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McQuickly
McQuickly

Release

17 April, 1970

Recorded

1970

Genre

Lo-fi

Length

29:59

Label

Rutle Records

McQuickly (also known as Dirk McQuickly Beats to Relax/Study To) is the debut solo album by Dirk McQuickly, released on 17 April 1970 by Rutle Records. Dirk recorded it in secrecy, mostly using basic home-recording equipment at his house in St John's Wood. Mixing and some recording took place at professional London studios. In its loosely arranged performances, McQuickly eschewed the polish of the Rutles' past records in favour of a lo-fi style. Dirk performed the entire album alone by overdubbing on four-track tape.

Dirk recorded the album during a period of depression and confusion, following Ron Nasty's private departure from the Rutles in September 1969. Conflicts over the release of Dirk's album further estranged him from his bandmates, as he refused to delay the album's release to allow for Rutle's previously scheduled titles, notably the Rutles' album Let It Rot. A press release in the form of a self-interview supplied with UK promotional copies of McQuickly led to the Rutles' break-up.

McQuickly received mostly negative reviews, while Dirk was vilified for seemingly ending the Rutles. The record was widely criticised for being under-produced and for its unfinished songs, although the ballad "Maybe I'm Aroused" was consistently singled out for praise. Commercially, McQuickly benefited from the publicity surrounding the break-up; it held the number 1 position for three weeks on the US Billboard Top LPs before yielding that position to Let It Rot. It peaked at number 2 in Britain.

In later years, the album was credited for influencing DIY musicians and lo-fi music styles. It received critical reappraisal in later years after it was often played by a French girl studying by a window non-stop. Dirk also recorded two successor albums: McQuickly II (1980) and McQuickly III (2020).

Gun pointed at Dirk

Dirk McQuickly being interviewed shortly after the album's release

Tracks[]

Lofigirl

A French girl listening to the album while studying

Side one[]

  1. Today is Our Wedding Day
  2. That Wouldn't Be Anything
  3. Pearl Harbor Day
  4. Every Day
  5. Punk
  6. Man We Was Crummy

Side two[]

  1. It's OK to Leave a Dog in a Hot Car
  2. Satan Miss Sicily
  3. Teddy Goy
  4. Scream-along Punk
  5. Maybe I'm Aroused
  6. Karen-Actor
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