At a glance
- Artist
- Sleater-Kinney
- Released
- 2 May 2000
- Label
- Kill Rock Stars
- Catalogue number
- KRS 360
- Format
- CD
- Country
- US
- Tracks
- 13, 37:06
In the issue
This fifth album cemented Sleater-Kinney's status as, in Greil Marcus's words from 2001, America's best rock band, proof that riot grrrl's artistic force hadn't dulled a decade in. St. Vincent discovered the record as a teenager and later produced the band's 2019 comeback, The Center Won't Hold, a direct line from this album to a later generation of guitar bands.
How it was made
Sleater-Kinney recorded their fifth album in December 1999 at Jackpot! Recording Studio in Portland with producer John Goodmanson. Carrie Brownstein told interviewers the band had nothing left to prove—they could crack open song structures, hit political themes head-on. The album tackled media representation ("#1 Must Have"), consumer culture, the contradictions of being a feminist band selling records. Corin Tucker's vocals reached new technical heights. The guitar interplay grew more intricate without losing its teeth.
The sessions were relaxed compared to earlier records. Years of touring had tightened their communication; they trusted their instincts. Released in May 2000 on Kill Rock Stars, All Hands on the Bad One pulled widespread mainstream acclaim. Critics called Sleater-Kinney one of America's best rock bands, full stop. The album proved riot grrrl's musical legacy had matured into bands that could stand against any rock music on purely artistic terms while holding explicitly feminist politics. It marked Sleater-Kinney's breakthrough beyond the underground punk scene that birthed them.
Listen
Track list
- 1The Ballad of a Ladyman3:11
- 2Ironclad2:34
- 3All Hands on the Bad One2:57
- 4Youth Decay2:30
- 5You’re No Rock n’ Roll Fun2:38
- 6#1 Must Have3:04
- 7The Professional1:31
- 8Was It a Lie?3:16
- 9Male Model2:33
- 10Leave You Behind3:27
- 11Milkshake n’ Honey2:55
- 12Pompeii2:43
- 13The Swimmer3:46
The label
Founded in Olympia in 1991 by Slim Moon and Tinuviel Sampson, Kill Rock Stars released the Bikini Kill EP in 1992, Bikini Kill's Pussy Whipped, Bratmobile's Pottymouth and Sleater-Kinney's Dig Me Out and All Hands on the Bad One. Its very first release was a spoken-word split single by Kathleen Hanna and Slim Moon.
More by Sleater-Kinney in the issues
- Call the Doctor1996
- Dig Me Out1997