The Mekons Rock 'n Roll
The Mekons Rock 'n Roll | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | September 1989 | |||
Recorded | Terminal Studios & Berry Street Studio London | |||
Genre | Alternative rock | |||
Length | 45:24 | |||
Label | Blast First | |||
Producer | Mekons/Ian Caple | |||
The Mekons chronology | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Chicago Tribune | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Philadelphia Inquirer | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Q | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Rolling Stone | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Spin Alternative Record Guide | 10/10[7] |
The Village Voice | A[8] |
The Mekons Rock 'n Roll is the eighth studio album by English rock band The Mekons, released in 1989.
Critical reception[]
The album was well-received by critics on its initial release. It was named eighth of the top 10 albums of 1989 in the Village Voice's Pazz & Jop critics poll.[9] In 1991, New York Times critic Jon Pareles called it "one of the best albums of the 1980s."[10]
Decades later, critics still remembered it fondly.[11][12] Pitchfork placed The Mekons Rock 'n Roll at number 97 on its 2002 list of the 100 best albums of the 1980s.[13] In 2007, the record was ranked at number 97 on Blender's list of the "100 Greatest Indie-Rock Albums Ever".[14] It was included in Tom Moon's 2008 book 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die.[15]
Track listing[]
All songs composed by The Mekons (as per label). The BMI database lists all songs as composed by Tom Greenhalgh and Jon Langford.
- "Memphis, Egypt" – 3:37
- "Club Mekon" – 3:29
- "Only Darkness Has the Power" – 3:28
- "Ring O' Roses" – 4:07
- "Learning to Live on Your Own" – 4:37
- "Cocaine Lil" – 2:51
- "Empire of the Senseless" – 4:35
- "Someone" – 2:44
- "Amnesia" – 4:31
- "I Am Crazy" – 3:28
- "Heaven and Back" – 3:16
- "Blow Your Tuneless Trumpet" – 3:56
- "Echo" – 4:33
- "When Darkness Falls" – 3:53
The American issue of this album omits "Ring O' Roses" and "Heaven and Back".
References[]
- ^ Dougan, John. "The Mekons Rock 'n' Roll – The Mekons". AllMusic. Retrieved 19 December 2012.
- ^ Kot, Greg (9 November 1989). "Mekons: The Mekons Rock 'n' Roll (Twin Tone/A & M)". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
- ^ Moon, Tom (29 October 1989). "The Mekons: The Mekons Rock 'n' Roll (Twin-Tone A&M)". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
- ^ "The Mekons: The Mekons Rock 'n Roll". Q. No. 37. October 1989.
- ^ Young, Jon (8 February 1990). "The Mekons: The Mekons Rock N' Roll". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 19 December 2012.
- ^ Considine, J. D.; Hoard, Christian (2004). "The Mekons". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 534–36. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
- ^ Weisbard, Eric (1995). "Mekons". In Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig (eds.). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. pp. 248–49. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (21 November 1989). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved 19 December 2012.
- ^ "Pazz & Jop: Top 10 Albums By Year, 1971-2017". Village Voice. New York City. January 22, 2018. Retrieved 2021-08-14.
- ^ Pareles, Jon (July 5, 1991). "Pop/Jazz; The Mekons Shed a Label For a Curse That Works". New York Times. New York City. Retrieved 2021-08-14.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (24 April 2001). "The Mekons: Rock 'n' Roll". Retrieved 2019-12-01.
- ^ Nelson, Elizabeth (18 September 2019). "Handcuffed to History: 'The Mekons Rock 'N' Roll' Is 30 Years Old". The Ringer. Retrieved 2019-12-01.
- ^ "The Top 100 Albums of the 1980s". Pitchfork. 21 November 2002. p. 1. Retrieved 5 November 2011.
- ^ "Blender's 100 Greatest Indie-Rock Albums Ever". Stereogum. 14 November 2007. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
- ^ Moon, Tom. 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die: A Listener's Life List. p. 494-495.
External links[]
- Robert Christgau's liner notes for the 2001 Collector's Choice reissue
- Lyrics and other information on the discography section of the official Mekons website
- The Mekons albums
- 1989 albums
- Blast First albums
- A&M Records albums
- Rough Trade Records albums
- 1980s rock album stubs