''The Lonesome Death of Buck McCoy'' is an album by American
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
band
The Minus 5
The Minus 5 is an American pop rock band headed by musician Scott McCaughey of Young Fresh Fellows, often in partnership with R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck.
Band history
McCaughey formed the band in 1993 as a side project with Buck, Jon Auer and ...
. Their final release of new material for
Hollywood Records
Hollywood Records is an American record label of the Disney Music Group. The label focuses in pop, rock, alternative, hip hop, and country genres, as well as specializing in mature recordings not suitable for the flagship Walt Disney Records l ...
, it was released in 1997. The album was met with positive reception from critics.
Recording and release
The musicians making up
The Minus 5
The Minus 5 is an American pop rock band headed by musician Scott McCaughey of Young Fresh Fellows, often in partnership with R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck.
Band history
McCaughey formed the band in 1993 as a side project with Buck, Jon Auer and ...
overlapped with the auxiliary touring members of
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band from Athens, Georgia, formed in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the first alternative ...
and
Tuatara
Tuatara (''Sphenodon punctatus'') are reptiles endemic to New Zealand. Despite their close resemblance to lizards, they are part of a distinct lineage, the order Rhynchocephalia. The name ''tuatara'' is derived from the Māori language and m ...
; the musicians recorded ''The Lonesome Death of Buck McCoy'' alongside
Mark Eitzel
Mark Eitzel (born January 30, 1959) is an American musician, best known as a songwriter and lead singer of the San Francisco band American Music Club.
Biography
Eitzel spent his formative years in a military family living in Okinawa, Taiwan, Ohi ...
's ''
West
West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sunset, Sun sets on the Earth.
Etymology
The word "west" is a Germanic languages, German ...
''.
The opportunity to record and tour with the material spurred
Scott McCaughey
Scott Lewis McCaughey is an American singer, guitarist and songwriter and the leader of the Seattle and Portland-based bands The Young Fresh Fellows and The Minus 5. He was also an auxiliary member of the American rock band R.E.M. from 1994 unt ...
to finish off songs that
Peter Buck
Peter Lawrence Buck (born December 6, 1956) is an American musician and songwriter. He was a co-founder and the lead guitarist of the alternative rock band R.E.M. He also plays the banjo and mandolin on several R.E.M. songs. Throughout his car ...
had started writing two years prior.
The revolving door of performers supported all their releases (including Tuatara's ''
Breaking the Ethers
''Breaking the Ethers'' is the debut album from collaborative group Tuatara. Released on Epic Records, it was an attempt by members of Luna, the Screaming Trees and R.E.M. to try their hand at experimental, multi-ethnic music. It was produced by B ...
'')
with The Magnificent Seven Vs. the United States tour in 1997.
This album was the first release from
Hollywood Records
Hollywood Records is an American record label of the Disney Music Group. The label focuses in pop, rock, alternative, hip hop, and country genres, as well as specializing in mature recordings not suitable for the flagship Walt Disney Records l ...
imprint Malt Records.
Critical reception
The album has received positive reviews from critics, with Album of the Year characterizing consensus as a 90 out of 100, based on two reviews.
The editorial staff of
AllMusic Guide
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 databas ...
gave the album four out of five stars, with reviewer
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance writer, occ ...
writing that it was an improvement over their first full-length, ''
Old Liquidator
''Old Liquidator'' is the debut full-length album by American rock band The Minus 5. It was released in 1995 by East Side Digital Records. Recording sessions for the album were recorded simultaneously with their ''Hello EP'' debut. The sessions t ...
'', with catchy songwriting and "charmingly ragged pop-rock".
The review in ''
No Depression'' concurred with the charming nature of the songwriting, tying it stylistically to 1960s
pop music
Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom. The terms ''popular music'' and ''pop music'' are often used interchangeably, although the former describe ...
and concluding that McCaughey's first major label album is deserved.
In ''
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 cul ...
'', Steven Mirkin compared the sound to
Merseybeat
Beat music, British beat, or Merseybeat is a British popular music genre that developed, particularly in and around Liverpool, in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The genre melded influences from American rock and roll, rhythm and blues, skiffle ...
acts and gave the album an A for "casually perfect crystalline pop".
Commercial performance
The album reached 58 on ''
CMJ New Music Monthly
CMJ Holdings Corp. is a music events and online media company, originally founded in 1978, which ran a website, hosted an annual festival in New York City, and published two magazines, ''CMJ New Music Monthly'' and ''CMJ New Music Report''. Th ...
''s Alternative Radio Airplay in August 1997.
In 2003, McCaughey claimed in an interview that the album had only sold 5,000 copies, compared to the greater commercial success of some of the musicians who played on the album.
Track listing
All songs written by
Peter Buck
Peter Lawrence Buck (born December 6, 1956) is an American musician and songwriter. He was a co-founder and the lead guitarist of the alternative rock band R.E.M. He also plays the banjo and mandolin on several R.E.M. songs. Throughout his car ...
and
Scott McCaughey
Scott Lewis McCaughey is an American singer, guitarist and songwriter and the leader of the Seattle and Portland-based bands The Young Fresh Fellows and The Minus 5. He was also an auxiliary member of the American rock band R.E.M. from 1994 unt ...
