| Big Money Item | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1995 | |||
| Genre | Power pop | |||
| Label | Sire [1] | |||
| Producer | Andy Paley | |||
| The Greenberry Woods chronology | ||||
| ||||
Big Money Item is an album by the American power pop band the Greenberry Woods, released in 1995. [2] [3] The band broke up two weeks after its release. [4] "Smash-Up" and "Super Geek" were released as singles. [5] [6]
The album was produced by Andy Paley. [7] The songwriting was equally divided among guitar players Matt and Brandt Huseman and bass player Ira Katz. [8]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [9] |
| Calgary Herald | B+ [10] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide |  [1] |
| The Province | [11] |
Trouser Press called Big Money Item "superb stuff, but overly derivative." [12] The Baltimore Sun thought that it "boasts enough beautiful minor-key melodies and lush, soaring harmonies to put any listener in mind of Rubber Soul and Revolver." [13] The Record opined that "the quartet makes affecting, careful pop look so effortless that it's easy to underestimate their tremendous accomplishment." [14]
The St. Petersburg Times wrote: "Like Squeeze and Crowded House at their least self-indulgent, the Beach Boys sans their one-trick-pony musical clichés, the Posies fulfilling their early promise, Badfinger with jangly optimism, Pezband with decent songs—this disc sounds as timeless and classic as anything you'll hear recorded today." [15] The Calgary Herald stated that "the Woods jangle and harmonize through 18 condensed gems in 50 minutes." [10] The Contra Costa Times declared that "the Greenberry Woods have tapped into some kind of long-forgotten genius on Big Money Item... this is an album so clear-headed and upbeat that you're blown backwards with joy." [16] The Northwest Herald listed Big Money Item as the fifth best album of 1995; the Times Colonist listed it as the eighteenth. [17] [18]
AllMusic wrote that "even at its most superficial and derivative and unapologetically nerdy, Big Money Item is just so chock full of fatal hooks that ... well ... life almost starts to feel that fresh and innocent again." [9]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Love Songs" | |
| 2. | "Parachute" | |
| 3. | "Super Geek" | |
| 4. | "Smash-Up" | |
| 5. | "Yeah (Yeah, Yeah, Yeah)" | |
| 6. | "Round and Round" | |
| 7. | "For You" | |
| 8. | "Nervous" | |
| 9. | "Go Without You" | |
| 10. | "Invisible Threads" | |
| 11. | "Oh Janine" | |
| 12. | "Back Seat Driver" | |
| 13. | "Winslow to Arizona" | |
| 14. | "Baby You Can't Get It Back" | |
| 15. | "Punch Drunk" | |
| 16. | "Nice Girl" | |
| 17. | "Different Ways" | |
| 18. | "The Final Song" |
Fireball Zone is the third solo album by the American musician Ric Ocasek, frontman and songwriter of the Cars. The first single from the 1991 release was "Rockaway".
Restless is an album by the Canadian band Skydiggers, released in 1992. It was the band's most commercially successful release, and produced their biggest chart hit, "A Penny More". The band and album were nominated for two Juno Awards.
Fight for Love is the fourth album by the Canadian band 54-40, released in 1989. The band supported the album with a Canadian tour.
The Greenberry Woods is a power pop quartet formed in 1989 by songwriters Matt Huseman and Ira Katz while students at the University of Maryland. They were later joined by Huseman's twin brother Brandt Huseman on bass and drummer Miles Rosen. Named for a suburban Maryland housing development, the band released only two albums before disbanding in 1996. They reunited in 2018 and released an album, House, of material recorded between 1989 and 1995.
Where's the Bone is the fourth album by the Canadian power pop band the Pursuit of Happiness, released in 1995. The first single was "Young and in Love", which is about Generation X; "Kalendar" was also released as a single. The band supported the album with a Canadian tour.
Stress is an album by the Jamaican musician Daddy Freddy, released in 1991. It made Billboard's Top R&B Albums chart. Daddy Freddy incorporated samples from rock bands like the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin. "Nuff Respect" is a version of the Otis Redding song. "Ragga House " samples Stephen Bishop's "On and On".
The Practice of Joy Before Death is an album by the American alternative rock band Pond, released in 1995. Its first single was "Glass Sparkles in Their Hair".
Fifa is an album by the Beninese musician Angélique Kidjo, released in 1996. It was the first album on which Kidjo sang in English in addition to Fon and French. Fifa was considered to be an attempt at a crossover album. The first single was "Wombo Lombo".
"Caroline" is a song by British singer and songwriter Kirsty MacColl, released in February 1995 as a single from her compilation album Galore. The song was written by MacColl, and produced by Victor Van Vugt and MacColl. "Caroline" reached number 58 in the UK Singles Chart and remained in the top 100 for two weeks.
Love Story is the fourth solo studio album by the English musician Lloyd Cole, released in 1995. Cole supported the album with UK and North American tours.
Unity is an album by the American band Big Mountain, released in 1994.
Living Room Scene is an album by the American band Dillon Fence, released in 1994. It was the band's final studio album; half the band left shortly after its release, forcing singer Greg Humphreys and drummer Scott Carle to support it with two new touring musicians. The title track, about living in a college town, was the first single.
Be Bop or Be Dead is the debut solo album by the American musician and Last Poet Umar Bin Hassan, released in 1993. Hassan had spent many of the preceding years isolated from his group and his music while dealing with drug and personal issues. The album was a commercial disappointment.
Glimmer is an album by the American alternative rock musician Kevin Salem, released in 1996. Salem supported the album by opening for the Connells on a North American tour.
Cakewalk is an album by the American alternative rock duo House of Freaks, released in 1991. It was the duo's first album for a major label.
Wrapped in Sky is an album by the American rock band Drivin N Cryin, released in 1995. The album marked a return to the band's earlier, folkier sound.
Pretty & Twisted is the debut album by the American alternative rock band Pretty & Twisted, released in 1995. It was the band's only album.
Trance is an album by the Moroccan musician Hassan Hakmoun. It was released in 1993. He is credited with his band, Zahar. Hakmoun supported the album by playing "The Musical World of Islam" concert series, in 1993, as well as Woodstock '94.
Candyland is the second album by the American musician James McMurtry, released in 1992. McMurtry supported the album by participating in the "In Their Own Words: A Bunch of Songwriters Sittin' Around Singing" tour, with Marshall Crenshaw, Don Dixon, Jules Shear, and David Halley.
Pick Up on This! is an album by the American musician Beau Jocque, released in 1994. He is credited with his band, the Zydeco Hi-Rollers. Beau Jocque supported the album with North American and United Kingdom tours.
