''Diamonds in the Coal'' is

The Badlees The Badlees are an American roots rock band from Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania formed in 1990. They released several independent albums and achieved national success with their 1995 album ''River Songs''. In 1998, after recording a follow-up album, P ...

first full-length album, recorded in late 1991 and released in January 1992. It is the first to feature Paul Smith on bass. The album is an entertaining and thoughtful album that split the difference between accessible pop songs and deeper message-oriented folk and roots rock.

Background

With the addition of Smith on bass, the Badlees quintet that would drive through their most productive years was now intact. The Badlees were now ready to start work on their first full-length album. Dedicated to performing original music, it was now time to expand their library and this would be accomplished in 1991 through the prolific songwriting of

Bret Alexander The Badlees are an American roots rock band from Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania formed in 1990. They released several independent albums and achieved national success with their 1995 album '' River Songs''. In 1998, after recording a follow-up album, ...

Mike Naydock The Badlees are an American roots rock band from Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania formed in 1990. They released several independent albums and achieved national success with their 1995 album ''River Songs''. In 1998, after recording a follow-up album, P ...

, and to a smaller extent,

Jeff Feltenberger The Badlees are an American roots rock band from Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania formed in 1990. They released several independent albums and achieved national success with their 1995 album '' River Songs''. In 1998, after recording a follow-up album, ...

. The result is ''Diamonds in the Coal'' which, thematically, is nearly sliced in half by the light intermission of "Badlee Rap", performed by rapper Loose Bruce, while doing a session at Waterfront Studios in

Hoboken, New Jersey Hoboken ( ; Unami: ') is a city in Hudson County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 60,417. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated that the city's population was 58,690 i ...

. Songs previous to this on the album are mainly pop-oriented with strong hooks such as on the opener "Like a Rembrandt", which The Album Network picked up for its latest compilation. There’s also the crisp rocker "Just One Moment", the mellow ballad "The Real Thing", and the most infectious tune on the album, "Back Where We Came From" (commonly referred to as "The Na Na Song"). This latter song was the band's first single from the album and was added to the regular rotation of several Pennsylvania rock-formatted radio stations. It features a comical monologue in the bridge section by Mike Naydock, his only appearance on a Badlees record as a performer; the monologue is actually a quote from the Minutemen song "#1 Hit Song" from ''

Double Nickels on the Dime ''Double Nickels on the Dime'' is the third album by American punk trio Minutemen, released on the California independent record label SST Records in 1984. A double album containing 45 songs, ''Double Nickels on the Dime'' combines elements of pu ...

''. The second "half" of the album contains songs that, while still very pop-sensible and accessible, explored deeper subject matter and richer musical structure. The upbeat "Dirty Neon Times" includes some fantastic vocal harmonies by

, while "Spending My Inheritance" is a well composed "people’s anthem" that includes harmonica by Bret Alexander and some fiddle-playing by guest performer David Rose. Perhaps the most unusual song on the album is the smooth, atmospheric "Sister Shirley", which includes a picturesque lyrical narrative by Naydock and some sweet, jazzy lead guitar by Alexander. But the true masterpiece of ''Diamonds in the Coal'' is the closing song of the same name, which brings the listener into the dark, forgotten patch towns of Pennsylvania's Anthracite Region. The imagery in this song's lyric is so vivid that you can almost feel the coal dust flying, while the music sets the perfect scene with a methodic, marching rhythm by

Ron Simasek The Badlees are an American roots rock band from Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania formed in 1990. They released several independent albums and achieved national success with their 1995 album '' River Songs''. In 1998, after recording a follow-up album, ...

on the bottom end and some authentic, ethnic instrumentation up above. :''"There are few things easier than to live badly and die well"'' This quote by

Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is ...

was placed inner sleeve of ''Diamonds in the Coal'', obviously because of the play on the band's name, but this was not the only quote on the album. Each song on the lyrics page contained its own special quote from philosophers and artists ranging from

Aristotle Aristotle (; grc-gre, Ἀριστοτέλης ''Aristotélēs'', ; 384–322 BC) was a Greek philosopher and polymath during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. Taught by Plato, he was the founder of the Peripatetic school of phil ...

Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (; born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director, and producer who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art. His works explore the relationsh ...

. These extra features show the T-L-C and attention to detail the Badlees put into the creation of the "album" – their very first. Simasek also located the pictures that were used for the cover and within the packaging, authentic early 20th century miner photos, from the Tamaqua (PA) Historical Society. These images would also be used in band promotions around the time of the album's release in January 1992.

Track listing

Personnel

;The Badlees *

Pete Palladino The Badlees are an American roots rock band from Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania formed in 1990. They released several independent albums and achieved national success with their 1995 album '' River Songs''. In 1998, after recording a follow-up album, ...

– Lead vocals *

– Electric guitar, harmonica, mandolin, vocals *

– Acoustic guitar, vocals * Paul Smith – Bass, keyboards, vocals *

– Drums, percussion ;Additional musicians * Doug Kennedy - Guitar solo on "The Next Big Thing" * David Rose - Violin on "Spending My Inheritance" and "Diamonds in the Coal" * Loose Bruce - Vocals on "Badlee Rap" *

- Monolog on "Back Where We Come From" ;Production *

– Producer, engineer * Anthony & JoAnn Palladino - Executive producer * Doug Conroy, Greg DiGesu, and Jeff Mauriello - Engineers at Waterfront Recording * Paul Smith & Scott Berger - Engineers at Susquehanna Sound * Donna Glass - Layout and design *

Terry Selders The Badlees are an American roots rock band from Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania formed in 1990. They released several independent albums and achieved national success with their 1995 album '' River Songs''. In 1998, after recording a follow-up album, ...

- Management * Mark Mattocks, Al Skiles, and J.D. Dumas - Live Sound

References

Modern Rock Review Badlees Profile, October 10, 2010The Badlees Archives by Alan K. Stout
*"Diamonds in the Coal", ''Pennsylvania Musician'' Vol.XI #1 (p. 11), January 1992 *"PA Releases Reviews" by Bryan G. Woleslagle, ''Pennsylvania Musician'' Vol.XI #3 (p. 20), March 1992 *"Badlees are Branching Out" by David Donati, ''Wilkes-Barre Times Leader'' (p. 8B), May 5, 1992 {{Authority control 1992 albums The Badlees albums