| Brightside | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1995 | |||
| Genre | Alternative rock | |||
| Label | Restless [1] | |||
| Producer | Matt Piucci, Steven Roback | |||
| Viva Saturn chronology | ||||
| ||||
Brightside is an album by the American band Viva Saturn, released in 1995. [2] [3] It was the band's final album, as Restless Records chose not to release 1998's Ships of Heaven. [4]
The album was produced by Matt Piucci and Steven Roback, former bandmates in the Rain Parade. [5] It closes with a cover of "One for My Baby", a song made popular by Frank Sinatra; the cover first appeared on the Sinatra tribute album, Chairman of the Board: Interpretations of Songs Made Famous by Frank Sinatra. [6] [7] Roback wrote or cowrote nine of the 11 songs. [8]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [9] |
| The Province | [5] |
Trouser Press thought that "the somber 'String Me Out a Line' conveys aching loneliness with haunting clarity, its gentle acoustic instrumentation and quiet vocal harmonies making it Brightside's most memorable track." [10] Stereo Review called the album "a well-crafted slice of retro-psychedelic pop-rock." [11] The Stafford Post noted the "road-friendly rockers" and "drowsy psychedelia." [12]
The Province opined that, "as Piucci and Roback were members of Rain Parade, a major player in L.A.'s Paisley Underground scene of the mid-'80s, Viva Saturn could also be seen by both as a chance to resolve some unfinished aspects of their past... Unfortunately, Brightside, while attractive, is less substantial than any of their other projects." [5] Billboard concluded that Piucci "is especially impressive; his stint backing Neil Young in Crazy Horse is noticeable in his taut, laconic lead work." [6]
AllMusic wrote that "Roback's detached, nasal twang blends nicely into an atmospheric backdrop of textured guitars, piano accents and feedback." [9] The Rough Guide to Rock determined that the album "continued [the Rain Parade's] journey, rediscovering the plaintive melodicism mislaid in their 1988 comeback." [13]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Send a Message" | |
| 2. | "Black Cloud" | |
| 3. | "Brightside" | |
| 4. | "Here Comes April" | |
| 5. | "Abandoned Car" | |
| 6. | "String Me Out a Line" | |
| 7. | "Mourn the Light" | |
| 8. | "Distracted" | |
| 9. | "Nothing Helps" | |
| 10. | "Heart of You" | |
| 11. | "One for My Baby" |
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