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This Can't Be Life

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This article is about the album by Wild Colonials. For Jay-Z song, see The Dynasty: Roc La Familia.
This Can't Be Life
Studio album by
Wild Colonials
Released1996
Studio
GenreAlternative, folk rock
Length45:07
LabelDGC[1]
ProducerTony Berg, John Porter
Wild Colonials chronology
Fruit of Life
(1994) 		This Can't Be Life
(1996) 		Reel Life, Vol. 1
(2000)

This Can't Be Life is the second album by the American band Wild Colonials, released in 1996.[2][3] The first single was "Charm", which was an alternative radio hit.[4] The band supported the album with a North American tour that included stints with Los Lobos and Chalk FarM.[5][6][7] They also headlined the second stage at the inaugural 1997 Lilith Fair.[8]

Production

The album was produced by Tony Berg and John Porter.[9] The album cover used artwork from a lithograph from the 1700s, which was discovered on a postcard.[9] Bandmember Scott Roewe played a penny whistle, melodica, and didgeridoo, among other instruments.[10] Rickie Lee Jones contributed to the album.[11] "Want" is about the death of singer Angela McCluskey's mother.[12] McCluskey had a practice of starting to compose songs during year-end holiday seasons.[13]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[14]
Los Angeles Times[15]
San Jose Mercury News[16]

The Philadelphia Inquirer deemed the album a "catchy, Eastern-flavored second effort."[17] The Los Angeles Times wrote that "McCluskey sings messages for the lovelorn and the bitter over sounds that run from jazzy torch epics to the vaguely Middle Eastern."[15] The San Jose Mercury News noted the "same low-range vocal ground" as 10,000 Maniacs.[16] The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette dismissed This Can't Be Life as "fuzzy acoustic vaguely Irish folk jazz."[18]

The Orange County Register advised: "Imagine an Out of Time-era R.E.M. fronted by a raving mad Deborah Harry and you begin to get the idea of the punch Wild Colonials can pack."[12] The Star-Ledger stated that "McCluskey's husky, intelligent, sultry voice is the right vehicle to carry the band's jagged, edgy, Celtic-flavored alternative folk-rock that's as much Roxy Music as it is 10,000 Maniacs."[19]

The Oregonian listed This Can't Be Life among the 10 best albums of 1996.[20]

Track listing

All songs written by the Wild Colonials

  1. "This Misery" – 4:13
  2. "Spirit" – 4:50
  3. "Coy" – 3:44
  4. "Wake Up Sad" – 5:05
  5. "Charm" – 3:17
  6. "Want" – 5:14
  7. "If" – 4:05
  8. "Blue" – 5:36
  9. "Different" – 3:54
  10. "Childhood" – 5:49

Personnel

  • Angela McCluskey - vocals
  • Shark - guitars, vocals, percussion, ambient bass
  • Paul Cantelon - violin, piano
  • Scott Roewe - bass, piano, organ, melodica, wurlitzer, casio, didgeridoo, bass clarinet, penny whistle, tenor sax
  • Thaddeus Corea - drums, percussion, vocals

With

  • Martin Tillmann - cello
  • Jon Brion - chamberlin, guitar, organ on "This Misery"
  • Juliet Prater - world percussion
  • Tony Berg - optigan, guitar, tambura
  • Andrew Scheps - mütes galore on "Wake Up Sad" and "This Misery"
  • Rickie Lee Jones - Guest vocals on "Spirit"
  • Eric Reigler - uilleann pipes on "Want"
  • Ethan James - hurdy-gurdy on "Childhood"
  • Robert Burns - vibraphone on "Wake Up Sad"
  • Whitney Wade - additional vocals on "If"

Production

  • Producers: Tony Berg, John Porter
  • Mixers: Tchad Blake, Jim Rondinelli
  • Recorded by: Brian Scheuble, Joe McGrath
  • Additional engineering: Howard Willing

References

  1. ^ Moon, Tom (23 Aug 1996). "AND THEN THERE'S . . ". FEATURES WEEKEND. The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 19.
  2. ^ "Wild Colonials Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
  3. ^ Maestri, Cathy (August 18, 1996). "It's been a tough climb for mountain show". The Press-Enterprise. p. E3.
  4. ^ Ehrbar, Joe (10 Jan 1997). "WILD COLONIALS FIND TOURING ALL THE TIME FOSTERS SUCCESS". Weekend. The Spokesman-Review. p. 2.
  5. ^ Pareles, Jon (30 Sep 1996). "In Performance: Unabashed Sincerity". The New York Times. p. C12.
  6. ^ Rosen, Steven (November 1, 1996). "Bands get into rhythm of playing Denver and Boulder". The Denver Post. p. F17.
  7. ^ Renzhofer, Martin (January 17, 1997). "Colonials: Wild Music, From Scotland To Corea". The Salt Lake Tribune. p. D14.
  8. ^ Mehle, Michael (July 11, 1997). "FAIREST OF THE FAIR". Rocky Mountain News. p. 18D.
  9. ^ a b Shuster, Fred (August 9, 1996). "WILD COLONIALS GET BUSY". Los Angeles Daily News. p. L21.
  10. ^ Elkins, Elizabeth (October 11, 1996). "Scottish band likes to thrive on wild mix". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. P4.
  11. ^ Renzhofer, Martin (September 15, 1996). "CD Reviews". The Salt Lake Tribune. p. E3.
  12. ^ a b Wener, Ben (August 23, 1996). "Wild Colonials 'This Can't Be Life'". Orange County Register. p. F54.
  13. ^ Healy, James (December 19, 1996). "Glasgow native finds her singing voice, again, in Hollywood". Entertainment. The San Diego Union-Tribune. p. 12.
  14. ^ "Wild Colonials - This Can't Be Life Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
  15. ^ a b Appleford, Steve (29 Sep 1996). "Wild Colonials, 'This Can't Be Life'". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 94.
  16. ^ a b Kava, Brad (October 4, 1996). "HALF OF HUMP DAY LOOKS FOR SOME GEMS AMID THE JUNK". Eye. San Jose Mercury News. p. 19.
  17. ^ Beckley, Fred (13 Sep 1996). "WILD COLONIALS". FEATURES WEEKEND. The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 19.
  18. ^ Martin, Philip (October 11, 1996). "Wild Colonials, This Can't Be Life". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. p. 19W.
  19. ^ Horowitz, Ben (September 23, 1996). "Wild Colonials are anything but with a room half-empty". Today. The Star-Ledger. p. 25.
  20. ^ Foyston, John (December 29, 1996). "EAR TO THE YEAR". The Oregonian. p. E1.
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