American Standard (Mary's Danish album)

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American Standard
Studio album by
Mary's Danish
Released1992
StudioSkywalker Sound
GenreRock
LabelMorgan Creek
ProducerPeter Asher, Niko Bolas
Mary's Danish chronology
Circa
(1991) 		American Standard
(1992)

American Standard is the third and final album by the American band Mary's Danish, released in 1992.[1][2] The band supported the album by participating in a Rock the Vote tour, following it with a tour with the Darling Buds.[3][4] "Leave It Alone" peaked at No. 20 on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart.[5]

Production[edit]

The album was produced primarily by Peter Asher, who also served as the band's manager.[6][7] Niko Bolas engineered and assisted with the production.[8] It was recorded in 10 days at Skywalker Sound.[9] All six bandmembers contributed to the songwriting; the band rented a loft space in Central Los Angeles prior to the recording sessions so that they could jam.[10][11] "God Said" criticizes the operations of televangelists.[12] "Porcupine" denounces detaching oneself from society.[13] "Gotcha Covered" is about life in Los Angeles.[14] Chad Smith played drums on the unlisted track, a cover of "I Fought the Law" that also appeared on the soundtrack to Buffy the Vampire Slayer.[7][15]

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[16]
Chicago Tribune[17]
Entertainment WeeklyD+[18]
The Indianapolis Star[19]
Los Angeles Times[12]

The Los Angeles Times wrote that "in the key moments ... the band asserts a confident and consistent voice, shedding some of its old, distracting eclecticism in favor of a more comfortable and appealing rock 'n' roll purity."[12] Trouser Press determined that "the album's consistency makes it more listenable, if less adventurous, with an immediacy and urgency missing from prior work."[7] The Chicago Tribune opined that "siren singers Julie Ritter and Gretchen Seager belt out 'Leave It Alone', a speed-metal oeuvre in which guitarists Louis Gutierrez and David King fire up the grunge."[17]

The Indianapolis Star said that "an occasional attempt toward mainstream rock, along with some overused themes, dooms a few tunes to mediocrity."[19] Spin deemed the album "rock with that everything-but-the-kitchen-sink vibe about it."[20] The Waterloo Region Record concluded that "Mary's Danish is probably a great alternative-singles band, but as a collection American Standard just doesn't stand up to repeated listenings."[21]

AllMusic wrote that "the material here is substandard in comparison to the earlier releases, and Asher's '70s-slick production style simply doesn't mesh with the post-post-punk eclecticism at the heart of the band's sound."[16]

Track listing[edit]

No.TitleLength
1."Killjoy" 
2."God Said" 
3."Underwater" 
4."O Lonely Soul, It's a Hard Road" 
5."Weeping Tree" 
6."Porcupine" 
7."Leave It Alone" 
8."The Living End" 
9."Ode to a Life" 
10."My Dear Heretic" 
11."Shotgun" 
12."Gotcha Covered" 
13."Sister Shade" 

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Mary's Danish Biography by Stewart Mason". AllMusic. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
  2. ^ "You Say It's Your Birthday: Mary's Danish's Julie Ritter". MTV News. April 27, 1997. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
  3. ^ Harrington, Richard (23 Sep 1992). "On the Beat". The Washington Post. p. F7.
  4. ^ Sullivan, Jim (27 Nov 1992). "Darling Buds rise to the occasion, bury Mary's Danish". Arts & Film. The Boston Globe. p. 119.
  5. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Rock Tracks 1981-2008. Record Research. p. 157.
  6. ^ "Album Reviews — American Standard by Mary's Danish". Billboard. Vol. 104, no. 37. Sep 12, 1992. p. 48.
  7. ^ a b c "Mary's Danish". Trouser Press. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
  8. ^ Sculley, Alan (13 Nov 1992). "Sweet Rock Flavor of Mary's Danish". Inroads. Daily Press. Newport News. p. 15.
  9. ^ Punter, Jennie (26 Nov 1992). "Mary's Danish keeps fresh pastries coming". Toronto Star. p. G8.
  10. ^ Robins, Wayne (25 Sep 1992). "Some Electric and Eclectic New Bands". Part II. Newsday. p. 88.
  11. ^ Weatherford, Mike (25 Oct 1992). "Mary's Danish grows more solid and less eclectic". Las Vegas Review-Journal. p. 3J.
  12. ^ a b c Hilburn, Robert (20 Sep 1992). "Record Rack". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 61.
  13. ^ Young, Jon (Jan 7, 1993). "American Standard by Mary's Danish". Rolling Stone. No. 647. p. 47.
  14. ^ Saxberg, Lynn (23 Jan 1993). "Mary's Danish is sweet success". The Ottawa Citizen. p. F3.
  15. ^ Popson, Tom (27 Nov 1992). "So happy together: Everyone's pulling in same direction on new album by Mary's Danish". Tempo. Chicago Tribune. p. 3.
  16. ^ a b "American Standard Review by Stewart Mason". AllMusic. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
  17. ^ a b Webber, Brad (1 Oct 1992). "Mary's Danish American Standard". Tempo. Chicago Tribune. p. 6.
  18. ^ DiMartino, Dave (January 15, 1993). "American Standard". Music. Entertainment Weekly.
  19. ^ a b Bacon, Scott (9 Oct 1992). "Mary's Danish 'American Standard'". The Indianapolis Star. p. C7.
  20. ^ Spencer, Lauren (Oct 1992). "Spins". Spin. Vol. 8, no. 7. p. 107.
  21. ^ Randall, Neil (26 Nov 1992). "American Standard Mary's Danish". Waterloo Region Record. p. C9.
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