Album: Shame, Shame [Digipak]

Song Title

Time

Stranger

Shadow People

Station

Unbearable Why

Where'd All the Time Go?

Later

I Only Wear Blue

Someday

Mirror Mirror

10)

Jackie Wants a Black Eye

11)

Shame, Shame

Album: Shame, Shame [Digipak]

Song Title

Time

Stranger

Shadow People

Station

Unbearable Why

Where'd All the Time Go?

Later

I Only Wear Blue

Someday

Mirror Mirror

10)

Jackie Wants a Black Eye

11)

Shame, Shame

Performer Notes

Audio Mixers: Bill Moriarty; Dr. Dog.
Recording information: Dreamland, West Hurley, NY; Meth Beach, Philadelphia, PA; The Studio, Philadelphia, PA.
On the surface it might seem like Shame, Shame is more of the same from Dr. Dog, and in many ways it is. They still sound basically the same and still write great rock tunes straight out of the early '70s. But there are some key differences from their past albums as well. They've brought in an outside co-producer for the first time (Rob Schnapf) and scaled back the production excesses of Fate. Don't worry; Shame, Shame still has all the sweet backing vocals you'd expect and plenty of interesting/oddball production details, but it's the songs that are at the forefront, not the production. And while they don't seem autobiographical or even specific, the lyrics sound more like they're drawn from real life, giving an added depth that hadn't really been there before. There's also a bit more of a world-weary undercurrent, but it's never sad or depressing (probably just a symptom of too much touring). But that said, this is still a Dr. Dog album and it's bound to put a smile on your face. These guys have a real knack for making classic-sounding rock & roll and Shame, Shame is the sound of a fine band really hitting its stride. ~ Sean Westergaard

Professional Reviews

Rolling Stone (p.64) - 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "[T]hey sound like an unusually hook-savvy indie band whose taut, touching songs about friendship and life on the road begin as straight pop rock and take thrilling turns into psychedelia."

Spin (p.85) - "[A] clean, big-sounding album that uncannily evokes SUMMERTEETH-era Wilco and SOFT BULLETIN-era Flaming Lips."

Billboard (p.32) - "The somber track 'Someday' is brightened significantly by a whistled melody, coupled with a psychedelic guitar solo that recalls George Harrison..."

Mojo (Publisher) (p.102) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "11 tracks of wonky, epic Americana; seeds of The Band and The Beach Boys cross-pollinate with Scott McMicken's autobiographical lyrics to make Dr. Dog truly fit to practise."