A Man Under the Influence
A Man Under the Influence is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Alejandro Escovedo, released on April 24, 2001 on Bloodshot Records. It was produced by Chris Stamey. A deluxe edition was released on November 15, 2009.[1]
A Man Under the Influence | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | April 24, 2001 | |||
Genre | Roots rock | |||
Length | 50:09 | |||
Label | Bloodshot Records | |||
Producer | Chris Stamey | |||
Alejandro Escovedo chronology | ||||
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Critical reception
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [2] |
The Austin Chronicle | [3] |
Blender | [4] |
Now | 4/5[5] |
Pitchfork | 8.3/10[6] |
Q | [7] |
Rolling Stone | [8] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [9] |
Slant Magazine | [1] |
Spin | 7/10[10] |
Billboard wrote that A Man Under the Influence was "the best studio performance Escovedo has ever delivered".[11] Similarly, Joshua Klein wrote in The A.V. Club that the album "could be Escovedo's best yet",[12] and James Mann said in PopMatters that the album was "far and away his best work".[13]
Several critics also commended Stamey's production on the album: Joe Tangari wrote in Pitchfork that on the track "Velvet Guitar", his production "keeps [the five guitarists on that track] all in their respective places, avoiding a sloppy mess."[6] Additionally, Raoul Hernandez wrote in The Austin Chronicle that Stamey "deserves credit for the LP's overall cohesion of sound",[3] while Michael Barclay of Exclaim! wrote that Stamey's production "captures the mood perfectly".[14]
Conversely, Robert Christgau of The Village Voice selected "Wave" and "Castanets" as "choice cuts", indicating good songs "on an album that isn't worth your time or money."[15]
Track listing
All tracks composed by Alejandro Escovedo; except where indicated
- "Wave"
- "Rosalie"
- "Rhapsody" (Escovedo, Stephen Barber)
- "Across the River"
- "Castanets"
- "Don't Need You"
- "Follow You Down" (Escovedo, Stephen Barber)
- "Wedding Day" (Escovedo, JD Foster)
- "Velvet Guitar"
- "As I Fall"
- "About This Love"
Personnel
- Ryan Adams - Vocal Harmony, Background vocals
- Lynn Blakey - Vocal Harmony, Background vocals
- Caitlin Cary - Violin, Background vocals
- Tonya Lamm - Vocal Harmony, Background vocals
- Michael "Cornbread" Traylor - Bass
- Mike Daly - Bass, 12-String Electric guitar, Acoustic guitar, Mando-Guitar, Mandolin, Pedal Steel
- Mitch Easter - Engineer, Electric guitar
- Alejandro Escovedo - Acoustic guitar, Electric guitar, Vocals
- Eric Heywood - Pedal Steel, Pump Organ, Vocal Harmony
- Joe Eddy Hines - Electric guitar, Slide Guitar
- Hector Muñoz - Drums, Orchestral Percussion, Tambourine
- Aaron Oliva - Bowed Double Bass, Double Bass
- David Perales - Violin, Vocal Harmony
- John Plymale - Mixing
- Chip Robinson - Vocal Harmony, Background vocals
- Dana Lee Smith - Artwork
- Chris Stamey - Bass, Engineer, Acoustic guitar, Baritone guitar, Electric guitar, Kurzweil Synthesizer, Sleigh Bells
- Jon Wurster - Shaker
References
- Keefe, Jonathan (November 15, 2009). "Alejandro Escovedo: A Man Under the Influence: Deluxe Bourbonitis Edition Review". Slant Magazine. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
- Deming, Mark. "A Man Under the Influence – Alejandro Escovedo". AllMusic. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
- Hernandez, Raoul (April 27, 2001). "Alejandro Escovedo: A Man Under the Influence (Bloodshot)". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
- Peisner, David. "Alejandro Escovedo: A Man Under the Influence". Blender. Archived from the original on August 11, 2004. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
- Perlich, Tim (May 10, 2001). "A Man Under The Influence". Now. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
- Tangari, Joe (April 24, 2001). "Alejandro Escovedo: A Man Under the Influence". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
- "Alejandro Escovedo: A Man Under the Influence". Q (178): 108. July 2001.
- Fricke, David (April 26, 2001). "Alejandro Escovedo: A Man Under The Influence". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on August 20, 2009. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
- Skanse, Richard (2004). "Alejandro Escovedo". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 282–83. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
- Moon, Tom (April 2001). "Alejandro Escovedo: A Man Under the Influence". Spin. 17 (4): 162. Retrieved November 5, 2016.
- "A Man Under the Influence". Billboard. May 19, 2001. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
- Klein, Joshua (April 19, 2002). "Alejandro Escovedo: A Man Under The Influence". The A.V. Club. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
- Mann, James (April 23, 2001). "Alejandro Escovedo: A Man Under the Influence". PopMatters. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
- Barclay, Michael (April 30, 2001). "Alejandro Escovedo: A Man Under the Influence". Exclaim!. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
- Christgau, Robert (June 10, 2003). "Consumer Guide: Eating Again". The Village Voice. Retrieved November 5, 2016.