Post Minstrel Syndrome
| Post Minstrel Syndrome | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1997 | |||
| Genre | Alternative rock | |||
| Label | Aerial Flipout Records[1] | |||
| Producer | Andrew Williams, The Negro Problem | |||
| The Negro Problem chronology | ||||
| ||||
Post Minstrel Syndrome is the debut album by the American alternative rock band the Negro Problem, released in 1997.[2][3]
Production[edit]
The album was produced by Andrew Williams and the band, and recorded on an 8-track.[4][5] It contains a cover of "MacArthur Park", with changed lyrics, as well as five unlisted songs.[6][7] It was the frontman Stew's intention to make an album that sounded like his memory of the less-segregated AM radio of the late 1960s.[8]
The original lineup of the band broke up toward the end of the recording sessions.[9] "Birdcage" criticizes the Los Angeles Times music critic Robert Hilburn.[10]
Critical reception[edit]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [11] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B+[12] |
| Los Angeles Daily News | [13] |
| The San Diego Union-Tribune | [14] |
Entertainment Weekly called the album "a wryly eccentric brand of white-bread pop laced with atmospheric keyboards, vibrant brass, and startling melodies."[12] Phoenix New Times deemed it "a kinky mix of art-rock gambol and earthy balladry."[15] Rolling Stone praised the "tart wit, sunshinedaydream melodicism and open-heart surge."[16]
Trouser Press labeled the album "a joyous album of off-kilter pure pop."[17] The Dayton Daily News stated: "Quirky yet infectious, this art-pop fits with Pere Ubu's relatively accessible albums circa 1990."[7] The San Diego Union-Tribune considered Post Minstrel Syndrome to be the best debut album of 1997.[14]
AllMusic wrote that the album "is like a breath of fresh air, a no-man's land where the politics and social vision of C.L.R. James meet Spike Lee in the home of Big Joe Turner's R&B, and primal, snaky rock & roll."[11]
Track listing[edit]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Birdcage" | |
| 2. | "If You Would Have Traveled on the 93 North Today" | |
| 3. | "Submarine Down" | |
| 4. | "The Meaning of Everything" | |
| 5. | "Miss Jones" | |
| 6. | "Buzzing" | |
| 7. | "Doubting Uncle Tom" | |
| 8. | "Ghetto Godot" | |
| 9. | "The Great Leap Forward" | |
| 10. | "MacArthur Park" | |
| 11. | "2 Inch Dick Mobile" | |
| 12. | "Omegaville" | |
| 13. | "Witch" |
References[edit]
- ^ DeRogatis, Jim (January 1, 2003). "Turn on Your Mind: Four Decades of Great Psychedelic Rock". Hal Leonard Corporation – via Google Books.
- ^ Ward, Ed (August 4, 2002). "Wry, Tuneful Stories, All in 4-Minute Songs" – via NYTimes.com.
- ^ Scribner, Sara (7 Mar 1998). "From Artful Noise to an Album With a Buzz; Mark Stewart leads the Negro Problem into pop turf". Los Angeles Times. Calendar. p. 1.
- ^ Shipes, Gary (December 19, 1997). "PROBLEM SOLVED". The Stuart News. p. D1.
- ^ Tayler, Letta (24 Mar 1998). "Texas Rocks: Sounds of past and future rip through Austin". Newsday. p. B3.
- ^ Morris, Chris (Sep 6, 1997). "FLAG WAVING". Billboard. 109 (36): 89–90.
- ^ a b Underwood, Bob (29 Aug 1997). "RECORDINGS IN BRIEF". Dayton Daily News. Go!. p. 19.
- ^ Wener, Ben (January 23, 1998). "WHAT'S IN A NAME? - ROCK: It's not what you might think - Silver Lake's The Negro Problem is one of the smartest pop acts around". Orange County Register. p. F43.
- ^ "The Negro Problem Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
- ^ "Negro Problem". Austin American-Statesman. 12 Mar 1998. p. 24.
- ^ a b "Post Minstrel Syndrome - The Negro Problem | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
- ^ a b "Post Minstrel Syndrome". EW.com.
- ^ Shuster, Fred (2 Jan 1998). "SOUND CHECK". Los Angeles Daily News. p. L25.
- ^ a b Varga, George (December 18, 1997). "'Syndrome' is sure to capture awards for literate ensemble". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Entertainment. p. 9.
- ^ Scribner, Sara. "Problem Solved". Phoenix New Times.
- ^ Fricke, David (Feb 5, 1998). "On the Edge". Rolling Stone (779): 60.
- ^ "Negro Problem". Trouser Press. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
