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Kissingsohard

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1995 studio album by John Doe
Kissingsohard
Studio album by John Doe
Released1995
LabelForward/Rhino
ProducerDon Gilmore, John Doe
John Doe chronology
Meet John Doe
(1990) 		Kissingsohard
(1995) 		Freedom Is...
(2000)

Kissingsohard is an album by the American musician John Doe, credited to the John Doe Thing. It was released in 1995. Doe promoted the album by touring with Juliana Hatfield, and then with Shane MacGowan.

Production

The album was produced by Don Gilmore and Doe. Doe desired to make an album in an alternative rock style, in contrast to country sound of his solo debut. He considered many of the songs to be of a more personal nature, compared to the ones he wrote in X.

"My Goodness" and "Love Knows" were cowritten with Exene Cervenka. Brad Houser, Chalo Quintana, Smokey Hormel, and Joey Waronker played on Kissingsohard; Sandra Bernhard and Cervenka contributed vocals. "Willamette" was inspired by the lives of homeless people in Portland, Oregon. Doe considered adding a cover of "Vigilante Man" to the album.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music
Entertainment WeeklyA−
Los Angeles Times
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide
Orlando Sentinel

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." Entertainment Weekly thought that Doe's "bracing, sinewy vocals provide the perfect complement for these unsettling vignettes."

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." 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." 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."

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."

Track listing

All tracks are written by John Doe; except where noted.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Fallen Tears" 2:39
2."Safety" 3:10
3."Love Knows"Doe, Exene Cervenka3:38
4."My Goodness"Doe, Cervenka3:12
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

  1. "A Stereo concert and interview in the Fresh Air studio with John Doe, former bassist/vocalist..." NPR.
  2. Jesitus, John. "Doe Boy". Westword.
  3. McCall, Michael. "The Right Direction". Nashville Scene.
  4. "John Doe Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
  5. DeLuca, Dan (9 Nov 1995). "While X Still Marks His Spot, Doe Earns a Name for Himself". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. E1.
  6. Lozaw, Tristram (November 3, 1995). "Boston Beat". Boston Herald. p. S10.
  7. Bessman, Jim (Jul 8, 1995). "John Doe moves forward as solo artist with new set". Billboard. Vol. 107, no. 27. p. 11.
  8. ^ Gettelman, Parry (1 Sep 1995). "The John Doe Thing". Calendar. Orlando Sentinel. p. 7.
  9. Bledsoe, Wayne (1 Oct 1995). "Miller gets his due; Doe returns to East Tennessee". Showtime. Knoxville News Sentinel. p. 2.
  10. 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.
  11. ^ "The John Doe Thing – Kissingsohard". No Depression. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
  12. Housman, Danny (Oct 1995). "Reviews". CMJ New Music Monthly. No. 26. p. 32.
  13. 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.
  14. ^ Masou, Sandy (13 Aug 1995). "In Brief". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 58.
  15. Moorhouse, Donnie (November 3, 1995). "Guitarist paints exciting picture". The Republican. p. C6.
  16. Martin, Philip (September 1, 1995). "The John Doe Thing, Kissingsohard". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. p. 20W.
  17. ^ "Kissingsohard". AllMusic.
  18. Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 3. MUZE. p. 59.
  19. ^ "Kissingsohard". Entertainment Weekly.
  20. MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 1252.
  21. "X". Trouser Press. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
  22. Herndon, David (13 Aug 1995). "Recordings". Fanfare. Newsday. p. 21.
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