...Ka-Bloom! Explained

...Ka-Bloom!
Type:studio
Artist:Flowerhead
Cover:...Ka-Bloom!.jpg
Released:1992
Genre:Alternative rock, psychedelic rock
Length:46:08
Label:Zoo Entertainment[1]
Producer:Flowerhead
Prev Title:Turmoil in the Toybox EP
Prev Year:1990
Next Title:The People's Fuzz
Next Year:1995

...Ka-Bloom! is the debut album by the American rock band Flowerhead, released in 1992.[2] [3] It sold around 9,000 copies in its first year of release.[4]

The band supported the album by touring first with Ned's Atomic Dustbin, and then with Blind Melon.[5] [6]

Production

The album was produced by the band; they had tried to enlist John Paul Jones to produce, but he did not have an opening in his schedule.[7] [8] It was recorded at Smart Studios, in Madison, Wisconsin.[9]

...Ka-Bloom!s final track, "Sunflower", runs for another 14 minutes past its listed length.[10]

Critical reception

Trouser Press wrote: "Replete with too many long songs—most of them of the sterile, neo-psychedelia-cum-'70s-stadium-shaker variety—...ka-BLOOM! is background music for the indiscriminate stoner, as common-sounding as a car horn."[11] The Chicago Tribune opined that "the acid-drenched atmosphere and molten riffing are throwbacks to the dawn of metal."[8] The Calgary Herald wryly noted that "it's like the '60s meet Flaming Lips meet Jesus Jones meet thundering guitars blessed by Timothy Leary meet just about anybody who's ever copped an acid-rock lick." The Los Angeles Daily News praised the "highly imaginative" guitarist Eric Schmitz."

The Sun Sentinel concluded that "although ...ka-BLOOM! is abundant with powerful, raw guitar riffs; although there are one or two songs, like 'Sunflower', that may be successful singles; although the so-far-uninspiring band has definite potential; this 60-minute track doesn't sound any different from what's out there already."[12] The Ottawa Citizen determined that "high points (excuse the pun) from this appealingly ragged garage-type boogie band are the groove tunes—'Acid Reign', 'All Along The Way', and 'What?!'"[13] The Province deemed it "big guitar rock with psychedelic droning and syncopated drumming ... English conceit; American muscle."[14] The Fort Worth Star-Telegram declared that Flowerhead "is the most ill-talented, deplorable band that's ever coasted out of Austin's music scene onto a major label."[15]

Track listing

  1. Acid Reign - 5:07
  2. All Along the Way - 2:50
  3. Thunderjeep - 5:51
  4. Snagglepuss - 5:44
  5. Everything is Beautiful - 3:30
  6. Oh Shane - 7:22
  7. What?! - 3:46
  8. Coffee - 6:40
  9. Sunflower - 5:18

Personnel

Notes and References

  1. Spins . Spin . Jan 1993 . 8 . 10 . 69.
  2. Web site: Flowerhead Biography, Songs, & Albums. AllMusic.
  3. Web site: Texas Music. Rick. Koster. May 8, 2000. Macmillan. Google Books.
  4. News: Szilagyi . Pete . SPINNING POPULARITY INTO SALES // Critical acclaim doesn't mean commercial success for Austin albums . Austin American-Statesman . 21 Oct 1993 . Onward . 3.
  5. News: Club Notes . The Salt Lake Tribune . 5 Feb 1993 . C5.
  6. News: Maher . Timothy J. . FLOWERHEAD'S 'KA-BLOOM!' IS JUST TYPICAL GRUNGE . York Daily Record . April 1, 1993 . D1.
  7. Album Reviews -- ... ka Bloom! by Flowerhead . Billboard . Dec 12, 1992 . 104 . 50 . 48.
  8. News: Kot . Greg . Budding Flowerhead is ready to bloom . Chicago Tribune . 22 Jan 1993 . Friday . 5.
  9. News: Wisneski . Laura . Shakin' It . Wisconsin State Journal . July 3, 1997 . 51.
  10. News: McLeese . Don . Flowerhead . . . ka-BLOOM! . Austin American-Statesman . 17 Nov 1992 . D6.
  11. Web site: Flowerhead . Trouser Press . 20 November 2021.
  12. News: Cheng . Joanna . FLOWERHEAD: ... ka-BLOOM! . Sun Sentinel . 31 July 1994 . 3G.
  13. News: Saxberg . Lynn . New crop of bands rises from the South . Ottawa Citizen . 20 Feb 1993 . F3.
  14. News: Harrison . Tom . Conceit - and muscle . The Province . 7 Apr 1993 . B7.
  15. News: Mayhew . Malcolm . Sour Flower - Please don't pick this Flowerhead . Fort Worth Star-Telegram . April 10, 1993 . 1D.