Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars
| Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
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| Studio album by Edie Brickell & New Bohemians | ||||
| Released | August 9, 1988 | |||
| Recorded | Rockfield Studios, Wales (U.K.) | |||
| Genre | Alternative rock, jangle pop, Folk rock | |||
| Length | 48:22 | |||
| Label | Geffen | |||
| Producer | Pat Moran | |||
| Edie Brickell & New Bohemians chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| Robert Christgau | B–[2] |
Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars is the debut album by the American alternative rock band Edie Brickell & New Bohemians, released in 1988. The album went 2x platinum in the United States.
"What I Am" was the lead single and big hit from the album, reaching #7 on the Billboard Hot 100.[3] The follow-up single, "Circle," was about strained relationships.[4] Although described by author Brent Mann as "the perfect follow up single to 'What I Am'" and which "had 'smash' written all over it," it stalled at #48 on the Billboard Hot 100 and fared slightly better on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart, reaching #32.[3][5] Another song from the album, "Little Miss S,," was inspired by Edie Sedgwick and reached #38 on the Mainstream Rock chart and #14 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart.[3][4]
Contents
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "What I Am" | Edie Brickell, Kenny Withrow | 4:54 |
| 2. | "Little Miss S." | Brickell, Withrow, Brad Houser, Brandon Aly, John Bush | 3:37 |
| 3. | "Air of December" | Brickell, Withrow, Houser, Aly, Bush | 5:54 |
| 4. | "The Wheel" | Brickell, Withrow, Houser, Aly, Bush | 3:53 |
| 5. | "Love Like We Do" | Brickell | 3:13 |
| 6. | "Circle" | Brickell, Withrow | 3:11 |
| 7. | "Beat the Time" | Brickell, Withrow | 2:58 |
| 8. | "She" | Brickell, Withrow, Houser, Aly, Bush | 5:06 |
| 9. | "Nothing" | Brickell, Withrow | 4:49 |
| 10. | "Now" | Brickell, Withrow, Houser, Aly, Bush | 6:00 |
| 11. | "Keep Coming Back" | Brickell | 2:42 |
| 12. | "I Do" (Hidden track) | Brickell | 2:00 |
Song notes
Excerpted from a "songbook" included with a box set of the "What I Am" single,[6] presumed to be annotated and illustrated by Brickell herself:
What I Am "What I Am is a smart-alec's way out of a deep discussion on the universe as it relates to the self."
Little Miss S. "Little Miss S. is just another one of those famous dead people."
Air of December "People change & affect you just like the weather."
The Wheel "Your kind's always gonna be a-round."
Love Like We Do "We're broke & we're ugly."
Circle "That weird lost feeling can get you even when you're hangin' round with friends."
Beat the Time "Time Divides."
She "She's just about a homegirl."
Nothing "There's something about nothing – but it's nothing I wanna talk about."
Now "When your heart occupies your head."
Keep Coming Back "Some people get right on your mind & just stay there."
I Do "I Do is a song for my cat."
Personnel
NEW BOHEMIANS
- Edie Brickell - vocals
- Kenny Withrow - guitar
- Brad Houser - bass
- Brandon Aly - drums (fired from the band by the label during the sessions)
- John Bush - percussion
with:
- Robbie Blunt - guitar
- John Henry - background vocals
- Chris Whitten - drums
- Paul "Wix" Wickens - keyboards
Both Chris Whitten and Paul "Wix" Wickens were/are members of Paul McCartney's Band. Whitten, from 1989-1990, and Wickens from 1989-present.
Production
- Producer: Pat Moran
- Engineer: Pat Moran
- Mastering: George Marino
- Design: Terry Robertson
- Cover illustration: Edie Brickell
- Photography: Bob Cook
- Tracks 6 & 8 published by Geffen Music-Withrow Publishing-Edie Brickell Songs.[7]
- Tracks 11 & 12 published by Geffen Music-Edie Brickell Songs.
- All Other Tracks Published By Geffen Music-Strangemind Productions-Enlightened Kitty-Withrow Publishing-Edie Brickell Songs.
Reception
"Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars is almost impossible to be cynical about (I tried)," remarked Time Out, "and the band are so likeable it's almost unreal."[8]
Charts
Chart positions
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Year-end charts
Certifications
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References
- ↑ Allmusic review
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- ↑ http://discogs.com/Edie-Brickell-New-Bohemians-What-I-Am/release/1522993
- ↑ Publishing Information as found at discogs
- ↑ Time Out, June 21–28, 1989
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- ↑ Allmusic - Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums
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- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH
