| The Burdens of Being Upright | |
| Type: | studio |
| Artist: | Tracy Bonham |
| Cover: | Tracy Bonham - The Burdens of Being Upright.jpg |
| Recorded: | Summer 1995 |
| Studio: | Fort Apache Studios, Cambridge, MA |
| Genre: | Alternative rock |
| Label: | Island |
| Prev Title: | Liverpool Sessions EP |
| Prev Year: | 1995 |
| Next Title: | Down Here |
| Next Year: | 2000 |
The Burdens of Being Upright is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Tracy Bonham, released on March 19, 1996, by Island Records.[1] [2]
The Burdens of Being Upright was recorded in the summer of 1995 at Fort Apache Studios in Cambridge, Massachusetts.[3] Referencing this album, in 2015 Bonham said, The album cover (a reference to German photographer August Sander's work "The Bricklayer") was photographed by George DuBose, who was the in-house photographer at the hip hop label Cold Chillin' Records.
The Burdens of Being Upright debuted at number 136 on the Billboard 200 chart dated April 27, 1996,[4] and later reached its peak position of number 54 on the chart on June 15, 1996. It remained on the chart for 25 weeks.[5] On November 12, 1996, the album was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), signifying the shipment of 500,000 copies of the album.[6]
Rolling Stone noted that the album "tells a coherent, largely autobiographical story about a girl getting even with the obnoxious people who piss her off and underestimate her... With music ranging from laid-back Liz Phair-style storytelling to hard-edge alternative arena rock, she blasts ex-boyfriends ('Navy Bean', 'The One'), ridicules rock stars ('Kisses') and makes a pre-emptive strike at critics who might be tempted to label her ('One Hit Wonder')."[7]
Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.[8]
| Chart (1996) | Peak position | |
|---|---|---|
| scope=row | Australian Albums (ARIA Charts)[9] | 31 |
| scope=row | Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) | 26 |
| scope=row | Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) | 27 |
| scope=row | New Zealand Album (RMNZ) | 46 |
| scope=row | Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) | 48 |
| scope=row | US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[10] | 9 |
| scope=row | US Billboard 200[11] | 54 |
Grammy Award Nominations
| Year | Nominee | Category | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | "Mother Mother" | Best Female Rock Vocal Performance | |
| 1996 | The Burdens of Being Upright | Best Alternative Album |