Gênero: Alternative Rock, Americana, Roots Rock, Alternative Country-Rock
Disco: Cracker
Ano: 1992
Faixas:
1. Teen Angst (What The World Needs Now) (Lowery) 4:14
2. Happy Birthday To Me (Lowery) 3:31
3. This Is Cracker Soul (Hickman, Lowery, Faragher) 3:40
4. I See The Light (Hickman, Faragher, Hickman, Lowery) 5:13
5. St. Cajetan (Lowery, Hickman) 5:26
6. Mr. Wrong (Hickman) 4:37
7. Someday (Lowery, Hickman, Faragher) 3:22
8. Can I Take My Gun To Heaven? (Lowery) 4:02
9. Satisfy You (Lowery, Hickman) 3:29
10. Another Song About The Rain (Hickman, Le Roi) 5:50
11. Don't Fuck Me Up (With Peace And Love) (Lowery) 3:12
12. Dr. Bernice (Lowery) 6:21
Créditos:
Davey Faragher: Bass, Backing Vocals
Johnny Hickman: Electric Guitars, Backing Vocals, Harmonica, Lead Vocals (faixa 10)
David Lowery: Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Músicos adicionais:
Rick Jaeger: Drums
Jim Keltner: Drums (faixas 2, 3, 6)
Benmont Tench: Keyboards
Jeanie McClain: Backing Vocals (faixas 4, 5)
Phil Jones: Percussion
Lovely Previn: Fiddle
Disco: Kerosene Hat
Ano: 1993
Faixas:
1. Low (Lowery, Hickman, Faragher) 4:36
2. Movie Star (Lowery) 3:33
3. Get Off This (Lowery, Faragher, Hickman) 4:26
4. Kerosene Hat (Lowery) 5:36
5. Take Me Down To The Infirmary (Lowery) 4:05
6. Nostalgia (Lowery, Faragher, Hickman) 3:34
7. Sweet Potato (Faragher, Hickman, Lowery) 3:16
8. Sick Of Goodbyes (Linkous, Lowery) 3:10
9. I Want Everything (Lowery) 5:53
10. Lonesome Johnny Blues (Hickman) 2:48
11. Let's Go For A Ride (Lowery, Hickman, Faragher) 3:08
12. Loser (Garcia, Hunter) 6:11
13. Hi-Desert Biker Meth Lab (Lowery, Hickman, Faragher) 0:41
14. Euro-Trash Girl (Lowery, Hickman, Faragher, Peters) 8:04
15. I Ride My Bike (Lowery, Hickman) 6:34
16. Kerosene Hat [Demo Outtake] (Lowery) 1:23
Créditos:
Davey Faragher: Bass, Backing Vocals
Johnny Hickman: Guitar, Backing Vocals, Lead Vocals (faixa 10)
David Lowery: Vocals, Rhythm Guitar, Acoustic Guitar
Michael Urbano: Drums
Músico adicional:
Phil Jones: Percussion, Drums (faixas 8, 9)
Disco: The Golden Age
Ano: 1996
Faixas:
1. I Hate My Generation (Lowery, Hickman) 2:56
2. I'm A Little Rocket Ship (Lowery, Hickman) 3:25
3. Big Dipper (Lowery) 5:40
4. Nothing To Believe In (Lowery, Rupe, Hickman) 3:24
5. The Golden Age (Lowery, Hickman) 3:43
6. 100 Flower Power Maximum (Lowery, Hickman) 2:46
7. Dixie Babylon (Lowery, Hickman) 7:09
8. I Can't Forget You (Lowery) 4:13
9. Sweet Thistle Pie (Lowery, Hickman) 5:01
10. Useless Stuff (Lowery, Hickman) 2:19
11. How Can I Live Without You (Lowery, Hickman) 3:27
12. Bicycle Spaniard (Lowery, Hickman) 4:25
Créditos:
David Lowery: Lead Vocals, Guitar, Mellotron (faixas 2, 5, 6), Backing Vocals (faixa 5), Synthesizer (faixas 1, 8)
Johnny Hickman: Lead Guitar, Guitar (faixa 2), Baritone Guitar (faixa 5), Backing Vocals (faixas 1, 2, 4, 6, 8-11), Synthesizer (faixa 4), Harmonica (faixas 9, 11), Talkbox (faixa 11)
Bob Rupe: Bass, Backing Vocals (faixas 4, 9)
Charlie Quintana: Drums
Músicos adicionais:
Johnny Hott: Percussion (faixas 1, 3, 4, 6, 10-12)
David Immergluck: Guitar (faixa 4), Pedal Steel Guitar (faixas 3, 5, 8), Backing Vocals (faixas 1, 2, 4, 10)
