SPECIAL FEATURE: Greatest Album Of All Time
ponyexpressrecord

The major label debut is such a tough thing. If your sound changes at all the fans you have will say you have sold out. If you don't sound more commercial or polished the label will be dissapointed and most likely drop you. It's a catch 22. Having never read that book I don't really understand where that phrase comes from but I know what it means (so weird knowing what a phrase means and using that phrase but not understanding why it means that). Wait, I take it back, I think it is possible to make a major label debut that is successful enough to please fans and to at least placate the label for one or two more albums. Built to Spill seemed to do it with Perfect From Now On. But for every Built to Spill you seem to have two Liz Phair's (whose Liz Phair album was a complete abandoning of her credibility). Anywho, this whole major label debut topic is started to feel incredibly cliched.

Shudder to Think was a DC band, I mean, they were on Dischord (Ian Mackaye of Minor Threat and Fugazi's amazingly influential DC label) for Pete's sake. They were like totally weird hard rocking band with this guy who sang totally weird lyrics dramatically in and out of a falsetto. None of their Dischord albums were that interesting, with their last one for Dishord 1992's Get Your Goatbeing the most relevant with the band finding it's unique voice more than their previous albums. Shudder to Think started to become known for their powerful live shows after Get Your Goat when they added two new members Nathan Larson on guitar and Adam Wade on drums to the groups already existing members Craig Wedren, guitar player and songwriter, and Stuart Hill, on bass.

Based off of one moderately good album (Get Your Goat) and a strong live show (and the major labels insane desire to sign anything alternative or weird in 1993 and 1994) Shudder To Think signed with Sony and produced their finest moment, ponyexpressrecord. They really shined in the studio with a fancy producer (Ted Nicely) and a super fancy dude mixing the record (Andy Wallace, who mixed Nevermind and produced Run-DMC and Aerosmith's "Walk This Way" and Jeff Buckley's Grace). Shudder to Think pushed their angular art rock learnings further with ponyexpressrecord pushing strange start and stop rhythms, weird chords, surreal lyrics, and a strong use of silence and space. Craig Wedren, the band's singer and primary songwriter, was aided by Nathan Larson, guitarist and new member of the band, who extended the band's songwriting abilities by writing five songs for the album, including an amazing interpolation of Lesley Gore's "You Don't Own Me." "X-French Tee Shirt" turns one chord and a chorus and makes it into one of the more powerful and triumphant songs to come from "alternative rock." The album does a beautiful job of juxtaposing loud brash guitars with this strange powerful voice that is at the same time representing vulnerability. The album ends appropriately after 50 minutes of disorienting weirdness with "Full Body Anchor," a short and soft number featuring the only use of acoustic guitar on the entire album.

Shortly after finishing their touring for ponyexpressrecord Craig Werdern was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Disease. After spending a couple years dealing with his illness Shudder to Think released 50,000 BC a much more straight ahead rock record that failed to garner the band much more attention. It was Shudder to Think's final proper release. Shudder to Think did work on the score and soundtrack for the film First Love, Last Rites but did it mostly without Craig Wedren, as hee was still dealing with illness, and so they had alt. rock heavyweights, like Billy Corgan, Liz Phair, and Jeff Buckley, do the vocals. Craig Wedren has since gone on to work on the score's for films like School of Rock and Wet Hot American Summer and produce stuff for Cake Like and Cex and also has a new band called Baby. Shudder to Think's ponyexpressrecord is the perfect way to make a major label debut. They used the greater resources to bolster what made them special. ponyexpressrecord is The Greatest Album Of All Time.