Beauty Lies is an album by the American band Bush Tetras, released in 1997.[2][3] It was the band's first album, as their 1980s output had consisted solely of EPs and singles.[4] All four original members participated in the reunion.[5]

Beauty Lies
Studio album by
Released1997
GenrePost-punk
LabelTim/Kerr[1]
ProducerNona Hendryx
Bush Tetras chronology
Boom in the Night: Original Studio Recordings 1980-1983
(1996)
Beauty Lies
(1997)
Very Very Happy
(2007)

Production

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The album was produced by Nona Hendryx; Henry Rollins had produced the band's first two singles after the band reunited.[6] Hendryx and Darlene Love provided backing vocals on Beauty Lies.[7] "World Dub" is a hidden track.[8]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [9]
Los Angeles Daily News    [10]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide     [11]
The Plain DealerB+[1]
The San Diego Union-Tribune    [12]
San Francisco Examiner     [8]

Stereo Review wrote that "the band has improved slightly on Beauty Lies, the first decently produced recording in its history... The approach is a bit more rock and less funk nowadays."[13] Rolling Stone deemed the album "incredibly tight, hardheaded, muscular, confident, hooky and funny."[14] The San Diego Union-Tribune opined that "the songs are often shallow, jagged little pills that start out big and fail to deliver any substance."[12]

The Los Angeles Daily News thought that Beauty Lies "finds the band in top form, still turning out funky pop gems powered by Pat Place's slash-and-burn guitar."[10] The Telegram & Gazette determined that "the band's deep-groove sense of rhythm gives it a distinctive sound, and its mix of whimsical and menacing lyrics straddles the best of punk rock's dueling interests: the abilities to incite and brush off."[15] The Dayton Daily News concluded that "there's a lot of anger and screeching, not to be confused with angry screeching, on Bush Tetras' Beauty Lies ... the difference between the two being that with all the metal-pop catharsis that spills from these songs, the band can't have anything to be hacked off about anymore."[16]

AllMusic wrote that "Place's guitar is more controlled and less slashing, though she can still work up a good old art-noise head of steam."[9]

Track listing

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No.TitleLength
1."Mr. Love Song" 
2."Page 18" 
3."Dirty Little Secret" 
4."Beauty Lies" 
5."Color Green" 
6."Satan Is a Bummer" 
7."Silver Chain" 
8."The Ballad" 
9."Mental Mishap" 
10."Find a Lie" 
11."Basement Babies" 
12."World" 
13."World Dub" 

References

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  1. ^ a b Kappes, John (September 26, 1997). "Bush Tetras 'Beauty Lies'". Friday. The Plain Dealer. p. 19.
  2. ^ "Bush Tetras Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
  3. ^ Sherr, Sara (17 Oct 1997). "Alternative Choice". Philadelphia Daily News. p. F17.
  4. ^ Kaufman, Gil. "'No Wave' Bush Tetras Back in Action". MTV News. Archived from the original on September 7, 2018.
  5. ^ Dickinson, Chris (7 Sep 1997). "Women on the Edge". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 4C.
  6. ^ Ashare, Matt (Oct 1997). "Bush Tetras: Pat Place's post-punk slide". Guitar Player. Vol. 31, no. 10. p. 20.
  7. ^ "The name remains the same". The Dallas Morning News. June 5, 1997. p. 5C.
  8. ^ a b "Bush Tetras, Beauty Lies". Datebook. San Francisco Examiner. Jun 22, 1997. p. 55.
  9. ^ a b "Beauty Lies". AllMusic.
  10. ^ a b Shuster, Fred (20 June 1997). "Sound Check". Los Angeles Daily News. p. L21.
  11. ^ MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 180.
  12. ^ a b Rapozo, Tami (August 21, 1997). "Bush Tetras, 'Beauty Lies'". Entertainment. The San Diego Union-Tribune. p. 16.
  13. ^ Milano, Brett (Sep 1997). "Beauty Lies/Bruiser Queen". Stereo Review. Vol. 62, no. 9. p. 94.
  14. ^ O'Dair, Barbara (Aug 21, 1997). "Beauty Lies". Rolling Stone. No. 767. p. 112.
  15. ^ McLennan, Scott (24 Aug 1997). "Short Cuts". Datebook. Telegram & Gazette. p. 8.
  16. ^ Rollins, Ron (September 19, 1997). "Recordings in Brief". Go!. Dayton Daily News. p. 19.