Black Radio Won't Play This Record

Black Radio Won't Play This Record
Studio album by Mother's Finest
Released	1992
Genre	Heavy metal hard rock soul alternative metal
Label	Scotti Brothers[1]
Producer	Thom Panunzio
Mother's Finest chronology
Subluxation (1990) Black Radio Won't Play This Record (1992) Meta-Funk'n Physical (2003)

Black Radio Won't Play This Record is an album by the American band Mother's Finest, released in 1992.[2][3] The title of the album comes from a comment made by a Scotti Brothers executive.[4] The band supported the album with a North American tour.[5] The first single was "Generator".[6]

Production

Displeased with their previous studio album, the band hired new management and recorded demos.[6] Three original members of Mother's Finest played on the album: Joyce Kennedy, Glenn Murdock, and Jerry Seay.[7] It was produced by Thom Panunzio.[8] "Power" is a tribute to female toughness.[9]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[10]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[7]
The Indianapolis Star	[11]
MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide	[12]
Rock Hard	9.5/10[13]

The Washington Post wrote that "lead singer Joyce Kennedy wastes no time bemoaning lack of black fan support for black rockers, singing in the first song, 'Negro': 'Like a rebel without a cause/ I play my music to no applause'."[8] Spin called the album "loud, irreverent, and oozing integrity," writing that it "dishes out a Chaka-Khan-meets-alternametal onslaught."[14] The Indianapolis Star deemed it "unadulterated hard rock," declaring that the band "manages to rage pretty effectively against racial and sexual stereotypes with an infectious metallic beat."[11] The Kingston Whig-Standard said that "the guitars tend to be grungy and delivered at a high speed but [the band] don't believe in cliches either."[15]

AllMusic wrote: "Taking off the gloves (both musically and lyrically) and throwing urban contemporary considerations to the wind, MF excels by doing what it does best: scorching heavy metal and hard rock with a touch of Ike & Tina Turner-ish soul."[10] Washington City Paper declared that "Kennedy’s voice is bred for the band’s ability to go from downtempo soul all the way up to power metal sprinkled with funk influences."[16] Miami New Times called Black Radio Won't Play This Record "one of the best rock albums of the Nineties."[17]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Like a Negro"	Kennedy, Seay, Murdock	5:05
2.	"Power"	Kennedy, John Hayes	3:59
3.	"Generator"	Seay	4:34
4.	"Cry Baby"	Kennedy, Hayes	5:25
5.	"Shirt"	Kennedy, Hayes, Murdock	3:00
6.	"The Wall"	Kennedy, Murdock, Hayes	5:19
7.	"Attitude"	Murdock, Kennedy, Dion Murdock	4:19
8.	"Crack Babies"	Seay, Murdock, Sam McCovey	5:11
9.	"Head Bangin' and Booty Shakin'"	Murdock	2:58
10.	"Stop"	Seay, Cris Kennedy	3:42
11.	"Move (Get Outta My Way)"	Seay, Kennedy, Dee Dee Hakim	4:27
12.	"L.P.F."	Kennedy, Hayes	3:49

References

1. Heim, Chris (1 May 1992). "New kids on the block". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. S.
2. "Mother's Finest Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
3. Mahon, Maureen (June 23, 2004). Right to Rock: The Black Rock Coalition and the Cultural Politics of Race. Duke University Press.
4. Miller, Michael (November 13, 1992). "Message of Mother's Finest: Rock Isn't for Whites Only". The State. p. 3D.
5. Weatherford, Mike (4 Sep 1992). "Rock Options". Las Vegas Review-Journal. p. 2E.
6. Linafelt, Tom (15 May 1992). "Mother's Finest brings rock act to the Strand". Kicks!. The Sun News. p. 3.
7. Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 6. MUZE. p. 28.
8. "Black Rockers on the Move". The Washington Post. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
9. Hunt, Dennis (21 Oct 1992). "Mother's Finest Showcases Anger in Roxy Show". Los Angeles Times. p. F9.
10. "Black Radio Won't Play This Record". AllMusic.
11. Hill, Dave (10 July 1992). "Mother's Finest offers headbangin' rock". The Indianapolis Star. p. D8.
12. MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1998. p. 412.
13. "Mother's Finest – Black Radio Won't Play This Record". Rock Hard.
14. Blush, Steven (Jul 1992). "Spins". Spin. Vol. 8, no. 4. p. 79.
15. Burliuk, Greg (4 June 1992). "More Than Just Soul". Entertainment. The Kingston Whig-Standard. p. 1.
16. "To Do This Weekend: Persona, GoldLink, and Mother's Finest". Washington City Paper. July 27, 2018.
17. Baker, Greg. "Finest's Worksong". Miami New Times.