Betti-Cola

Betti-Cola is the debut album by the Canadian band Cub. It was released on October 1, 1993, by Mint Records. The album was remastered and re-released with bonus tracks in 2007.

The album contains tracks taken from various 7-inch EPs as well as a handful of covers. A 12-song double 7-inch EP titled Betti-Cola, with similar cover art, was released at roughly the same time as the CD.

The cover art is by Archie Comics cartoonist Dan DeCarlo.

Recording

Cub recorded Betti-Cola primarily with microphones and a Digital Audio Tape machine. The album was recorded in various locations, including in Olympia, Washington, and at CBC Television.

Reception

"While the band's primitive, sweet formula changes little over the duration of the set," wrote Jason Ankeny in a retrospective review for AllMusic, "the performances grow more assured with each passing track; whether tackling Lisa Marr's own infectious compositions... or well-chosen covers... Cub's naive charm is irresistible." Ira Robbins of Trouser Press likewise found that as a whole, the album captures Cub's "increasing musical strength and confidence (especially on the part of guitarist Robynn Iwata and singer/bassist Lisa Marr; a procession of drummers make rhythmic progress impossible to chart)." Pitchfork's Marc Hogan stated that "like Jonathan Richman post-Modern Lovers, Cub prove that childlike whimsy can be, in the words of Joe Harvard, 'a purer form of rebellion.'"

Track listing

All songs written by Cub, except where indicated.

1. "Go Fish" – 2:00
2. "What the Water Gave Me" – 1:14
3. "Motel 6" – 2:21
4. "A Party" – 1:18
5. "Flying Carpet" – 2:38
6. "My Chinchilla" – 1:23
7. "Electric Chair" – 2:33
8. "Nicolas Bragg" – 1:56
9. "Pretty Pictures" – 1:38
10. "They Don't" – 1:40
11. "A Picnic" – 1:24
12. "It's True" – 1:28
13. "Someday" – 1:44
14. "Cast a Shadow" (Beat Happening cover) – 2:12
15. "The Day We Met" – 1:34
16. "Surfer Girl" (The Beach Boys cover) – 1:33
17. "Little Star" – 1:13
18. "My Assassin" – 1:51
19. "Tell Me Now" (Daniel Johnston cover) – 3:00
20. "Lucky 7" – 1:46
21. "Through My Hoop" – 2:25
22. "Leapfrog" – 2:10
23. "Backwoods" (Windwalker cover) – 3:14
24. "What the Water Gave Me" (performed by NFA; Cub cover) – 3:45

2007 reissue bonus tracks

1. "Chico" – 1:15
2. "Sweet Pea" (Tommy Roe cover) – 1:24
3. "Summer Samba" (Astrud Gilberto cover) – 1:41
4. "Hello Kitty" – 1:33
5. "Wipeout!" (live) (unlisted) – 0:20

Notes

• Tracks 1–4 and 25 are from the Pep 7-inch EP.
• Tracks 5–8 and 27 are from the Hot Dog Day 7-inch EP.
• Tracks 9–13, 17, 18, 20, 22, 23, 26, and 28 are from the Betti-Cola double 7-inch EP.
• Tracks 14–16, 19, 21, 23, 24, and 29 are unique to the album, though alternate versions of 14, 15, and 21 appeared on the "Volcano" 7-inch single, Pep, and Hot Dog Day, respectively.

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.

Cub

• Lisa Marr – vocals, bass
• Robynn Iwata – guitar, backup vocals (tracks 1 and 15)
• Valeria Fellini – drums (tracks 1–8 and 17–23), backup vocals (track 1)
• Neko Case – drums (tracks 12 and 14–16)

Additional musicians

• Dave Carswell – drums (tracks 9, 10, and 13), acoustic guitar (tracks 11 and 13), glockenspiel (track 9)
• NFA (Jason Ogden, Andrew Earle, Craig Moore) – guest performance (track 24)

Production

• Jean Smith – production (tracks 1–4)
• Cub – production (tracks 1–23)
• Adam Sloan – engineering (tracks 1–8 and 17–23), production (tracks 17–23)
• Nicolas Bragg – production (tracks 5–8)
• Anthony Hempell – production (tracks 5–8)
• Pat Maley – production and engineering (tracks 9–13)
• Dave Carswell – production (tracks 9–13)
• Kevin Komoda – production (tracks 14–16)
• Anthony "Fu" Valcic – mastering, assembly

Design

• Dan DeCarlo – cover drawing
• Derrick Hanni – outer back cover photograph
• Allen May – booklet back cover photograph
• Miles Constable, Bill Baker, Lisa Marr, Robynn Iwata, Allen May, Derrick Hanni, Linda Scholten – booklet photographs
• Adam, Melanie, Valeria Fellini – booklet drawings