Picture of a Thousand Faces
1993 studio album by the Eric Gales Band
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Picture of a Thousand Faces is the second album by the American band the Eric Gales Band, released in 1993.[1][2] Gales was 18 when the album came out.[3] The first single was "Paralyzed", which peaked at No. 31 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart.[4][5] The band supported the album with a North American tour.[6]
| Picture of a Thousand Faces | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1993 | |||
| Studio | Ardent, Kiva | |||
| Genre | Blues rock | |||
| Length | 54:06 | |||
| Label | Elektra | |||
| Producer |
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| The Eric Gales Band chronology | ||||
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Production
The album was recorded at Ardent Studios and Kiva Studios, in Memphis.[7] It was produced primarily by Jim Gaines, who developed appendicitis during the recording sessions.[8] The band's label, Elektra, hired Terry Thomas to help Gales achieve a poppier sound on some of the tracks.[9] Eric's brother, Eugene, moved from bass to guitar, so that the band could have a fuller sound.[10] Some songs were influenced by the Gales brothers' Christian faith, although Eugene did not consider the music to be Christian rock.[11] "Angel of the Night" is a ballad.[12] "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" is a cover of the Beatles song.[4] "Take a Look (Deep Inside of You)" reflects on the 1992 Los Angeles riots.[13]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| The Indianapolis Star |    [12] |
| Philadelphia Daily News | [14] |
| Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | [15] |
| Tampa Bay Times | [16] |
The Philadelphia Daily News 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".[14] The Las Vegas 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."[3] The Tampa Bay Times concluded that, "with his blazing blues-rock excursions a given, the only big obstacle for Gales is finding material".[16]
The Los Angeles Times opined that "while the new second album ... is an improvement over the debut collection, neither one features any grabbers."[17] The Hamilton Spectator 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."[18] The Indianapolis Star 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".[12] The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 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. Ten years ago, they would've called this a metal album."[15]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Paralyzed" | 4:35 |
| 2. | "Angel of the Night" | 4:36 |
| 3. | "Picture of a Thousand Faces" | 4:57 |
| 4. | "God Only Knows" | 5:40 |
| 5. | "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" | 7:41 |
| 6. | "Temple of Deliverance" | 5:12 |
| 7. | "Guilty of the Innocence" | 5:14 |
| 8. | "Misty" | 0:42 |
| 9. | "Take a Look (Deep Inside of You)" | 4:52 |
| 10. | "Bang That Bell" | 4:06 |
| 11. | "Draw the Line" | 6:31 |
| Total length: | 54:06 | |