, except where noted:
#"The Rest of the World" – 3:10
#"Cross Every Line" – 4:01
#"Empty Room" – 3:42
#"Wasted Bandage" – 3:04
#"Boeing Spacearium" (Buck, McCaughey, and
Robert Pollard
Robert Ellsworth Pollard Jr. (born October 31, 1957) is an American singer and songwriter who is the leader and creative force behind indie rock group Guided by Voices. In addition to his work with Guided by Voices, he continues to have a prol ...
) – 3:27
#"
My Mummy's Dead" (
John Lennon
John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...
) – 2:30
#"Moonshine Girl" – 3:20
#"Popsycle Shoppe" – 2:47
#"Wouldn't Want to Care" – 2:56
#"Spidery Moon" – 2:42
#"Bullfight" – 4:15
#"Hate Me More" – 5:08
Personnel
The Minus 5
*
Jon Auer
Jonathan Paul "Jon" Auer (born September 29, 1969) is an American musician who co-founded the power pop band The Posies, along with Ken Stringfellow. Auer and Stringfellow also participated in the rejuvenated Big Star and in 2003 released ''Priv ...
("Admiral Boot")
*
Chris Ballew
Christopher Ballew (born May 28, 1965) is an American musician best known as the lead singer and bassist of the alternative rock group The Presidents of the United States of America (band), the Presidents of the United States of America. He als ...
("Mr. MacAfee")
*
Peter Buck
Peter Lawrence Buck (born December 6, 1956) is an American musician and songwriter. He was a co-founder and the lead guitarist of the alternative rock band R.E.M. He also plays the banjo and mandolin on several R.E.M. songs. Throughout his car ...
("Streetsinger") – guitar,
associate production
*John Crist ("Calliope Bird")
*
Dave Dederer
David Dederer (born October 5, 1964) is an American guitarist and singer. He was a member of the alternative rock band The Presidents of the United States of America. An alumnus of Seattle, Washington's The Bush School and Brown University ...
("Daughter")
*
Jason Finn
Jason Finn (born October 27, 1967) is an American musician, best known as the former drummer and singer for The Presidents of the United States of America. He was previously the drummer of Love Battery until 1995 (and also played drums for the ...
("The Constable")
*
John Keane ("Mr. Dawes, Jr.") – recording at John Keane's Studio
*
Barrett Martin
Barrett Martin (born April 14, 1967) is an American record producer, percussionist, writer, and ethnomusicologist from Washington. As a producer he has won one Latin Grammy and has been nominated in two other categories. As an ethnomusicologist ...
("Santouri")
*
Scott McCaughey
Scott Lewis McCaughey is an American singer, guitarist and songwriter and the leader of the Seattle and Portland-based bands The Young Fresh Fellows and The Minus 5. He was also an auxiliary member of the American rock band R.E.M. from 1994 unt ...
("Buck McCoy") – guitar, vocals,
production
Production may refer to:
Economics and business
* Production (economics)
* Production, the act of manufacturing goods
* Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services)
* Production as a stati ...
,
mixing,
mastering, recording at LowBeat
*
Mike McCready
Michael David McCready (born April 5, 1966) is an American musician who serves as the lead guitarist for the rock band Pearl Jam. Along with Jeff Ament, Stone Gossard, and Eddie Vedder, he is one of the founding members of the band. McCready wa ...
("Winthrop")
*
Christy McWilson
Christy McWilson is an American singer-songwriter based in the Pacific Northwest. She has performed with the Dynette Set, the Picketts, as a solo artist, and with many other artists, including Dave Alvin and The Young Fresh Fellows.
Early life ...
("Miss Polly")
*
Robert Pollard
Robert Ellsworth Pollard Jr. (born October 31, 1957) is an American singer and songwriter who is the leader and creative force behind indie rock group Guided by Voices. In addition to his work with Guided by Voices, he continues to have a prol ...
("Ancient Roomer") – vocals on "Boeing Spacearium", recording in Dayton
*Pony ("Nigel")
*
Ken Stringfellow
Kenneth Stuart Stringfellow (born October 30, 1968) is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, arranger, and producer. Best known for his work with The Posies, R.E.M., and the re-formed Big Star, Stringfellow's discography include ...
("Martha")
Additional personnel
*Matt Bayles –
engineering
Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...
at Litho
*Art Chantry – artwork
*Ed Brooks – recording at Litho, mixing,
executive production, associate production
*Mark Downey – choreography
*Rob Grenoble – recording at Water Music
*Mark Guenther – mastering
*Hammi Hammerschmidt – layout
*Nadine McCaughey – artwork
*Floyd Reitsma – assistant engineering
*Jason Rowe – engineering at Ironwood
*
Todd Rundgren
Todd Harry Rundgren (born June 22, 1948) is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, multimedia artist, sound engineer and record producer who has performed a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of the band Ut ...
– recording at Location, Neverland
*Robert Seidenberg – choreography
*Kevin Suggs – recording at John & Stu's
*
Conrad Uno
Conrad Uno is an American record producer and founder of the independent record label PopLlama Records. Uno began his career making his own music as a teenager in his makeshift basement studio. At the request of his friends, the Young Fresh Fellow ...
– recording at Egg
*Kevin Wilson – painting
References
External links
*
*
*
''The Lonesome Death of Buck McCoy''at
Rate Your Music
Rate Your Music (often abbreviated to RYM) is an online collaborative database of music releases and films. Users can catalog items from their personal collection, review them, and assign ratings in a five-star rating system. The site also fea ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lonesome Death of Buck McCoy, The
1997 albums
Hollywood Records albums
The Minus 5 albums
The Presidents of the United States of America (band)