Let's Hear It for the Dogs

Let's Hear It for the Dogs is the tenth studio album from Scottish folk rock duo The Proclaimers,[1] released in 2015 on the label Cooking Vinyl.[1]

Let's Hear It for the Dogs
Studio album by The Proclaimers
Released	27 April 2015
Studio	Rockfield Studios, Wales
Genre	Rock
Length	38:05
Label	Cooking Vinyl Compass Records (North America)
Producer	Dave Eringa
The Proclaimers chronology
The Very Best Of: 25 Years 1987-2012 (2013) Let's Hear It for the Dogs (2015) Angry Cyclist (2018)

Recording

The album was recorded at Rockfield Studios in Wales and produced by Dave Eringa.[1] As stated by member Charlie Reid, the decision to have Eringa produce Let's Hear It for the Dogs was brought about by an admiration for his work with Manic Street Preachers, and on the Johnson and Daltrey album Going Back Home.[2]

Release

Let's Hear It for the Dogs was released in 2015 through Cooking Vinyl records in the UK on CD and vinyl.[3] In North America, the album was released on CD in May 2015 through Compass Records.[3]

Content and style

Lyrics and themes

The lyrical themes of Let's Hear It for the Dogs included a number of emotionally-topics. "Then Again" appertained to Jimmy Savile and BBC sexual abuse scandals,[4] while "What School?" was a reflection on Scottish religious tension.[5] Lighter moments of the album included "Ten Tiny Fingers", a father-daughter tribute,[6] while "Tuesday Afternoon" was adjudged by AllMusic to be an "epic love-story".[6]

Musical style and arrangements

Let's Hear It for the Dogs is characterized by heavy utilization of electric guitars and drums, with certain tracks incorporating strings ("Tuesday Afternoon") and horns ("Then Again").[6]

Critial reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[6]

Marcy Donelson of AllMusic praised Let's Hear it for the Dogs, observing that "after ten studio albums, they still bring intensity to their down-to-earth, grandly lilting, [...] spirited output".[6]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Craig and Charlie Reid.

No.	Title	Length
1.	"You Built Me Up"	2:25
2.	"Be with Me"	2:52
3.	"In My Home"	3:19
4.	"Tuesday Afternoon"	3:10
5.	"Then Again"	2:07
6.	"What School?"	3:14
7.	"If I'm Still Around"	3:23
8.	"The Other Side"	2:26
9.	"Forever Young"	2:54
10.	"Ten Tiny Fingers"	3:08
11.	"Through Him"	2:51
12.	"Rainbow & Happy Regrets"	3:26
13.	"Moral Compass"	2:50

Personnel

The Proclaimers

• Craig Reid - vocals
• Charlie Reid - acoustic guitar, vocals

Additional personnel

• Stevie Christie - keyboards
• Sean Genockey - guitar
• Matt Holland - brass
• Clive Jenner - drums
• Bernard Kane - viola
• Garry John Kane - bass
• Rose Lawrence - sleeve design
• Kenny MacDonald - photography
• Lewis MacDonald - cover design
• Murdro MacLeod - photography
• Nathan Stone - cello
• The Vulcan String Quartet - strings
• Andrew Walters - violin
• Joanna Walters - violin
• Zac Ware - electric guitar
• Martin Winning - brass

Technical

• Dave Eringa - mixing, production
• Joe Jones - engineering
• Ed Woods - mastering

Charts

Charts (2015)	Peak position
UK Albums (OCC)[7]	26

References

1. Bruce, Keith (29 April 2015). "The Proclaimers, Let's Hear It For The Dogs (Cooking Vinyl)". The Herald. Retrieved 14 May 2019.
2. "The Proclaimers are gonna be performing at theatre". Dunstable Today. 12 August 2015. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
3. "The Proclaimers - Let's Hear It For The Dogs". Discogs. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
4. "Proclaimers sing about Jimmy Savile and BBC child abuse". Scotsman. 14 April 2015. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
5. Aizlewood, John (27 April 2015). "The Proclaimers - Let's Hear it for the Dogs, album review: 'they've never rocked as hard'". Evening Standard. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
6. Donelson, Marcy. "The Proclaimers - Let's Hear it for The Dogs - Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
7. "Proclaimers | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart.