Whiplash Boychild

Whiplash Boychild is the solo debut album by Scottish musician and singer-songwriter Chris Connelly, who is best known for his work for bands such as Ministry, The Revolting Cocks, and Pigface.^[3] It was released in 1991 through Wax Trax! Records. The album also features session contributions from drummer William Rieflin,^[2] and bass guitarist Stuart Zechman, who later reunited with Connelly on his next album, Phenobarb Bambalam (1992).^[4]

Whiplash Boychild
Studio album by Chris Conneliy
Released	1 March 1991 (1991-03-01)[1]
Recorded	9 April–22 July 1990[2]
Genre	Rock avant-garde
Length	60:44
Label	Wax Trax!
Producer	Chris Connelly Keith Auerbach
Chris Conneliy chronology
Whiplash Boychild (1991) Phenobarb Bambalam (1992)

The record stylistically differs from Wax Trax!'s industrial music-indebted catalogue, incorporating influences from Scott Walker, David Bowie and Marc Bolan, as well as experimenting with avant-garde song structures.^[3][2] It takes its title from a lyric from the Velvet Underground song, "Venus in Furs".^[5]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]

AllMusic critic Ned Raggett considered the record as "a commanding and often quite surprising solo effort of equal power and delicacy," and wrote: "Compared with Marc Almond's splashy theatrics, Connelly is a little more abstract and restrained, approaching his material with a certain calm." Raggett also thought that the album's production was "remarkably clear, without ever being sterile or losing the impact of the music."^[2] Ira Robbins of Trouser Press gave the album a positive review, stating: "An ambitious lyricist who doesn't quite have poetry within his reach, Connelly is an able, mannered singer with some intriguing ideas."^[5]

Track listing

1. "Daredevil" – 5:10
2. "Ghost of a Saint" – 4:43
3. "This Edge of Midnight" – 6:49
4. "The Last of Joy" – 3:11
5. "The Amorous Humphrey Plugg" (Scott Walker) – 3:49
6. "Stowaway" – 3:52
7. "The Hawk, the Butcher, the Killer of Beauties" – 3:20
8. "The Game Is All Yours" – 5:04
9. "Confessions of the Highest Bidder" – 10:56
10. "Stowaway (Daydream Mix)" – 6:48
11. "This Edge of Midnight (Sparse Mix)" – 7:02

Personnel

Album personnel as adapted from the album's liner notes.^[6]

• Chris Connelly – performer, producer, lyrics, cover art
• Keith Auerbach – producer
• Jessica Villines – performer, engineer
• Stuart Zechman – performer
• William Rieflin – performer
• Andy McGregor – performer
• Jim Marcus – performer
• Steve Albini – recording (3)
• Duanne Buford – programming (6)
• Die Warzau – mixing (10)
• Jeff Newell – engineer
• Gary Saunders – assistant engineer
• John Hachtel – assistant engineer
• Keith Mestle – assistant engineer
• Steve Levy – assistant engineer
• Brian Shanley – cover art
• Tom Young – cover art