Leave My Heart
| Leave My Heart | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 1, 1983 | |||
| Studios |
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| Genres | Rock, power pop | |||
| Label | Dolphin | |||
| Producer | Don Dixon | |||
| The Accelerators chronology | ||||
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Leave My Heart is the debut album by the American band the Accelerators, released on October 1, 1983.[1][2] It was a success on college radio stations.[3] The band supported the album with a North American tour.[4]
Production
Produced by Don Dixon, the album was recorded at Mitch Easter's Drive-In Studio, TGF Studios, Audiophonic, and Reflections Studios.[5][6] Easter played guitar on two tracks, "Leave My Heart" and "Jenny".[5] The songs were written or cowritten by Gerald Duncan.[5] "Stiletto", about a killer, was inspired by Stephen King's short stories and Duncan's interest in Jack the Ripper.[5] It contains backwards guitar.[6] "She's Fifteen" is a throwback to the band's rockabilly roots, although Chris Moran, the band's lead guitarist, thought that most of the album was "new Southern pop".[7] "Regina" is about an interracial romance.[8]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Robert Christgau | B[9] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music |   [10] |
| The Great Indie Discography | 5/10[11] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide |  [12] |
| Rolling Stone | [13] |
The News & Observer called the album "dreadful" and said that "She's Fifteen" is among "the worst thing[s] ... recorded on vinyl."[14] The Tennessean said that the Accelerators "play rock with toughness and power."[4] Rolling Stone, in its syndicated column, stated that the album "is bar band soul and rock ... with post-punk humorous" lyrics.[13]
Robert Christgau wrote that Duncan's "singing is so mild and his band so contained that only the most striking material lifts off."[9] AllMusic noted that, "while less energetic than R.E.M.'s contemporary material, Accelerators' mature brand of rock & roll showed them in fine form."[15] MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide considered the album "period power pop".[12]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Leave My Heart" | |
| 2. | "Tonight" | |
| 3. | "She's the Only Girl I Can Stand" | |
| 4. | "Terminal Cafe" | |
| 5. | "The Alien Way" | |
| 6. | "Her Way" | |
| 7. | "Regina" | |
| 8. | "She's Fifteen" | |
| 9. | "Stiletto" | |
| 10. | "Tore Up" | |
| 11. | "Two Girls in Love" | |
| 12. | "Jenny" |
References
- ↑ Berman, Pat (September 2, 1983). "Legion Lake benefit features five bands in Labor Day festival". The Columbia Record. p. 4B.
- ↑ Condran, Ed (December 21, 2007). "Accelerators enjoy low-gear career". What's Up. The News & Observer. p. 21.
- ↑ Haight, Kathy (June 1, 1984). "The Accelerators: Rockers Who Play Up to Speed". The Charlotte Observer. p. 5D.
- 1 2 Oermann, Robert K. (March 25, 1984). "North Carolina's Accelerators to Rock & Roll at Cantrell's". Showcase. The Tennessean. p. 24.
- 1 2 3 4 Priddy, Tom (October 28, 1983). "Revving it up!". The Columbia Record. p. 4B.
- 1 2 Carnes, Kim (January 20, 1984). "The Accelerators". The Sun News. p. 1C.
- ↑ DeVault, Russ (April 7, 1984). "Accelerators rollin' now". Weekend. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. 27.
- ↑ "Accelerators". Trouser Press. Retrieved May 17, 2026.
- 1 2 "The Accelerators". Robert Christgau. Retrieved May 17, 2026.
- ↑ Larkin, Colin (1998). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. I. MUZE. p. 49.
- ↑ Strong, Martin C. (2003). The Great Indie Discography (2nd ed.). Canongate. p. 191.
- 1 2 MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1996. p. 4.
- 1 2 Marsh, Dave (March 18, 1984). "The Accelerators 'Leave My Heart'". Good Times. The Times. Trenton. Rolling Stone. p. 6.
- ↑ Calloway, James (November 17, 1983). "Department of revisionism". The News & Observer. p. 13B.
- ↑ "Accelerators Biography by John Bush". AllMusic. Retrieved May 17, 2026.