What's Wrong with This Picture? (Andrew Gold album)
What's Wrong with This Picture? is the second album by the singer-songwriter Andrew Gold. It was released in 1976 on Asylum Records. It includes the hit single "Lonely Boy" which peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard singles chart[4] featuring Linda Ronstadt on backing vocals. The album's artwork reflects its title, mimicking a style of visual puzzle that consists of various logical inconsistencies or paradoxes for the viewer to try to identify.
| What's Wrong with This Picture? | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1976 | |||
| Genre | Pop, pop rock | |||
| Length | 41:30 | |||
| Label | Asylum | |||
| Producer | Peter Asher | |||
| Andrew Gold chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | C–[2] |
| Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [3] |
Reception
AllMusic's James Chrispell said the album "continued in the same vein as Andrew Gold's first release" and concluded "[s]ophomore jinx aside, this is a very satisfying album."[1]
Rolling Stone's Ken Tucker called the album "a disappointment" in light of the "fast, smart pop songs" on Gold's first album. He stated that while "Gold's guitar playing remains commanding… inventive and moving" it cannot overcome "the weakness of the material".[5]
Track listing
All songs written by Andrew Gold, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Hope You Feel Good" (Gold, Steve Ferguson) | 4:49 |
| 2. | "Passing Thing" | 4:08 |
| 3. | "Do Wah Diddy Diddy" (Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich) | 2:52 |
| 4. | "Learning the Game" (Buddy Holly) | 4:08 |
| 5. | "Angel Woman" | 1:38 |
| 6. | "Must Be Crazy" | 4:13 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Lonely Boy" | 4:24 |
| 2. | "Firefly" | 3:23 |
| 3. | "Stay" (Maurice Williams) | 4:45 |
| 4. | "Go Back Home Again" | 3:10 |
| 5. | "One of Them Is Me" | 4:00 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Lonely Boy" (original version) | 4:22 |
| 2. | "Firefly" (outtake) | 3:13 |
| 3. | "Gorilla Jam" (Gold, Kenny Edwards, Mike Botts) | 1:20 |
| 4. | "Feel It" | 4:20 |
| 5. | "Hope You Feel Good" (Gold, Ferguson) (live at the Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles, 1976) | 4:47 |
Charts
| Chart (1977) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian (Kent Music Report) | 89[6] |
Personnel
- Andrew Gold – vocals, acoustic and electric guitar, piano, drums, bass guitar, organ, ARP, tambourine, congas, shaker, recorder, percussion, backing vocals
- Kenny Edwards – bass guitar, mandolin, backing vocals
- Brock Walsh – backing vocals, electric piano, acoustic guitar, ARP
- Dan Dugmore – guitar
- Mike Botts – drums, sleigh bells
- Peter Asher – backing vocals, tambourine, shaker
- Waddy Wachtel – guitar, bass guitar
- Leland Sklar – bass guitar
- Russ Kunkel – drums
- Danny Kortchmar – guitar
- Linda Ronstadt – backing vocals
- Tessie Coen – congas
- Don Menza – saxophone, shakuhachi
- Clarence McDonald – electric piano
- Val Garay – backing vocals
Production
- Peter Asher – producer
- Val Garay – engineer
- Greg Ladanyi, Dennis Kirk – assistant engineer
References
- Chrispell, James. What's Wrong with This Picture? at AllMusic. Retrieved July 29, 2015.
- Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: G". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved February 24, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
- Larkin, Colin (1999). The Virgin Encyclopedia Of Popular Music, Concise 3rd Edition, p. 538. Virgin Books, London. ISBN 1-85227-832-3
- Whitburn, Joel (2000). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 7th Edition, p. 267. Billboard Books, New York. ISBN 0-8230-7690-3
- Tucker, Ken. "What's Wrong with This Picture", Rolling Stone, March 10, 1977, p. 74.
- Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 127. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.