Tony Maimone: Bass (faixa 11)
Eddie Bayers: Drums (faixas 9, 11)
Charlie Gillingham: Organ (faixas 1, 7)
Paul Shure: Theremin (faixa 1)
John Hobbs: Piano (faixa 3)
Joan Osborne: Backing Vocals (faixa 4)
Dennis Herring: Handclaps (faixa 4), Mellotron (faixa 6), Acoustic Guitar (faixa 8)
Jim Cox: Piano (faixa 7)
Kristin Asbury, Shannon Worrell: Backing Vocals (faixa 9)
Rob Hajacos: Fiddle (faixa 11)
Larry Corbett: Cello (faixa 12)
Suzie Katayama: Cello & Contractor (faixa 12)
Denyse Buffum, Bob Becker: Viola (faixa 12)
Armen Garabedian, Bob Peterson, Bonnie Shure, Katia Popov, Michelle Richards, Paul Shure, Peter Kent, Sid Page: Violin (faixa 12)
Disco: Gentleman's Blues
Ano: 1998
Faixas:
1. The Good Life (Lowery, Hickman) 3:53
2. Seven Days (Lowery, Hickman) 4:28
3. Star (Lowery, Hickman) 3:23
4. James River (Lowery) 5:05
5. My Life Is Totally Boring Without You (Lowery, Hickman, Rupe) 3:18
6. Been Around The World (Lowery) 5:06
7. The World Is Mine (Lowery, Hickman) 3:50
8. Lullabye (Lowery) 5:01
9. Waiting For You Girl (Lowery, Hickman) 4:04
10. Trials & Tribulations (Hickman) 3:06
11. Wild One (Lowery, Hickman, Rupe) 4:28
12. Hold Of Myself (Hickman) 3:59
13. Gentleman's Blues (Lowery, Hickman) 5:02
14. I Want Out Of The Circus (Lowery) 4:55
15. Wedding Day (Hickman) 3:51
16. Hallelujah (Lowery) 4:12
17. Cinderella (Lowery) 5:04
Créditos:
David Lowery: Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards
Johnny Hickman: Guitar, Vocals
Bob Rupe: Bass, Vocals
Kenny Margolis: Keyboards, Accordion
Frank Funaro: Drums, Guitar
Músicos adicionais:
Benmont Tench: Organ (faixas 1, 2, 3, 5, 15), Piano (faixa 15)
Mike Campbell: Guitar (faixas 1, 5), Cello (faixa 4)
Davey Faragher: Bass (faixas 3, 5, 8), Backing Vocals (faixas 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8)
Tommy Stinson: Bass (faixa 1)
Brian MacLeod: Percussion (faixas 1, 8)
Charlie Drayton: Percussion (faixas 2, 3, 4, 11, 12, 15)
Eddie Bayers: Percussion (faixa 13)
Phil Jones: Percussion (faixas 2, 3, 11, 12)
Steve Jordan: Percussion (faixas 1, 5, 8)
Kristin Asbury: Backing Vocals (faixas 2, 11, 12, 16)
Disco: Garage d'Or
Ano: 2000
Faixas:
Disc 1
1. Teen Angst (What The World Needs Now) (Lowery) 4:15
2. This Is Cracker Soul (Faragher, Hickman, Lowery) 3:42
3. I See The Light (Faragher, Hickman, Lowery) 5:11
4. Low (Lowery, Hickman, Faragher) 4:36
5. Get Off This (Lowery, Faragher, Hickman) 4:21
6. Sweet Potato (Faragher, Hickman, Lowery) 3:13
7. Euro-Trash Girl (Lowery, Hickman, Faragher, Peters) 8:05
8. Shake Some Action (Jordan, Wilson) 4:28
9. Sweet Thistle Pie (Lowery, Hickman) 5:01
10. I'm A Little Rocket Ship (Lowery, Hickman) 3:25
11. Big Dipper (Lowery) 5:39
12. Seven Days (Lowery, Hickman) 4:24
13. Been Around The World (Lowery) 4:57
14. Be My Love (Lowery) 4:14
15. Heaven Knows I'm Lonely Now (Lowery, Hickman) 5:12
16. Eyes Of Mary (Lowery) 2:24
Disc 2
1. Surfbilly [Recorded For The Johnnie Walker Saturday Show On BBC Radio 1, London, Dec. 1994] (Lowery, Hickman) 1:54
2. The Golden Age [Live At The Blue Loon, Fairbanks, Alaska, April 1999] (Lowery, Hickman) 3:44
