Green Suede Shoes
| Green Suede Shoes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1996 | |||
| Genre | Celtic rock, alternative rock | |||
| Label | Tim/Kerr/Mercury[1] | |||
| Producer | Larry Kirwan | |||
| Black 47 chronology | ||||
| ||||
Green Suede Shoes is an album by the American band Black 47, released in 1996.[2][3] It was a commercial disappointment.[4]
The title track was the album's first single.[5]
Production
[edit]The album was produced by frontman Larry Kirwan. It dispensed with some of the stylistic range found on previous albums, focusing more on the Irish aspects of the group's sound; one song is sung in Gaelic.[6][7]
"Rory" is a tribute to the late Rory Gallagher.[8] "Green Suede Shoes" is a semi-autobiographical song about a rock band; Kirwan later used the title for his autobiography.[9][10]
Critical reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [11] |
| The Indianapolis Star | [12] |
| Knoxville News Sentinel |  [13] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | [14] |
| USA Today | [15] |
The Knoxville News Sentinel called the album "a rehash of the Black 47 shtick," writing that Kirwan "becomes ludicrous with his overdramatic storytelling."[13] The Chicago Tribune wrote that the band "again adorns its rousing tales of political martyrs and working-class louts with Celtic flourishes, reggae rhythms and punchy hard rock."[16] The Santa Fe New Mexican noted that the band "is often put down as a watered-down Pogues," but praised "Forty Deuce" as "a chilling story about modern Irish-American gangsters."[17]
The Indianapolis Star stated that "Black 47 blends more styles of music than perhaps any other band out there today... But it works."[12] The Los Angeles Times thought that "Kirwan brings a theatrical literacy and creativity to the table ... tales deal with the larger than life, the idealistic rather than the hedonistic."[18] USA Today concluded that, "unlike many pop prophets, the band conveys its agenda in keen storytelling and intoxicating tunes."[15]
AllMusic wrote that "the band cooks simply and mightily, goosing the traditional jigs and reels that make up most of its melodic repertoire with R&B, hip-hop and reggae riddims."[11] Dave Thompson called the album "a neglected classic, the Pogues go posh."[19]
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Green Suede Shoes" | |
| 2. | "My Love Is in New York" | |
| 3. | "Bobby Sands MP" | |
| 4. | "Change" | |
| 5. | "Czechoslovakia" | |
| 6. | "Brooklyn Girls" | |
| 7. | "Gerty's Farewell" | |
| 8. | "Vinegar Hill" | |
| 9. | "Sam Hall" | |
| 10. | "Walk All the Days" | |
| 11. | "Five Points" | |
| 12. | "Rory" | |
| 13. | "Forty Deuce" | |
| 14. | "Mo Bhrón" | |
| 15. | "Green Suede Shoes (Acoustic)" |
References
[edit]- ^ "Black 47". Trouser Press. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
- ^ "Black 47 Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
- ^ "Irish Rebellion". Arts & Entertainment. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 13 Sep 1996. p. 19.
- ^ Christiano, Nick (14 Mar 1997). "Black 47: Stubborn, Potent Irish Blend". Features Weekend. The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 16.
- ^ "Don't Tread on Them". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 41. Oct 12, 1996. p. 22.
- ^ Lipp, Marty (15 Mar 1996). "A Weekend in the Emerald Style". Newsday. p. B21.
- ^ "Black 47's Blarney Rock". The Washington Post. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
- ^ Brown, Matthew Hay (24 Oct 1996). "Black 47 Green Suede Shoes". Calendar. Hartford Courant. p. 5.
- ^ Sullivan, Jim (11 Dec 1996). "Black 47 a hit on both rock, Irish circuits". The Boston Globe. p. C6.
- ^ "Rockin' Novel: Kirwan's 'Green Suede Shoes'". NPR. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
- ^ a b "Green Suede Shoes". AllMusic.
- ^ a b Slosarek, Steve (29 Nov 1996). "Black 47 'Green Suede Shoes'". The Indianapolis Star. p. F7.
- ^ a b Campbell, Chuck (15 Nov 1996). "'Green Suede Shoes', Black 47". Knoxville News Sentinel. p. T10.
- ^ MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 113.
- ^ a b Gundersen, Edna (28 Jan 1997). "Black 47, Green Suede Shoes". USA Today. p. 8D.
- ^ Reger, Rick (15 Nov 1996). "Black 47". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. 55.
- ^ Terrell, Steve (14 Mar 1997). "Terrell's Tune-Up". Pasatiempo. The Santa Fe New Mexican. p. 35.
- ^ Seigal, Buddy (30 Nov 1996). "No Paint-by-Numbers: Black 47 Prides Itself on Creating a Unique, Theatrical Blend of Politically Inspired, Irish-Tinged Rock". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 2.
- ^ Thompson, Dave (December 22, 2000). Alternative Rock. Hal Leonard Corporation.
