The Dirt of Luck
| The Dirt of Luck | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 1995 | |||
| Recorded | 1994 | |||
| Genre | Indie rock | |||
| Length | 44:17 | |||
| Label | Matador Records[1] | |||
| Producer | Helium Adam Lasus[2] | |||
| Helium chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| Chicago Tribune |  [4] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [5] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | [6] |
| Orlando Sentinel | [7] |
| Pitchfork | 8.0/10[9] |
| The Village Voice |  [8] |
The Dirt of Luck is the first full-length album from American indie rock band Helium.[10][11] It was released in April 1995 on Matador Records and was produced by Adam Lasus.
Recording[edit]
The album was partly recorded by Timony and Devlin, before bassist Ash Bowie joined the group.[12]
Critical reception[edit]
Trouser Press wrote: "Best of all is the opener, 'Pat’s Trick,' a distorted, percussive exercise in sexual obsession made riveting by Timony’s fluttering-yet- powerful delivery."[10] Salon wrote that "the arcing melodies on notable Dirt of Luck songs such as 'Pat's Trick' and 'Honeycomb' contort like a kite twisting in the sky, as Timony's dusky voice and noisy guitar hum add a steadying presence."[13] Rolling Stone called the album an "off-kilter pop opus."[14] Gimme Indie Rock: 500 Essential American Underground Rock Albums 1981-1996 called it "a beacon of progressive noise-pop."[15]
Track listing[edit]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Pat's Trick" | 3:20 |
| 2. | "Trixie's Star" | 2:44 |
| 3. | "Silver Angel" | 2:54 |
| 4. | "Baby's Going Underground" | 6:24 |
| 5. | "Medusa" | 3:10 |
| 6. | "Comet #9" | 2:09 |
| 7. | "Skeleton" | 4:11 |
| 8. | "Superball" | 2:35 |
| 9. | "All the X's Have Wings" | 3:13 |
| 10. | "Oh, the Wind and Rain" | 5:29 |
| 11. | "Honeycomb" | 4:22 |
| 12. | "Flower of the Apocalypse" | 3:46 |
Personnel[edit]
- Mary Timony - Organ, Bass, Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals, Xylophone
- Ash Bowie - Bass, Guitar, Keyboards
- Shawn King Devlin - Percussion, Drums
- Adam Lasus - Producer, Engineer
- Greg Calbi - Mastering
References[edit]
- ^ "The Dirt of Luck". store.matadorrecords.com.
- ^ Niesel, Jeff. "Singer-Guitarist Mary Timony Revisits Helium's Music in Advance of Reunion Show". Cleveland Scene.
- ^ Phares, Heather. The Dirt of Luck at AllMusic
- ^ Ryan, Mo (29 June 1995). "The Dirt of Luck Review". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 4. MUZE. p. 227.
- ^ MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 539.
- ^ Gettelman, Parry (1995-08-11). "Helium". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 2017-11-27.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (1996-01-23). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice.
- ^ Schroeder, Amy (24 May 2017). "The Dirt of Luck". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
- ^ a b "Helium". Trouser Press. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
- ^ "Helium | Biography & History". AllMusic.
- ^ Thompson, Dave (October 15, 2000). Alternative Rock. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN 9780879306076 – via Google Books.
- ^ "For '90s indie fave Helium, a simple reissue became a second act". Salon. May 18, 2017.
- ^ Exposito, Suzy (June 9, 2017). "Helium's Mary Timony Talks Two Decades of Offbeat Indie-Rock Excellence". Rolling Stone.
- ^ Earles, Andrew (September 15, 2014). Gimme Indie Rock: 500 Essential American Underground Rock Albums 1981-1996. Voyageur Press. ISBN 9780760346488 – via Google Books.
