Pleasure Club (album)
| Pleasure Club | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1996 | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Label | Geffen[1] | |||
| Producer | Phil Nicolo | |||
| James Hall chronology | ||||
| ||||
Pleasure Club is an album by the American musician James Hall, released in 1996.[2][3] Starting over in the 2000s, Hall named his band for the album.[4][5]
Hall supported the album by opening for Rage Against the Machine on a European tour, and for Love and Rockets in the United States.[6][7] Pleasure Club's first single was "Honky Time".[8]
Production[edit]
The album was produced primarily by Phil Nicolo.[9] Hall took more satisfaction from his live show, and regarded the album as a primer for what he could do onstage.[8] He considered the album's music to be "anti-grunge", noting its theatricality.[10]
Critical reception[edit]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [11] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music |  [12] |
| The Sydney Morning Herald | [13] |
Trouser Press wrote that "Hall’s singing is more ragged and urgent; he’s finally developed a distinctive vocal style of his own."[14] CMJ New Music Monthly stated that the album "finds [Hall] infusing a soulful, bluesy wail into a pastiche of '70s and '80s influences—sort of like what would have come after Raw Power if Iggy had followed Bowie into his Philadelphia soul phase."[15] The Times-Picayune deemed it "an edgy, post-punk, post-pop brand of new rock."[16]
Guitar Player determined that "guitarist Lynn Wright supports ... Hall with sizzling treble tones, an acidic, razor-edged attack and a healthy eclecticism that embraces psychedelic R&B, blues-infused punk and neoroots balladry."[17] The Sydney Morning Herald noted that Hall "has a sound sense of dynamics, knowing when to hold back, and when to let loose."[13] The Philadelphia Inquirer opined that Pleasure Club "catches Hall in somewhat reserved demeanor—at times, he sounds as though he's emulating Jeff Buckley's moody moves."[7]
AllMusic called the album "brilliant, powerful stuff," writing: "Much less obviously derivative than the Black Crowes or Lenny Kravitz, Hall's distinctive sound may remind you of the greats, but by album's end he's carved out his own niche."[11]
Track listing[edit]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Pleasure Club" | |
| 2. | "Illingness" | |
| 3. | "Heatwave Radio" | |
| 4. | "Morninglust" | |
| 5. | "Honky Time" | |
| 6. | "Should Know Better" | |
| 7. | "Black Is Black" | |
| 8. | "I'm Needy" | |
| 9. | "Back Stabbing" | |
| 10. | "Elevation" | |
| 11. | "Illustrated Babeis" | |
| 12. | "Use Me, Baby" | |
| 13. | "Need My Man" | |
| 14. | "So Precious" |
References[edit]
- ^ Mehr, Bob. "Hunky Dory". Phoenix New Times.
- ^ "James Hall Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More". AllMusic.
- ^ Hallock, Jeremy. "James Hall Turned Down Afghan Whigs and Survived Hurricane Katrina, But Has No Regrets". Dallas Observer.
- ^ "Up & Coming". The Stranger.
- ^ "James Hall has enough dark, shadowy rock-star charisma..." SFGate. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
- ^ Howell, Peter (23 May 1996). "James Hall unfazed by loopy fans". Toronto Star. p. G3.
- ^ a b Moon, Tom (14 June 1996). "James Hall". Features Weekend. The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 13.
- ^ a b Spera, Keith (June 28, 1996). "Hall's 'Pleasures' Growing with Time". The Times-Picayune. p. L7.
- ^ The Encyclopedia of Record Producers. Billboard Books. 1999. p. 572.
- ^ Shuster, Fred (5 July 1996). "Pop Beat". Los Angeles Daily News. p. L18.
- ^ a b "Pleasure Club". AllMusic.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 4. MUZE. p. 80.
- ^ a b Danielsen, Shane (16 Sep 1996). "Pushing the limits". The Guide. The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 13.
- ^ "James Hall". Trouser Press. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
- ^ Lien, James (Oct 1996). "Second Thoughts". CMJ New Music Monthly. No. 38. p. 37.
- ^ "Make Way for a Musical New Year's Eve". The Times-Picayune. December 27, 1996. p. L6.
- ^ "Pleasure Club". Guitar Player. Vol. 30, no. 10. Oct 1996. p. 109.
