Dragline (album)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dragline
Studio album by
ReleasedMay 4, 1993
StudioSmart Studios, Madison, Wisconsin
Genre
Length50:18 (1:08:13 in the re-release)
LabelA&M
Producer
Paw chronology
Dragline
(1993)
Death to Traitors
(1995)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Classic Rock[2]
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal10/10[3]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[4]
Entertainment WeeklyB[5]
Los Angeles Times[6]
MusicHound Rock[7]
Vox6/10[8]

Dragline is the debut studio album by the American grunge band Paw.[9] It was released in 1993 through A&M Records. It sold around 80,000 copies.[10]

The single "Jessie" released in 1993, reached number 82 in the UK.[11] 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).[12]

Production[edit]

The album was recorded at Smart Studios, in Madison, Wisconsin.[13]

Critical reception[edit]

The Morning Call 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 [Mark] Hennessy sings about death and suffering in a throaty roar."[14] The Los Angeles Times 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."[6] Trouser Press 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."[15] The New York Times 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."[16] The New Yorker called the album "equal parts metallic vigor and Southern-rock grit."[17]

Rolling Stone listed Dragline at #35 on its list of the "50 Greatest Grunge Albums."[18] In 2007, Martin Popoff named the album the 15th greatest heavy metal album of the 1990s.[19]

Track listing[edit]

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

No.TitleLength
1."Gasoline" (M. Hennessy, G. Fitch, P. Fitch)4:47
2."Sleeping Bag"4:07
3."Jessie" (M. Hennessy, G. Fitch, P. Fitch)3:14
4."The Bridge"3:34
5."Couldn't Know"4:12
6."Pansy" (M. Hennessy, G. Fitch, P. Fitch)3:26
7."Lolita"4:56
8."Dragline"5:07
9."Veronica"3:58
10."One More Bottle"4:04
11."Sugarcane"3:46
12."Hard Pig"5:07
13."Suicide Shift" (Re-release bonus track)3:06
14."Slow Burn" (Re-release bonus track)2:18
15."I Know Where You Sleep" (Re-release bonus track)4:37
16."Jessie" (Re-release bonus track (Live Acoustic In Boston, Nov 29))3:16
17."Imaginary Lover" (Re-release bonus track (Atlanta Rhythm Section cover))4:37
Total length:01:08:13

Personnel[edit]

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

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Dragline - Paw | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
  2. ^ Wilding, Philip (March 20, 2015). "Paw: Dragline". Classic Rock (loudersound). Retrieved December 22, 2023.
  3. ^ Popoff 2007, p. 338.
  4. ^ Larkin 2006.
  5. ^ Aaron, Charles (May 7, 1993). "Dragline". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
  6. ^ a b "PAW"Dragline" A&M;* * *A lot of people..." Los Angeles Times. July 11, 1993.
  7. ^ Prickett 1999, p. 861.
  8. ^ Scanlon 1993.
  9. ^ "Paw | Biography & History". AllMusic.
  10. ^ "Paw and the Year Scrunge Broke". SPIN. SPIN Media LLC. May 14, 2010 – via Google Books.
  11. ^ "PAW | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". OfficialCharts.com.
  12. ^ "Dragline: Expanded Edition".
  13. ^ Baird, Robert (August 25, 1993). "CLAWING THEIR WAY TO THE TOPWHEN IT COMES TO PUNK-METAL, YOU'VE GOT TO HAND IT TO PAW". Phoenix New Times.
  14. ^ HARRY, RICH. "FOR ROCK BAND PAW, RURAL LIFE, INSPIRATION GO HAND IN HAND". mcall.com.
  15. ^ "Paw". Trouser Press. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  16. ^ Pareles, Jon (December 8, 1993). "Review/Pop; From Metal Into Melody (Published 1993)". The New York Times.
  17. ^ "Paw". The New Yorker. Vol. 70, no. 1–6. p. 16.
  18. ^ "50 Greatest Grunge Albums". Rolling Stone. April 1, 2019.
  19. ^ Popoff 2007, p. 515.

Bibliography[edit]