Short Sharp Shocked
Encyclopedia
Short Sharp Shocked is an album
by Michelle Shocked
. It is her second album, released in 1988 (see 1988 in music
). It was remastered and reissued in 2003 as a two-CD set by Shocked's own label, Mighty Sound. The title is a combination of her last name, and the behavioral science phrase short, sharp shock
meaning "punishment that is quick and severe." The title was inspired by both "A Clockwork Orange" and by Shocked's alleged but now questioned incarceration in a psychiatric ward.
by Chris Hardy of the San Francisco Examiner and credited as such. The 2003 re-issue de-contextualized the original photograph by closely cropping it to Shocked's face.
except as noted.
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by Michelle Shocked
Michelle Shocked
Michelle Shocked is the stage name of Michelle Karen Johnston, an American singer-songwriter.-History:Shocked received her first international exposure in Europe, particularly Britain, with her debut album The Texas Campfire Tapes .Her first U.S...
. It is her second album, released in 1988 (see 1988 in music
1988 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1988.-January-March:* January 1 – André Rieu's Johann Strauss Orchestra plays its first concert....
). It was remastered and reissued in 2003 as a two-CD set by Shocked's own label, Mighty Sound. The title is a combination of her last name, and the behavioral science phrase short, sharp shock
Short, sharp shock
The phrase "short, sharp shock" is a phrase meaning "punishment that is quick and severe." It was most famously used in Gilbert and Sullivan's 1885 comic opera The Mikado, where it appears near the end of the Act I song, "I Am So Proud"....
meaning "punishment that is quick and severe." The title was inspired by both "A Clockwork Orange" and by Shocked's alleged but now questioned incarceration in a psychiatric ward.
Cover artwork
The photograph of Shocked used for this album cover was taken at a protest in San Francisco during the 1984 Democratic National ConventionDemocratic National Convention
The Democratic National Convention is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 1852 national convention...
by Chris Hardy of the San Francisco Examiner and credited as such. The 2003 re-issue de-contextualized the original photograph by closely cropping it to Shocked's face.
Track listing
All songs written by Michelle ShockedMichelle Shocked
Michelle Shocked is the stage name of Michelle Karen Johnston, an American singer-songwriter.-History:Shocked received her first international exposure in Europe, particularly Britain, with her debut album The Texas Campfire Tapes .Her first U.S...
except as noted.
- "When I Grow UpWhen I Grow Up (Michelle Shocked song)A song on the Michelle Shocked album Short Sharp Shocked, released in 1988. The song achieved popularity on first release particularly in the United Kingdom where it reached #67 on the UK Singles Chart. However, it has seen a revival due to its use in a commercial for the Health Maintenance...
" – 3:34 - "Hello Hopeville" – 2:55
- "Memories of East Texas" – 3:35
- "(Making the Run to) Gladewater" – 3:05
- "Graffiti Limbo" – 3:39
- "If Love Was a Train" – 4:07
- "AnchorageAnchorage (song)"Anchorage" is a song by Michelle Shocked released as a single from her 1988 album Short Sharp Shocked. The song is about the narrator taking time out to write to an old friend, who has moved from Texas to Anchorage, and her friend's reply...
" – 3:24 - "The L&N Don't Stop Here Anymore" (Jean RitchieJean RitchieJean Ritchie is an American folk singer, songwriter, and Appalachian dulcimer player.- Out of Kentucky :Abigail and Balis Ritchie of Viper, Kentucky had 14 children, and Jean was the youngest...
) – 4:10 - "V.F.D." – 2:49
- "Black Widow" – 2:44
- "Fogtown" – 2:25 ("hidden" track)
Personnel
- Michelle ShockedMichelle ShockedMichelle Shocked is the stage name of Michelle Karen Johnston, an American singer-songwriter.-History:Shocked received her first international exposure in Europe, particularly Britain, with her debut album The Texas Campfire Tapes .Her first U.S...
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, acoustic guitar - Pete AndersonPete AndersonPete Anderson is an American guitarist and music producer.Anderson is most known for his guitar work with, and critically acclaimed production of, country music star Dwight Yoakam from 1984 through 2002...
– electric guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, six-string bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
on 2 - Jeff Donavan – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Domenic Genova – acoustic bassAcoustic bass guitarThe acoustic bass guitar is a bass instrument with a hollow wooden body similar to, though usually somewhat larger than a steel-string acoustic guitar...
, electric bass - Skip Edwards – pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, Hammond organHammond organThe Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s it became a standard keyboard... - Mike Tempo – percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
- Al PerkinsAl PerkinsAl Perkins is a Texas-born American guitarist. The Gibson guitar company called Perkins "the world's most influential Dobro player", and even began producing an "Al Perkins Signature" Dobro in 2001 - designed and autographed by Perkins....
– dobroDobroDobro is a registered trademark, now owned by Gibson Guitar Corporation and used for a particular design of resonator guitar.The name has a long and involved history, interwoven with that of the resonator guitar... - Byron BerlineByron BerlineByron Berline is an American fiddle player.-Biography:Berline started playing the fiddle at age five and quickly developed a talent for it. In 1965, he recorded the album Pickin' and Fiddlin with the Dillards...
– mandolinMandolinA mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single... - Don Reed – fiddleFiddleThe term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
- Rod PiazzaRod PiazzaRod Piazza is an American blues harmonica player and singer. He has been playing with his band The Mighty Flyers since 1980 which he formed with his pianist wife Honey Piazza...
– harmonicaHarmonicaThe harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes... - Kristina Olson – hammered dulcimerAppalachian dulcimerThe Appalachian dulcimer is a fretted string instrument of the zither family, typically with three or four strings. It is native to the Appalachian region of the United States...
- Banjo Jim Croce – banjoBanjoIn the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
- Sophia Ramos – vocals
- MDCMDC (band)MDC is an American hardcore punk band formed in Austin, Texas in 1979. The band were subsequently based in San Francisco, California, and are currently based in Portland, Oregon. MDC originally formed as The Stains before changing their name...
– vocals on 11
Technical personnel
- Pete Anderson – arrangements
- Peter Doell – engineer (Capitol Studio B)
- Leslie Anne Jones – additional Engineering
- David Leonard – mixing engineer (Larribee Sound)
- Andy Batwinds – second engineer
- Bobby Lacivita – second engineer (Sound Castle)
- Eddy Schreyer - mastering engineer (Capitol Studios)
- Michael Dumds - production assistant
Album
| Year | Chart | Peak Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | The Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
73 |
Single
| Year | Song | Chart | Peak Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | "Anchorage" | Billboard Modern Rock Tracks | 16 |
| 1988 | "Anchorage" | Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
66 |
| 1988 | "If Love Was a Train" | Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks | 33 |
| 1988 | "If Love Was a Train" | Billboard Modern Rock Tracks | 20 |