| What Doesn't Kill You... | ||
|---|---|---|
 | ||
| Studio album by Blue Cheer | ||
| Released | August 21 2007 | |
| Recorded | 2005 - 2007 at Polar Bear Lair in Middletown, Maryland, USA | |
| Genre | Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Stoner Rock, Blues Rock | |
| Length | 56:30 | |
| Label | Rainman | |
| Producer | Andrew "Duck" MacDonald, Chris Kozlowski | |
| Blue Cheer chronology | ||
| Bootleg : Live London - Hamburg (2005) |
What Doesn't Kill You... (2007) |
Rocks Europe (2009) |
What Doesn't Kill You... is the tenth studio album by hard rock/proto-metal band Blue Cheer. Recorded initially in 2005 and 2006 it would be released in August 2007 via Rainman Records. Notably, along with a cover of the classic blues song "Born Under a Bad Sign", it's the longest Blue Cheer album and even features the longest Blue Cheer song in "No Relief". It would turn out to be the final album by the band due to Dickie Peterson's passing roughly two years after it's release.
Background[]
Development on a new Blue Cheer album began sometime around 2005 when Peterson and MacDonald visited Maryland to record a new album, initially with Joe Hasselvander (Raven, Death Row, Pentagram). However when Paul Whaley would rejoin the band that same year it was decided by the label that Whaley should contribute to the album in that he would be the touring drummer, thus he would record drums for five songs. In a statement on The Obelisk, Joe Hasselvander explained how the drum roles got split and how it was a privilege to share the album with him.[1]
Sometime after the album's release, Rainman released an EP to further promote the album in Rollin' Dem Bones. This EP would feature Rollin' Dem Bones, Born Under a Bad Sign, Alligator Boots (A non-LP track) and live versions of Rollin' Dem Bones and Summertime Blues.[2]
Reviews of What Doesn't Kill You... tend to be fairly mixed. In an AllMusic review via Jack Rabid (3/5 stars) this album is described as the band "making metal as beefy as a brontosaurus".[3] Rough Edge blog (3.5/4 guitars) praised the album as one that would stand on it's own.[4] In a 4-star review via Record Collector the band is described as one of the last original power trios and that "Progression, however, is not in their vocabulary.".[5] Glistening Metal[6] and Night Watchers House of Rock[7] also praised the record. However some reviews were more critical such as Only Solitaire (Giving a "thumbs down" rating) describing it as "...slow, draggy, grinding chain of distortion and fuzz, over which the lead guitar rises in waves of wah-wah terror and «woman tone» overdrive, but not loud enough to outscream the persistent roaring crunch of the rhythm.".[8] In a tenth anniversary tribute via Doodlehound the album is praised in some aspects, in particular Gypsy Rider being compared to Pentagram. The blog would also describe the record in the following: "You could make the jokes about “Classic Rock Magazine Dinosaurs” or “Old Rock Music” and in some cases its right there in your face. But at the same time What Doesn’t Kill You is a representation of this stubborn loud and proud band that just kept going at the time and owns exactly what it is." Ultimately the blog chose to give a "mildly recommended" rating for it's aged sound and the statement that "Blue Cheer had two amazing albums in Vincebus Eruptum and OutsideInside and that’s it.".[9]
Tracklist[]
- 1. Rollin' Dem Bones (Andrew MacDonald, Dickie Peterson) (4:49)
- 2. Piece o' the Pie (MacDonald, Peterson) (5:06)
- 3. Born Under a Bad Sign (William Bell, Booker T. Jones) (3:38)
- 4. Gypsy Rider (MacDonald, Peterson) (4:54)
- 5. Young Lions in Paradise (Peterson) (6:49)
- 6. I Don't Known About You (MacDonald, Peterson) (5:00)
- 7. I'm Gonna Get To You (MacDonald, Peterson (6:32)
- 8. Maladjusted Child (MacDonald, Peterson) (5:08)
- 9. Just a Little Bit (Redux) (Peterson) (4:01)
- 10. No Relief (MacDonald, Peterson) (9:31)
Personnel[]
- Dickie Peterson - Bass, Vocals
- Paul Whaley - Drums (3, 6 - 9)
- Joe Hasselvander - Drums (1 - 2, 4 - 5, 10)
- Andrew MacDonald - Guitar, Engineer, Producer
- Chris Kozlowski - Engineer, Mixing, Mastering, Producer
- Maria Merriman - Backing Vocals (5)
- Michelle Matz - Backing Vocals (5)
- EMEK - Illustration
- Ed Spyra - Artwork
- Greg Lewerke - Management
- Ron Rainey - Management