Thank the Holder Uppers
| Thank the Holder Uppers | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1995 | |||
| Label | Interscope | |||
| Producer | Brett Gurewitz | |||
| Claw Hammer chronology | ||||
| ||||
Thank the Holder Uppers is an album by the American band Claw Hammer.[1][2] The band's first major label album, it was released in 1995 via Interscope Records.[3][4] Claw Hammer supported the album with a North American tour.[5]
Production[edit]
The album was produced by Brett Gurewitz, the head of the band's former label.[6] The band often added harmonica, saxophone, and piano to the album's longer tracks.[7]
Critical reception[edit]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [8] |
| Calgary Herald | B[9] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [10] |
| Los Angeles Times | [7] |
| The San Diego Union-Tribune |  [11] |
The Washington Post wrote that singer John Wahl's "high (and erratically) pitched vocals and Christopher Bagarozzi's guitar-hero fretwork may recall Led Zep, but the band's rhythms and sense of structure owe more to Captain Beefheart."[12] Trouser Press thought that "the foursome caper rowdily like (dead end) kids set loose in a candy store."[13]
Westword opined that the songs "may sometimes seem quizzical—'Blind Pig' is the weirdest imaginable ZZ Top imitation, while 'Olfactory Blues/Nosehair' resembles a bizarre marriage of Frank Zappa and, well, Foghat—but they're never, never boring."[14] CMJ New Music Monthly declared that, "problem is, these guys seem a little too proficient on their instruments, enamored of severe (and frequent) tempo changes for the sake of keeping themselves interested."[15] LA Weekly praised the "exceptional guitarists and crackerjack drummer, Bob Lee."[16]
AllMusic wrote: "In sum, think of Funhouse-era Stooges with a few more instruments and slightly quiet moments, almost as good a vocalist and crisp production, and there's Holder Uppers in a nutshell."[8] In another retrospective review, Spin deemed the album "a totally unmarketable combo of cartoonishly venomous wails, chainsaw riffs, and harmonica solos."[17]
Track listing[edit]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Super Things" | |
| 2. | "When Dan's in Town" | |
| 3. | "Sweaty Palms" | |
| 4. | "Five Fifths Dead" | |
| 5. | "The Bums on the Flow" | |
| 6. | "Hollow Legs" | |
| 7. | "Bedside Coffee Table Roses" | |
| 8. | "Blind Pig" | |
| 9. | "Each Hit" | |
| 10. | "Lazy Brains" | |
| 11. | "Olfactory Blues/Nose Hair" |
Personnel[edit]
- Chris Bagarozzi - guitar
- Bob Lee - drums
- John Wahl - vocals, guitar, harmonica
- Rob Walther - bass
References[edit]
- ^ Schulman, Sandra (16 Apr 1995). "'Hammer' misses the mark". Sun Sentinel. p. 3D.
- ^ Margasak, Peter (6 April 1995). "Spot Check". Chicago Reader.
- ^ Dean, Chuck (Aug 24, 1995). "Certified punk". Rolling Stone. No. 715. p. 36.
- ^ Gold, Jonathan (Jun 1995). "The Return of Super Fuzz and Big Muff". Spin. Vol. 11, no. 3. p. 36.
- ^ "Live". The Columbian. 31 Mar 1995. p. D6.
- ^ "Claw Hammer Biography & History". AllMusic.
- ^ a b Boehm, Mike (15 Apr 1995). "The Muffs and Claw Hammer Raucous and Roll Us". Los Angeles Times. p. F1.
- ^ a b "Thank the Holder Uppers" – via www.allmusic.com.
- ^ Muretich, James (2 Apr 1995). "Recent Releases". Calgary Herald. p. C2.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 2. MUZE. pp. 402–403.
- ^ Niesel, Jeff (March 23, 1995). "Album Reviews – Alternative". Entertainment. The San Diego Union-Tribune. p. 17.
- ^ "Mudhoney's 'tude". The Washington Post. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
- ^ "Clawhammer". Trouser Press. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
- ^ Roberts, Michael. "Playlist". Westword.
- ^ "Reviews". CMJ New Music Monthly. No. 20. Apr 1995. p. 32.
- ^ Scribner, Sara (6 Apr 1995). "Performance". LA Weekly. p. 95.
- ^ "Blame Nirvana: The 40 Weirdest Post-'Nevermind' Major-Label Albums". SPIN. January 8, 2013.