''Picture of a Thousand Faces'' is the second album by the American band
the Eric Gales Band, released in 1993. Gales was 18 when the album came out.
The first single was "Paralyzed", which peaked at No. 31 on ''Billboard''s
Mainstream Rock
Mainstream rock (also known as heritage rock) is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations in the United States and Canada.
Format background
Mainstream rock stations represent a cross between classic rock, active rock and alternativ ...
chart.
[ The band supported the album with a North American tour.
]
Production
The album was recorded at Ardent Studios
Ardent Studios is an American recording studio located in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. The studio was founded in the late 1950s by John King, Fred Smith, and John Fry. Over time, it has become a commercially successful recording studio.
...
and Kiva Studios, in Memphis. It was produced primarily by Jim Gaines, who developed appendicitis during the recording sessions. The band's label, Elektra, hired Terry Thomas to help Gales achieve a poppier sound on some of the tracks. Eric's brother, Eugene, moved from bass to guitar, so that the band could have a fuller sound. Some songs were influenced by the Gales brothers' Christian faith, although Eugene did not consider the music to be Christian rock. "Angel of the Night" is a ballad.[ "]I Want You (She's So Heavy)
"I Want You (She's So Heavy)" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The song closes side one of their 1969 album ''Abbey Road'' and features Billy Preston playing the organ. ...
" is a cover of the Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
song.1992 Los Angeles riots
The 1992 Los Angeles riots were a series of riots and civil disturbances that occurred in Los Angeles County, California, United States, during April and May 1992. Unrest began in South Los Angeles, South Central Los Angeles on April 29, after ...
.
Critical reception
The ''Philadelphia Daily News
''Philadelphia Daily News'' is a tabloid newspaper that serves Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The newspaper is owned by The Philadelphia Inquirer, LLC, which also owns ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'', a daily newspaper in Philadelphia.
The ''Dail ...
'' noted that "since Jimi's sad demise, there's been a horde of guys trying to kiss the Hendrix flame and make a blazing soul-rock connection... Eric Gales, represented here with his bristling second album, is one of the cockier challengers".[ The '']Las Vegas Review-Journal
The ''Las Vegas Review-Journal'' is a daily subscription newspaper published in Las Vegas, Nevada, since 1909. It is the largest circulating daily newspaper in Nevada and one of two daily newspapers in the Las Vegas area.
The ''Review-Journal' ...
'' said that Gales, with ''Picture of a Thousand Faces'', is "a rare example of a new artist with a sound that rocks hard enough for 'mainstream' radio formats, but with a sophistication more common to the alternative or 'adult eclectic' side of the dial."[ The '']Tampa Bay Times
The ''Tampa Bay Times'', called the ''St. Petersburg Times'' until 2011, is an American newspaper published in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. It is published by the Times Publishing Company, which is owned by The Poynter Institute ...
'' concluded that, "with his blazing blues-rock excursions a given, the only big obstacle for Gales is finding material".[
The '']Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'' opined that "while the new second album ... is an improvement over the debut collection, neither one features any grabbers." ''The Hamilton Spectator
''The Hamilton Spectator'', founded in 1846, is a newspaper published weekdays and Saturdays in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. One of the largest Canadian newspapers by circulation, ''The Hamilton Spectator'' is owned by Torstar.
History
''The Ha ...
'' concluded that "the right combination of rock and soul, killer tunes ... and wailing solos make ''Picture of a Thousand Faces'' one of ''the'' guitar rock albums of the year."The Indianapolis Star
}
''The Indianapolis Star'' (also known as ''IndyStar'') is a morning daily newspaper that began publishing on June 6, 1903, in Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It has been the only major daily paper in the city since 1999, whe ...
'' stated that "the band's distinctive sound—punctuated with smooth lead vocals from Gales and his brother Eugene layered over frenzied guitar work—is easily discernible from the mishmash of a lot of rock on the radio".[ The '']Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'', also known simply as the PG, is the largest newspaper serving Greater Pittsburgh, metropolitan Pittsburgh in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Descended from the ''Pittsburgh Gazette'', established in 1786 as the fi ...
'' concluded: "Not content to ape archaic gutbucket blues like many white-bread contemporaries, heavy blues rock, in Gales' hands, hasn't sounded this good since the unfortunate demise of Badlands
Badlands are a type of dry terrain where softer sedimentary rocks and clay-rich soils have been extensively eroded."Badlands" in '' Chambers's Encyclopædia''. London: George Newnes, 1961, Vol. 2, p. 47. They are characterized by steep slopes, ...
. Ten years ago, they would've called this a metal album."[
]
Track listing
References
{{reflist
1993 albums
Elektra Records albums