User:Violetcries/stuff to work on

Bricks Are Heavy is the third album by the Los Angeles band L7, released in April 1992 through Slash Records. Backed by the single "Pretend We're Dead", the album became a breakthrough hit and the band became the "poster girls" of grunge music.

The album was released shortly after grunge had broken into the mainstream with the surprise success of Nirvana's Nevermind. In July 1992, the song "Pretend We're Dead" gained popularity among American rock radio stations, where it received regular airplay. By late August, the album had reached #1 on Billboard's Heatseekers album chart, and two weeks later it peaked at #160 on the Billboard 200.

Musically the album is heavier and dirtier than the band's previous recordings. While the band retained its punk and hardcore punk roots, there was more emphasis on heavy metal than before. It was produced by Butch Vig, who is renowned for his work with bands such as Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Sonic Youth and, later, Garbage.

The song "Pretend We're Dead" was used in the video games Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and Rock Band 2. It was also used in the US trailer for the movie Shaun of the Dead.

The song "Shitlist" was used in both the 1992 sequel Pet Sematary 2 and Oliver Stone's 1994 film Natural Born Killers and its soundtrack. The song is or was used by professional wrestlers Jon Moxley in CZW, and Brian Pillman in ECW. CM Punk, now under contract with WWE, used the song as his entrance theme while on the independent circuit.

Personnel

 * L7
 * Donita Sparks - guitar, lead vocals on tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 8 and 10
 * Suzi Gardner - guitar, lead vocals on tracks 6, 9 and 11
 * Jennifer Finch - bass guitar, lead vocals on tracks 5 and 7
 * Demetra Plakas - drums, backing vocals on "Pretend We're Dead"


 * Additional musician
 * Paul Ryan - bongos


 * Production
 * Butch Vig - producer, engineer, mixing
 * Howie Weinberg - mastering
 * Steve Marker - engineer
 * Mr. Colson - engineer
 * Elizabeth Hale - art direction
 * Jeff Price - art direction
 * Randall Martin - artwork
 * Vicki Berndt - photography
 * Arlan E. Helm - photography
 * Damion Romero - photography

Chart positions

 * Album


 * Singles

Accolades

 * Rolling Stone: "The Essential Recordings of the 1990s"
 * The Village Voice: "Pazz & Jop 1992 Critics Poll: Albums" – #32
 * The Village Voice: "Pazz & Jop 1992 Critics Poll: Singles" – #11 ("Pretend We're Dead")

Singles
Monster