Cracker (album) explained

Cracker
Type:	Album
Artist:	Cracker
Cover:	CrackerAlbum.jpg
Released:	March 10, 1992
Recorded:	Summer 1991 at Hollywood Sound and Cornerstone Recorders, Chatsworth
Genre:	Alternative rock, alternative country
Length:	53:03
Label:	Virgin
Producer:	Don Smith
Next Title:	Kerosene Hat
Next Year:	1993

Cracker is the debut studio album by American rock band Cracker.^{[1] [2]} It was released on March 10, 1992, by Virgin Records.

The album had sold more than 200,000 copies by April 1994.^[3] "Teen Angst (What the World Needs Now)" was released as a single and charted at number 1 on the U.S. Modern Rock Tracks.

Critical reception

Trouser Press wrote: "On Cracker, Lowery strips rock down to its muscular essence, avoiding any of the fancy flourishes Camper Van Beethoven used that might have hurt — or strengthened — this album of catchy, clever and disarmingly ironic songs."^[4]

Track listing

1. "Teen Angst (What the World Needs Now)" (David Lowery) – 4:11
2. "Happy Birthday to Me" (Lowery)– 3:29
3. "This Is Cracker Soul" (Lowery, Johnny Hickman) – 3:38
4. "I See the Light" (Hickman, Lowery, Davey Faragher) – 5:11
5. "St. Cajetan" (Lowery, Hickman) – 5:22
6. "Mr. Wrong" (Hickman) – 4:34
7. "Someday" (Lowery, Hickman, Faragher) – 3:19
8. "Can I Take My Gun to Heaven?" (Lowery, Hickman) – 3:59
9. "Satisfy You" (Lowery, Hickman) – 3:27
10. "Another Song About the Rain" - (Hickman, Chris LeRoy) – 5:46
11. "Don't Fuck Me Up (With Peace and Love)" (Lowery, Hickman) – 3:08
12. "Dr. Bernice" (Lowery) – 6:20

Personnel

Listed as INGREDIENTS on the liner notes.^[5]

• David Lowery – vocals, acoustic guitar
• Johnny Hickman – electric guitars, backing vocals, harmonica, lead vocals (track 10)
• Davey Faragher – bass, backing vocals

with:

• Rick Jaeger – drums
• Jim Keltner - drums (tracks 2, 3 & 6)
• Benmont Tench - keyboards
• Jeanie McClain - backing vocals (tracks 4 & 5)
• Phil Jones - percussion
• Alicia Previn aka Lovely Previn - fiddle

Notes and References

1. Book: Thompson, Dave. Alternative Rock. June 20, 2000. Hal Leonard Corporation. 9780879306076. Google Books.
2. News: It Was Hard Being a Cult : David Lowery used to be an alternative kind of guy with Camper Van Beethoven. Now, he's a Cracker and doesn't have to apologize for liking Tom Petty and ZZ Top.. July 26, 1992. Los Angeles Times.
3. Puterbaugh. Parke. Crackers with Attitudes. 6 August 2016. Rolling Stone. April 7, 1994.
4. Web site: Cracker. Trouser Press.
5. "Cracker", Cracker, Virgin 86264 (1992) CS
6. Web site: Cracker ARIA Chart History complete to 2024. ARIA. Imgur.com. July 26, 2024. N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.