Motel California Explained

Motel California is the third album by the American rock band Ugly Kid Joe, and released on October 22, 1996.^{[2] [3]} Motel California was the last full-length studio album until 2015. The group disbanded in January 1997 and reformed in 13 years later in January 2010. The album received lukewarm reviews and was a commercial failure.

The title is a parody of the Eagles' album, Hotel California. The song "Rage Against the Answering Machine" is a pun on the name of the Los Angeles rock band Rage Against the Machine.

Production

The album was recorded with the Butcher Bros. in Philadelphia.^[4]

Reception

AllMusic wrote that Ugly Kid Joe "return to their roots, bashing out grungy metal in their garage and recording it for posterity ... Motel California works a lot better than it should, sounding fiercer and more committed."

Track listing

All tracks written by Ugly Kid Joe.

Personnel

• Whitfield Crane – vocals
• Dave Fortman – guitars
• Klaus Eichstadt – guitars
• Cordell Crockett – bass
• Shannon Larkin – drums
• Lemmy Kilmister – guest backing vocals on "Little Red Man"
• Tim Wheater - guest flutist on "12 Cents"

Charts

Chart (1996)!scope="col"

Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[5]	129
UK Albums (OCC)	128

Notes and References

1. Web site: Ugly Kid Joe . Trouser Press . February 26, 2021.
2. Web site: Ugly Kid Joe | Biography & History. AllMusic.
3. Web site: Ugly Kid Joe's Klaus Eichstadt. https://web.archive.org/web/20160913102903/http://www.mtv.com/news/570216/ugly-kid-joes-klaus-eichstadt/. dead. September 13, 2016. MTV News.
4. Studio Action. Billboard. September 21, 1996. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.. Google Books.
5. Web site: Ugly Kid Joe ARIA Chart history 1988 to 2024. ARIA. Imgur.com. July 28, 2024. N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.