3. You Ain't Going Nowhere [Live At The Bowery Ballroom, New York City, March 1999] (Dylan) 3:29
4. Hollywood Cemetary [Outtake From "Gentleman's Blues"] (Lowery) 5:02
5. Whole Lotta Trouble [From The Film "Empire Records"] (Lowery, Hickman) 2:28
6. I Want Out Of The Circus [Live Performance, June 1997] (Lowery) 3:58
7. Steve's Hornpipe [Demo Recorded At David And Johnny's Oregon Hill House, August 1990] (Lowery, Hickman) 2:11
8. Mr. Wrong [Live At Slim's, San Francisco, CA, October 1998] (Hickman) 4:52
9. Sunday Train [Outtake From "Kerosene Hat"] (Lowery, Hickman) 3:42
10. Lonesome Johnny Blues [Live At Pappy And Harriet's Pioneertown Palace, Pioneertown, CA, March 1996] (Hickman) 2:58
11. Rainy Days And Mondays [From The Carpenters Tribute Album "If I Were A Carpenter", 1994] (Williams, Nichols) 3:46
12. China [Demo From The First Cracker CD] (Lowery, Hickman) 3:11
Créditos (prováveis):
David Lowery: Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Johnny Hickman: Electric Guitar, Harmonica, Backing Vocals
Davey Faragher: Bass, Backing Vocals
Bob Rupe: Bass
Rick Jaeger, Jim Keltner, Michael Urbano, Charlie Quintana, Frank Funaro, Eddie Bayers: Drums
Phil Jones: Percussion
Jean McClain: Backing Vocals
Adam Duritz, Dan Vickerey, Joan Osborne: Unknown Contribution ("You Ain't Going Nowhere")
Disco: Forever
Ano: 2001
Faixas:
1. Brides Of Neptune (Lowery) 4:57
2. Shine (Lowery, Hickman) 4:20
3. Don't Bring Us Down (Lowery, Hickman) 4:02
4. Guarded By Monkeys (Lowery) 4:22
5. Ain't That Strange (Lowery, Hickman) 4:07
6. Miss Santa Cruz County (Lowery, Hickman) 4:29
7. Superfan (Hickman) 3:56
8. Sweet Magdalena Of My Misfortune (Lowery) 3:35
9. Merry Christmas Emily (Lowery, Hickman) 3:56
10. Forever (Lowery, Hickman) 4:13
11. Shameless (Lowery, Hickman) 3:44
12. One Fine Day (Lowery, Hickman) 6:54
13. What You're Missing (Lowery, Hickman, Margolis, Funaro, Wood, Rexrode) 5:42
Créditos:
Frank Funaro: Drums, Percussion, Vox
Johnny Hickman: Guitar, Vox, Percussion
David Lowery: Vox, Guitar, Keys, Bass
Kenny Margolis: Keyboards, Accordion, Vox
Brandy Wood: Bass, Vox
Músicos adicionais:
Leer Baker, Kristen Hott, Casey Martin, Schiavone McGee: Backing Vox
Nathan Brown: Drums
Chris Eubanks: Cello
Craig Harmon: Keys
Victor Krummenacher: Bass
Mark Linkous: Guitar, Keys, Backing Vox
Miguel Urbiztondo: Drums, Percussion
Alan Weatherhead: Guitar
Margaret White: Violin, Backing Vox
Disco: Hello, Cleveland! Live from The Metro
Ano: 2002(*)
Faixas:
1. Seven Days (Lowery, Hickman) 4:37
2. The Good Life (Lowery, Hickman) 3:48
3. Lonesome Johnny Blues (Hickman) 2:59
4. Big Dipper (Lowery) 5:36
5. Around The World (Lowery) 5:20
6. Teen Angst (Lowery) 4:12
7. Crackersoul (Hickman, Lowery, Faragher) 3:53
8. Sweet Thistle Pie (Lowery, Hickman) 5:15
9. The World Is Mine (Lowery, Hickman) 3:58
10. Low (Lowery, Hickman, Faragher) 4:45
11. Pictures Of Matchstick Men (Rossi) 4:32
Créditos:
David Lowery: Guitar, Vox
John Hickman: Guitar, Vox
Kenny Margolis: Keyboards, Percussion
Frank Funaro: Drums
Bob Rupe: Bass
(*) Gravado ao vivo no Metro, em Chicago, Illinois, EUA, no dia 20 de novembro de 1999.
Disco: Countrysides
Ano: 2003
Faixas:
1. Truckload Of Art (Allen) 3:42
2. Duty Free (Reilly) 5:53
3. Up Against The Wall Redneck Mothers (Hubbard) 4:09
4. Sinaloa Cowboys (Springsteen) 3:53
5. Family Tradition (Williams Jr.) 4:42
6. The Bottle Let Me Down (Haggard) 4:40
7. Reasons To Quit (Haggard) 3:29
8. Buenas Noches From A Lonely Room (Yoakam) 3:46
9. Ain't Gonna Suck Itself (Lowery) 5:49
Créditos:
David Lowery: Guitar, Vox
John Hickman: Guitar, Vox
Kenny Margolis: Keys, Percussion, Accordion
Frank Funaro: Drums
Brandy Wood: Bass, Vox
Músicos adicionais:
Craig Harmon: Keys (faixa 2)
Alan Weatherhead: Pedal Steel (faixa 2)
Disco: Greenland
Ano: 2006
Faixas:
1. Something You Ain't Got (McCutcheon, Ray, Young) 5:17
2. Maggie (Lowery) 3:43
3. Where Have Those Days Gone (Lowery, Durant) 4:12
4. Fluffy Lucy (Lowery) 3:24
5. The Riverside (Lowery) 4:21
6. Gimme One More Chance (Lowery, Immerglück) 4:14
7. I'm So Glad She Ain't Never Coming Back (Lowery, Immerglück, Hickman) 1:54
8. Sidi Ifni (Lowery, Hickman) 6:05
9. I Need Better Friends (Lowery) 3:49
10. Minotaur (Lowery) 4:27
11. Night Falls (Lowery, Hickman) 5:24
12. Better Times Are Coming Our Way (Lowery) 5:01
13. Everybody Gets One For Free (Lowery, Hickman, Durant, Koester) 6:43
14. Darling We're Out Of Time (Lowery, Durant) 4:38
Créditos:
David Lowery: Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Piano, Keyboards, Synthesizers, Strings
Johnny Hickman: Guitars, Vocals
Frank Funaro: Drums, Percussion
Kenny Margolis: Keyboards, Piano, Accordion
Victor Krummenacher: Bass
Músicos adicionais:
Caitlin Cary, Casey Martin: Backing Vocals
Cam DiNuzio, Stephen Koester: Bass
Matt Durant: Keyboards, Synthesizers, Electric Piano
Craig Harmon: Keyboards, Organ
Lauren Hoffman: Backing Vocals, Synthesizers
David Immerglück: Electric Guitar, Bass
Mark Linkous: Guitar, Synthesizers
John Morand: Percussion
Miguel Urbiztondo: Drums, Percussion, Tabla
Alan Weatherhead: Guitar, Slide Guitar, Pedal Steel, Keyboards
Margaret White: Violins
Disco: Sunrise In The Land Of Milk And Honey
Ano: 2009
Faixas:
1. Yalla Yalla (Let's Go) (3:16)
2. Show Me How This Thing Works (2:50)
2. Show Me How This Thing Works (2:50)
3. Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out With Me (4:11)
4. We All Shine A Light (3:38)
5. Hand Me My Inhaler (1:31)
6. Friends (4:14)
7. I Could Be Wrong, I Could Be Right (4:51)
8. Time Machine (2:05)
9. Hey Bret (You Know What Time It Is) (4:51)
10. Darling, One (4:43)
11. Sunrise In The Land Of Milk And Honey (3:26)
Músicas de autoria da banda, menos "Darling, One", composta por David Lowery, Mark Linkous e Susanna Hoffs, e "Friends", composta por Johnny Hickman.
