''Dragline'' is the debut studio album by the

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band

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. It was released in 1993 through

A&M Records A&M Records was an American record label founded as an independent company by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss in 1962. Due to the success of the discography A&M released, the label garnered interest and was acquired by PolyGram in 1989 and began distr ...

. It sold around 80,000 copies. The single "Jessie" released in 1993, reached number 82 in the UK. Other singles from the album included "Lolita" in 1992 and "Sleeping Bag" and "Couldn't Know" in 1993. In 2015, the album was re-released by Cherry Red Records Ltd. with all the b-sides from the singles as bonus tracks as well as extensive liner notes and slightly different artwork (the band logo and the title are smaller).

Production

The album was recorded at Smart Studios, in Madison, Wisconsin.

Critical reception

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'' wrote that "the approach is elemental and effective: a rhythm pounces, and a metallic guitar groove drills holes before surrendering to softly ringing accents or gently strummed acoustics as

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Hennessy sings about death and suffering in a throaty roar." The ''

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'' deemed the album "country-grunge," writing: "It would take a major revolution to get country radio to play this--there’s way too much wattage in the amps. But there is also plenty of Middle American sensibility, giving this debut a character all its own." ''

Trouser Press ''Trouser Press'' was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow fan of the Who Dave Schulps and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" (a reference to ...

'' wrote that "much of the quartet’s sonic heft emanates from the formidable drum-pounding of Peter Fitch, whose brother Grant hammers out echo-drenched guitar riffs that revisit a limited number of arena-rock clichés with alarming frequency." ''

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'' wrote that "Hennessy's conviction, and his ability to distill situations into terse, allusive lyrics, make him a rival of Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder." ''

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'' called the album "equal parts metallic vigor and Southern-rock grit." ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' listed ''Dragline'' at #35 on its list of the "50 Greatest Grunge Albums."

Track listing

All songs were written by Mark Hennessy and Grant Fitch, except where noted.

Personnel

*Mark Hennessy - Vocals *Charles Bryan - Bass *Grant Fitch - Guitar *Peter Fitch - Drums

References

1993 debut albums Paw (band) albums A&M Records albums {{1990s-alt-rock-album-stub