Amorica
Amorica | ||||
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![]() The original cover of the album. | ||||
Studio album by The Black Crowes | ||||
Released | November 1, 1994 (1994-11-01) | |||
Recorded | May–August 1994 | |||
Genre |
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Length | 54:13 | |||
Label | American | |||
Producer |
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The Black Crowes chronology | ||||
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Censored cover | ||||
![]() Editions sold by big box retailers have a cropped image. | ||||
Amorica (stylized as amorica.) is the third studio album by U.S. rock band The Black Crowes. Spawned from the band's unreleased Tall album sessions, Amorica was released on November 1, 1994, on American Recordings. Amorica reached gold status in the United States, shipping 500,000 copies.
The album cover notably featured a close-up photo of the pelvic region of a woman wearing a U.S. flag bikini bottom with pubic hair showing at the top. The photo was taken from the cover of the July 1976 issue of Hustler magazine. The album with this cover was subsequently banned from chain stores like Walmart and Kmart, resulting in the cover being censored with a solid black background displaying only the garment.[2]
Other songs recorded during the Amorica sessions were "Feathers," "Tied Up and Swallowed" and "Chevrolet" (a Taj Mahal cover), which were later released as B-sides, bonus tracks or on compilation albums.
Reception
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Chicago Tribune | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Entertainment Weekly | B−[5] |
Kerrang! | 5/5[6] |
Los Angeles Times | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
NME | 8/10[8] |
Q | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Rolling Stone | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Select | 4/5[11] |
Uncut | 9/10[12] |
"The Crowes haven't ceased their cocky pillaging of the universal jukebox – echoes of the Stones and Led Zep abound," wrote Rolling Stone's Paul Evans, who awarded the album three and a half stars. "But in joining the mix with offbeat kicks (Latino rhythms, wah-wah guitar, strange vocal treatments), they sound remarkably fresh."[13]
In July 2014, Guitar World chose Amorica as one of "50 Iconic Albums That Defined 1994".[14]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Chris Robinson and Rich Robinson
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Gone" | 5:08 |
2. | "A Conspiracy" | 4:46 |
3. | "High Head Blues" | 4:01 |
4. | "Cursed Diamond" | 5:56 |
5. | "Nonfiction" | 4:16 |
6. | "She Gave Good Sunflower" | 5:48 |
7. | "P. 25 London" | 3:38 |
8. | "Ballad in Urgency" | 5:39 |
9. | "Wiser Time" | 5:33 |
10. | "Downtown Money Waster" | 3:40 |
11. | "Descending" | 5:42 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
12. | "Tied Up and Swallowed" | 4:16 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
12. | "Chevrolet" | 3:32 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
12. | "Song of the Flesh" | 3:45 |
13. | "Sunday Night Buttermilk Waltz" | 2:46 |
Personnel
The Black Crowes
- Chris Robinson – vocals, harmonica
- Rich Robinson – guitar
- Marc Ford – guitar
- Johnny Colt – bass guitar
- Steve Gorman – drums
- Eddie Harsch – keyboards
Additional personnel[15]
- Jimmy Ashhurst – mandolin
- Eric Bobo – percussion
- Bruce Kaphan – pedal steel guitar
- Andy Sturmer – "assorted musical gifts"
Production
- Pete Angelus – personal manager
- The Black Crowes – producer
- Bob Ludwig – mastering
- Jack Joseph Puig – producer, engineer, mixer
- Jeff Sheehan – assistant engineer
Charts
Chart (1994) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (ARIA)[16] | 11 |
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[17] | 13 |
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[18] | 17 |
Finnish Albums (The Official Finnish Charts)[19] | 17 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[20] | 40 |
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[21] | 39 |
Scottish Albums (OCC)[22] | 7 |
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[23] | 25 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[24] | 35 |
UK Albums (OCC)[25] | 8 |
US Billboard 200[26] | 11 |
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI)[27] | Silver | 60,000^ |
United States (RIAA)[28] | Gold | 500,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
References
- ^ a b Kemp, Mark (2004). "The Black Crowes". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 75–76. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
- ^ Morse, Steve (March 23, 1995). "The Black Crowes: Rock rebels take home-grown spirit on tour". The Boston Globe. p. 18.
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Amorica – The Black Crowes". AllMusic. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
- ^ Kot, Greg (November 10, 1994). "Black Crowes: Amorica (American)". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
- ^ Eddy, Chuck (November 4, 1994). "Amorica". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on April 21, 2009. Retrieved January 27, 2013.
- ^ Elliott, Paul (November 5, 1994). "Amorican Dream!". Kerrang!. No. 519. pp. 42–43.
- ^ Crisafulli, Chuck (October 30, 1994). "The Black Crowes 'Amorica' American". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
- ^ Patterson, Sylvia (October 29, 1994). "Get Your Rooks Off!". NME. p. 46.
- ^ Gill, Andy (December 1994). "Draining". Q. No. 99. p. 128.
- ^ Evans, Paul (November 3, 1994). "Amorica". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
- ^ Collis, Clark (December 1994). "Southern def cult!". Select. No. 54. p. 88.
- ^ Deusner, Stephen (2023). "High Flyers". Uncut. No. 320, Review of the Year 2023. p. 36.
- ^ Evans, Paul (November 3, 1994). "The Black Crowes: Amorica". Rolling Stone. No. 694. pp. 95–96.
- ^ "Superunknown: 50 Iconic Albums That Defined 1994". GuitarWorld.com. July 14, 2014. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved July 14, 2014.
- ^ "The Black Crowes - Amorica". Discogs. 31 October 1994. Retrieved 2019-03-08.
- ^ "Australiancharts.com – The Black Crowes – Amorica.". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
- ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 2654". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – The Black Crowes – Amorica." (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
- ^ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – The Black Crowes – Amorica." (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
- ^ "Charts.nz – The Black Crowes – Amorica.". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – The Black Crowes – Amorica.". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – The Black Crowes – Amorica.". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
- ^ "The Black Crowes Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
- ^ "British album certifications – Black Crowes". British Phonographic Industry.
- ^ "American album certifications – The Black Crowes – Amorica". Recording Industry Association of America.
Further reading
- Draper, Jason (2008). A Brief History of Album Covers. London: Flame Tree Publishing. pp. 318–319. ISBN 9781847862112. OCLC 227198538.
External links
- In-depth article on Amorica
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- The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion
- Amorica
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