Whisper Tames the Lion explained

Whisper Tames the Lion
Type:studio
Artist:Drivin' n' Cryin'
Cover:Whisper Tames the Lion.jpg
Released:1988
Studio:RPM, New York City
Genre:
  • Hard rock
  • folk
  • heavy metal
Length:43:40
Label:Island
Producer:Anton Fier
Prev Title:Scarred but Smarter
Prev Year:1986
Next Title:Mystery Road
Next Year:1989

Whisper Tames the Lion is the second album by the American band Drivin' n' Cryin', released in 1988.[1] [2] "Powerhouse" was released as single.[3] The band supported the album with a North American tour.[4] The album peaked at No. 130 on the Billboard 200.[5] It sold more than 70,000 copies in its first year of release.[6]

Production

Recorded in New York City, the album was produced by Anton Fier.[7] Jeff Sullivan joined the band on drums, although Fier drummed on most of the tracks.[8] Frontman Kevn Kinney considered the band's sound to be an amalgamation of styles but described himself as a folk singer.[9] "Check Your Tears at the Door" is narrated by a recently deceased young man. Bernie Worrell played keyboards on "Good Day Every Day".[10] "On a Clear Daze" employed acoustic guitar and mandolin.[11]

Critical reception

Trouser Press wrote that the album "focuses the trio's musical attack while maintaining the polystylistic approach."[12] The Orlando Sentinel noted: "Call it eclecticism, diversity or simply musical schizophrenia, but this album veers from one extreme to the other throughout."[13] The Atlanta Constitution opined that "there are a few overproduced tracks ... and a few glutinous violins ... [but the album] hews mostly to the band's unadorned strengths."[14]

The State concluded that "Catch the Wind" "is the best Byrds song Roger McGuinn never wrote."[15] LA Weekly determined that Whisper Tames the Lion "points new directions in backward-looking alterno-pop."[16] The Morning Call panned "the combination of heavy metal and folk music."[17] The North Bay Nugget determined that the band "bring a respectability to heavy rock that has been missing since the mid-Seventies."[18]

AllMusic wrote that the band was "still inflected with hillbilly/bluegrass roots and edging ever closer toward the hard rock sound they would ultimately embrace."

Personnel

Drivin' n' Cryin'
Additional musicians
Production

Notes and References

  1. News: Healy . James . Whisper Tames the Lion . Omaha World-Herald . 27 Mar 1988 . Entertainment . 1.
  2. Abrahams . Andrew . Picks & Pans: Song . People . May 30, 1988 . 29 . 21 . 26.
  3. Meyer . Stuart . New on the Charts . Billboard . Apr 16, 1988 . 100 . 16 . 30.
  4. News: Racine . Marty . Anderson Fair is back on track with acoustic, folk music . Houston Chronicle . 19 May 1988 . Weekend Preview . 4.
  5. Book: Whitburn . Joel . The Billboard Albums: Includes Every Album that Made the Billboard 200 Chart : 50 Year History of the Rock Era . 2006 . Record Research Incorporated . 313.
  6. News: Wirt . John . Southern Rock Band Riding Wave of College Raves . Richmond Times-Dispatch . 21 Apr 1989 . B5.
  7. Web site: Drivin' n' Cryin' Biography by Mark Deming . AllMusic . 20 October 2023.
  8. News: Davis . Mik . There is nightlife after HubFest . Hattiesburg American . 29 Mar 2008 . Local News.
  9. News: Olson . Eric . Of Tears and Happy Endings . The News & Observer . 9 Oct 1987 . 11.
  10. News: Day . Jeffrey . Drivin' n' Cryin' Album as Good as the Real Thing . The Macon Telegraph . 25 Mar 1988 . 8D.
  11. News: Potter . Mitch . Pop Music . Winnipeg Sun . 31 Mar 1988 . F15.
  12. Web site: Drivin' n' Cryin' . Trouser Press . 20 October 2023.
  13. News: Duffy . Thom . Spotlight . Orlando Sentinel . 7 Aug 1988 . Calendar . 18.
  14. News: Emerson . Bo . Drivin' n' Cryin' Pulls Through on 'The Whisper Tames the Lion' . The Atlanta Constitution . 18 Mar 1988 . 2P.
  15. News: Miller . Michael L. . Sound Advice . The State . 25 Mar 1988 . 8B.
  16. News: Lloyd . Robert . The Critical List . LA Weekly . 7 Apr 1988 . 56.
  17. News: Fisher . Harry . Records . The Morning Call . 16 Apr 1988 . A75.
  18. News: McAnulty . Drew . Whisper Tames the Lion . North Bay Nugget . 5 May 1988 . 28.

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