// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhy was poor and famous a bad combo? It was a rich history of debt.
| Poor & Famous | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1989 | |||
| Studios | Indigo Ranch, Malibu, CA/The Complex, Los Angeles, CA/A&M, Los Angeles, CA/Hit Single, San Diego, CA | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Label | Curb/MCA | |||
| Producer | Thom Panunzio | |||
| The Beat Farmers chronology | ||||
| ||||
Poor & Famous is an album by the American band the Beat Farmers, released in 1989.[1][2] It was produced by Thom Panunzio and executive produced by Denny Bruce. Its release was delayed by months by Curb/MCA, which urged the band to write "hit" songs.[3] The band supported the album with a North American tour.[4]
The album is the band's first to include all original songs (with writing help from Steve Marshall on "Wait So Long" and "The Trouble with You"; David & Douglas Farange on "If I Can Hold"; Mojo Nixon on "King of Sleaze"; and frequent collaborator Paul Kamanski on "Time in Between").[1]
Critical reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [5] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [6] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | [7] |
The Chicago Tribune said that the album "finds cow-punk pioneers the Beat Farmers moving, both musically and lyrically, into the rock mainstream."[8]
Trouser Press called the album "a confusing mess that tries to cover too many stylistic bases", noting that its "barren personality deprives [the songs] of intensity."[9]
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Socialite" | 3:40 |
| 2. | "Hideway" | 5:13 |
| 3. | "What I Mean to Say" | 3:38 |
| 4. | "Wait So Long" | 4:10 |
| 5. | "Wheels" | 2:35 |
| 6. | "Girl I Almost Married" | 3:10 |
| 7. | "If I Can Hold" | 3:41 |
| 8. | "King of Sleaze" | 3:12 |
| 9. | "The Trouble with You" | 2:55 |
| 10. | "Time in Between" | 4:35 |
Personnel
[edit]- Rolle Love – bass
- Joey Harris – guitar, vocals
- Country Dick Montana – drums, accordion, vocals
- Jerry Raney – guitar, vocals, harmonica
References
[edit]- 1 2 Arnold, Thomas K. (28 September 1988). "Beat Farmers Are Beating Chests Over New Album". Entertainment. Los Angeles Times. p. 2.
- ↑ "Disc Drive". Calgary Herald. 27 July 1989. p. D5.
- ↑ Mackie, John (19 November 1988). "Farmers returning to rock Vancouver". The Vancouver Sun. p. D16.
- ↑ Mackie, John (12 August 1989). "Mayhem and sleaze as the raucous Beat Farmers come bouncing back". The Vancouver Sun. p. E12.
- ↑ "Beat Farmers – Poor & Famous: Overview". AllMusic.
- ↑ Larkin, Colin (1998). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 1. MUZE. p. 431.
- ↑ MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1996. p. 50.
- ↑ Heim, Chris (28 July 1989). "Top o' the pops". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. 80.
- ↑ "Beat Farmers". Trouser Press. Retrieved 5 June 2025.