''Blend'' is the

BoDeans BoDeans is an American rock band formed in Waukesha, Wisconsin. BoDeans came to prominence in the 1980s. The band's sound encompasses multiple rock genres, including roots rock, heartland rock, and alternative rock. The band's biggest hit to da ...

sixth studio album, and was released in 1996. It peaked at number 132 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart.

Overview

After the band achieved fame and a new audience with '"

Closer to Free "Closer to Free" is a 1993 song by American rock band BoDeans featured on their fifth studio album, ''Go Slow Down''. It is the band's biggest hit, peaking at number 16 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, number 11 in Australia, and number one in C ...

", they resisted the pressure to duplicate the single's success and wanted to avoid rehashing the same formula. Like ''

Go Slow Down ''Go Slow Down'' is the BoDeans' fifth studio album, and was released on October 12, 1993. It peaked at number 127 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart. Overview After taking a more pop approach to ''Black and White'', the band wished to return to a s ...

'', the band chose to record their next album at Hacksville, their studio in a rented storefront, and self-produced the album with the assistance of producer/engineer Greg Goldman. Recording took place over a two-year period during the time in between tours.

Bob Clearmountain Bob Clearmountain (born January 15, 1953) is an American recording engineer, mixer and record producer. He has worked with many major acts, including Bruce Springsteen, the Rolling Stones, Toto (band), Toto, Bon Jovi and Bryan Adams, with whom he ...

was hired to mix "The Understanding" and "Hurt By Love", while

Tchad Blake Tchad Blake (born 1955) is an American record producer, audio engineer, mixer and musician. A native of Baytown, Texas, he has worked with numerous artists and musicians, including Al Green, American Music Club, Ani DiFranco, Apartment 26, Arc ...

mixed the uptempo "Hey Pretty Girl". The result was a more rock-oriented sound than their previous album, though it continued along a similar direction.

Reception

Despite not matching the success of "

", "Hurt By Love" saw minor chart success and critics commented on the album's consistency. Music critic Rick Anderson, writing for

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

, praised the songwriting though he criticized the lyrics. He said, "'Hurt By Love' is what the BoDeans are trying for throughout this whole album, but they only get there once or twice." However, Chuck Eddy of ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cu ...

'' gave it a mixed review, stating: "Having finally achieved pop stardom via their ''Party of Five'' theme song, this long-suffering Wisconsin bar band now tries to preserve their meager integrity by acting as un-Hollywood as possible. With its timid, muffled harmonies over numbing guitar thrumming, ''Blend'' has enough forlorn corn to fill every silo in the heartland."

Track listing

All songs written by Kurt Neumann and Sam Llanas. # "The Understanding" – 4:10 # "Heart of a Miracle" – 4:11 # "Count On Me" – 3:48 # "Can't Stop Thinking" – 3:20 # "Hurt By Love" – 3:58 # "Hey Pretty Girl" – 2:44 # "All I Ever Wanted" – 5:04 # "Do What You Want" – 3:15 # "Red Roses" – 4:08 # "Lullabye" – 4:02

Personnel

;BoDeans * Kurt Neumann – vocals, electric and acoustic guitars *

Sam Llanas Samuel J. Llanas (born 1961) is an American singer, acoustic guitarist, and songwriter in several rock and roots rock bands active from the 1980s to the 2000s, including BoDeans and Absinthe. Career Llanas was one of the founding members of th ...

– vocals, acoustic guitar * Bob Griffin – bass guitar * Nick Kitsos – drums, percussion ;Additional personnel *

Danny Federici Daniel Paul Federici (January 23, 1950 – April 17, 2008) was an American musician, best known as the organ, glockenspiel, and accordion player and a founding member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band. In 2014, Federici was posthumously induct ...

– accordion *

Alex Acuña Alejandro Neciosup Acuña (born December 12, 1944), known professionally as Alex Acuña, is a Peruvian-American drummer and percussionist. Background Born in Pativilca, Peru, Acuña played in local bands such as La Orquesta de los Hermanos Nec ...

– percussion *

– mixing (tracks #1, #5) *

– mixing (track #6)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Blend (Bodeans Album) 1996 albums BoDeans albums Slash Records albums