Altered Beast (album)

Altered Beast is the fourth album by alternative rock musician Matthew Sweet. It was released on Zoo Entertainment in 1993.

Altered Beast
Studio album by
Matthew Sweet
Released13 July 1993 (1993)
RecordedJanuary – February 1993
GenreAlternative rock, power pop
Length57:32
LabelZoo Entertainment
ProducerRichard Dashut and Matthew Sweet
Matthew Sweet chronology
Girlfriend
(1991)		 Altered Beast
(1993)		 Son of Altered Beast
(1994)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]
Christgau's Consumer Guide[2]
Entertainment WeeklyA–[3]
Rolling Stone[4]

Recording

Some of the album's guest musicians include: drummers Mick Fleetwood, Jody Stephens, and Pete Thomas; guitarists Richard Lloyd, Robert Quine, and Ivan Julian; keyboardist Nicky Hopkins,[5]; and violinist Byron Berline.

Cover

The cover of the album, produced in five different colored versions (yellow, blue, green, orange and purple), features a dinosaur logo. Originally, Sweet wanted to use the logo of the Japanese delivery company Yamato Transport on the cover, but was denied permission; Sweet has described the dinosaur design as a "consolation prize".

Release

Initial responses to the record were mixed, with Rolling Stone writing that it had "inspiring moments; the problem is finding them."[5] AllMusic agreed that the album is "all over the place", yet noted that "it takes a bit of time for all of it to make sense, but after a few listens, it falls together." [6]

Reissue

In 2018, independent vinyl reissue label Intervention Records announced that it would be releasing Artist-Approved 2 LP Expanded Editions of 100% Fun, Altered Beast, and Girlfriend. The three albums will also be released on CD/SACD. Intervention also announced a first time on vinyl reissue of Son of Altered Beast.[7]

Details

The title of the album is borrowed from the arcade game Altered Beast. Sweet told Spin magazine that 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".[8]

The track "Intro" is a clip from the Malcolm McDowell film Caligula.[9]

Track listing

All songs written by Matthew Sweet; with the exception of Track 8, "Intro" excerpts from the movie "Caligula".

  1. "Dinosaur Act" - 4:05
  2. "Devil with the Green Eyes" - 4:43
  3. "The Ugly Truth" - 3:18
  4. "Time Capsule" - 3:56
  5. "Someone to Pull the Trigger" - 3:55
  6. "Knowing People" - 4:25
  7. "Life Without You" - 2:18
  8. "Intro" - 0:46
  9. "Ugly Truth Rock" - 2:58
  10. "Do It Again" - 3:33
  11. "In Too Deep" - 3:54
  12. "Reaching Out" - 4:00
  13. "Falling" - 4:50
  14. "What Do You Know?" - 4:27
  15. "Evergreen" - 4:23 (5:50 track length includes a hidden outro track)

Robert Quine plays lead guitar on Dinosaur Act, Devil With the Green Eyes, Ugly Truth, Time Capsule, Do It Again, Reaching Out, What Do You Know?, and Evergreen.

Richard Lloyd plays lead guitar on Knowing People, Ugly Truth Rock, In Too Deep, and Falling.

Ivan Julian plays lead guitar on Someone to Pull the Trigger and Life Without You.

Music videos
  1. *The Ugly Truth", directed by Matthew Sweet
  2. *Time Capsule", directed by Douglas Gayeton (Satellite Films)
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References
  1. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Altered Beast Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 2018-03-03.
  2. Christgau, Robert (2000-10-15). "Matthew Sweet". Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s. Macmillan Publishing. ISBN 9780312245603.
  3. Aaron, Charles (1993-08-06). "Altered Beast". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2017-11-20.
  4. O'Connor, Rob (1997-07-17). "Matthew Sweet: Altered Beast". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2007-10-01.
  5. O'Connor, Rob: Review: Matthew Sweet - Altered Beast, Rolling Stone, July 17, 1997.
  6. http://www.allmusic.com/album/altered-beast-mw0000619497
  7. "Matthew Sweet 1991-1995 180G LP Series Subscription (PRE-ORDER) – Intervention Records". www.interventionrecords.com. Archived from the original on 2018-05-17. Retrieved 2018-05-16.
  8. Kelly, Christian: King of Pop, Spin, September 1995.
  9. DeRogatis, Jim: Matthew Sweet Sours on Success Archived 2008-05-09 at the Wayback Machine, Chicago Sun-Times, June 20, 1993.
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