The Mekons Honky Tonkin'

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The Mekons Honky Tonkin'
Studio album by
the Mekons
Released1987
LabelSin[1]
Twin/Tone[2]
ProducerThe Mekons
The Mekons chronology
The Edge of the World
(1986) 		The Mekons Honky Tonkin'
(1987) 		New York
(1987)

The Mekons Honky Tonkin' is an album by the British band the Mekons, released in 1987.[3][4] It was their first album to be released in the United States and the band's third country music-influenced album.[5][6] The band supported the album with a North American tour.[7]

Production[edit]

The liner notes include book recommendations for most of the songs.[8] "If They Hang You" commends Dashiell Hammett for his conduct in front of a HUAC hearing.[9] "The Trimdon Grange Explosion" is about a 19th century colliery explosion; "Hole in the Ground" is also about the mining life.[10][11] "Sympathy for the Mekons" adapts themes from "Sympathy for the Devil".[12]

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[13]
Robert ChristgauB+[14]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[15]
The Gazette8/10[6]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide[2]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[16]
Spin Alternative Record Guide7/10[17]

Robert Christgau called the Mekons "just a catchy, rocking Brit country band with more enthusiasm than skill in the vocal department and lyrics."[14] Trouser Press wrote that "the genially appealing music, a well-organized wash of fiddles, accordion, guitars and simple drums, makes few demands but keeps the folky standards high."[9] The Los Angeles Times stated that "the closest reference point for U.S. listeners might be the Pogues, though the Mekons' anarchic approach tolerates a fair degree of amateurism."[18]

The New York Times noted that, "for all their informality, the songs gleam with intelligence," and concluded that "the Mekons bring the fatalism of country and Celtic music into the fractured 1980's."[10] The Washington Post determined that "the musical results are smoother than on the band's previous country forays, but the lyrics remain smart, funny and wary."[19]

AllMusic deemed the album "just short of a masterpiece," writing that the version of "The Trimdon Grange Explosion" "was a remarkable meeting of folk-rock's earnestness and punk's spitting wrath which ranks with the group's most powerful recorded moments."[13] The Star Tribune listed it as the 19th best album of 1987.[20]

Track listing[edit]

No.TitleLength
1."I Can't Find My Money" 
2."Hole in the Ground" 
3."Sleepless Nights" 
4."Keep On Hoppin'" 
5."Charlie Cake Park" 
6."If They Hang You" 
7."Prince of Darkness" 
8."Kidnapped" 
9."Sympathy for the Mekons" 
10."Spit" 
11."The Trimdon Grange Explosion" 
12."Please Don't Let Me Love You" 
13."Gin Palace" 

References[edit]

  1. ^ Buckley, Peter (September 13, 2003). "The Rough Guide to Rock". Rough Guides – via Google Books.
  2. ^ a b MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 744.
  3. ^ "The Mekons Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
  4. ^ "The Mekons Love You". Chicago Reader. September 30, 1993.
  5. ^ Pareles, Jon (30 Apr 1987). "ROCK: BRITAIN'S MEKONS". The New York Times. p. C22.
  6. ^ a b Griffin, John (2 July 1987). "The Mekons". The Gazette. p. E3.
  7. ^ Tucker, Ken (24 Apr 1987). "The English band the Mekons will perform...". FEATURES WEEKEND. The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 22.
  8. ^ Piccarella, John (Jul 1987). "Spins". Spin. 3 (4): 28.
  9. ^ a b "Mekons". Trouser Press. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
  10. ^ a b Pareles, Jon (24 Apr 1987). "Rock Album of the Week". The New York Times. p. C19.
  11. ^ Robins, Wayne (15 May 1987). "The Mekons have had 75 different members since they were formed...". Weekend. Newsday. p. 17.
  12. ^ Boehm, Mike (May 14, 1987). "Mekons blend punk, British country music". The Providence Journal. p. B6.
  13. ^ a b "The Mekons - The Mekons Honky Tonkin' Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
  14. ^ a b "Robert Christgau: CG: The Mekons". www.robertchristgau.com.
  15. ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 5. MUZE. p. 690.
  16. ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 466.
  17. ^ Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. 1995. pp. 248–249.
  18. ^ Cromelin, Richard (3 May 1987). "LOST SOULS OF LEEDS". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 69.
  19. ^ Jenkins, Mark (24 Apr 1987). "Mekons: Darkly and Delightful". The Washington Post. p. N25.
  20. ^ Bream, Jon (14 Feb 1988). "43 LPs make picking tough for best of '87". Star Tribune. p. 1F.
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