So why is Veruca Salt’s Eight Arms To Hold You on this best 1,000 albums ever thing?
I believe Veruca Salt to be one of the more underappreciated ‘90s alternative rock bands*. American Thighs, the band’s debut album from 1994, is an incredible achievement. Eight Arms To Hold You isn’t quite at that level, but is terrific in its own right – it leans into a slightly poppier and more accessible sound while still combining super muscular guitars with monstrous hooks and Louise Lightner Post’s gorgeous, powerful vocals.
* I’ve called out our dear old friend Stephen Thomas (Stevie Tom? Tommy Steve?) Erlewine from All Music in the past, and I’ll do so again here. He contends that Veruca Salt “sound awkward when they try to rock out.” Me thinks perhaps thou doth protest too much when it comes to sounding awkward, my guy**?
** We’ll workshop that sick burn and get it right one day!
“Volcano Girls” was the hit song on Eight Arms To Hold You, and it still feels very 1997 in a good way. It’s a worthy successor to “Seether,” which itself gets a fun call back a la The Beatles dropping a “clue” about The Walrus in “Glass Onion.” Most of all though it’s exuberant guitar hooks for days, simply a wildly fun and rocking number.
As much as I dig Veruca Salt when they’re in “Volcano Girls”/”Seether” mode, I appreciate even more when they slow things down a touch while revving up a sludgy and chunky guitar sound. In essence, Veruca Salt is a band that bridges the gap between alternative rock, pop, and grunge in a way that hits a musical sweet spot for me – which gives me extra fuel to to defend them and evangelize their virtues.
American Thighs runs in this mode with songs like “All Hail Me,” while on Eight Arms To Hold You I will point you swiftly and directly to “The Morning Sad.”
Hit up “Awesome” for the harmonies alone, and all told it’s another energetic and fun pop-alt rock tune.
“With David Bowie” also has fantastic vocal harmonies and could be argued that its infectious chorus is the catchiest on the record.
Some stats & info about Veruca Salt – Eight Arms To Hold You
- What kind of musical stylings does this album represent? Rock Music, Alternative Rock, Chicago Bands, Grunge, Hard Rock
- Rolling Stone’s greatest 500 albums ranking – not ranked!
- All Music’s rating – 3 out of 5 stars
- When was Eight Arms To Hold You released? 1997
- My ranking, the one you’re reading right now – #444 out of 1,000
Veruca Salt’s Eight Arms To Hold You on Spotify
A lyrical snippet from Veruca Salt’s Eight Arms To Hold You that’s evocative of the album in some way, maybe
Volcano girls, we really can’t be beat – warm us up and watch us blow.
What does the “best 1,000 albums ever” mean and why are you doing this?
Yeah, I know it’s audacious, a little crazy (okay, maybe a lot cray cray), bordering on criminal nerdery.
But here’s what it’s NOT: a definitive list of the Greatest Albums of All-Time. This is 100% my own personal super biased, incredibly subjective review of what my top 1,000 albums are, ranked in painstaking order over the course of doing research for nearly a year, Rob from High Fidelity style. Find out more about why I embarked on a best 1,000 albums ever project.