''Tenterhooks'' is the third album by the American musician

Chris Mars Chris Mars (born April 26, 1961) is an American painter and musician. He was the drummer for the seminal Minneapolis based alternative-rock band The Replacements from 1979 to 1990, and later joined the informal supergroup Golden Smog before be ...

, released in 1995. Its title comes from the

tenterhook Tenterhooks or tenter hooks are hooked nails in a device called a ''tenter''. Tenters were wooden frames which were used as far back as the 14th century in the process of making woollen cloth. The phrase "''on tenterhooks''" has become a met ...

s used to stretch cloth. Mars chose not to tour in support of the album; instead, a band named the Wallmen promoted it, placing a cardboard model of Mars onstage.

Production

Produced by Mars, the album was recorded in his living room. Mars's deal with

Bar/None Bar/None Records is an independent record label based in Hoboken, New Jersey. Early history Tom Prendergast started Bar/None in early 1986 in Hoboken, New Jersey Hoboken ( ; Unami: ') is a city in Hudson County in the U.S. state of Ne ...

provided him with digital recording equipment. Mars created the album artwork.

Critical reception

Trouser Press ''Trouser Press'' was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow fan of the Who Dave Schulps and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" (a reference ...

'' noted the "new-found fascination with an odd amalgamation of styles that run from rap and jazz to disco and Midwestern surf-rock—complete with kettle drums, strings and found sounds." ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cult ...

'' deemed the album "twisted, stylized, and strained, a concoction of decadent cocktail music." ''

Stereo Review ''Sound & Vision'' is an American magazine, purchased by AVTech Media Ltd. (UK) in March 2018, covering home theater, audio, video and multimedia consumer products. Before 2000, it had been published for most of its history as ''Stereo Review'' ...

'' called it "left-field, eclectic Brit-styled pop." ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its co ...

'' likened Mars's voice to that of

Ray Davies Sir Raymond Douglas Davies ( ; born 21 June 1944) is an English musician. He was the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and main songwriter for the rock band the Kinks, which he led with his younger brother Dave on lead guitar and backing voc ...

. The ''

Toronto Sun The ''Toronto Sun'' is an English-language tabloid newspaper published daily in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The newspaper is one of several ''Sun'' tabloids published by Postmedia Network. The newspaper's offices is located at Postmedia Place i ...

'' considered "White Patty Rap" to be "a contender for party song of the year."

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the dat ...

wrote: "As was evident on his first two releases, Mars has a distinctive voice, but the appeal of his vocals is limited, and it's likely only hardcore fans of his old band, the Replacements, would be willing to submit to it."

Track listing

#"White Patty Rap" #"Forkless Tree" #"Mary" #"Lizard Brain" #"Hate It" #"Brother Song" #"Water Biscuits" #"E.I.B. Negative" #"Haunted Town" #"Floater" #"Cadaver Dogs" #"New Day"

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tenterhooks (Album) 1995 albums Chris Mars albums