This Can't Be Life Explained

This Can't Be Life
Type:Album
Artist:Wild Colonials
Cover:This Can't Be Life.jpg
Released:1996
Genre:Alternative, folk rock
Length:45:07
Label:DGC[1]
Producer:Tony Berg, John Porter
Prev Title:Fruit of Life
Prev Year:1994
Next Title:Reel Life, Vol. 1
Next Year:2000

This Can't Be Life is the second album by the American band Wild Colonials, released in 1996.[2] [3] The first single was "Charm", which was an alternative radio hit.[4] The band supported the album with a North American tour that included stints with Los Lobos and Chalk FarM.[5] [6] [7] They also headlined the second stage at the inaugural 1997 Lilith Fair.[8]

Production

The album was produced by Tony Berg and John Porter.[9] The album cover used artwork from a lithograph from the 1700s, which was discovered on a postcard.[9] Bandmember Scott Roewe played a penny whistle, melodica, and didgeridoo, among other instruments.[10] Rickie Lee Jones contributed to the album.[11] "Want" is about the death of singer Angela McCluskey's mother. McCluskey had a practice of starting to compose songs during year-end holiday seasons.[12]

Cover Artwork

The cover image is from a 1917 German postcard. The sleeve design and photos were taken by Wild Colonials' violinist Paul Cantelon's brother Lee Cantelon. Lee has designed several album covers including, Tracy Chapman (New Beginning), Rickie Lee Jones (Naked Songs - Live and Acoustic, and GhostyHead). After a photo session at Rickie Lee Jones' house, Lee noticed the postcard on Rickie's kitchen wall.

Critical reception

The Philadelphia Inquirer deemed the album a "catchy, Eastern-flavored second effort."[13] The Los Angeles Times wrote that "McCluskey sings messages for the lovelorn and the bitter over sounds that run from jazzy torch epics to the vaguely Middle Eastern." The San Jose Mercury News noted the "same low-range vocal ground" as 10,000 Maniacs. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette dismissed This Can't Be Life as "fuzzy acoustic vaguely Irish folk jazz."[14]

The Orange County Register advised: "Imagine an Out of Time-era R.E.M. fronted by a raving mad Deborah Harry and you begin to get the idea of the punch Wild Colonials can pack."[15] The Star-Ledger stated that "McCluskey's husky, intelligent, sultry voice is the right vehicle to carry the band's jagged, edgy, Celtic-flavored alternative folk-rock that's as much Roxy Music as it is 10,000 Maniacs."[16]

The Oregonian listed This Can't Be Life among the 10 best albums of 1996.[17]

Track listing

All songs written by the Wild Colonials

  1. "This Misery" – 4:13
  2. "Spirit" – 4:50
  3. "Coy" – 3:44
  4. "Wake Up Sad" – 5:05
  5. "Charm" – 3:17
  6. "Want" – 5:14
  7. "If" – 4:05
  8. "Blue" – 5:36
  9. "Different" – 3:54
  10. "Childhood" – 5:49

Personnel

With

Production

Notes and References

  1. News: Moon . Tom . AND THEN THERE'S . . . . The Philadelphia Inquirer . 23 Aug 1996 . FEATURES WEEKEND . 19.
  2. Web site: Wild Colonials Biography, Songs, & Albums. AllMusic.
  3. News: Maestri . Cathy . It's been a tough climb for mountain show . The Press-Enterprise . August 18, 1996 . E3.
  4. News: Ehrbar . Joe . WILD COLONIALS FIND TOURING ALL THE TIME FOSTERS SUCCESS . The Spokesman-Review . 10 Jan 1997 . Weekend . 2.
  5. News: Pareles . Jon . In Performance: Unabashed Sincerity . The New York Times . 30 Sep 1996 . C12.
  6. News: Rosen . Steven . Bands get into rhythm of playing Denver and Boulder . The Denver Post . November 1, 1996 . F17.
  7. News: Renzhofer . Martin . Colonials: Wild Music, From Scotland To Corea . The Salt Lake Tribune . January 17, 1997 . D14.
  8. News: Mehle . Michael . FAIREST OF THE FAIR . Rocky Mountain News . July 11, 1997 . 18D.
  9. News: Shuster . Fred . WILD COLONIALS GET BUSY . Los Angeles Daily News . August 9, 1996 . L21.
  10. News: Elkins . Elizabeth . Scottish band likes to thrive on wild mix . The Atlanta Journal-Constitution . October 11, 1996 . P4.
  11. News: Renzhofer . Martin . CD Reviews . The Salt Lake Tribune . September 15, 1996 . E3.
  12. News: Healy . James . Glasgow native finds her singing voice, again, in Hollywood . The San Diego Union-Tribune . December 19, 1996 . Entertainment . 12.
  13. News: Beckley . Fred . WILD COLONIALS . The Philadelphia Inquirer . 13 Sep 1996 . FEATURES WEEKEND . 19.
  14. News: Martin . Philip . Wild Colonials, This Can't Be Life . Arkansas Democrat-Gazette . October 11, 1996 . 19W.
  15. News: Wener . Ben . Wild Colonials 'This Can't Be Life' . Orange County Register . August 23, 1996 . F54.
  16. News: Horowitz . Ben . Wild Colonials are anything but with a room half-empty . The Star-Ledger . September 23, 1996 . Today . 25.
  17. News: Foyston . John . EAR TO THE YEAR . The Oregonian . December 29, 1996 . E1.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "This Can't Be Life".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.