| Dogman | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | January 18, 1994 | |||
| Recorded | 1993 | |||
| Genre | Hard rock,alternative metal | |||
| Length | 59:16 | |||
| Label | Atlantic | |||
| Producer | Brendan O'Brien | |||
| King's X chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Dogman | ||||
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Dogman is the fifth studio album by American rock bandKing's X, released in 1994. It marks the band's second album underAtlantic and their first to not be produced bySam Taylor; instead, the album was produced byBrendan O'Brien (who had recently worked withPearl Jam,Stone Temple Pilots andThe Black Crowes).Dogman signaled a heavier direction for King's X and, with strong approval from both critics and fans, is often considered one of their best works.[citation needed]
According to frontmanDoug Pinnick, while longtime King's X producer Sam Taylor had a big influence on the band's sound, he never captured the heaviness of their live performance in the studio. Taylor ended production duties with King's X after four albums. When the high-profile Brendan O'Brien approached King's X about creating an album together, the band enthusiastically accepted. In the end the band actually favored some of the demos over the final songs, and these would later be released asDogman Demos in 2005.[1] Nevertheless, working with O'Brien was a satisfying experience for King's X. In 1999, Pinnick described "Black the Sky" as his new "standard tomix to" due to its "big and fat" sound that simulated the band's live performance.
Although their previousself-titled effort featured dark themes and aggressive musicianship,Dogman was considerably heavier than previous albums and marked a transition in the band's sound. In 1999,Doug Pinnick reflected, "For me personally, theDogman record is what King's X really sounds like. The self-titled record was a step and an eye-opener and after that we could just make our music."[2]
Along with the heavier sound - and in contrast to the occasionally uplifting Christian themes of earlier King's X albums - Pinnick's lyrics expressed his building frustration with religion. "[A]ll of the records", he stated in 2005, "are always me questioning 'Is this really it?' because I grew up in a religious family all my life and I have always been going: something ain't right here. So I have always sung about what I thought wasn't right - my confusion and my disillusion with it. And then finally whenDogman came out I just spewed it all out. I was pissed at that point. Everybody was like: 'he's not Christian anymore.' Everybody got freaked out."[3]
Dogman was promoted with performances includingWoodstock '94 and opening slots forPearl Jam,Mötley Crüe, theScorpions andType O Negative.
The album artwork by Leon Alvarado was released in four color variations: red, yellow, green, and blue.
The album's title track was its first single andmusic video. According to Doug Pinnick, "Dogman" received strong radio rotation inNew York but the lack of a hit single hampered the album's commercial success.[4] To date, "Dogman" remains King's X's last charting single, peaking at number 20 on theMainstream Rock chart. The album produced three more singles: "Fool You",[5] "Pillow"[6] and the radio-only "Pretend",[7] but none charted.
A concert inDallas, Texas was filmed during theDogman tour and released as a two-disc CD entitledLive & Live Some More via Molken Music in 2007.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [8] |
| Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal | 10/10[9] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B−[10] |
| Q | [11] |
Dogman was critically well-received upon its release. Chuck Eddy ofEntertainment Weekly described the heavier sound as "less muddled than [King's X's previous] attempts atBeatles-derivedpsychedelic pop", and in a 4/5 star review,AllMusic's Alex Henderson praised the varied musical styles despite the album's heaviness, noting that King's X "addresses spiritual concerns without trying to force its beliefs on anyone."
| Year | Publication | Country | Accolade | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Visions | Germany | "The Eternal Readers Charts" | 31 | [12] |
| "*" denotes an unordered list. | |||||
All tracks are written byDoug Pinnick,Ty Tabor andJerry Gaskill, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Dogman" | 4:01 | |
| 2. | "Shoes" | 3:29 | |
| 3. | "Pretend" | 4:36 | |
| 4. | "Flies and Blue Skies" | 5:00 | |
| 5. | "Black the Sky" | 4:32 | |
| 6. | "Fool You" | 4:31 | |
| 7. | "Don't Care" | 4:39 | |
| 8. | "Sunshine Rain" | 4:35 | |
| 9. | "Complain" | 3:19 | |
| 10. | "Human Behavior" | 4:28 | |
| 11. | "Cigarettes" | 5:52 | |
| 12. | "Go to Hell" | 0:51 | |
| 13. | "Pillow" | 4:24 | |
| 14. | "Manic Depression" | Jimi Hendrix | 4:59 |
| Chart | Peak | |
|---|---|---|
| Swedish Album Chart | 46 | [13] |
| Swiss Album Chart | 47 | [14] |
| UK Albums Chart | 49 | [15] |
| U.S.Billboard 200 | 88 | [16] |
Singles - Billboard (North America)
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | "Dogman" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 20 |
