Amorica
| Amorica | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 The original cover of the album, which features visible pubic hair. Editions sold by big box retailers have airbrushed out the hair. | ||||
| Studio album by The Black Crowes | ||||
| Released | November 1, 1994 | |||
| Recorded | May–August 1994 | |||
| Genre | Southern rock, blues rock, hard rock | |||
| Length | 54:13 | |||
| Label | American | |||
| Producer | Jack Joseph Puig | |||
| The Black Crowes chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Censored cover | ||||
 Censored version of the cover |
||||
Amorica is the third studio album by The Black Crowes. Spawned from their unreleased scrapped album Tall, Amorica was released in late 1994 on American Recordings and reissued in the UK in 1998 with two bonus tracks. The record notably featured a sexually explicit cover that displayed a woman's crotch wearing a United States flag thong with pubic hair sticking out, which was taken from the cover of the July 1976 issue of Hustler magazine. The album was subsequently banned from chain stores like Walmart and Kmart, resulting in the cover being censored with a solid black background, displaying only the thong.[1] Amorica reached gold status in the United States, shipping 500,000 copies.
Reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B−[3] |
| NME | (8/10)[4] |
| Q |  [4] |
| Robert Christgau |  [5] |
| Rolling Stone | [6] |
"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."[7]
In July 2014, Guitar World chose Amorica as one of "50 Iconic Albums That Defined 1994".[8]
Track listing
All songs written by Chris Robinson and Rich Robinson.
- "Gone" – 5:08
- "A Conspiracy" – 4:46
- "High Head Blues" – 4:01
- "Cursed Diamond" – 5:56
- "Nonfiction" – 4:16
- "She Gave Good Sunflower" – 5:48
- "P.25 London" – 3:38
- "Ballad in Urgency" – 5:39
- "Wiser Time" – 5:33
- "Downtown Money Waster" – 3:40
- "Descending" – 5:42
Bonus tracks
- "Song of the Flesh (Bonus Track In UK 1998 Reissue)" – 3:45
- "Sunday Night Buttermilk Waltz (Bonus Track In UK 1998 Reissue)" – 2:46
- "Tied Up and Swallowed (Bonus Track In US Release)" - 4:16
- "Chevrolet (Bonus Track In Japan Edition)" - 3:32
Personnel
- Chris Robinson – vocals
- Rich Robinson – guitar
- Marc Ford – guitar
- Eddie Harsch – keyboards
- Johnny Colt – bass guitar
- Steve Gorman – drums
Charts
Album - Billboard (North America)
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Billboard 200 | 11 |
Singles - Billboard (North America)
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | "A Conspiracy" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 5 |
| Modern Rock Tracks | 23 | ||
| 1995 | "High Head Blues" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 8 |
| "Wiser Time" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 7 |
References
- ↑ 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 at AllMusic
- ↑ Eddy, Chuck (4 November 1994). "Music Review: 'Amorica' Review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 27 January 2013.
- 1 2 "Black Crowes - Amorica CD Album". CD Universe. Retrieved 27 January 2013.
- ↑ Christgau, Robert. "Robert Christgau: CG: The Black Crowes". RobertChristgau.com. Archived from the original on 6 June 2011. Retrieved 17 June 2011.
- ↑ Evans, Paul (3 November 1994). "Amorica". Rolling Stone.
- ↑ Rolling Stone, November 3, 1994, p96
- ↑ "Superunknown: 50 Iconic Albums That Defined 1994". GuitarWorld.com. July 14, 2014. Retrieved July 14, 2014.