| Across The Universe | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1990 | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 40:55 | |||
| Label | A&M | |||
| Producer | Fred Maher and Trip Shakespeare | |||
| Trip Shakespeare chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
Across The Universe is an album released by Trip Shakespeare in 1990. It was the band's first release on A&M Records, the major label that they had signed with earlier in the year.
The title's echo of a particularly trippy Beatles song recalls lead songwriter Matt Wilson's preoccupation with the British Invasion band:
TrouserPress.com called Across The Universe a "too-rare example of an indie act benefiting musically from major-label treatment"—citing an "increased rock edge that doesn't detract from the gentle charm" of tracks like "Snow Days", "Gone, Gone, Gone" and "The Crane"—the latter being the closest thing the album had to a hit. [3]
New York Newsday praised the album's "original melodies, soaring, driving hooks, and precise, daringly oddball lyrics", but complained that "the jokey tone often descends into feyness, then facetiousness," and said the "overbaked singing accentuates the overly florid lyrics of otherwise engaging songs". [4] The Toronto Star called Across the Universe "odd stuff, but completely engaging." [5]
The band itself was less than satisfied with the album. "We did not succeed on Across the Universe," Matt Wilson later said. [6] "There was kind of a compromise between what the label wanted on there and what the band wanted." [7] Despite this attempt to tailor the product for the record-buying public, Across the Universe sold a disappointing 33,000 copies [8] —a showing characterized by Wilson as "bad, really bad." [7]
The album opens with "Turtledove", described as "a love song written, logically enough, from the point of view of a male bird." [9]
"Pearle" is a murder ballad rerecorded from the band's self-released debut album, Applehead Man. The "new version...demonstrates how much Trip has grown; the playing is more confident and interactive than ever, with an increased rock edge," wrote Trouser Press. [10]
Calling "Snow Days" "Trip Shakespeare at its best", Newsday described it as "an eccentric blues about the kind of blizzard that shuts down school...a lovely evocation of childhood in the Minnesota winter." [11]
"Every time we worked on the song in the studio, it seemed to snow," bassist John Munson claimed of "Snow Days". "When we were mixing the song in New York, it snowed there for the first time in years on Thanksgiving," said Matt Wilson. [12]
"Drummer Like Me" is said to "credibly capture the social misfortunes of the band member who often gets the least respect." [11]
"The Slacks" has been called a "tale of strange sexual discovery", [9] and "a naughty dance song about a one-eyed lady from France with a fatal weakness for magic trousers." [13]
The lyrics of "Honey Tree" were co-written by Matt and Dan Wilson—the first Trip Shakespeare words not credited solely to Matt. "The honey tree is someplace beyond this world", Dan said of the song. "The garden where that romance takes place is other-earthly. It's real, in the same way that a dream is real". [14]
All music by Matt Wilson and Dan Wilson except as indicated. All lyrics by Matt Wilson except "Honey Tree" by Matt Wilson and Dan Wilson.
The Beach Boys are an American rock band formed in Hawthorne, California in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Distinguished by their vocal harmonies, adolescent-oriented themes, and musical ingenuity, they are one of the most influential acts of the rock era. They drew on the music of older pop vocal groups, 1950s rock and roll, and black R&B to create their unique sound, and under Brian's direction, often incorporated classical or jazz elements and unconventional recording techniques in innovative ways.
End of the Century is the fifth studio album by the American punk rock band the Ramones, released on February 4, 1980, through Sire Records. The album was the band's first to be produced by Phil Spector, though he had offered the band his assistance earlier in their career. With Spector fully producing the album, it was the first release that excluded original member Tommy Ramone, who had left the band in 1978 but had produced their previous album Road to Ruin. Spector used more advanced standards of engineering, such as high-quality overdubbing and echo chambers. These painstaking methods caused conflict between the band and Spector, since the Ramones were accustomed to a quicker recording process. Spector emphasized the production value as well, working with a budget of around $200,000, far exceeding their earlier album sessions.
Semisonic is an American alternative rock band formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1995. The band has three members: Dan Wilson, John Munson, and Jacob Slichter. They are best known in the U.S. for their 1998 single "Closing Time."
Smiley Smile is the twelfth studio album by American rock band the Beach Boys, released on September 18, 1967. It reached number 9 on UK record charts, but sold poorly in the US, peaking at number 41—the band's lowest chart placement to that point. Critics and fans generally received the album and its lead single, "Heroes and Villains", with confusion and disappointment. "Good Vibrations" and "Gettin' Hungry" were also released as singles, but the former was issued a year earlier, while the latter was not credited to the band.
