Blood Guts & Pussy is a 1990 album by the Dwarves. It was their first album for Sub Pop, and the album's sleeve was the subject of controversy, receiving protests from feminists.[1] Dwarves frontman Blag The Ripper asserts that the Blood Guts & Pussy classic "Drug Store" is one of his favourite songs to play live, and that it is frequently requested during live sets.[2]
| Blood Guts & Pussy | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1990 | |||
| Recorded | 1989 | |||
| Studio | Reciprocal Recording, Seattle, WA | |||
| Genre | Punk rock | |||
| Length | 12:55 | |||
| Label | Sub Pop | |||
| Producer | Dwarves | |||
| Dwarves chronology | ||||
| ||||
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Back Seat of My Car" | Dwarves | 1:05 |
| 2. | "Detention Girl" | Dwarves | 1:33 |
| 3. | "Let's Fuck" | Dwarves | 1:01 |
| 4. | "Drug Store" | Dwarves | 1:06 |
| 5. | "Skin-Poppin' Slut" | Dwarves | 0:56 |
| 6. | "Fuck You Up and Get High" | Sigh Moan, Specky Spec | 0:40 |
| 7. | "Insect Whore" | Dwarves | 0:53 |
| 8. | "Flesh Tantrum" | Dwarves | 1:07 |
| 9. | "SFVD" | Dwarves | 0:50 |
| 10. | "What Hit You" | Dwarves | 1:12 |
| 11. | "Astro Boy" | Dwarves | 1:20 |
| 12. | "Motherfucker" | Dwarves | 1:12 |
| Total length: | 12:55 | ||
- The vinyl format includes the bonus track "Gash Wagon", but does not include "Astro Boy" or "Motherfucker". Some CD issues include the bonus tracks "Fuckhead" and "She's a Bitch".
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| Kerrang! |  [4] |
AllMusic's Matt Carlson, who commented on the album's "explicit exploitation and genuinely disgusting humor", and described it as "thirteen songs full of general punk sloppiness and distortion performed in 14 minutes".[3] David Sprague of Trouser Press described the album as "tight and musicianly".[5] It was voted "most offensive album ever made" in SPIN.[6] Kerrang! reviewer described the album as "the birth, death and resurrection (of punk rock) in just about 13 minutes."[4]
Both commented on the album's sleeve, which was described as "equally disgusting" as the album title,[1] featuring a photograph by Michael Lavine of three nude models covered in animal blood,[7] which Sprague saw as designed for "calculated offence".[5] The sleeve art was referenced on the 2000 album Come Clean, which was similar, but with the blood replaced with soap.[1] Jason Heller of The A.V. Club later called it "one of the most unforgettable album covers of the decade...It was an acidic, idiotic reminder that punk could still shock and offend (and flat-out fucking rock)."[8]
The album was described as "a bona-fide punk classic" by the OC Weekly.[9] Douglas Wolk of Pitchfork said it was the band's "Platonic ideal of phallic stupidity".[10]
Personnel
edit- Dwarves
- Blag Dahlia – vocals
- Vadge Moore– drums
- Salt Peter – bass
- HeWhoCannotBeNamed – guitar
- Production
- The Dwarves – producer
- Jack Endino – engineer
- Jane Higgins – design
- Michael Lavine, Charles Peterson – photography
References
edit- ^ a b c Strong, Martin C. (2003) The Great Indie Discography, Canongate, ISBN 1-84195-335-0, p. 312
- ^ "Dwarves". Fungusboy.net. Archived from the original on 2012-03-03. Retrieved 2012-01-16.
- ^ a b Carlson, Matt "link Blood Guts & Pussy Review", AllMusic, retrieved 2010-02-07
- ^ a b Gitter, Mike (19 January 1991). "Dwarves - 'Blood Guts & Pussy'". Kerrang!. No. 324. p. 23. ISSN 0262-6624. Archived from the original on 2022-08-05. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
- ^ a b Sprague, David "Dwarves Archived 2010-11-28 at the Wayback Machine", Trouser Press, retrieved 2010-02-07
- ^ Kane, Siobhán (2007) "Politically (In)Correct[permanent dead link]" Event Guide, retrieved 2010-02-07
- ^ Davidson, Duncan Scott (2007) "Noise Pop: Blag, guts, and pussy Archived 2010-07-15 at the Wayback Machine", San Francisco Bay Guardian, February 21, 2007, retrieved 2010-02-07
- ^ Heller, Jason (July 16, 2013), "Fear of a Punk Decade Part 1: 1990: 'That's the story of my life'", The A.V. Club, archived from the original on July 19, 2013, retrieved July 16, 2013.
- ^ Ritchie, Ryan (2007) "Blood, Guts and Literacy: Blag Dahlia steps out from behind the Dwarves to wax hysterical Archived 2011-06-08 at the Wayback Machine", OC Weekly, July 12, 2007, retrieved 2010-02-07
- ^ Wolk, Douglas (2008-07-14) "Sub Pop 20: Individual Staff Picks Archived 2010-01-29 at the Wayback Machine", Pitchfork, retrieved 2010-02-08