Spanking Machine

The working title of the album was Swamp Pussy, which later ended up becoming the opening song on the album. The album title was later changed to Spanking Machine, after the "spanking machine" from an episode of Leave It to Beaver titled "The Price of Fame".{{cite web|title=Leave It to Beaver: The Price of Fame Summary, Cast and Crew|url=http://www.starpulse.com/Movies/Leave_It_to_Beaver%3A_The_Price_of_Fame-V339371/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121008062503/https://www.starpulse.com/Movies/Leave_It_to_Beaver:_The_Price_of_Fame-V339371/|archive-date=October 8, 2012|access-date=February 5, 2022|website=starpulse.com}}

The album was recorded and produced by Seattle musician and producer Jack Endino{{cite web|title=Jack Endino Production Discography|url=http://endino.com/discography.html|access-date=June 11, 2010|website=endino.com}} at Reciprocal Recording in Seattle – where other bands such as Nirvana and Mudhoney recorded – and was released in April 1990 by Twin/Tone Records.

"Dust Cake Boy" was a different version than that previously released on 45 by the Minneapolis-based Treehouse Records in 1989. It was recorded in 1988, before the band's sessions with Jack Endino, at Technisound Studio and produced by Brian Paulson. The single was backed with "Spit to See the Shine". A promotional video for the song "He's My Thing" was also recorded, though the song was never released as a single. Recorded during a live show at Minneapolis' First Avenue, the video was recorded on a 16 mm camera by Mike Etoll.

{{Music ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/spanking-machine-mw0000308138|title=Spanking Machine – Babes in Toyland|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=March 17, 2010|last=Deming|first=Mark}}

| rev2 = Entertainment Weekly

| rev2score = B−{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/1990/04/27/notable-music-week-april-27-1990-0/|title=Notable music for the week of April 27, 1990|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=April 27, 1990|access-date=May 18, 2018|last1=Sandow|first1=Greg|author1-link=Greg Sandow|last2=Nash|first2=Alanna|author2-link=Alanna Nash|last3=Giddins|first3=Gary|author3-link=Gary Giddins}}

| rev3 = The Rolling Stone Album Guide

| rev3score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite book|chapter=Babes in Toyland|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t9eocwUfoSoC&pg=PA32|access-date=February 5, 2022|last=Abowitz|first=Richard|title=The New Rolling Stone Album Guide|title-link=The Rolling Stone Album Guide|editor1-last=Brackett|editor1-first=Nathan|editor1-link=Nathan Brackett|editor2-last=Hoard|editor2-first=Christian|editor2-link=Christian Hoard|publisher=Simon & Schuster|edition=4th|year=2004|isbn=0-7432-0169-8|page=32}}

| rev4 = Spin Alternative Record Guide

| rev4score = 6/10{{cite book|chapter=Babes in Toyland|last=Huston|first=Johnny|title=Spin Alternative Record Guide|title-link=Spin Alternative Record Guide|editor1-last=Weisbard|editor1-first=Eric|editor1-link=Eric Weisbard|editor2-last=Marks|editor2-first=Craig|publisher=Vintage Books|year=1995|isbn=0-679-75574-8|page=22}}

| rev5 = The Village Voice

| rev5score = C+{{cite news|url=https://robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cgv690-90.php|title=Consumer Guide|newspaper=The Village Voice|date=July 3, 1990|access-date=May 18, 2018|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau}}

| rev6 = Vox

| rev6score = 8/10{{cite magazine|title=Babes in Toyland: Spanking Machine|magazine=Vox|issue=10|date=July 1991|last=Finlay|first=Leo|page=64}}

}}

Spanking Machine received generally positive reviews from critics, with Mark Deming of AllMusic stating:

[Spanking Machine] sounds like the blueprint for the music [Courtney] Love would make during Hole's first incarnation [...] that Spanking Machine is a more compelling and emotionally powerful work [and] Kat Bjelland's songs pull no punches.

Other bands interested in the underground music scene – most notably Sonic Youth – were fans of the album, so much so that Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore invited the band to perform on Sonic Youth's 1990 European tour{{cite web|title=sonic youth concert chronology - 1990|url=http://www.sonicyouth.com/mustang/cc/1990.html|access-date=June 11, 2010|website=www.sonicyouth.com}} to promote their latest album, Goo. The band also performed alongside Sonic Youth at 1991's Reading Festival,{{cite web|title=Reading Festival 1991|url=http://www.fatreg.com/Reading1991/Rdg1991.html|access-date=June 11, 2010|website=www.fatreg.com}}{{cite web|title=The Reading Festival|url=http://www.phespirit.info/music/notes/reading_festival.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100620131142/https://www.phespirit.info/music/notes/reading_festival.htm|archive-date=June 20, 2010|access-date=June 11, 2010|website=phespirit.info}} which was documented by Dave Markey's music documentary, 1991: The Year Punk Broke.

Rolling Stone ranked Spanking Machine at number 27 on its list of the "50 Greatest Grunge Albums" in 2019, writing that Spanking Machine "was a perfect marriage of crunchy Midwestern punk and wry Northwestern malaise."{{cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/50-greatest-grunge-albums-798851/babes-in-toyland-spanking-machine-1990-798844/|title=50 Greatest Grunge Albums|website=Rolling Stone|date=April 1, 2019|access-date=February 5, 2022|last1=Browne|first1=David|author1-link=David Browne (journalist)|last2=Exposito|first2=Suzy|author2-link=Suzy Exposito|last3=Grant|first3=Sarah|last4=Greene|first4=Andy|last5=Grow|first5=Kory|last6=Hudak|first6=Joseph|last7=Kreps|first7=Daniel|last8=Martoccio|first8=Angie|last9=Newman|first9=Jason|last10=Shteamer|first10=Hank|last11=Spanos|first11=Brittany|last12=Vozick-Levinson|first12=Simon}}

All songs written by Kat Bjelland, except where noted

{{Track listing

| total_length = 35:44

| title1 = Swamp Pussy

| note1 =

| length1 = 2:24

| title2 = He's My Thing

| note2 =

| length2 = 2:56

| title3 = Vomit Heart

| note3 =

| length3 = 2:48

| title4 = Never

| note4 =

| length4 = 3:16

| title5 = Boto(w)rap

| writer5 = Bjelland, Lori Barbero

| length5 = 2:31

| title6 = Dogg

| writer6 = Barbero

| length6 = 3:53

| title7 = Pain in My Heart

| note7 =

| length7 = 3:59

| title8 = Lashes

| note8 =

| length8 = 3:46

| title9 = You're Right

| note9 =

| length9 = 3:07

| title10 = Dust Cake Boy

| note10 =

| length10 = 3:31

| title11 = Fork Down Throat

| note11 =

| length11 = 3:54

}}

• Kat Bjelland – lead vocals, guitar
• Lori Barbero – drums, backing vocals (lead vocals on "Dogg")
• Michelle Leon – bass
• Jack Endino – production, engineering

{{Reflist}}

{{Babes in Toyland (band)}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1990 debut albums

Category:Babes in Toyland (band) albums

Category:Albums produced by Jack Endino

Category:Twin/Tone Records albums