Kissingsohard is an album by the American musician John Doe, credited to the John Doe Thing.[2][3] It was released in 1995.[4] Doe promoted the album by touring with Juliana Hatfield, and then with Shane MacGowan.[5][6]
| Kissingsohard | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1995 | |||
| Label | Forward/Rhino[1] | |||
| Producer | Don Gilmore, John Doe | |||
| John Doe chronology | ||||
| ||||
Production
editThe album was produced by Don Gilmore and Doe.[7][8] Doe desired to make an album in an alternative rock style, in contrast to country sound of his solo debut.[9] He considered many of the songs to be of a more personal nature, compared to the ones he wrote in X.[10]
"My Goodness" and "Love Knows" were cowritten with Exene Cervenka.[11] Brad Houser, Chalo Quintana, Smokey Hormel, and Joey Waronker played on Kissingsohard; Sandra Bernhard and Cervenka contributed vocals.[12][13][14] "Willamette" was inspired by the lives of homeless people in Portland, Oregon.[15] Doe considered adding a cover of "Vigilante Man" to the album.[16]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [17] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [18] |
| Entertainment Weekly | A−[19] |
| Los Angeles Times | [14] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | [20] |
| Orlando Sentinel | [8] |
No Depression wrote that "crash and burn guitars, string arrangements, and tape loops overwhelm some of the songs, and leave enough space for others to breathe."[11] Entertainment Weekly thought that Doe's "bracing, sinewy vocals provide the perfect complement for these unsettling vignettes."[19]
Trouser Press stated: "Avoiding the kind of sweeping statements that tend to bring such proceedings to a screeching halt, Doe zeroes in on the details of lives under extreme stress."[21] The Los Angeles Times determined that "the full-bodied songs, stained with tragic tears and sloshed beers, feature fine fretwork from Blasters guitarist Smokey Hormel and a distinct country twang."[14] Newsday concluded that, "by filtering the downbeat ethos of hard country through a continually evolving post-punk consciousness, Doe has come up with rare album that reaches across the alternative and adventuresome adult markets."[22]
AllMusic wrote that "no one seems to understand Doe's music like his old bandmates in X, and his strong vocals and lyrics just can't carry the record on their own."[17]
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by John Doe; except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Fallen Tears" | 2:39 | |
| 2. | "Safety" | 3:10 | |
| 3. | "Love Knows" | Doe, Exene Cervenka | 3:38 |
| 4. | "My Goodness" | Doe, Cervenka | 3:12 |
| 5. | "Tragedy by Definition" | 3:31 | |
| 6. | "Kissing" | 4:08 | |
| 7. | "Hits the Ground" | 4:30 | |
| 8. | "Going Down the Fast" | 4:00 | |
| 9. | "T.V. Set" | 4:49 | |
| 10. | "Beer. Gas. Ride Forever" | 2:46 | |
| 11. | "Field of Dirt" | 4:11 | |
| 12. | "Willamette" | 3:21 | |
| 13. | "Liar's Market" | 5:09 |
References
edit- ^ "A Stereo concert and interview in the Fresh Air studio with John Doe, former bassist/vocalist..." NPR.
- ^ Jesitus, John. "Doe Boy". Westword.
- ^ McCall, Michael. "The Right Direction". Nashville Scene.
- ^ "John Doe Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
- ^ DeLuca, Dan (9 Nov 1995). "While X Still Marks His Spot, Doe Earns a Name for Himself". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. E1.
- ^ Lozaw, Tristram (November 3, 1995). "Boston Beat". Boston Herald. p. S10.
- ^ Bessman, Jim (Jul 8, 1995). "John Doe moves forward as solo artist with new set". Billboard. Vol. 107, no. 27. p. 11.
- ^ a b Gettelman, Parry (1 Sep 1995). "The John Doe Thing". Calendar. Orlando Sentinel. p. 7.
- ^ Bledsoe, Wayne (1 Oct 1995). "Miller gets his due; Doe returns to East Tennessee". Showtime. Knoxville News Sentinel. p. 2.
- ^ Burke, David (October 6, 1995). "Name shields relatives: Musician-actor John Doe, a Decaturite by birth, brings his band to the area". Herald & Review. p. D4.
- ^ a b "The John Doe Thing – Kissingsohard". No Depression. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
- ^ Housman, Danny (Oct 1995). "Reviews". CMJ New Music Monthly. No. 26. p. 32.
- ^ McCarty, Patrick (August 10, 1995). "As an X band member John Doe may win the title for king of the busman's holiday...". Richmond Times-Dispatch. p. D24.
- ^ a b c Masou, Sandy (13 Aug 1995). "In Brief". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 58.
- ^ Moorhouse, Donnie (November 3, 1995). "Guitarist paints exciting picture". The Republican. p. C6.
- ^ Martin, Philip (September 1, 1995). "The John Doe Thing, Kissingsohard". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. p. 20W.
- ^ a b "Kissingsohard". AllMusic.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 3. MUZE. p. 59.
- ^ a b "Kissingsohard". Entertainment Weekly.
- ^ MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 1252.
- ^ "X". Trouser Press. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
- ^ Herndon, David (13 Aug 1995). "Recordings". Fanfare. Newsday. p. 21.