Slo-Blo
Slo-Blo (also stylized as Slo*Blo) is the debut album by the American alternative rock band Cell.[1][2] It was released in 1993 by DGC Records; the band had been signed by Thurston Moore.[3][4] The album was first issued by City Slang, in 1992.
Slo-Blo | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | 1992, Germany 1993, United States | |||
Genre | Alternative rock | |||
Label | City Slang (Germany) Ecstatic Peace!/DGC Records | |||
Producer | John Siket, Cell | |||
Cell chronology | ||||
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Production
The album was produced by John Siket and Cell.[5] It had been recorded as a demo.[6] Cell used DGC's money to remix the album for its American release.[7]
Critical reception
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [8] |
Calgary Herald | A−[9] |
Chicago Tribune | [10] |
Entertainment Weekly | C−[11] |
The Indianapolis Star | [12] |
Spin called the album "a leaden fumble, as close to formula as indie rock gets."[13] The Chicago Tribune praised the "dynamic six-string melodic grunge, where magisterial riffs and probing guitar jams share equal time."[10] Trouser Press opined that "if commercial post-punk noise were to get more formulaic than this, it’d have to be stacked in the generic-brand aisle."[14] The Washington Post thought that "at its most tuneful, on such songs as 'Tundra', Slo+Blo recalled the plaintive, folkish punk of Husker Du."[15]
Entertainment Weekly noted the "muffled drumming, proudly tuneless singing, sprawling arrangements that sound as if they’re about to crumble," writing that "the band forgot to write good songs, making Slo-Blo much noisy ado about nothing."[11] Newsday concluded that "on songs such as 'Cross the River' and 'Stratosphere', Cell's instrumentation gets very close to standard rock anthems."[6] The Indianapolis Star wrote that "raging guitars here offer a satisfying jolt but [there's] little melodic diversity."[12] The Calgary Herald called the album "hard, methodical, noisy."[9]
AllMusic admired the "fluid, meandering riffs that slowly build and overlap and begin to take shape as something powerful, hypnotic, and cohesive."[8]
Track listing
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Fall" | 3:35 |
2. | "Wild" | 3:46 |
3. | "Cross the River" | 2:56 |
4. | "Dig Deep" | 3:27 |
5. | "Stratosphere" | 5:36 |
6. | "Two" | 2:59 |
7. | "Everything Turns" | 4:10 |
8. | "Tundra" | 4:10 |
9. | "Bad Day" | 2:24 |
10. | "Hills" | 4:09 |
References
- "Cell Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 2021-10-02. Retrieved 2021-10-02.
- Christensen, Thor (11 Mar 1993). "Unicorn Cell-ebration". The Milwaukee Journal. p. D2.
- "Blame Nirvana: The 40 Weirdest Post-'Nevermind' Major-Label Albums -". SPIN. January 8, 2013. Archived from the original on June 18, 2021. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
- Robins, Wayne (30 Oct 1992). "Another Fall, Another CMJ Marathon". Newsday. Weekend. p. 82.
- "Album reviews -- Slo Blo by Cell". Billboard. 105 (4): 62. Jan 23, 1993.
- Fletcher, Tony (17 Jan 1993). "Noise for the New Year". Newsday. Fanfare. p. 21.
- Punter, Jennie (18 Mar 1993). "Cell-mates dispute sell-out stories". Toronto Star. p. C9.
- "Slo*Blo - Cell | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". Archived from the original on 2021-08-05. Retrieved 2021-10-02 – via www.allmusic.com.
- Bell, Mike (24 Jan 1993). "RECENT RELEASES". Calgary Herald. p. C5.
- McCormick, Moira. "Slo-Blo (Ecstatic Peace/DGC)". chicagotribune.com. Archived from the original on 2021-10-22. Retrieved 2021-10-02.
- "Slo-Blo". EW.com. Archived from the original on 2021-10-02. Retrieved 2021-10-02.
- Bacon, Scott (15 Feb 1993). "Cell 'Slo Blo', DGC Records". The Indianapolis Star. p. D4.
- Greer, Jim (Mar 1993). "Spins". Spin. 8 (12): 76.
- "Cell". Trouser Press. Archived from the original on 2 October 2021. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
- Jenkins, Mark (13 Apr 1994). "Cell: `Living Room'". The Washington Post. p. D7.