Let's Hear It for the Dogs

Let's Hear It for the Dogs
Studio album by
The Proclaimers
Released27 April 2015
StudioRockfield Studios, Wales
Genre
Length38:05
Label
ProducerDave Eringa
The Proclaimers chronology
The Very Best Of: 25 Years 1987–2012
(2013) 		Let's Hear It for the Dogs
(2015) 		Angry Cyclist
(2018)

Let's Hear It for the Dogs is the tenth studio album from Scottish folk rock duo The Proclaimers,[1] released in 2015 on the label Cooking Vinyl.[1] The album's release was promoted by extensive touring in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, United States, Australia and New Zealand.

The album was the duo's first to be recorded with Dave Eringa, known for his work with Wilko Johnson and the Manic Street Preachers, and featured a sound driven heavily by electric guitars. The album's themes included several dark subjects such as sexual abuse scandals and religious hostilities, with some of the lighter songs relating to relationships and family.[2]

Recording

The album was recorded at Rockfield Studios in Wales and produced by Dave Eringa.[1] As stated by member Charlie Reid, the decision to have Eringa produce Let's Hear It for the Dogs was brought about by an admiration for his work with Manic Street Preachers, and on the Johnson and Daltrey album Going Back Home.[3]

Release

Let's Hear It for the Dogs was released in 2015 through Cooking Vinyl records in the UK on CD and vinyl.[4] In North America, the album was released on CD in May 2015 through Compass Records.[4]

Content and style

Lyrics and themes

The lyrical themes of Let's Hear It for the Dogs included a number of emotionally-charged topics. "Then Again" appertained to Jimmy Savile and BBC sexual abuse scandals,[2] while "What School?" was a reflection on Scottish religious tension.[5] Lighter moments of the album included "Ten Tiny Fingers", a father-daughter tribute,[6] while "Tuesday Afternoon" was adjudged by AllMusic to be an "epic love-story".[6]

Musical style and arrangements

Let's Hear It for the Dogs is characterized by heavy utilization of electric guitars and drums, with certain tracks incorporating strings ("Tuesday Afternoon") and horns ("Then Again").[6] The album's opening track "You Built Me Up" has a heavy sound that Mark Holmes of Metal Discovery likened to the duo's roots in 1970s punk rock; band member Craig Reid acknowledged that although he thought the "punk" element had "always been" in their music, it was more noticeable on that song.[7]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[6]
Evening Standard[5]
Songwriting Magazine[8]

Marcy Donelson of AllMusic praised Let's Hear it for the Dogs, observing that "after ten studio albums, they still bring intensity to their down-to-earth, grandly lilting, [...] spirited output".[6]

Songwriting Magazine's Duncan Haskell praised the album, stating that the duo's "gift for original writing remains undiminished".[8]

Legacy

The album track "Then Again", noted for its emotionally-charged subject matter referencing Jimmy Savile and the BBC sexual abuse cases, was ranked at No. 8 on Dig!'s 2022 list "Best Proclaimers Songs: 10 Fiery Classics From The Reid Brothers".[9]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Craig and Charlie Reid

No.TitleLength
1."You Built Me Up"2:25
2."Be with Me"2:52
3."In My Home"3:19
4."Tuesday Afternoon"3:10
5."Then Again"2:07
6."What School?"3:14
7."If I'm Still Around"3:23
8."The Other Side"2:26
9."Forever Young"2:54
10."Ten Tiny Fingers"3:08
11."Through Him"2:51
12."Rainbow & Happy Regrets"3:26
13."Moral Compass"2:50

Personnel

The Proclaimers
Additional personnel
  • Stevie Christie - keyboards
  • Sean Genockey - guitar
  • Matt Holland - brass
  • Clive Jenner - drums
  • Bernard Kane - viola
  • Garry John Kane - bass
  • Rose Lawrence - sleeve design
  • Kenny MacDonald - photography
  • Lewis MacDonald - cover design
  • Murdro MacLeod - photography
  • Nathan Stone - cello
  • The Vulcan String Quartet - strings
  • Andrew Walters - violin
  • Joanna Walters - violin
  • Zac Ware - electric guitar
  • Martin Winning - brass
Technical
  • Dave Eringa - mixing, production
  • Joe Jones - engineering
  • Ed Woods - mastering

Charts

Charts (2015) Peak
position
UK Albums (OCC)[10] 26

References

  1. ^ a b c Bruce, Keith (29 April 2015). "The Proclaimers, Let's Hear It For The Dogs (Cooking Vinyl)". The Herald. Retrieved 14 May 2019.
  2. ^ a b "Proclaimers sing about Jimmy Savile and BBC child abuse". Scotsman. 14 April 2015. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  3. ^ "The Proclaimers are gonna be performing at theatre". Dunstable Today. 12 August 2015. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
  4. ^ a b "The Proclaimers - Let's Hear It For The Dogs". Discogs. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
  5. ^ a b Aizlewood, John (27 April 2015). "The Proclaimers - Let's Hear it for the Dogs, album review: 'they've never rocked as hard'". Evening Standard. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  6. ^ a b c d e Donelson, Marcy. "The Proclaimers - Let's Hear it for The Dogs - Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  7. ^ Holmes, Mark (26 July 2015). "Interview With The Proclaimers - 26 July 2015". Metal Discovery. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  8. ^ a b Haskell, Duncan (27 April 2015). "Let's Hear It For The Dogs by The Proclaimers (Album)". Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  9. ^ York, Alan (9 October 2022). "Best Proclaimers Songs: 10 Fiery Classics From The Reid Brothers". Dig!. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  10. ^ "Proclaimers | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart.