Slick Dogs and Ponies

by Louis XIV

Overview

Louis XIV's first album was a sleazy, breezy dose of AC/DC-inspired rawk & roll that put over its swagger with a cheesy wink and a playfully sexy bump and grind. It was the kind of record Brian Johnston might put on when he's sitting down at home to relax; totally silly and a lot of fun. Their second album Slick Dogs and Ponies is a decidedly darker effort with a greasy strand of evil congealing right below the surface. The sound of the album is much fuller and less punchy, songs are weighted down by gloomy strings, vocals are framed by vocal choirs, and the raunchy guitars that propelled the first album are pushed to the background. It's a more mature and substantial sound, but the record isn't quite as bouncey and goofy as Best Little Secrets Are Kept. The lyrics are less fun, too. The songs tell tales of modern life gone wrong, derailed by sordid sex, drug use, and all sorts of unpleasantness. "Stalker" is grimy and might leave you wanting a shower, or at least a quick spin of a Donovan record, to make you feel clean again. "Hopesick" is a the kind of weary, beaten ballad you'd expect from an arena rock band on their seventh album; it sounds tattered and desperate, like they can barely even function as a band. The moments of rocked-out swagger are still here, but are ultimately drowned out by a musical and lyrical heaviness that turns the album into a downer. Of course, there's no reason a band can't make a depressing and bleak album if they want to. ~ Tim Sendra

Product Details

Release Date:	02/03/2023
Label:	Music On Vinyl
UPC:	8719262026117
Rank:	83427

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Louis XIV   Primary Artist
Louis the Fourteenth   Primary Artist
James Edwards Armbrust   Guitar (Bass),Bass
Mark Maigaard   Drums,Piano,Glockenspiel,Viola,Violin,Percussion
Brian Karscig   Organ,Piano,Vocals,Glockenspiel,ARP Synthesizer,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Bass,Guitar,Choir/Chorus
Jason Hill   Organ,Piano,Vocals,Guitar (Bass),ARP Synthesizer,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Bass,Guitar,Orchestra
Larry Corbett   Strings
Armen Garabedian   Strings
Brandon Flowers   Vocals
Joel Derouin   Strings
Natasha Schneider   Bass,Harpsichord
Jimmy Armbrust III   Bass
Darrin McCann   Strings
Tereza Stanislav   Strings
Alain Johannes   Flute,Guitar
John Wittenberg   Strings
Shaun Cornell   Piano
Evan Wilson   Strings
Andrew Schulman   Cello
Steve Richards   Strings
Derek Oliver   Tuba
Andrew Shulman   Strings
Helen Lueng   Strings
Sara Parkins   Strings
Mario de Leon   Strings
Reginald Brown   Strings
Connie Carter   Strings
Mister Raymond Suen   Strings

Technical Credits

Jason Hill   Audio Production,Mixing,Arranger,Composer,Engineer,Producer,Recording,Group Member,Inlay Photography,String Arrangements
Andy Davis   Contribution
Paul McCartney   Composer
Curtis Johnson   Contribution
John Lennon   Composer
Natasha Schneider   Producer
Mark Needham   Mixing
John Rubeli   Contribution
Craig Kallman   Contribution
Dave Schultz   Mastering
Louis XIV   Composer
Shaun Cornell   Contribution
Mark Maigaard   Composer,Producer
Brian Karscig   Arranger,Composer,Producer,Group Member,String Arrangements
The Killers   Contribution
Kevin Weaver   Contribution
Chris Cornell   Composer
Capone   Contribution
David Campbell   String Arrangements
Dominique Nieto   Assistant Engineer
Louis Clark   Contribution
Al Guerra   Contribution
Jed The Fish   Contribution
Phil Manning   Contribution
Ben Hasdovic   Contribution
Robert Dodds   Contribution
Andrew Shulman   Contribution,Cello Arrangement
Leigh Lust   A&R,Contribution
Gary Gorman   Contribution
Paul Sinclair   Contribution
Carole Spencer   Contribution
John Hofstetter   Artwork,Web Design
Tiffany Staton   Producer,Art Manager
Mark Sovel   Contribution
Keith Dakin   Contribution
Livia Tortella   Contribution
Sheila Richman   Contribution
Glenn Fukushima   Contribution
Max Tolkoff   Contribution
Stacy Palm   Contribution
Aaron Axelson   Contribution
Vanessa Perego   Contribution
Willobee   Contribution
Camilla Gwilt   Contribution
Jennifer Tzar   Cover Photo,Photography
Garett Michaels   Contribution
Kirk Sommer   Contribution
Steve Kingston   Contribution
Mike Halloran   Contribution
Warren Salyer   Contribution
Dane Venable   Contribution
Matt Cogger   Contribution
Julie Greenwald   Contribution
David Saslow   Contribution
Sue Jobson   Contribution
James Edwards Armbrust   Group Member
David Burrier   Contribution
Andrew Harms   Contribution
D. Dominique Nieto   Contribution,Assistant Engineer
Aaron Swanton   Contribution
Kelsey Wenner   Contribution
Brian Orloff   Contribution
Robby Fraser   Contribution
Kirsten Prunty   Contribution
Lisa Worden   Contribution
Pete Pisatoro   Contribution
Philip Botti   Contribution
Cyndi Lynott   Contribution,Product Manager
Torsten Luth   Contribution
Gene Sandbloom   Contribution
Greg Bergen   Contribution
Ron Poore   Contribution
Chris Goyette   Contribution
Kevin Weatherly   Contribution
Kimberly Weingart   Contribution
Mister Raymond Suen   String Arrangements
Michael Jobson   Contribution
Murray Richman   Contribution