Wikipedia

Honor Among Thieves (The Brandos album)

Honor Among Thieves is the debut album by the American band the Brandos, released in 1987.[2][3] The first single was "Gettysburg", which was a minor hit on radio and MTV.[4][5][6]

Honor Among Thieves
Studio album by
The Brandos
Released1987
GenreRock
LabelRelativity[1]
ProducerDave Kincaid
The Brandos chronology
Honor Among Thieves
(1987) 		Gunfire at Midnight
(1992)

The album peaked at No. 108 on the Billboard 200.[7] The band supported the album with a North American tour that included stints opening for INXS, the Georgia Satellites, and the Cars.[8][9][10] Honor Among Thieves won a New York Music Award for the best independent debut of 1987.[11]

Production edit

Most of the album's songs were written by singer Dave Kincaid, who also produced.[12][13] He strove to make the songs sound similar to each other.[6] Kincaid's slide guitar playing was influenced by his love of the Allman Brothers Band's At Fillmore East.[14]

Honor Among Thieves was mixed at Power Station, in New York.[15] "Strychnine" and "Walking on the Water" are covers of songs by, respectively, the Sonics and Creedence Clearwater Revival.[16] "A Matter of Survival" is about domestic abuse.[17] "Nothing to Lose" describes the possibility of death by murder.[18]

Critical reception edit

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [19]
Chicago Tribune    [20]
The Philadelphia Inquirer    [21]

Newsday deemed the title track "a threatening tune with an interesting hook and some chords borrowed from that Tom Petty-Stevie Nicks classic, 'Stop Dragging My Heart Around'."[22] The New York Times determined that the Brandos "make sturdy, grim-spirited guitar-based rock in the mold of Creedence Clearwater Revival."[12] The Chicago Tribune labeled the album "tough, muscular, guitar-oriented rock 'n' roll with a kind of haunted-souls feeling to the vocals and guitar lines."[20]

The Washington Post wrote that "this New York quartet has studiously fashioned its Americana-drenched sound and image."[4] The Boston Globe called Honor Among Thieves "an impressively rootsy album."[5] The Philadelphia Inquirer noted that "the music is quirkily original: Big, punchy songs … that for the most part achieve their elaborate ambitions."[21] Trouser Press opined that "though too much of the band's material lacks real distinction, Honor Among Thieves is a generally impressive debut."[13]

AllMusic wrote that "the Brandos play with great verve on this strong set of compositions."[19] The Oregonian listed the album among the 10 best of 1987.[23]

Track listing edit

No.TitleLength
1."Gettysburg" 
2."A Matter of Survival" 
3."Nothing to Fear" 
4."Honor Among Thieves" 
5."Strychnine" 
6."Hard Luck Runner" 
7."In My Dreams" 
8."Walking on the Water" 
9."Come Home" 

References edit

  1. ^ Thompson, Dave (April 2, 2019). "Goldmine Record Album Price Guide". Penguin – via Google Books.
  2. ^ "The Brandos Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
  3. ^ Browne, David (Nov 19, 1987). "The Brandos: Real Contenders". Rolling Stone (513): 20.
  4. ^ a b Jenkins, Mark (18 Sep 1987). "Brandos: Americana". The Washington Post. p. N25.
  5. ^ a b Morse, Steve (27 Sep 1987). "GROWING NUMBER OF 'INDIES' OFFER MORE ADVENTURE ON VINYL". ARTS AND FILM. The Boston Globe. p. 103.
  6. ^ a b Popson, Tom (11 Dec 1987). "THE BANDOS: AN EERIE TIME AT GETTYSBURG". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. 1.
  7. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2010). Top Pop Albums (7th ed.). Record Research Inc. p. 102.
  8. ^ Erskine, Evelyn (23 Nov 1987). "INXS slow to ignite Ottawa fans with soulful music". Ottawa Citizen. p. D8.
  9. ^ Kim, Jae-Ha (December 11, 1987). "Brandos mesh sounds of both coasts". WEEKEND PLUS. Chicago Sun-Times. p. 89.
  10. ^ Heim, Chris (13 Dec 1987). "'BIG MO' ELUDES CARS IN DRIVE DOWN ROCK ROAD". Tempo. Chicago Tribune. p. 6.
  11. ^ Williams, Stephen (11 Apr 1988). "New York Music Adds To Awards Overload". II. Newsday. p. 7.
  12. ^ a b Holden, Stephen (4 Sep 1987). "POP AND JAZZ GUIDE". The New York Times. p. C17.
  13. ^ a b "Brandos". Trouser Press. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  14. ^ Miller, Michael L. (January 29, 1988). "NO-NONSENSE, COMPATIBLE BRANDOS REAPING REWARDS". The State. Columbia. p. 7B.
  15. ^ Stout, Gene (June 6, 1987). "FORMER ALLIES MUSICIANS CONNECT WITH RELATIVITY". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. p. C7.
  16. ^ MacDonald, Patrick (August 28, 1987). "SEATTLE ROCKER'S SEARCH FOR NEW ALLIES HAS PAID OFF WITH THE BRANDOS". Tempo. The Seattle Times. p. 6.
  17. ^ Bourke, Brian G. (October 7, 1987). "BAND TAKES INDEPENDENT ROUTE TO POPULARITY". Syracuse Herald-Journal. p. E8.
  18. ^ Oermann, Robert K. (February 18, 1988). "There's a 'buzz' going around about The Brandos". USA Today.
  19. ^ a b "The Brandos - Honor Among Thieves Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
  20. ^ a b "MODERN MONKEE MUSIC AND OTHER 'INDIE' VENTURES". Friday. Chicago Tribune. 9 Oct 1987. p. 1.
  21. ^ a b Tucker, Ken (27 Sep 1987). "THE BRANDOS Honor Among Thieves". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. J4.
  22. ^ Williams, Stephen (26 Aug 1987). "Ruffner Oozes the Blues". II. Newsday. p. 10.
  23. ^ Tomlinson, Stuart (December 13, 1987). "ROCKIN' AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE: 10 ALBUMS TO GET YOU STARTED". The Oregonian. p. B17.
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