The Beach Boys Today! is the eighth studio album by the American rock band the Beach Boys, released March 8, 1965 on Capitol Records. It signaled a departure from their previous records with its orchestral sound, intimate subject matter, and abandonment of car or surf songs. Side one features an uptempo sound, while side two consists mostly of introspective ballads. Supported by this thematic approach, the record became an early example of a rock concept album and established the group as album artists rather than just a singles band. It has since become regarded as one of the greatest albums of all time.
Wild Honey is the thirteenth studio album by American rock band the Beach Boys, released December 18, 1967 on Capitol Records. It was the group's first foray into soul music and was heavily influenced by the R&B of Motown and Stax Records. The album was the band's worst-selling at that point, charting at number 24 in the US. Lead single "Wild Honey" peaked at number 31, while its follow-up "Darlin'" reached number 11. In the UK, the album peaked at number seven.
Friends is the fourteenth studio album by American rock band the Beach Boys, released on June 24, 1968 through Capitol Records. The album is characterized by its calm and peaceful atmosphere, which contrasted the prevailing music trends of the time, and for its brevity, with five of its 12 tracks running less than two minutes long. It sold poorly, peaking at number 126 on the US Billboard charts, the group's lowest US chart performance to date, although it reached number 13 in the UK. Fans generally came to regard the album as one of the band's finest.
John Munson is an American musician who is best known as the bass player for Semisonic. He was also a member of Trip Shakespeare during the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Daniel Dodd Wilson is an American musician, singer, songwriter, producer, and visual artist. His songwriting resume includes "Closing Time", which he wrote for his band, Semisonic, "Not Ready to Make Nice" and "Someone like You". He earned a Grammy nomination for "Closing Time" and won Grammys for Song of the Year and Album of the Year.
Trip Shakespeare was an American rock band formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota in the late 1980s/early 1990s. The band included Dan Wilson and John Munson, who would later go on to be founding members of Semisonic.
"Darlin'" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys and the second single from their 1967 album Wild Honey. Written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love, it was inspired by singer Danny Hutton and was originally intended to be recorded by his band Redwood. Carl Wilson ultimately sang the lead vocal and played guitar, while Brian played piano. Other accompaniment in the song includes bass, tambourine, strings, and horns.
Matthew Robert "Matt" Wilson is an American singer-songwriter best known as the frontman of the band Trip Shakespeare.
Can't Get Lost When You're Goin' Nowhere' is an album by Gone Fishin', a band featuring Matt Piucci from Rain Parade and Tim Lee from The Windbreakers.
The Twilight Hours is a band formed by Matt Wilson and John Munson. Munson and Wilson also played together in Trip Shakespeare and The Flops, and Munson is also known for his work with Semisonic, The New Standards, and John Munson and the Witnesses.
Scavenger is the fourth studio album by The Walkabouts released September 1, 1991 on Sub Pop Records. It received national exposure in the United States through NPR. The album is available in various forms from Amazon.com and as digital download from iTunes Store in the US and the United Kingdom among others.
Gideon Gaye is the second studio album by the Anglo-Irish avant-pop band the High Llamas, released in 1994 on the Brighton-based Target label. Notable for anticipating the mid 1990s easy-listening revivalism, the album's music was influenced by Brian Wilson, Steely Dan, Brazilian bossa nova and European film soundtracks, and was recorded with a £4000 budget. It was met with high praise by the British press. Q dubbed the LP "the best Beach Boys album since 1968's Friends". In the US, the album was indifferently promoted.
Polara is the self-titled first album by Minneapolis alternative rock band Polara.
C'est la Vie is the second album by Minneapolis alternative rock band Polara, and their first for Interscope Records.
Are You Shakespearienced? is the second studio album released by Minneapolis alternative rock band Trip Shakespeare. It was released in 1989 on Minneapolis indie label Gark Records, then reissued in 1998 on Minneapolis label Clean/Twin/Tone Records, and again in 2014 on Omnivore Recordings.
Applehead Man is the debut studio album released by Minneapolis alternative rock band Trip Shakespeare. It was released in 1986 on Minneapolis label Gark Records, then reissued in 1998 on Minneapolis label Clean/Twin/Tone Records, and again in 2014 on Omnivore Recordings.
