American Standard is the third and final album by the American band Mary's Danish, released in 1992.[1][2] The band supported the album by participating in a Rock the Vote tour, following it with a tour with the Darling Buds.[3][4] "Leave It Alone" peaked at No. 20 on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart.[5]
The album was produced primarily by Peter Asher, who also served as the band's manager.[6][7]Niko Bolas engineered and assisted with the production.[8] It was recorded in 10 days at Skywalker Sound.[9] All six bandmembers contributed to the songwriting; the band rented a loft space in Central Los Angeles prior to the recording sessions so that they could jam.[10][11] "God Said" criticizes the operations of televangelists.[12] "Porcupine" denounces detaching oneself from society.[13] "Gotcha Covered" is about life in Los Angeles.[14]Chad Smith played drums on the unlisted track, a cover of "I Fought the Law" that also appeared on the soundtrack to Buffy the Vampire Slayer.[7][15]
The Los Angeles Times wrote that "in the key moments ... the band asserts a confident and consistent voice, shedding some of its old, distracting eclecticism in favor of a more comfortable and appealing rock 'n' roll purity."[12]Trouser Press determined that "the album's consistency makes it more listenable, if less adventurous, with an immediacy and urgency missing from prior work."[7] The Chicago Tribune opined that "siren singers Julie Ritter and Gretchen Seager belt out 'Leave It Alone', a speed-metal oeuvre in which guitarists Louis Gutierrez and David King fire up the grunge."[17]The Indianapolis Star said that "an occasional attempt toward mainstream rock, along with some overused themes, dooms a few tunes to mediocrity."[19]Spin deemed the album "rock with that everything-but-the-kitchen-sink vibe about it."[20] The Waterloo Region Record concluded that "Mary's Danish is probably a great alternative-singles band, but as a collection American Standard just doesn't stand up to repeated listenings."[21]AllMusic wrote that "the material here is substandard in comparison to the earlier releases, and Asher's '70s-slick production style simply doesn't mesh with the post-post-punk eclecticism at the heart of the band's sound."[16]
.jpg)
