''Rev'' is an album by the American band Ultra Vivid Scene, released in 1992. It was the band's third and final album. The single, an edited "Blood and Thunder", reached number 27 on the '' Billboard'' Modern Rock Tracks chart. Ultra Vivid Scene supported the album by touring with Grant Lee Buffalo.

Production

The album was produced by Kurt Ralske and Fred Maher. Unlike previous albums, Ralske recorded ''Rev'' with many other musicians instead of just going it alone. Ralske often wrote lyrics while still mostly asleep as he preferred the "naturalness" of the process. "Mirror to Mirror" is about materialism.

Critical reception

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

'' praised the "elegance" of the album. The ''

Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part of Torstar's Daily News Brands (Torstar), Daily News Brands division. ...

'' wrote that ''Rev'' "has Nick Drake-like melodies, T. Rex-ish riffs, ethereal sliding guitar licks, restless rhythms, silences and explosions." The ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...

'' noted that Ralske "seems so juiced to be working with a live rhythm section that he just grooves on and on with little heed paid to pop structure."

Track listing

# "Candida" – 4:38 # "Cut-Throat" – 5:33 # "Mirror to Mirror" – 4:50 # "The Portion of Delight" – 6:12 # "Thief's Love Song" – 6:07 # "How Sweet" – 4:40 # "Medicating Angels" – 8:11 # "Blood and Thunder" – 10:21 # "This Is the Way" – 2:48

Singles

*"Blood and Thunder" (February 8, 1993) *# "Blood and Thunder" (remix edit) *# "Don't Look Now (Now!)" ( Crash cover) *# "Candida (Theme from 'Red Pressure Mounting')" *# "Winter Song" ( Nico cover)

Personnel

*Ron Baldwin – backing vocals *Everett Bradley – conga * Dorit Chrysler – backing vocals *Jack Daley – bass *Julius Klepacz –

drums The drum is a member of the percussion instrument, percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophones, membranophone. Drums consist of at least one Acoustic membrane, membrane, c ...

* Fred Maher –

acoustic guitar An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked, its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...

, drums, producer *Lloyd Puckitt –

engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who Invention, invent, design, build, maintain and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials. They aim to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while ...

* Kurt Ralske –

guitar The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...

vocals Singing is the art of creating music with the voice. It is the oldest form of musical expression, and the human voice can be considered the first musical instrument. The definition of singing varies across sources. Some sources define sing ...

, producer, engineer * Rasputina ** Melora Creager –

cello The violoncello ( , ), commonly abbreviated as cello ( ), is a middle pitched bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), tuned i ...

**Serena Jost – cello ** Julia Kent – cello * Matthew Sweet – bass *Sarah Walker – backing vocals

References

{{Authority control Ultra Vivid Scene albums 1992 albums 4AD albums Albums produced by Fred Maher