Sweet Revenge (David Johansen album)

Sweet Revenge is an album by David Johansen, released in 1984.^[1][2] It is the only Johansen album to be released on Passport Records.^[3] It was his first album without any participation by any other former members of the New York Dolls.

Sweet Revenge
Studio album by David Johansen
Released	1984
Genre	Rock synth-pop
Length	37:29
Label	Passport
Producer	David Johansen Joe Delia
David Johansen chronology
Live It Up (1982) Sweet Revenge (1984) Buster Poindexter (1987)

Around the time of Sweet Revenge, Johansen adopted his alter-ego, Buster Poindexter.^[4] For the next 15 years, Buster Poindexter would remain at the forefront of Johansen's music career.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[5]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[6]
The Village Voice	A−[7]

The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote that "the swirling, dreamy music that surrounds him on Sweet Revenge provides a dramatic contrast that complements Johansen's rough growl."^[8] The New York Times deemed "The Stinkin' Rich" "a potential classic."^[9] The Globe and Mail opined that "the synthesizer funk backdrops sound generic rather than eccentrically inspired."^[10] The Washington Post called it Johansen's best solo album, writing that it "married the gutsiness of the Dolls with the Depression-era sensibility of many of Poindexter's favorites."^[11]

Track listing

Side one

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Heard the News"		4:24
2.	"Big Trouble"		3:54
3.	"I Ain't Workin' Anymore"		3:35
4.	"King Of Babylon"	Johansen, Delia, Danny Toan	4:10
5.	"Sweet Revenge"		4:50

All tracks are written by David Johansen & Joe Delia, except where indicated

Side two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
6.	"Too Many Midnights"		4:46
7.	"In My Own Time"		3:27
8.	"The Stinkin' Rich"	Johansen, Delia, Brett Cartwright	4:00
9.	"N.Y. Doll"		4:07
Total length:			37:29

Personnel

• David Johansen – lead vocals
• Patti Scialfa – backing vocals on "Big Trouble"
• David Nelson – guitar, Roland synthesizer, backing vocals
• Neil Jason – bass on "N.Y. Doll"
• Joe Delia – keyboards, sequential programming
• Soozie Kirschner – backing vocals on "Big Trouble"
• Brett Cartwright – bass, backing vocals
• Dennis McDermott – drums, backing vocals
• Steve Thornton – percussion
• Jimmy Ripp – guitar
• Artie Kaplan – saxophone on "N.Y. Doll"
• Rocky Savino, Jr. – harmonica on "In My Own Time"
• Peter Gordon – saxophone
• Stephen Bray – drums
• April Lang – backing vocals on "Big Trouble"
• "Big" Jay McNeely – saxophone on "I Ain't Workin' Anymore"
• Claudia Engelhart - "newscaster" on "Heard The News"

Technical

• Davitt Sigerson and Michael Zilkha - production on "King of Babylon" and "The Stinkin' Rich"
• Richard Gottehrer - production on "Sweet Revenge"
• Larry Alexander, Fred Heller, Tom Lord-Alge - engineers

References

1. Palmer, Robert (September 14, 1984). "Pop/Jazz; Buster Poindexter, a Familiar Face at Tramps". The New York Times – via NYTimes.com.
2. Morse, Steven (1 Dec 1984). "Johansen Delivers Delirium". Arts and Film. The Boston Globe. p. 14.
3. "TrouserPress.com :: David Johansen". www.trouserpress.com.
4. Moon, Tom (7 Aug 1986). "Goodbye Punker David Johansen, It's Buster Poindexter's Show Now". Chicago Tribune. p. 13C.
5. "Sweet Revenge - David Johansen". AllMusic.
6. The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 371.
7. "Robert Christgau: Consumer Guide Nov. 27, 1984". www.robertchristgau.com.
8. Tucker, Ken (28 Nov 1984). "Johansen at the Ripley". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. G3.
9. Palmer, Robert (16 Dec 1984). "Rockers with Literary Aspirations Make Their Mark". The New York Times. p. A27.
10. Lacey, Liam (3 Jan 1985). "Sweet Revenge David Johansen". The Globe and Mail. p. E3.
11. Jenkins, Mark (25 Nov 1987). "Going Back to the Ballad". The Washington Post. p. C7.