Sweet Revenge is an album by David Johansen, released in 1984.[1][2] It is the only Johansen album to be released on Passport Records.[3] It was his first album without any participation by any other former members of the New York Dolls.
| Sweet Revenge | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1984 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 37:29 | |||
| Label | Passport | |||
| Producer |
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| David Johansen chronology | ||||
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Around the time of Sweet Revenge, Johansen adopted his alter-ego, Buster Poindexter.[4] For the next 15 years, Buster Poindexter would remain at the forefront of Johansen's music career.
Critical reception edit
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [5] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [6] |
| The Village Voice | A−[7] |
The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote that "the swirling, dreamy music that surrounds him on Sweet Revenge provides a dramatic contrast that complements Johansen's rough growl."[8] The New York Times deemed "The Stinkin' Rich" "a potential classic."[9] The Globe and Mail opined that "the synthesizer funk backdrops sound generic rather than eccentrically inspired."[10] The Washington Post called it Johansen's best solo album, writing that it "married the gutsiness of the Dolls with the Depression-era sensibility of many of Poindexter's favorites."[11]
Track listing edit
All tracks composed by David Johansen and Joe Delia; except where indicated:
- "Heard The News"
- "Big Trouble"
- "I Ain't Workin' Anymore"
- "King Of Babylon" (David Johansen, Joe Delia, Danny Toan)
- "Sweet Revenge"
- "Too Many Midnights"
- "In My Own Time"
- "The Stinkin' Rich" (David Johansen, Joe Delia, Brett Cartwright)
- "N.Y. Doll"
Personnel edit
- David Johansen – lead vocals
- Patti Scialfa – backing vocals on "Big Trouble"
- David Nelson – guitar, Roland synthesizer, backing vocals
- Neil Jason – bass on "N.Y. Doll"
- Joe Delia – keyboards, sequential programming
- Soozie Kirschner – backing vocals on "Big Trouble"
- Brett Cartwright – bass, backing vocals
- Dennis McDermott – drums, backing vocals
- Steve Thornton – percussion
- Jimmy Ripp – guitar
- Artie Kaplan – saxophone on "N.Y. Doll"
- Rocky Savino, Jr. – harmonica on "In My Own Time"
- Peter Gordon – saxophone
- Stephen Bray – drums
- April Lang – backing vocals on "Big Trouble"
- "Big" Jay McNeely – saxophone on "I Ain't Workin' Anymore"
- Claudia Engelhart - "newscaster" on "Heard The News"
- Technical
- Davitt Sigerson and Michael Zilkha - production on "King of Babylon" and "The Stinkin' Rich"
- Richard Gottehrer - production on "Sweet Revenge"
- Larry Alexander, Fred Heller, Tom Lord-Alge - engineers
References edit
- ^ Palmer, Robert (September 14, 1984). "Pop/Jazz; Buster Poindexter, a Familiar Face at Tramps". The New York Times – via NYTimes.com.
- ^ Morse, Steven (1 Dec 1984). "Johansen Delivers Delirium". Arts and Film. The Boston Globe. p. 14.
- ^ "TrouserPress.com :: David Johansen". www.trouserpress.com.
- ^ Moon, Tom (7 Aug 1986). "Goodbye Punker David Johansen, It's Buster Poindexter's Show Now". Chicago Tribune. p. 13C.
- ^ "Sweet Revenge - David Johansen". AllMusic.
- ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 371.
- ^ "Robert Christgau: Consumer Guide Nov. 27, 1984". www.robertchristgau.com.
- ^ Tucker, Ken (28 Nov 1984). "Johansen at the Ripley". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. G3.
- ^ Palmer, Robert (16 Dec 1984). "Rockers with Literary Aspirations Make Their Mark". The New York Times. p. A27.
- ^ Lacey, Liam (3 Jan 1985). "Sweet Revenge David Johansen". The Globe and Mail. p. E3.
- ^ Jenkins, Mark (25 Nov 1987). "Going Back to the Ballad". The Washington Post. p. C7.