Scenic Views is the debut studio album by Rhode Island new wave band

Rubber Rodeo Rubber Rodeo was an American, Rhode Island-based band active in the 1980s. The band fused Roxy Music-influenced new wave music with country and western influences, and dressed in 1950's-vintage country & western clothing. Their 1984 release "An ...

. It was released on November 15, 1984 by Mercury Records.

Background

After releasing several singles and EPs on Eat Records, Rubber Rodeo released their debut studio album in November 1984. Working with British new wave producer

Hugh Jones Hugh Jones may refer to: *Hugh Jones (bishop) (1508–1574), bishop of Llandaff *Hugh Jones (archdeacon of St Asaph) (c. 1816–1897), British religious leader *Hugh Jones (archdeacon of Essex) (1783–1869), Welsh churchman *Hugh Jones (runner) (b ...

, the album featured a range of musical instruments including mandolin, violin, synthesizer, organ, dobro, and pedal steel guitar. The popularity of ''Scenic Views'' partially benefited from the marketing efforts of Polygram. In a 1984 interview published in

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

, PolyGram Music Video vice president Len Epand stated that the company was "shifting its gears" and beginning to "emphasize marketing over production." Later in the interview, Epand cited ''Scenic Views'' as an example of an album that "reaped huge benefits from a seemingly small-scale video release... which produced a Grammy nomination for an almost unknown group". The

Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...

that Rubber Rodeo received a nomination for was the long-form video they made for ''Scenic Views''. The video was directed by David Greenberg and produced by Second Story Television.

Reception

In Rolling Stone, Kurt Loder wrote that "''Scenic Views'' isn't a bad record, but given Rubber Rodeo's multifaceted resources, the next album ought to be a lot better."

J. D. Considine J. D. Considine (born 1957) is a music critic who has been writing about music professionally since 1977. Background J. D. Considine's work has been published in numerous newspapers and music magazines, and he has contributed to several books. ...

wrote that "Rubber Rodeo may play mutant, post-wave C&W-pop, but it's still rooted in the country's plainspoken bedrock of yearning and heartache." Considine coined the term cowboy pop in the same review, which was published in ''Musician Magazine''.

Track listing

# "Need You, Need Me" (4:39) # "Slow Me Down" (3:31) # "Anywhere With You" (4:40) # "Walking After Midnight" (3:56) # "City of God" (5:13) # "The Hardest Thing" (3:15) # "House of Pain" (4:45) # "Mess o' Me" (5:03) # "Before I Go Away (5:57) # "Woman of Straw" (4:20)*

Personnel

Per the liner notes. * John Doelp – bass * Barc Holmes – drums * Bob Holmes – guitar, mandolin, violin, vocals * Gary Leib – synthesizer, * Trish Milliken – organ, piano, vocals * Mark Tomeo – dobro, pedal steel guitar

References

External links

Scenic Views album review
{{Authority control 1984 albums Albums produced by Hugh Jones (producer) Rubber Rodeo albums Mercury Records albums