Over the weekend, I caught a piece of VH1's Top 40 One Hit Wonders of the 90's. It reminded me how many great tracks there were during the decade that people tend to forget about. For prime example, who wasn't rocking 'Closing Time' in the late 90's? You know you were. Me personally, I didn't really like the song all that much - but most of that was because I couldn't go anywhere without hearing it. But it made me wonder, bands like Semisonic here, has anyone really given them a chance? A chance to get real play on an iPod or any other music device? I'm going to do that today - see if their 1998 release of 'Feeling Strangely Fine' was simply a one hit wonder type of album, or if there is any substance here. They started making music in 1995 and are out of Minneapolis, Minnesota. They only have three studio albums out there, with this one being sandwiched in the middle. They has some success with other singles, including one off this record - but not here in the states. The UK apparently has some sort of inexplicable love for Semisonic that we don't seem to share stateside. I'm reading that when the band went to record this album, they had sixty tracks in mind to fill it up. They ended up weeding that down to 12. I can't imagine that was a fun, simple process. This album reminds me a lot of a Ben Folds meeting any other alternative guitar based band and meshing to make a record. Now, it's not nearly as good as Ben Folds, or most other alt rock bands out there. But it makes something - and that's a start. There are maybe 3 to 5 songs I'd listen to on here, the rest are pretty mediocre. They just lack the substance that you'd want to hear from such a powerful single. And that single isn't really representative of the rest of the record. So I don't know, I'd say just skip it and listen to the Top 3.
TRACK LISTING:
1. Closing Time
2. Singing in My Sleep
3. Made to Last
4. Never You Mind
5. Secret Smile
6. DND
7. Completely Pleased
8. This Will Be My Year
9. All Worked Out
10. California
11. She Spreads Her Wings
12. Gone to the Movies
Listen To Samples
Top 3 Tracks:
1. Closing Time
2. Made To Last
3. Secret Smile
FINAL RATING:
2.25 out of 5 stars
Wow.. Dan WIlson has proven to be one the more interesting purveyors of pop songwriting in the years since this album was released. I missed it when it came out, but now... I have to say that Closing TIme is one of the less memorable tracks on the album. DND, Never You Mind, California... Singing in my sleep, Made to last.. Secret Smile.. are all winners.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't question his ability to write a song. In fact, I know that he at the very least co-wrote Adele's 'Someone Like You' which is a song I love.
ReplyDeleteI can't say I adore this album, or Semisonic's body of work - but him as a song writer? Second to none.
(well, maybe second to Bob Dylan or something - but you get the point)
Thanks for the comment!