Motel California
Motel California is the third album by the American rock band Ugly Kid Joe, and released on October 22, 1996.[5][6] Motel California was the last full-length studio album until 2015. The group disbanded in January 1997 and reformed in 13 years later in January 2010. The album received lukewarm reviews and was a commercial failure.
| Motel California | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 22, 1996 | |||
| Recorded | 1996 | |||
| Genre | Rock, hard rock, heavy metal | |||
| Length | 39:30 | |||
| Label | Evilution[1] | |||
| Ugly Kid Joe chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [3] |
| Rock Hard | 5/10[4] |
The title is a parody of the Eagles' album, Hotel California. The song "Rage Against the Answering Machine" is a pun on the name of the Los Angeles rock band Rage Against the Machine.
Production
The album was recorded with the Butcher Bros., in Philadelphia.[7]
Critical reception
AllMusic wrote that Ugly Kid Joe "return to their roots, bashing out grungy metal in their garage and recording it for posterity ... Motel California works a lot better than it should, sounding fiercer and more committed."[2]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "It's a Lie" | 3:01 |
| 2. | "Dialogue" | 2:27 |
| 3. | "Sandwich" | 2:46 |
| 4. | "Rage Against the Answering Machine" | 1:40 |
| 5. | "Would You Like to Be There" | 3:18 |
| 6. | "Little Red Man" | 4:02 |
| 7. | "Bicycle Wheels" | 2:01 |
| 8. | "Father" | 3:31 |
| 9. | "Undertow" | 4:31 |
| 10. | "Shine" | 2:51 |
| 11. | "Strange" | 4:22 |
| 12. | "12 Cents" | 4:54 |
Lineup
- Whitfield Crane – vocals
- Dave Fortman – guitar
- Klaus Eichstadt – guitar
- Cordell Crockett – bass
- Shannon Larkin – drums
- Lemmy Kilmister - guest backing vocals on "Little Red Man"
References
- "Ugly Kid Joe". Trouser Press. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
- "Motel California - Ugly Kid Joe | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
- Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 8. MUZE. p. 334.
- "UGLY KID JOE - Motel California". ROCK HARD Heavy-Metal-Magazin.
- "Ugly Kid Joe | Biography & History". AllMusic.
- "Ugly Kid Joe's Klaus Eichstadt". MTV News.
- "Studio Action". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. September 21, 1996 – via Google Books.