Perpetual Motion Machine is an album by the Canadian band 13 Engines, released in 1993.[1][2] It was the band's fourth album, and the second one released by a major label.[3] The album's first single was "More".[4]
| Perpetual Motion Machine | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1993, Canada 1994, United States | |||
| Studio | Le Studio | |||
| Genre | Alternative rock | |||
| Label | EMI Music Canada Atlantic | |||
| Producer | John Critchley, Glen Robinson | |||
| 13 Engines chronology | ||||
| ||||
Production edit
The album was produced by frontman John Critchley, with help from Glen Robinson.[5] It was recorded at Le Studio, in Morin-Heights, Quebec.[6] Compared to sessions for their previous albums, the band spent a longer period of time in the studio, exploring overdubbing and trying different mixes.[5] The cellist Anne Bourne contributed to the album.[7] "Saviour" is about the Second Coming.[8]
Critical reception edit
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [9] |
| Calgary Herald | B[10] |
| The State |  [11] |
Trouser Press wrote that "the unpretentiously arty album lacked only a marketing gimmick (or a transcendent single, although 'Smoke & Ashes' comes mighty close) to get 13 Engines onto the alt-hit parade."[12] Billboard also praised "Smoke & Ashes", calling it "the perfect two-minute rock song."[13] The Philadelphia Inquirer called the album "much-improved," writing that 13 Engines displayed a "willingness to adapt elements of grunge to their songwriting."[14] The State considered the album "a 14-track trip through the subtlety and simplicity that was once rock 'n' roll."[11]
The Washington Post deemed the album "unadorned folk-rock that suggests, without slavishly imitating, Neil Young and Crazy Horse."[15] The Calgary Herald thought that "ambiguous lyrics are delivered in a Morrison monotone style and then sung in wavering half-whispers, buoyed by guitars that slide from grungy psychedelia to hard-rock backbeats."[10] The Edmonton Journal chose Perpetual Motion Machine as the fourth best Canadian album of 1993, describing it as "energetic, original guitar rock with sneaky hooks and sometimes confusing lyrics."[16]
AllMusic called Perpetual Motion Machine "a record that, while perhaps a bit cleaner sonically than their debut, finds the band still creating a glorious racket."[9]
Track listing edit
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Bred in the Bone" | |
| 2. | "Saviour" | |
| 3. | "More" | |
| 4. | "Unconscience" | |
| 5. | "The Golden Age" | |
| 6. | "Smoke & Ashes" | |
| 7. | "What If We Don't Get What We Want?" | |
| 8. | "Unbound" | |
| 9. | "Perpetual Motion Machine" | |
| 10. | "Moment of Clarity" | |
| 11. | "Dirty Little Rat" | |
| 12. | "The Estrangement" | |
| 13. | "Going Under" | |
| 14. | "Lift You Up" |
References edit
- ^ "13 Engines Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 2021-10-28. Retrieved 2021-10-15.
- ^ Muretich, James (6 June 1993). "Pop-Rock with Muscle: 13 Engine Pushes Brain Activity and Atmosphere". Calgary Herald. p. C2.
- ^ Saxberg, Lynn (15 Apr 1993). "13 Engines hitting on all cylinders". Ottawa Citizen. p. D2.
- ^ Krewen, Nick (16 Apr 1993). "Solar flare cool touch for 13 Engines' album". The Hamilton Spectator. p. C2.
- ^ a b Jones, Owen (20 May 1993). "13 Engines crank out volume". Windsor Star. p. C15.
- ^ Barclay, Michael; Jack, Ian A. D.; Schneider, Jason (June 15, 2011). Have Not Been the Same: The CanRock Renaissance, 1985-1995. ECW Press. Archived from the original on November 13, 2021. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
- ^ Stoute, Lenny (22 Apr 1993). "13 Engines back on main track after record-deal derailment". Toronto Star. p. WO4.
- ^ Randall, Neil (8 Apr 1993). "Perpetual Motion Machine 13 Engines". The Kitchener-Waterloo Record. p. D11.
- ^ a b "Perpetual Motion Machine". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 2021-10-28. Retrieved 2021-10-15.
- ^ a b Phillips, Shari (11 Apr 1993). "Recent Releases". Calgary Herald. p. C2.
- ^ a b Miller, Michael (March 18, 1994). "New Releases". The State. p. 12D.
- ^ "13 Engines". Trouser Press. Archived from the original on 27 October 2021. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
- ^ "Album reviews — Perpetual Motion Machine by 13 Engines". Billboard. Vol. 106, no. 8. Feb 19, 1994. p. 56.
- ^ Moon, Tom (24 Mar 1993). "The Suits Dominate at New-Music Conference". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. F1.
- ^ Jenkins, Mark (18 Mar 1994). "13 Engines Powered By Folk-Rock Riffs". The Washington Post. p. N22.
- ^ Howell, David (26 Dec 1993). "The year 1993 in entertainment". Edmonton Journal. p. E1.