To the Quick

To the Quick
Studio album by
the Buck Pets
Released1993
StudiosOz, Baltimore
GenresHard rock, punk rock, pop rock
LabelRestless
ProducersTed Niceley, the Buck Pets
The Buck Pets chronology
Mercurotones
(1990)		 To the Quick
(1993)		 RARES (and unreleased)
(2010)

To the Quick is the third album by the American band the Buck Pets, released in 1993. They supported it by touring with Scrawl. The first single was "Living Is the Biggest Thing". The Buck Pets broke up shortly after finishing their promotional duties.

Production

Recorded at Oz Studios in Baltimore, the album was produced by Ted Niceley and the band. The drummer Tony Alba left prior to the recording sessions and was replaced by Ricky Pearson. The band wanted to return to their pre-Island Records punk sound; they were also influenced by the production on PJ Harvey's Rid of Me. The lyrics often deal with disappointment and learning to persevere. "Bargain" is a cover of the Who song.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarStar
The Boston PhoenixStarHalf star
Ox-FanzineStarStar
Rolling StoneStarStarStar

The Washington Post called the Buck Pets "a solid band that draws both on metal and Replacements-style hard-pop-rock" but opined that the cover of "Bargain" was the best song on the album. The Sun Sentinel praised the "tight, smart songs that rock with real conviction", describing them as "swift and clever in the Soul Asylum tradition". The San Diego Union-Tribune concluded that "the Buck Pets combine the brash energy of the rockers they still are with the subtle finesse of the pros they've learned to be."

The Boston Phoenix stated that the band lacked a distinctive style of "souped-up punk pop". Rolling Stone, in its syndicated column, said that the Buck Pets "sound tougher than ever." The Tallahassee Democrat labeled them "a garage band with some savvy, playing heavily fuzzed pop music in straightforward fashion."

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Living Is the Biggest Thing" 
2."Shave" 
3."Walk It to the Pay Phone" 
4."To the Quick" 
5."Nothing's Ever Gonna Be Alright Again" 
6."The Smiler with a Knife" 
7."C'mon Baby" 
8."Crutch" 
9."Rocket to You" 
10."Car Chase" 
11."Worldwide Smile" 
12."Manatee" 
13."Bargain" 

References

  1. ↑ Morris, Chris (May 22, 1993). "Update on Jazz Discovery; Restless Pets Buck the Majors". Billboard. Vol. 105, no. 21. p. 89.
  2. ↑ Miller, Michael (July 23, 1993). "Edgy, Ugly Bands Are This Year's Model". Weekend. The State. p. 12.
  3. 1 2 3 Jenkins, Mark (January 28, 1994). "Sharpened Scrawl; Tame Buck Pets". Weekend. The Washington Post. p. 12.
  4. ↑ Maustad, Tom (January 21, 1994). "For band, winning is the biggest thing". Time Out. The Ledger. Dallas Morning News. p. 7.
  5. ↑ "The Buck Pets Biography by Chris True". AllMusic. Retrieved May 3, 2026.
  6. ↑ "Album reviews". Billboard. Vol. 105, no. 21. May 22, 1993. p. 91.
  7. ↑ Koster, Rick (2000). Texas Music. St. Martin's Publishing Group. p. 138.
  8. 1 2 Greenman, Ben (July 28, 1993). "Pets Sounds". Music. Miami New Times.
  9. 1 2 Schulman, Sandra (August 1, 1993). "Sound Judgement". Sun Sentinel. p. 3D.
  10. ↑ "To the Quick The Buck Pets". AllMusic. Retrieved May 3, 2026.
  11. 1 2 Masuo, Sandy (January 28, 1994). "Pop". The Boston Phoenix. Vol. XXIII, no. 4. p. 38.
  12. ↑ "Reviews". Ox-Fanzine. No. 17. June 1994. p. 44.
  13. 1 2 Wild, David (June 4, 1993). "Records". Weekend. The Bradenton Herald. Rolling Stone. p. 4.
  14. ↑ Peterson, Karla (August 12, 1993). "Resilience gets them what they want". Entertainment. The San Diego Union-Tribune. p. 11.
  15. ↑ MacQueen, Steve (January 21, 1994). "Other stuff". Tallahassee Democrat. p. 10D.