The Burdens of Being Upright
The Burdens of Being Upright is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Tracy Bonham, released on March 19, 1996, by Island Records.
Content
The Burdens of Being Upright was recorded in the summer of 1995 at Fort Apache Studios in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Referencing this album, in 2015 Bonham said, The album cover was photographed by George DuBose, who was the in-house photographer at the hip hop label Cold Chillin' Records.Commercial performance
The Burdens of Being Upright debuted at number 136 on the Billboard 200 chart dated April 27, 1996, and later reached its peak position of number 54 on the chart on June 15, 1996. It remained on the chart for 25 weeks. On November 12, 1996, the album was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America, signifying the shipment of 500,000 copies of the album.Critical reception
Rolling Stone noted that the album "tells a coherent, largely autobiographical story about a girl getting even with the obnoxious people who piss her off and underestimate her... With music ranging from laid-back Liz Phair-style storytelling to hard-edge alternative arena rock, she blasts ex-boyfriends, ridicules rock stars and makes a pre-emptive strike at critics who might be tempted to label her."Personnel
Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.- Tracy Bonham – guitar, violin, vocals
- Ed Ackerson – guitar
- Fred Eltringham – drums
- Josh Freese – drums
- Drew Parsons – bass guitar
- Eric Paul – drums
- Sean Slade – organ, production, engineer
- Paul Q. Kolderie – production, engineer
Awards
Grammy Award Nominations| Year | Nominee | Category |
| 1996 | "Mother Mother" | Best Female Rock Vocal Performance |
| 1996 | The Burdens of Being Upright | Best Alternative Album |