Whisper Tames the Lion
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| Whisper Tames the Lion | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1988 | |||
| Studio | RPM, New York City | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 43:40 | |||
| Label | Island | |||
| Producer | Anton Fier | |||
| Drivin' n' Cryin' chronology | ||||
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Whisper Tames the Lion is the second album by the American band Drivin' n' Cryin', released in 1988.[3][4] "Powerhouse" was released as single.[5] The band supported the album with a North American tour.[6] The album peaked at No. 130 on the Billboard 200.[7] It sold more than 70,000 copies in its first year of release.[8]
Recorded in New York City, the album was produced by Anton Fier.[9] Jeff Sullivan joined the band on drums, although Fier drummed on most of the tracks.[10][11] Frontman Kevn Kinney considered the band's sound to be an amalgamation of styles but described himself as a folk singer.[12] "Check Your Tears at the Door" is narrated by a recently deceased young man.[13] Bernie Worrell played keyboards on "Good Day Every Day".[14] "On a Clear Daze" employed acoustic guitar and mandolin.[15]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [16] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | [17] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide |  [18] |
Trouser Press wrote that the album "focuses the trio's musical attack while maintaining the polystylistic approach."[11] The Orlando Sentinel noted: "Call it eclecticism, diversity or simply musical schizophrenia, but this album veers from one extreme to the other throughout."[19] The Atlanta Constitution opined that "there are a few overproduced tracks ... and a few glutinous violins ... [but the album] hews mostly to the band's unadorned strengths."[13]
The State concluded that "Catch the Wind" "is the best Byrds song Roger McGuinn never wrote."[20] LA Weekly determined that Whisper Tames the Lion "points new directions in backward-looking alterno-pop."[21] The Morning Call panned "the combination of heavy metal and folk music."[2] The North Bay Nugget determined that the band "bring a respectability to heavy rock that has been missing since the mid-Seventies."[1]
AllMusic wrote that the band was "still inflected with hillbilly/bluegrass roots and edging ever closer toward the hard rock sound they would ultimately embrace."[16]