The Beauty Process: Triple Platinum

The Beauty Process: Triple Platinum
Studio album by L7
Released February 25, 1997
Genre Hard rock, punk rock
Length 41:35
Label Slash, Reprise
Producer Rob Cavallo, Joe Barresi, L7
L7 chronology
Hungry for Stink
(1994)		 The Beauty Process: Triple Platinum
(1997)		 Live: Omaha to Osaka
(1998)
Singles from The Beauty Process: Triple Platinum
  1. "Off the Wagon"
    Released: January 28, 1997

The Beauty Process: Triple Platinum is the fifth studio album by the American rock band L7, released on February 25, 1997 by Slash Records. It was recorded at Conway Recording Studios in Hollywood and Sound City Studios in Van Nuys, California.

Recording and release

The Beauty Process: Triple Platinum was recorded at Conway Recording Studios in Hollywood and Sound City Studios in Van Nuys, California.[1] Founding bassist Jennifer Finch left the band during the recording, and was briefly replaced by Greta Brinkman.[2] L7's frontwoman Donita Sparks also played the bass when Brinkman was not available.[2] According to Sparks, "You're in the recording studio, it's thousands and thousands of dollars every day. So we didn't really even have time to think about it, and we just went ahead."[2] Recording of the album was completed in November 1996.[3] Gail Greenwood, formerly of Belly, would join the band later as a more permament bassist.[2]

The Beauty Process was released on February 25, 1997 by Slash Records.[4] To promote the album, the song "Off the Wagon" was released as a single on January 28, 1997. The single included the outtakes "Guera" and "Punk Broke (My Heart)" as its B-side.[2] The album reached No. 172 on the US Billboard Top 200 chart and No. 12 on the Heatseekers Albums chart.[5]

Music and lyrics

The Beauty Process is a departure from the tough, hard rock style of its predecessors.[6] As Sparks explained, "In the past, I think we wanted to prove that we were tough cookies. We wanted to show that we could rock harder than anyone. Now we're more secure. So we have more freedom. It's kind of liberating."[6] The song "Moonshine" features a romantic and delicate chorus, while "Me, Myself & I" has an acoustic melody.[6]

The Beauty Process also contains heavier songs that are reminiscent of the band's previous albums.[6] The song "Drama" features a guitar solo played with a Micro Jammers' toy guitar.[7] Sparks explained that she was getting frustrated with it, commenting "Fuck it, I can't play these riffs, let the Micro Jammers do it for $1.99."[7] The track "Bad Things" was described as "a full-throttle blast of urban paranoia", while "The Masses Are Asses" deals "social outrage and broad rude humor".[6] Sparks noted that the track "Off the Wagon" describes the way she feels when she drinks heavily, commenting: "It might be the time of my life, or I might end up in tears. But there are always bruises involved."[6]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]
Entertainment WeeklyB[8]
Los Angeles Times[9]
Rolling Stone[10]
Spin6/10[11]
The Village VoiceA−[12]

The Beauty Process received generally favorable reviews from music critics. AllMusic reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine described it as "a good hard rock record, but it'll make some fans yearn for the days when L7 appeared revolutionary, not just keepers of the flame."[4] Alec Foege of Rolling Stone praised the album, commenting that "L7 pack more fresh stylistic variations on classic punk into 40 minutes than most bands come up with during a career."[10]

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Donita Sparks and Suzi Gardner. 

No. Title Length
1. "The Beauty Process"   0:58
2. "Drama"   3:28
3. "Off the Wagon"   3:27
4. "I Need"   2:57
5. "Moonshine"   3:23
6. "Bitter Wine"   4:15
7. "The Masses Are Asses"   4:20
8. "Bad Things"   3:12
9. "Must Have More"   2:54
10. "Non-Existent Patricia"   4:30
11. "Me, Myself & I"   3:46
12. "Lorenza, Giada, Alessandra"   4:25
Total length:
 41:35

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.[1]

L7
Additional musicians
Technical personnel

References

  1. 1 2 The Beauty Process: Triple Platinum (CD booklet). L7. Los Angeles: Slash Records. 1997. 9 46327-2.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Chris Morris (1997-01-25). "L7 Readies 'The Beauty Process'". Billboard 109 (4): 16–24. Retrieved 2015-12-14.
  3. ↑ "Cool Rockin’ Album Comin’ From L7". MTV. 1996-11-17. Archived from the original on 2015-12-18. Retrieved 2015-12-18.
  4. 1 2 3 Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "The Beauty Process: Triple Platinum". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 2015-03-15. Retrieved 2015-12-15.
  5. ↑ "L7 - Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 2014-03-03. Retrieved 2015-12-18.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Dan DeLuca (1997-02-21). "L7 Not So Tough For 'The Beauty Process'". Philadelphia Media Network. Archived from the original on 2015-12-25. Retrieved 2015-12-25.
  7. 1 2 Jill Hamilton (1997-05-01). "Q&A: Donita Sparks of L7". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2015-02-04. Retrieved 2016-01-03.
  8. ↑ "The Beauty Process: Triple Platinum". Entertainment Weekly: 126. 1997-02-21.
  9. ↑ Greg Kot (1997-02-27). "L7 The Beauty Process: Triple Platinum". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 2015-12-19. Retrieved 2015-12-19.
  10. 1 2 Alec Foege (1997-02-06). "The Beauty Process: Triple Platinum". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2007-11-12. Retrieved 2007-11-12.
  11. ↑ Jessica Hopper (April 1997). "The Beauty Process: Triple Platinum". Spin 13 (1): 161. Retrieved 2015-12-15.
  12. ↑ Robert Christgau (1997-03-11). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Archived from the original on 2015-01-10. Retrieved 2015-12-15.

External links

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