I Blame the Government

I Blame the Government
Studio album by
Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine
ReleasedJanuary 1998
Recorded1997
GenreAlternative dance, alternative rock
LabelCooking Vinyl
ProducerCarter the Unstoppable Sex Machine and Simon Painter
Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine chronology
A World Without Dave
(1997) 		I Blame the Government
(1998)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
NME3/10[2]

I Blame the Government is the final studio album by Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine.[3][4] It was released on Cooking Vinyl Records in 1998, and reached #92 on the UK charts.[5]

It was originally conceived as a double album, but Carter guitarist Les "Fruitbat" Carter felt double albums were a chore in general to listen through from start to finish, so the plan was scrapped. The album was recorded with a seven-member line-up rather than just a two-member line-up which they had used on their early recordings. Many of the songs released on the album were demo versions, recorded in Fruitbat’s home studio and not final studio recordings, as the band had split up before they had completed work on the album.[citation needed] Carter decided not to scrap the material but rather to release it as it stood.

It is the only Carter album not to see any singles released from it, although Fruitbat has stated that he felt there were a couple of songs that could have been singles had the band not split before its release.[citation needed]

Critical reception

Dave Thompson, in Alternative Rock, wrote that "the lyrics once again shine with punchy wit and the frantically guitar-driven music recaptures their old madcap pop flair."[6]

Track listing

All songs written by Morrison/Carter

  1. "The Wrong Place at the Wrong Time" - 0:55
  2. "23:59 End of the World" - 3:41
  3. "Sunshine" - 3:36
  4. "The Undertaker and the Hippy Protest Singer" - 3:03
  5. "Sweetheart Sugar Baby" - 4:41
  6. "Growing Old Disgracefully" - 3:15
  7. "The Man Who Bought the World" - 4:40
  8. "Winning the War" - 3:14
  9. "I Blame the Government" - 3:19
  10. "Citizen's Band Radio" - 4:08
  11. "Psycho Bill" - 2:50
  12. "Closedown" - 3:27
  13. "Girls Can Keep a Secret" - 4:35

Credits

The album was produced by Carter USM and Simon Painter. It was recorded at Notice Studios, House In The Woods and at Chateau Fruitbat.

  • Jim "Jim Bob" Morrison - vocals, guitar
  • Les "Fruitbat" Carter - vocals, guitar, keyboards
  • Wez - drums
  • Salv - bass
  • Steve - guitar
  • Ben Lambert - keyboards
  • Simon Painter - producer, engineer, piano, guitar, backing vocals
  • Simon Milton - assistant engineer

References

  1. ^ "I Blame the Government - Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
  2. ^ "NME.COM - CARTER THE UNSTOPPABLE SEX MACHINE - I Blame The Government - 24/1/1998". 13 June 2000. Archived from the original on 13 June 2000.
  3. ^ The Rough Guide to Rock. Rough Guides. 22 July 2003. ISBN 9781858284576 – via Google Books.
  4. ^ "Fruitbat Reforms Carter USM". 5 April 2007.
  5. ^ "CARTER (THE UNSTOPPABLE SEX MACHINE) | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com.
  6. ^ Thompson, Dave (22 July 2000). Alternative Rock. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN 9780879306076 – via Google Books.