''Life Is Sweet'' is the third album by American singer-songwriter
Maria McKee
Maria Luisa McKee (born August 17, 1964) is an American singer-songwriter. She is best known for her work with Lone Justice, her 1990 song "Show Me Heaven", and her song "If Love Is a Red Dress (Hang Me in Rags)" from the film ''Pulp Fiction''. ...
, released in 1996.
Critical reception
''
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 the album "goes straight over the top in a bewildering styleless hodgepodge of bad production ideas, bizarre gimmicks (paraphrasing melodies and rhythm guitar sounds from ''Ziggy Stardust''?), uneven writing and singing so mindlessly zealous in spots that McKee can’t possibly be hearing herself." ''
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' thought that "McKee's songs are sometimes swamped by the ornate arrangements, but her wide-ranging vocals are consistently expressive."
Track listing
All songs by Maria McKee, except where noted
# "Scarlover" – 5:16
# "This Perfect Dress" – 4:26
# "Absolutely Barking Stars" – 4:23
# "I'm Not Listening" (Bruce Brody, McKee, David Nolte) – 4:02
# "Everybody" – 4:17
# "Smarter" – 3:13
# "What Else You Wanna Know" – 5:23
# "I'm Awake" – 3:51
# "Human" – 4:17
# "Carried" (McKee, Nolte) – 4:42
# "Life Is Sweet" – 4:06
# "Afterlife" (Brody, McKee) – 2:38
Personnel
* Maria McKee – guitar, vocals, producer, mixing, arranging
* Bruce Brody – piano, conductor,
Hammond organ
The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert and first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, Hammond organs generated s ...
,
Moog synthesizer
The Moog synthesizer is a modular synthesizer developed by the American engineer Robert Moog. Moog debuted it in 1964, and Moog's company R. A. Moog Co. (later known as Moog Music) produced numerous models from 1965 to 1981, and again from 20 ...
, producer, mixing, arranging
* Ric Kavin – percussion, drums
* David Nolte – bass guitar, guitar
* Susan Otten – percussion, vocals
* Martin Tillman – orchestra
* Mark Freegard – producer,
audio engineer
An audio engineer (also known as a sound engineer or recording engineer) helps to produce a recording or a live performance, balancing and adjusting sound sources using equalization, dynamics processing and audio effects, mixing, reproduction, ...
, mixing
* Bob Salcedo – assistant engineer
* John Aguto – mixing assistant
* Mike Baumgartner – mixing assistant
*
Bob Ludwig
Robert C. Ludwig (born c. 1945) is an American mastering engineer. He has mastered recordings on all the major recording formats for all the major record labels, and on projects by more than 1,300 artists including Led Zeppelin, Lou Reed, Qu ...
– mastering
* Janet Wolsborn – art direction
* David Mayenfisch – photography
Charts
References
{{Authority control
Maria McKee albums
1996 albums
Geffen Records albums