Key Lime Pie

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For the dessert, see Key lime pie.
Key Lime Pie
Key Lime Pie cover
Studio album by Camper Van Beethoven
Released September 1989
Recorded February-July, 1989
Genre Alternative
Length 50:05
Label Virgin Records
Producer Dennis Herring
Professional reviews
Camper Van Beethoven chronology
Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart
(1988)		 Key Lime Pie
(1989)		 New Roman Times
(2004)

Key Lime Pie is a 1989 album by Camper Van Beethoven, also known as CVB. It was the band's final album before breaking up in 1990, although the band has reunited and released new material in recent years. It was produced by Dennis Herring, who had also produced the band's previous album, Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart.

Key Lime Pie was the only Camper Van Beethoven album not to feature founding violinist/multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Jonathan Segel, who left the band before the album was recorded. The band's core lineup on the album consisted of vocalist/rhythm guitarist/frontman David Lowery, bassist Victor Krummenacher, lead guitarist Greg Lisher and drummer Chris Pedersen. Most of the violin parts were played by non-member Don Lax. Near the end of the recording of the album, violinist Morgan Fichter was hired as the replacement for Segel. Fichter played only on the tracks "Pictures of Matchstick Men" and "Flowers," although she sings harmony vocals on a few other tracks. On the tour for the album, the band was also joined by steel guitarist/mandolinist/guitarist David Immerglück, a member of CVB's side project The Monks of Doom.

Lowery has been quoted in interviews as saying that, although the entire band (save for Fichter) played on the basic tracks, Greg Lisher was the only other member to have contributed significantly to the album's recording, with most of the overdubbing and studio polishing having been done by Lowery, Lisher and producer Dennis Herring. Lisher's distinctive psychedelic lead guitar playing is arguably the album's most distinctive instrumental feature, although the band's use of violin also has a great influence on the sound of the record.

The album featured a darker lyrical outlook as compared to the band's previous record, although there is still a great deal of the band's trademark humor. It was also the most political record that CVB had released, with tracks like "When I Win the Lottery," "Sweethearts" and "Jack Ruby" providing some humorous political and social commentary.

It also featured relatively less of the band's world-music influence, although there are still elements of CVB favorites like ska and Eastern European music in songs like "Opening Theme" and "Borderline." In place of the world-music influence, there are even more elements of Americana evident in many of the songs. Psychedelia, another staple of the band's eclectic sound, is also very much in evidence, although songs like "The Light From a Cake" and "Flowers" feature a more-orchestrated, less-dissonant version of psychedelic music than did the band's earlier albums.

The album was CVB's most commercially successful record, with "Pictures of Matchstick Men" becoming an alternative rock hit.

[edit] Track listing

  1. "Opening Theme" (Krummenacher/Lisher/Lowery/Pedersen) – 2:21
  2. "Jack Ruby" (Krummenacher/Lisher/Lowery/Pedersen) – 5:22
  3. "Sweethearts" (Krummenacher/Lisher/Lowery/Pedersen) – 4:45
  4. "When I Win the Lottery" (Krummenacher/Lisher/Lowery/Pedersen) – 3:38
  5. "(I Was Born in A) Laundromat" (Krummenacher/Lisher/Lowery/Pedersen) – 3:43
  6. "Borderline" (Krummenacher/Lisher/Lowery/Pedersen) – 3:48
  7. "The Light from a Cake" (Krummenacher/Lisher/Lowery/Pedersen) – 2:43
  8. "June" (Krummenacher/Lisher/Lowery/Pedersen) – 4:24
  9. "All Her Favorite Fruit" (Krummenacher/Lisher/Lowery/Pedersen) – 5:14
  10. "Interlude" (Krummenacher/Lisher/Lowery/Pedersen) – 1:03
  11. "Flowers" (Curkendall/Hart/Lowery) – 2:58
  12. "The Humid Press of Days" (Krummenacher/Lisher/Lowery/Pedersen) – 2:44
  13. "Pictures of Matchstick Men" (Rossi) – 4:08 Cover of song originally performed by Status Quo
  14. "Come on Darkness" (Krummenacher/Lisher/Lowery/Pedersen) – 3:14

[edit] Personnel

  • Greg Allen - Photography
  • Tim Steelbone Cook - Pedal Steel, Guitar (Steel)
  • Tim Cook - Pedal Steel
  • Peter Doell - Second Engineer
  • Danny Faragher - Vocals (bckgr)
  • Davey Faragher - Vocals (bckgr)
  • Morgan Fichter - Violin, Vocals
  • Mark Herman - Mixing
  • Dennis Herring - Producer, Engineer
  • Garth Hudson - Organ, Talking, Organ (Pump)
  • Victor Krummenacher - Guitar (Bass), Vocals
  • Andre Lansel - Photography
  • Don Lax - Fiddle, Strings
  • Bruce Licher - Design
  • Greg Lisher - Guitar, Vocals
  • David Lowery - Guitar, Harmonica, Keyboards, Vocals
  • Mary O'Neil - Vocals (bckgr)
  • Charles Paakkari - Engineer, Second Engineer
  • Chris Pedersen - Percussion, Drums, Vocals
  • Csaba Petocz - Engineer, Mixing
  • Hammer Smith - Harmonica
  • Wally Sound - Vocals (bckgr)
  • Shawna Stobie - Mixing
  • Howie Weinberg - Mastering
  • Vince Zermeno - Mixing

[edit] Charts

Album - Billboard (North America)

Year Chart Position
1989 The Billboard 200 141

Singles - Billboard (North America)

Year Single Chart Position
1989 "Pictures of Matchstick Men" Modern Rock Tracks 1