Triage (David Baerwald album)
1993 studio album by David Baerwald
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Triage is the second solo album by David Baerwald, formerly of the two-man group David & David.[2][3] It was released in 1993 on A&M Records.[4] Baerwald had wanted the album to come out before the 1992 United States presidential election, but it was pushed back several months.[5]
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| Triage | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1993 | |||
| Studios | Toad Hall, Pasadena | |||
| Genres | Rock, pop rock[1] | |||
| Length | 51:57 | |||
| Label | A&M | |||
| Producers | Bill Bottrell, David Baerwald, Dan Schwartz | |||
| David Baerwald chronology | ||||
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Baerwald supported the album by participating in the "In Their Own Words" tour, along with Lisa Germano, Freedy Johnston, Johnny Clegg, and Michael Barabas.[6]
Production
The album was produced by Bill Bottrell, Baerwald, and Dan Schwartz.[7] Baerwald was open to different musical styles and tried not to limit the music to any specific genre.[8] Many of its songs were influenced by politics and conspiracy theories.[9] The album is dedicated to politicians and government officials disliked by Baerwald.[5] The album cover is a photograph of bloody hands on top of the American flag; the liner notes contain photos of the FBI file on Baerwald's father.[10][11]
Herb Alpert played trumpet on "A Secret Silken World"; due to its theme of sadism, Joni Mitchell allegedly counseled against recording the song.[12][13] "Nobody" was written after Baerwald tagged along with members of the LAPD gang division.[14] "A Bitter Tree" addresses adultery.[1] The voices of Jim Jones and George Herbert Walker Bush are sampled on "The Postman".[15] The closing two songs incorporate more optimistic sentiments.[16]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Calgary Herald | B+[17] |
| Chicago Sun-Times |   [5] |
| Chicago Tribune | [18] |
| Los Angeles Times |  [19] |
| USA Today | [20] |
| The Virginian-Pilot | [16] |
The New York Times wrote that the album "leavens its juicy dollops of depravity and paranoia with just enough humor to keep from being an apocalyptic bore."[21] The Calgary Herald noted that Baerwald's "voice—singing, mumbling and shouting those powerful lyrics—carries Triage, with the music pushed down to a subtle supporting role."[17]
The Chicago Tribune concluded that "it's an ambitious work, but heavy-handedness has often been Baerwald's bane."[18] The Los Angeles Times opined that, "like Roger Waters' recent work, Baerwald's well-crafted sonics fail to clothe his ambitious lyrical ideas in sufficient pop appeal."[19] The Philadelphia Inquirer considered Triage to be "ponderous, self-obsessed singer-songwriter indulgence."[22]
AllMusic rated Triage 4.5 out of 5 stars, deeming it "a bumpy ride."[23]
Track listing
All tracks are written by David Baerwald, with additional writers noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "A Secret Silken World" | David Ricketts | 7:42 |
| 2. | "The Got No Shotgun HydraHead Octopus Blues" | 4:27 | |
| 3. | "Nobody" | Bill Bottrell | 4:33 |
| 4. | "The Waiter" | Bottrell | 5:03 |
| 5. | "AIDS & Armageddon" | 5:33 | |
| 6. | "The Postman" | 5:33 | |
| 7. | "A Bitter Tree" | 3:28 | |
| 8. | "China Lake" | Ricketts | 4:37 |
| 9. | "A Brand New Morning" | 4:39 | |
| 10. | "Born for Love" | 6:22 | |
| Total length: | 51:57 | ||
Personnel
- David Baerwald – vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards, organ
- Bill Bottrell – guitars, keyboards, loops, vocals
- Greg Arreguin – guitar
- Dan Schwartz – bass, guitar
- David Kemper – drums
- Brian MacLeod – drums
- Kevin Gilbert – piano, drums
- Herb Alpert – trumpet (1)
Technical
- Produced by Bill Bottrell; David Baerwald and Dan Schwartz (1, 3, 6)
- Mixed by Bill Bottrell
- Engineered by Jerry Jordan, Julie Last, Blair Lamb, Lotti Kierkegaard, and Dan Schwartz
- Mastered by Bernie Grundman at Bernie Grundman Mastering, Los Angeles, California
- Production coordinator – Ivy Skoff
- Photography – Dennis Keeley
- Art direction and design – Rowan Moore