Backwards from the Front (album)
| Backwards from the Front | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | July 11, 1989 | |||
| Recorded | June 1988 - February 1989 | |||
| Genre | Rock, Pop-Rock | |||
| Length | 40:11 | |||
| Label | Split Phones Records | |||
| Producer | Dave Shevil | |||
| Foolish Creeper chronology | ||||
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| Alternative cover | ||||
_sm.jpg) In Japan, an alternate cover art was created that focused more on brighter, flashier colors. This cover art was eventually replaced with the North American artwork on all subsequent releases. |
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Backwards from the Front is the fourth album released by Foolish Creeper and the last with the band's original lineup until 2009.
Production
During the middle of the band's 1987 Inside Out tour, trouble started arising between Denis Porter and Lauren Jensen after the two got into a massive fight at a hotel. Their argument ended after Porter threw a television out the balcony window, narrowly missing Jensen and landing on a bystander's car 12 stories below. The fight, the result of Porter being intoxicated and drugged up, was the start of a separation between the two lead members.
A few months later, producer Dave Shevil told the band the studio wanted a new album for their 1989 release window and urged the band to start writing and producing again, in hopes of mending the rift starting to form. However, the mend never happened. After the tour ended, Porter and Jensen went their separate ways to write songs, joining up with the other members on their own time to write songs that would eventually fill out the album's playlist. Porter and Jensen never wrote together, a drastic departure and an obvious observation by fans.
The songs recorded and included on the album depict the two leads navigating through their challenging times, ultimately resulting in one of the most personal albums the band has ever produced. Three days before the album was released, Jensen left the band after a phone call with Porter. No one knows exactly what was said during the call, but Porter would later confirm that, in a drunken state, he called Jensen and demanded she leave the band or he'd do something rash.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Don't Question Me" | Denis Porter | 4:29 |
| 2. | "Finally You" | Porter | 3:52 |
| 3. | "See It Out" | Porter, Karen Weber | 3:47 |
| 4. | "Toppled Your Dreams" | Porter | 3:12 |
| 5. | "Wrong Again (Feel It Inside)" | Lauren Jensen | 4:47 |
| 6. | "Apple" | Porter, Craig Hansen | 4:20 |
| 7. | "Back At You" | Porter, Weber, Roman Erickson | 3:48 |
| 8. | "Stoned Alive" | Weber, Jensen | 4:01 |
| 9. | "You've Got It Again" | Porter | 4:11 |
| 10. | "Backwards (From the Front)" | Jensen, Hansen, Weber, Erickson | 3:37 |
| Total length: | 40:11 | ||
Reception
The album received generally favorable reviews; however, many noted its noticeable tonal shift in lyrics. Some claimed the internal bickering between Porter and Jensen ultimately gave the album more depth than previous records, but at the same time, the general "spark" that made the last two albums hits was missing.
Personnel
- Denis Porter – lead vocals, keyboards
- Lauren Jensen – lead guitar, backing vocals
- Craig Hansen – rhythm guitar
- Karen Weber – bass
- Roman Erickson – drums, percussion