Créditos:
David Lowery: Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards
Johnny Hickman: Guitars, Vocals, Harmonica, Keyboards
Frank Funaro: Drums, Percussion, Ocarina (faixa 3)
Sal Maida: Bass Guitar
Músicos adicionais:
David Barbe: Percussion
John Doe: Vocals (faixa 4)
Adam Duritz, Brooke Fauver, Kristin Hott, Shannon Worrell: Backing Vocals (faixa 10)
Craig Harmon: Keyboards (faixas 6, 7)
Patterson Hood: Vocals (faixa 6)
David Immergluck: Additional Guitar, Bass & Backing Vocals (faixa 10)
Kevn Kinney, Matt Nicholls: Additional Guitar (faixa 10)
Miguel Urbiztondo-Rodriguez: Drums & Percussion (faixa 10)
Bryan Walthall: Keyboards (faixa 10)
Alan Weatherhead: Additional Guitar, Banjo & Pedal Steel (faixa 10)
Disco: Berkeley To Bakersfield
Ano: 2014
Faixas:
Disc One: Berkeley
1. Torches And Pitchforks (2:12)
2. March Of The Billionaires (3:37)
3. Beautiful (3:03)
4. El Comandante (3:07)
5. El Cerrito (5:04)
6. Reaction (2:38)
7. You Got Yourself Into This (3:14)
8. Life In The Big City (3:52)
9. Waited My Whole Life (4:14)
Músicas de autoria da banda, salvo "Waited My Whole Life", composta por Scooter Carusoe, Greg Lisher e David Lowery.
Créditos:
Davey Faragher: Bass, Backing Vox
Johnny Hickman: Guitars, Backing Vox
David Lowery: Guitars, Vocals
Michael Urbano: Drums, Percussion
Thayer Sarrano: Keys, Backing Vox
Marc Gilley: Saxophones
Mark Golde: Additional Keys
Disc Two: Bakersfield
1. California Country Boy (Lowery, Summar) 3:13
2. Almond Grove (Lowery) 4:35
3. King Of Bakersfield (Lowery) 4:57
4. Tonight I Cross The Border (Lowery) 4:19
5. Get On Down The Road (Lowery) 4:57
6. I'm Sorry Baby (Hickman, Lowery) 4:43
7. The San Bernardino Boy (Hickman, Le Roi) 2:57
8. When You Come Down (Lowery) 4:04
9. Where Have Those Days Gone (Lowery) 5:59
Créditos:
Davey Faragher: Backing Vox
John Hickman: Guitars, Vox
Bryan Howard, Sal Maida: Bass Guitar
David Lowery: Guitars, Banjo, Vox
Luke Moeller: Fiddle
Thayer Sarrano: Keyboards, Guitar, Vox
Matt "Pistol" Stoessel: Pedal Steel
Jeremy Wheatley: Drums
Biografia:
Durante o seu auge, na década de 1990, a Cracker, estabelecida em Virgínia, EUA, moldou elementos de pop, rock alternativo e country em várias canções irreverentes e chamativas. O cantor e guitarrista David Lowery nunca tentou mascarar sua afinidade com a música de raiz tradicional, mas, paradoxalmente, seu passado ficou longe do conservadorismo, quando liderou, nos anos 80, a sui generis banda alternativa Camper Van Beethoven. Pois, em seguida ao longo hiato da Camper Van Beethoven, iniciado em 1990, é que Lowery começou a gravar demos de composições novas com o guitarrista Johnny Hickman e o baixista Davey Faragher.
