Dare to Be Surprised

Dare to Be Surprised
Dare to Be Surprised
Studio album by The Folk Implosion
Released	April 29, 1997
Genre	Indie rock; alternative rock; lo-fi;
Length	37:27
Label	Communion
Producer	Wally Gagel; The Folk Implosion;
The Folk Implosion chronology
Singles from Dare to Be Surprised
	"Insinuation"; Released: 1997; "Pole Position"; Released: 1997;

Dare to Be Surprised is the second studio album by the Folk Implosion.^[1]^[2] It was released on Communion in 1997.^[3]

Production

The liner notes state that the album was "recorded at Bliss onto videotape, 8-16 tracks," and that "no analog equipment was used in the production of this record (except for a couple of things)."

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[4]
Chicago Tribune	^[5]
Robert Christgau	^[7]
Pitchfork	8.2/10^[6]
(The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide	^[8]
Spin	6/10^[9]

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic called the album "one of the finest items in their respective catalogs."^[4] Mark Binelli of Spin commented that "the record feels frigid, less a true attempt at seduction than a tepid toe-suck."^[9]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Lou Barlow and John Davis.

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Pole Position"	2:46
2.	"Wide Web"	2:50
3.	"Insinuation"	4:26
4.	"Barricade"	2:36
5.	"That's the Trick"	1:58
6.	"Checking In"	3:13
7.	"Cold Night"	1:26
8.	"Park Dub"	1:39
9.	"Burning Paper"	4:13
10.	"(Blank Paper)"	1:55
11.	"Ball and Chain"	2:32
12.	"Fall into November"	2:57
13.	"Dare to Be Surprised"	2:10
14.	"River Devotion"	1:46
Total length:		37:27

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes.

The Folk Implosion

Lou Barlow – bass guitar, drums, instruments, vocals
John Davis – guitar, drums, instruments, vocals

Additional personnel

Wally Gagel – drum programming, recording, engineering, mixing
Gary Weissman – artwork, layout
Tamara Bonn – photography
JJ Gifford – digital manipulation

References

^ "Folk Implosion Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
^ Buckley, Peter (November 13, 2003). The Rough Guide to Rock. Rough Guides. ISBN 9781843531050 – via Google Books.
^ "Billboard Bits: Pretenders, Folk Implosion, Bon Jovi". Billboard. September 11, 2002.
^ ^a ^b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Folk Implosion - Dare to Be Surprised". AllMusic. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
^ Knopper, Steve (April 11, 1997). "Folk Implosion Dare to Be Surprised (Communion)". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on November 15, 2017. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
^ Schreiber, Ryan (July 5, 2007). "Folk Implosion: Dare to be Surprised". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on July 5, 2007.
^ Christgau, Robert (October 15, 2000). Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s. Macmillan Publishing. p. 106. ISBN 9780312245603.
^ Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian David (November 13, 2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 9780743201698 – via Google Books.
^ ^a ^b Binelli, Mark (May 1997). "Reviews". Spin. SPIN Media LLC. p. 115.

External links

Dare to Be Surprised at Discogs (list of releases)
The Folk Implosion discography

[1] "Folk Implosion Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.

[2] Buckley, Peter (November 13, 2003). The Rough Guide to Rock. Rough Guides. ISBN 9781843531050 – via Google Books.

[3] "Billboard Bits: Pretenders, Folk Implosion, Bon Jovi". Billboard. September 11, 2002.

[allmusic-4] Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Folk Implosion - Dare to Be Surprised". AllMusic. Retrieved November 9, 2022.

[5] Knopper, Steve (April 11, 1997). "Folk Implosion Dare to Be Surprised (Communion)". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on November 15, 2017. Retrieved November 15, 2017.

[6] Schreiber, Ryan (July 5, 2007). "Folk Implosion: Dare to be Surprised". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on July 5, 2007.

[7] Christgau, Robert (October 15, 2000). Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s. Macmillan Publishing. p. 106. ISBN 9780312245603.

[8] Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian David (November 13, 2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 9780743201698 – via Google Books.

[spin-9] Binelli, Mark (May 1997). "Reviews". Spin. SPIN Media LLC. p. 115.

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v t e The Folk Implosion
Lou Barlow John Davis Russell Pollard Imaad Wasif
Studio albums	Take a Look Inside Dare to Be Surprised One Part Lullaby The New Folk Implosion
Extended plays	Walk Through This World with the Folk Implosion The Folk Implosion
Singles	"Natural One"

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