Bricks Are Heavy

Infobox Album
Name = Bricks Are Heavy
Type = Album
Artist = L7


Released = April 14, 1992
Recorded = 1991 & 1992
Genre = Grunge
Length = 37:28
Label = Slash Records
Producer = L7 & Butch Vig
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|4.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:fzez97i7krrt~T1 link]
*"Rolling Stone" Rating|3|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/l7/albums/album/111548/review/5941367/bricks_are_heavy link]
* Robert Christgau (A) [http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=l7 link]
Last album = "Smell the Magic"
(1990)
This album = "Bricks Are Heavy"
(1992)
Next album = "Hungry for Stink"
(1994)

"Bricks Are Heavy" is the third album by the Los Angeles band L7, released in April 1992 through Slash Records. Backed by the single "Pretend We're Dead", the album became a breakthrough hit and the band became the "poster girls" of grunge music.

The album was released shortly after grunge had broken into the mainstream with the surprise success of Nirvana's "Nevermind". In July 1992, the song "Pretend We're Dead" gained popularity among American rock radio stations, where it received regular airplay. By late August, the album had reached #1 on "Billboard's" Heatseekers album chart, and two weeks later it peaked at #160 on the Billboard 200.

Musically the album is heavier and dirtier than the band's previous recordings. While the band retained its punk and hardcore punk roots, there was more emphasis on heavy metal than before. It was produced by Butch Vig, who is renowned for his work with bands such as Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Sonic Youth, and later Garbage.

Track listing

# "Wargasm" (Sparks) – 2:40
# "Scrap" (Sparks, Gurewitz) – 2:53
# "Pretend We're Dead" (Sparks) – 3:53
# "Diet Pill" (Sparks) – 4:21
# "Everglade" (Finch, Ray) – 3:18
# "Slide" (Gardner, Sparks) – 3:37
# "One More Thing" (Finch) – 4:07
# "Mr. Integrity" (Sparks) – 4:06
# "Monster" (Gardner) – 2:56
# "Shitlist" (Sparks) – 2:55
# "This Ain't Pleasure" (Gardner, Caivano) – 2:52

Personnel

*Donita Sparks - Guitar, Lead vocals on tracks 1,2,3,4,8,10,
*Suzi Gardner - Guitar, Lead vocals on tracks 6,9,11
*Jennifer Finch - Bass, Lead vocals on tracks 5 and 7
*Demetra Plakas - drums, Backing vocals on Pretend We're Dead
*Butch Vig - Producer, Engineer, Mixing
*Howie Weinberg - Mastering
*Steve Marker - Engineer
*Mr. Colson - Engineer
*Elizabeth Hale - Art Direction
*Jeff Price - Art Direction
*Randall Martin - Artwork
*Vicki Berndt - Photography
*Arlan E. Helm - Photography
*Damion Romero - Photography
*Paul Ryan - Bongos

Chart positions

Other success

The song "Pretend We're Dead" was featured on the video game .

Accolades

*"Rolling Stone": "The Essential Recordings of the 1990s"
*"The Village Voice": "Pazz & Jop 1992 Critics Poll: Albums" – #32
*"The Village Voice": "Pazz & Jop 1992 Critics Poll: Singles" – #11 ("Pretend We're Dead")

External links

* [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:jzfixqegldde Album review on All Music Guide]