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Hotwired (The Soup Dragons album)

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For the web magazine, see HotWired.

Hotwired
Studio album by
the Soup Dragons
Released21 April 1992
Recorded1991
StudioLivingston Studios, London,
Advision, Brighton
GenreAlternative rock, alternative dance
Length49:22
LabelBig Life/Mercury[1]
ProducerMarius De Vries, Sean Dickson, Steve Sidelnyk
The Soup Dragons chronology
Lovegod
(1990) 		Hotwired
(1992) 		Hydrophonic
(1994)
Singles from Hotwired
  1. "Divine Thing"
    Released: 1992
  2. "Pleasure"
    Released: 1992

Hotwired is the third studio album by the Scottish band the Soup Dragons.[2][3] It was released on April 21, 1992.

The album peaked at No. 97 on the Billboard 200.[4] "Pleasure" and "Divine Thing" were alternative dance singles that became moderate hits in the U.S. Hotwired sold more than 300,000 copies in its first six months of release.[5]

The band supported the album by touring North America with Catherine Wheel; they later toured with Tom Tom Club and James.[6][7][8] "Divine Thing" was used in the film Hellraiser III.[9]

Production

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The album was produced by Marius De Vries, Sean Dickson, and Steve Sidelnyk.[10] It was recorded in 1991 and 1992 at Livingston Studios and Advision Brighton. The Soup Dragons were more prepared for the sessions, having written 15+ songs before entering the studio.[11] They band considered Hotwired to be an optimistic album; they also conceded that they still had not quite captured the power of their live sound on record.[12][13]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[14]
Calgary HeraldD[15]
Chicago Tribune[16]
Los Angeles Times[17]

The Calgary Herald deemed the album "bubblegum music sonically gussied up for the '90s".[15] The Los Angeles Times concluded that "the shuffling, dance-rock fusion on Hotwired works only occasionally, most imaginatively on 'Divine Thing'".[17] The Washington Post wrote: "Combining contemporary dance beats and sound effects with gospel-style backing vocals and beat-group touches ... songs like 'Pleasure' mix and match '60s and '90s British youth culture".[18]

The St. Petersburg Times stated that "the band limits guitar technique to power chords, wah-wah pedals and scuffled riffs, fattened up by studio wizardry and layered samples".[19] The Chicago Tribune opined that the band "does little to pull distance from the retro sound pervasive among groups from across the big pond".[16]

AllMusic described Hotwired as the album where the Soup Dragons reached "the happy medium between the slick breakbeats and guitar-based rock & roll," adding that the songs are "among the strongest of the band's career".[14]

Track listing

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All songs written by Sean Dickson.

  1. "Pleasure" – 3:54
  2. "Divine Thing" – 3:51
  3. "Running Wild" – 4:01
  4. "Getting Down" – 4:11
  5. "Forever Yesterday" – 4:49
  6. "No More Understanding" – 4:58
  7. "Dream-On (Solid Gone)" – 4:00
  8. "Everlasting" – 3:43
  9. "Absolute Heaven" – 3:20
  10. "Everything" – 3:56
  11. "Sweet Layabout" – 3:43
  12. "Mindless" – 4:56

Personnel

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The Soup Dragons

References

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  1. ^ Wright, Rickey (12 June 1992). "Rock/pop". Preview. The Virginian-Pilot. p. 10.
  2. ^ Bennun, David (2 May 1992). "Hotwired by The Soup Dragons". Melody Maker. Vol. 68, no. 18. p. 34.
  3. ^ The Rough Guide to Rock (2nd ed.). Rough Guides Ltd. 1999. p. 825.
  4. ^ "The Soup Dragons". Billboard. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  5. ^ Ruberto, Toni (23 October 1992). "With a funky, infectious rock groove that begs you to dance, Scotland's Soup Dragons are making an impact in America". USA Today.
  6. ^ Heim, Chris (19 June 1992). "Soup Dragons and Catherine Wheel". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. M.
  7. ^ Stahl, Sandy (25 October 1992). "L'il Palooza". The Morning Call. p. F1.
  8. ^ Fried, Fran (23 October 1992). "Fruitbats to Soup Dragons". Weekend Guide. New Haven Register. p. 22.
  9. ^ Neufeld, Matt (1 October 1992). "Tom Tom's beat is solid as ever". The Washington Times. p. M2.
  10. ^ "Hotwired by The Soup Dragons". Billboard. Vol. 104, no. 17. 25 April 1992. p. 46.
  11. ^ Ferman, Dave (26 June 1992). "Soup Dragons no flash in the pan". Star Time. Fort Worth Star-Telegram. p. 11.
  12. ^ Craft, Dan (9 October 1992). "Alternative Rock". The Pantagraph. p. C1.
  13. ^ Kim, Jae-Ha (23 June 1992). "Soup Dragons Roar Out of Anonymity, Into Music Spotlight". Features. Chicago Sun-Times. p. 29.
  14. ^ a b Hotwired at AllMusic
  15. ^ a b Tremblay, Mark (26 April 1992). "Recent Releases". Calgary Herald. p. C2.
  16. ^ a b Webber, Brad (25 June 1992). "Recordings". Tempo. Chicago Tribune. p. 7.
  17. ^ a b Rosenbluth, Jean (2 May 1992). "Pop Beat". Los Angeles Times. p. F9.
  18. ^ Jenkins, Mark (10 July 1992). "Latest Dance-Pop: Battle of Britains". The Washington Post. p. N15.
  19. ^ Hall, Dave (15 May 1992). "Soup Dragons keep up their good-time work". Weekend. St. Petersburg Times. p. 20.
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