Tiny Days
1987 studio album by Scruffy the Cat
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Tiny Days is the debut album by the American band Scruffy the Cat, released in 1987.[1][2] The band supported it with a North American tour.[3] "Mybabyshe'sallright", for which a video was shot, was released as a single.[4] Tiny Days was a success on the college radio chart, where it was a top five hit.[5] It sold more than 30,000 copies in its first six months of release.[6]
| Tiny Days | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1987 | |||
| Recorded | January 1987 | |||
| Genre | Roots rock, rock 'n' roll, pop | |||
| Label | Relativity | |||
| Producer | Chris Butler | |||
| Scruffy the Cat chronology | ||||
| ||||
Production
Recorded in Hoboken, New Jersey, in January 1987, the album was produced by Chris Butler.[7][8] Scruffy the Cat enjoyed working with him, as they wanted a producer who would help with song structure and show them how to use the studio.[9][10] All five bandmembers contributed to the songwriting and vocals; they wanted the lyrics to be positive and humorous.[5] Scruffy the Cat's banjo player, Stona Fitch, left the band after the recording sessions.[11] Lead singer Charlie Chesterman considered the style of most of the songs to be "goofy, fun, fast pop".[12] The band used an accordion on "Hello Angel".[13] "Shadow Boy" employs a Bo Diddley beat.[14]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [15] |
| Omaha World-Herald | [16] |
| The Philadelphia Inquirer | [17] |
The Washington Post said that the album "demonstrates verve and fervor that few of its rootsy peers can match".[18] The Philadelphia Inquirer opined that "these prickly, rough-hewn rock songs are moody wonders, full of vivid, plainspoken language."[17] Spin panned the "trendy arrangements, the production that mooshes everything into sound-alike sludge, and the lyrics".[19] The Baltimore Sun called the album "sold, no-frills, rock 'n' roll" and praised the "sly twists the lyrics play on pop conventions".[20] The Morning Call concluded that "the song ideas, especially the ones about love, are a mite stale".[21]
AllMusic labeled the band "a New England, clam chowdery version of Jason & the Scorchers or Steve Earle."[15]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Mybabyshe'sallright" | |
| 2. | "Shadow Boy" | |
| 3. | "Upside Down" | |
| 4. | "Time Never Forgets" | |
| 5. | "Thomas Doubter" | |
| 6. | "Never, Never" | |
| 7. | "Hello Angel" | |
| 8. | "Momma Killed Hate" | |
| 9. | "When Your Ship Comes In" | |
| 10. | "My Fate Was Sealed with a Kiss" | |
| 11. | "Tiny Days" |