Friendly as a Hand Grenade is an album by the American band Tackhead.[7] It was released in 1989 through TVT Records.[8]
| Friendly as a Hand Grenade | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1989 | |||
| Recorded | Unique Recording, NYC and Matrix and Southern Studios, London | |||
| Genre | Funk, industrial | |||
| Length | 36:12 | |||
| Label | TVT, World | |||
| Producer | Tackhead | |||
| Tackhead chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Chicago Tribune |  [2] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [3] |
| Houston Chronicle | [4] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [5] |
| Spin Alternative Record Guide | 7/10[6] |
Production
editThe band added Bernard Fowler on vocals, and changed its name from Gary Clail's Tackhead Sound System.[9] The album cover art is by Gee Vaucher.[10]
Critical reception
editThe New York Times wrote that Tackhead "draw deep, swampy grooves from funk, rap, house music and dub reggae, then add a paranoid overlay."[11]
Trouser Press wrote: "Opening and closing with the jaunty 'Ska Trek', living up to the title of 'Demolition House' and pursuing the by-now-familiar sardonic comments on the military with the infectious 'Airborne Ranger', the album captures Tackhead at its most coherent."[9] The Spin Alternative Record Guide declared that "at its best, the group melded deeply psychedelic rock and funk in a way that the Red Hot Chili Peppers could only dream of."[6]
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by Bernard Fowler, Keith LeBlanc, Skip McDonald, Adrian Sherwood and Doug Wimbish, except "Ska Trek" by Prince Buster
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Ska Trek" | 0:48 |
| 2. | "Tell Me the Hurt" | 5:16 |
| 3. | "Mind and Movement" | 5:23 |
| 4. | "Stealing" | 6:32 |
| 5. | "Airborne Ranger" | 5:01 |
| 6. | "Body to Burn" | 1:04 |
| 7. | "Demolition House" | 4:08 |
| 8. | "Free South Africa" | 1:56 |
| 9. | "Ticking Time Bomb" | 4:23 |
| 10. | "Ska Trek" | 1:34 |
Personnel
edit- Tackhead
- Bernard Fowler – keyboards, vocals
- Keith LeBlanc – drums, percussion, drum programming, sampler
- Skip McDonald – engineering, guitar, keyboards, synthesizer, vocals
- Doug Wimbish – bass guitar, guitar, keyboards, vocals
- Additional musicians and production
- Dave Pine – engineering
- Adrian Sherwood – engineering, mixing
- Tackhead – producer
Charts
edit| Charts (1989) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Indie Chart[12] | 3 |
Release history
edit| Region | Date | Label | Format | Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 1989 | World | CD, LP | WR013 |
| United States | 1989 | TVT | CD, LP | TVT 4060 |
| Japan | 1989 | Alfa Records, Inc | CD | ALCA-553 |
References
edit- ^ Bush, John. "Friendly as a Hand Grenade". AllMusic. Retrieved December 4, 2012.
- ^ Popson, Tom (6 Apr 1990). "'Friendly as a Hand Grenade', Tackhead". Chicago Tribune. Friday. p. R.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 8. MUZE. p. 23.
- ^ Racine, Marty (April 22, 1990). "Records". Houston Chronicle. Zest. p. 10.
- ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 690.
- ^ a b Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. 1995. pp. 352–353.
- ^ Danton, Eric R. (6 Sep 2004). "TACKHEAD BACK TOGETHER: HARTFORD-FORMED QUARTET OF INNOVATIVE ARTISTS PIONEERED SOUNDS THAT BECAME STAPLES OF RAP, POP". The Hartford Courant. p. D1.
- ^ "Tackhead | Biography & History". AllMusic.
- ^ a b "Tackhead". Trouser Press. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
- ^ "The Quietus | News | Gee Vaucher Painting Used For Mirror Trump Blaster". The Quietus.
- ^ Pareles, Jon (8 July 1990). "Rock, Rap and Reggae Rolled Into One". The New York Times. p. A28.
- ^ Lazell, Barry (1997). Indie Hits 1980–1989. Cherry Red Books. Archived from the original on October 6, 2008. Retrieved September 30, 2014.
External links
edit- Sherwood, Adrian (August 2013). "Classic Album: Tackhead: Friendly as a Hand Grenade". FutureMusic. No. 268. Interviewed by Roy Spencer. Future plc. pp. 20–22. Retrieved March 11, 2020 – via the Internet Archive.
- Friendly as a Hand Grenade at Discogs (list of releases)