Dare to Be Surprised

Dare to Be Surprised
Studio album by
The Folk Implosion
ReleasedApril 29, 1997 (1997-04-29)
Genre
Length37:27
LabelCommunion
Producer
The Folk Implosion chronology
Take a Look Inside
(1994) 		Dare to Be Surprised
(1997) 		One Part Lullaby
(1999)
Singles from Dare to Be Surprised
  1. "Insinuation"
    Released: 1997
  2. "Pole Position"
    Released: 1997

Dare to Be Surprised is the second studio album by the Folk Implosion.[1][2] It was released on Communion in 1997.[3]

Production

The liner notes state that the album was "recorded at Bliss onto videotape, 8-16 tracks," and that "no analog equipment was used in the production of this record (except for a couple of things)."

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]
Chicago Tribune[5]
Robert Christgau(1-star Honorable Mention)[7]
Pitchfork8.2/10[6]
(The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide[8]
Spin6/10[9]

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic called the album "one of the finest items in their respective catalogs."[4] Mark Binelli of Spin commented that "the record feels frigid, less a true attempt at seduction than a tepid toe-suck."[9]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Lou Barlow and John Davis

No.TitleLength
1."Pole Position"2:46
2."Wide Web"2:50
3."Insinuation"4:26
4."Barricade"2:36
5."That's the Trick"1:58
6."Checking In"3:13
7."Cold Night"1:26
8."Park Dub"1:39
9."Burning Paper"4:13
10."(Blank Paper)"1:55
11."Ball and Chain"2:32
12."Fall into November"2:57
13."Dare to Be Surprised"2:10
14."River Devotion"1:46
Total length:37:27

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes.

The Folk Implosion

  • Lou Barlow – bass guitar, drums, instruments, vocals
  • John Davis – guitar, drums, instruments, vocals

Additional personnel

  • Wally Gagel – drum programming, recording, engineering, mixing
  • Gary Weissman – artwork, layout
  • Tamara Bonn – photography
  • JJ Gifford – digital manipulation

References

  1. ^ "Folk Implosion Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
  2. ^ Buckley, Peter (November 13, 2003). The Rough Guide to Rock. Rough Guides. ISBN 9781843531050 – via Google Books.
  3. ^ "Billboard Bits: Pretenders, Folk Implosion, Bon Jovi". Billboard. September 11, 2002.
  4. ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Folk Implosion - Dare to Be Surprised". AllMusic. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  5. ^ Knopper, Steve (April 11, 1997). "Folk Implosion Dare to Be Surprised (Communion)". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on November 15, 2017. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
  6. ^ Schreiber, Ryan (July 5, 2007). "Folk Implosion: Dare to be Surprised". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on July 5, 2007.
  7. ^ Christgau, Robert (October 15, 2000). Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s. Macmillan Publishing. p. 106. ISBN 9780312245603.
  8. ^ Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian David (November 13, 2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 9780743201698 – via Google Books.
  9. ^ a b Binelli, Mark (May 1997). "Reviews". Spin. SPIN Media LLC. p. 115.