.
- ^ Szilagyi, Pete (21 Oct 1993). "Spinning Popularity into Sales: Critical acclaim doesn't mean commercial success for Austin albums". Onward. Austin American-Statesman. p. 3.
- ^ "Poi Dog Pondering: The Best of the Austin Years Album Review". www.austinchronicle.com.
- ^ a b "Poi Dog's Hawaiian Punch". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
- ^ a b Caro, Mark. "Poi Dog Pondering Volo Volo". Chicago Tribune.
- ^ Thompson, Dave (September 2, 2000). Alternative Rock. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN 978-0-87930-607-6 – via Google Books.
- ^ Christensen, Thor (1 May 1992). "Shank Hall Spicy blend". The Milwaukee Journal. p. D2.
- ^ a b "Volo Volo". AllMusic.
- ^ a b MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 882.
- ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. pp. 549–550.
- ^ "Poi Dog Pondering". Trouser Press. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
- ^ Schoemer, Karen (April 24, 1992). "Sounds Around Town". The New York Times.
- ^ Spencer, Lauren (Feb 1992). "Spins". Spin. Vol. 7, no. 11. p. 70.
- ^ Quintavell, Faith (30 Apr 1992). "Poi Dog Pondering at the Troc". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. C5.
