| Altered Beast | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by Matthew Sweet | ||||
| Released | 13 July 1993 | |||
| Recorded | January – February 1993 | |||
| Genre | Alternative rock | |||
| Length | 55:31 | |||
| Label | Zoo Entertainment | |||
| Producer | Fred Maher and Matthew Sweet | |||
| Matthew Sweet chronology | ||||
|
||||
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | [1] |
| Rolling Stone | [2] |
Altered Beast is the fourth album by alternative rock musician Matthew Sweet. Released by Zoo Entertainment in 1993, the initial response to this record was cool compared to Girlfriend, with Rolling Stone writing that the album was "[f]rustratingly uneven," with "inspiring moments; the problem is finding them."[3]
Sweet was accompanied by a high-powered group of guest musicians. Among the drummers were Mick Fleetwood (Fleetwood Mac), Jody Stephens (Big Star) and Pete Thomas (Elvis Costello's backing band). On guitar were Richard Lloyd (Television), Robert Quine (Voidoids) and Ivan Julian (Voidoids). Additionally, renowned session keyboardist Nicky Hopkins appeared,[3] and Byron Berline contributed fiddle to "The Ugly Truth".
The track "Intro" is a clip from the movie Caligula featuring Malcolm McDowell.[4]
Five different colored versions of the album cover were produced: yellow, blue, green, orange and purple.
The name of the album is based on the arcade game Altered Beast. Sweet has declared the title meant "whatever is inside you that someday might explode, and maybe you don't know it's there", which he found similar to the game, where "you have to find these little power-up things, and when you eat them you become the Altered Beast, this other creature that's really powerful and violent".[5]
Originally, Sweet wanted to use the logo of the Japanese delivery company Yamato Transport on the cover of the album, but was denied permission; Sweet has described the dinosaur logo as a "consolation prize".
All tracks composed by Matthew Sweet, except where indicated.
|
|||||||||||||||||