Willis is an album by the ska/soul band the Pietasters, released in 1997.[3][4] It was released during the mid- to late-1990s ska explosion, and reached No. 44 on the Heatseekers chart.[5]
| Willis | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 7, 1997 | |||
| Recorded | Cherokee Recording Studio West Beach Recorders | |||
| Genre | Ska/soul | |||
| Length | 45:58 | |||
| Label | Hellcat[1] | |||
| Producer | Brett Gurewitz | |||
| The Pietasters chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
The album's first single was "Out All Night".[6] The band supported the album by touring with the Cherry Poppin' Daddies.[7]
Production edit
The album was produced and engineered by Brett Gurewitz.[8][9] It contains covers of the Outsiders' "Time Won't Let Me" and Martha and the Vandellas' "Quicksand".[10][11]
Critical reception edit
The Washington Post wrote that "the Pietasters mix soul and garage-rock just like any frat-party band of the last four decades ... It's a venerable party-rock formula, but rendered fresh by not only the ska-derived musical accents but also the band's solid songwriting and sheer verve."[12] The Hartford Courant thought that "the playing throughout is gloriously sloppy; the tone, pointedly ironic ... This is ska without regrets."[10]
AllMusic wrote that the band returns "to their roots of '60s pop, soul, and Motown R&B, all fueled by a syncopated beat."[2]
Track listing edit
- "Crazy Monkey Woman" (Eckhardt/Goodin/Jackson) – 2:38
- "Out All Night" (Eckhardt/Gurewitz/Linares) – 3:16
- "Ocean" (Eckhardt/Goodin/Jackson) – 3:38
- "Fat Sack" (Eckhardt/Goodin/Jackson) – 2:40
- "Stone Feeling" (Eckhardt/Linares) – 4:06
- "Higher" (Eckhardt/Goodin/Jackson) – 4:45
- "Time Won't Let Me" (Tom King/Chet Kelly) – 3:06
- "Without You" (The Pietasters) – 3:23
- "Crime" (Eckhardt) – 5:02
- "Quicksand" (H. Lewis/K. Lewis) – 2:46
- "Bitter" (Eckhardt/Goodin/Jackson) – 3:53
- "New Breed" (Jimmy Easter) – 2:59
- "Moment" (Eckhardt/Goodin/Jackson) – 3:45
Personnel edit
- Stephen Jackson - vocals
- Tom Goodin - guitar
- Todd Eckhardt - bass guitar
- Rob Steward - drums
- Alan Makranczy - saxophone, backing vocals
- Jeremy Roberts - trombone, backing vocals
- Toby Hansen - trumpet
- DJ Selah - additional vocals on track 4
- Caroline Boutwell - farfisa
- Dave Pinkert - Hammond, B-3, Wurlitzer electric piano
- Andy Kaulkin - piano
- Carlos Linares - additional trumpet on track 7, creative consultant
- Brett Gurewitz - producer, engineer
- Don Cameron - assistant producer
- Paul Dugre - assistant producer
- Joe Breuer - assistant producer
- Paul Naguua - assistant producer
- Maurice Iragorri - assistant producer
- Milton Chan - assistant producer
References edit
- ^ Porter, Christopher (November 21, 1997). "The Pietasters". Washington City Paper.
- ^ a b "Willis - The Pietasters | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
- ^ "The Pietasters Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
- ^ Partridge, Kenneth (September 14, 2021). "Hell of a Hat: The Rise of '90s Ska and Swing". Penn State Press – via Google Books.
- ^ "Heatseekers". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. October 25, 1997 – via Google Books.
- ^ Warminsky III, Joe (22 Nov 1997). "D.C. AREA BAND THE PIETASTERS OFFER MORE THAN SLICE OF WARMED-OVER SKA". The Morning Call. p. A43.
- ^ Lindquist, David (24 Oct 1998). "Sub teacher grades ska life high". The Indianapolis Star. p. E4.
- ^ "Bosstones Singer Sweetens Pietasters Future". MTV News.
- ^ Healy, James (October 9, 1997). "ALBUM REVIEWS - SKA/R&B". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Entertainment. p. 12.
- ^ a b Brown, Matthew (12 Feb 1998). "WILLIS -- THE PIETASTERS". Hartford Courant. Calendar. p. 7.
- ^ Lustig, Jay (August 14, 1998). "Beltway band blends ska with soul". The Star-Ledger. Ticket. p. 4.
- ^ "D.C. POP: BOUNCY, TRANCEY AND MOODY". The Washington Post. Retrieved 9 February 2022.