Os três músicos batizaram o projeto de Cracker (embora várias das primeiras demos tenham vindo à tona sob o nome de David Lowery Demo Mixes) e fixaram residência em Richmond, Virginia. Em 1991, a banda assinou contrato com a gravadora Virgin Records e contou com a colaboração de vários bateristas (Jim Keltner, Rick Jaeger e Phil Jones) para formatar o seu primeiro disco, homônimo, lançado em 1992.
Repleto de canções dominadas por guitarras e ásperos vocais, o álbum solidificou a presença da Cracker na cena roqueira, e "Teen Angst (What the World Needs Now)" tornou-se um top single de rock contemporâneo. Um ano depois, o segundo álbum, "Kerosene Hat", gerou outro hit radiofônico/MTV, "Low", que alcançou as paradas do Reino Unido e também arrebentou em território americano. Resultado: disco de platina. "Golden Age" saiu em 1996. Todavia, o lineup profícuo da banda começou a fazer água. O baixista Faragher foi substituído por Bob Rupe e no banco da bateria sentaram-se três músicos: Charlie Quintana, Eddie Bayers e Johnny Hott.
"Golden Age" despejou outro sucesso, "I Hate My Generation", e a banda excursionou para divulgar o disco. Ao retornar, Lowery, valendo-se do seu estúdio, Sound of Music, localizado em Richmond, passou a produzir discos para os artistas Joan Osborne, Lauren Hoffman, Magnet, Fighting Gravity e Sparklehorse, entre outros. Ele também trabalhou, como coprodutor, para a Counting Crows, em parceria com Dennis Herring, ex-Camper Van Beethoven. A atividade de Lowery, porém, não se limitou à arte musical, tendo atuado nos filmes River Red (compondo também a trilha sonora da fita), dirigido por Eric Drilling, e This Space Between Us, do cineasta Matt Leutwyler.
No final da década, a Cracker mantinha uma formação razoavelmente estável, constituída pelo baterista Frank Funaro, o tecladista e acordeonista Kenny Margolis e o preexistente núcleo central, composto por Lowery, Hickman e Rupe. Esse lineup responsabilizou-se pelo lançamento de "Gentleman's Blues", em 1988, um disco mais reflexivo, homenageando o southern e o blues.
Pouco depois, a Camper Van Beethoven, inesperadamente, reativou-se, e Lowery dividiu-se entre as duas bandas, cujos membros se juntavam, com frequência, a qualquer outro grupo que encontravam na estrada.A Cracker (juntamente com seletos músicos da Camper Van Beethoven) editou, em 2001, o disco "Traveling Apothecary Show & Revue", gravado ao vivo. Em 2002, lançou "Forever", e, no ano seguinte, "Countrysides", uma coleção de rústicas regravações de canções country, editada pela própria banda, haja vista a sua recente saída do cast da gravadora Virgin. Três anos depois, a banda desovou (agora através do selo independente Cooking Vinyl, do Reino Unido) "Greenland", com David Immerglück e Mark Linkous como artistas convidados. Outro disco ao vivo, "Berlin" (gravado na cidade alemã homônima, em dezembro de 2006), veio à luz em 2008, e o álbum de estúdio "Sunrise in the Land of Milk and Honey", que chegou ao Top 200 da Billboard, saiu em 2009.
Ainda em 2009, a banda tocou para as tropas americanas no Iraque e produziu o vídeo "Yalla Yalla", uma compilação de vídeos realizados pelos soldados estadunidenses estacionados no exterior e disponibilizados no YouTube. A rede radiofônica pública NPR apresentou a turnê no seu programa semanal The Show. Um ano depois, a banda, misturada com a Camper Van Beethoven, realizou uma série de shows com ingressos esgotados, na turnê chamada 2010 Traveleing Apothecary Tour. Em 2014, a trinca Lowery, Hickman e Faragher retornou ao estúdio, acompanhada do baterista Michael Urbano e da tecladista Thayer Sarrano, e o grupo lançou, no final do ano, o ambicioso álbum duplo "Berkeley To Bakersfield"; o primeiro disco, "Berkeley", foi dedicado ao marcante rock alternativo da banda, e o segundo, "Bakersfield", explorou as influências country do grupo, com a participação de um punhado de músicos convidados (Greg Prato, AllMusic; tradução livre do inglês).
