Can You Still Feel?

Can You Still Feel?
Studio album by Jason Falkner
Released	February 23, 1999
Genre	Power pop indie rock
Length	46:18
Label	Elektra Entertainment
Producer	Jason Falkner Nigel Godrich
Jason Falkner chronology
Presents Author Unknown (1996) Can You Still Feel? (1999) Necessity: The 4-Track Years (2001)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[2]
Los Angeles Times	[3]
Melody Maker	[4]
MusicHound Rock	[5]
Pitchfork	5.8/10 [6]
PopMatters	8.3/10 [7]
Rolling Stone	[8]
USA Today	[9]
Vue Weekly	[10]

Can You Still Feel? is the second studio album by Jason Falkner, released on February 23, 1999, by Elektra Entertainment. It was produced by Falkner and Nigel Godrich.

The album was supported with singles for the songs “Holiday”, “Eloquence”, and “My Lucky Day”. ^{[11] [12] [13]} Falkner's recording contract with Elektra came to an end after the album was met with weak sales numbers. ^[14] It would be his last solo album for nearly a decade.

Background

Due to the lack of commercial success of his debut album, Presents Author Unknown , Falkner requested to be dropped by his label Elektra Records. Falkner felt the album could have had a “much, much larger audience” and felt that the label's lack of promotion was to blame for its disappointing sales. However, according to Falkner, the label took responsibility for the album's lack of success and requested that he record another album in the same manner he had recorded his debut. ^[14]

The album was co-produced by Nigel Godrich, famous for his work with the band Radiohead. Falkner recalls listening to the album OK Computer and immediately beginning to look through the album's booklet to find who had produced it. He has stated that he worked well with Godrich in producing a sound that was “exactly right”. ^[15]

The album's original working titles were 17A and Amazing the Survivors. Falkner decided against the latter title as he felt it was “hard to say” and could have been “taken a little egotistically”. Falkner says the background for the album's eventual title was: “When you have to work for something you appreciate it ten times more. So Can You Still Feel? refers to that... essentially it's 'stop and smell the roses.'” ^[15]

Composition

In an article for HuffPost, Tony Sachs described the album's sound (as well as the sound of his debut) as being a mix of “classic ‘60s songcraft, elements of ‘70s glam-rock, and the new-wave sheen of the ‘80s” while “sounding completely contemporary.” ^[16]

The album's lead single "Eloquence" has been described as "a stately, power chord-laden, midtempo tune that recalls Sgt. Pepper-era Beatles, along with more than a hint of “All The Young Dudes,” the ‘70s rock classic written by David Bowie and made famous by Mott The Hoople." ^[16]

Track listing

All tracks written and composed by Jason Falkner.

1. "The Invitation" – 0:25
2. "Author Unknown" – 3:32
3. "Revelation" – 5:44
4. "My Lucky Day" – 3:25
5. "Holiday" – 3:59
6. "Eloquence" – 3:41
7. "I Already Know" – 4:26
8. "See You Again" – 5:06
9. "Honey" – 4:14
10. "The Plan" – 4:45
11. "All God's Creatures" – 2:53
12. "Goodnight Sweet Night" – 4:10

Personnel

• Jason Falkner — vocals, keyboards, guitar, bass, drums, percussion, production, mixing
• Jim Akimoto — flute, saxophone
• Suzie Katayama — string arrangements

Technical

• Nigel Godrich - production, engineering (tracks: 1 to 3, 6 to 12)
• Dan Steinberg, John Sorenson, and Phillip Broussard — engineering (assistant)
• Ethan Allen — engineering (second engineer)
• Alan Yoshida — mastering
• George Giz and Wil Sharpe — management
• Jennifer Roddie — art direction
• Stephen Stickler — photography

References

1. Bush, John. "Can You Still Feel?". AllMusic . Rovi Corporation. Archived from the original on September 6, 2018. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
2. Larkin, Colin, ed. (2006). Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 3 (4th ed.). MUZE. p. 376. ISBN   978-0-19-531373-4.
3. Weingarten, Marc (April 4, 1999). "In Brief". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on December 27, 2023. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
4. Loben, Carl (March 20, 1999). "Bits & Bobs". Melody Maker . Vol. 76, no. 11. IPC. p. 36.
5. Isabella, Michael (1999). "Jason Falkner". MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. p. 411. ISBN   1-57859-061-2 – via Internet Archive.
6. Fowler, Shan (February 23, 1999). "Jason Falkner: Can You Still Feel". Pitchfork . Archived from the original on August 16, 2000. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
7. Zupko, Sarah. "Jason Falkner, Can You Still Feel?". PopMatters . Archived from the original on September 3, 2000. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
8. Walters, Barry (March 18, 1999). "Jason Falkner: Can You Still Feel? : Music Reviews". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on May 9, 2006. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
9. Gundersen, Edna (April 20, 1999). "Jason Falkner, Can You Still Feel?". USA Today . Archived from the original on April 22, 1999. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
10. Wuensch, Yuri (May 27, 1999). "New Sounds". Vue Weekly . No. 190. p. 27 – via Internet Archive.
11. "Jason Falkner - Holiday". Discogs. Archived from the original on June 18, 2018. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
12. "Jason Falkner - Eloquence". Discogs. Archived from the original on June 18, 2018. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
13. "Jason Falkner - My Lucky Day". Discogs. Archived from the original on June 18, 2018. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
14. Gary Knight. "Jason Falkner: Can You Hear Me Now? (interview)". Under the Radar Magazine. Archived from the original on July 15, 2018. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
15. Dornan, Mart. "Interview: Jason Falkner by Matt Dornan". Comes With a Smile. Archived from the original on March 20, 2016. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
16. Tony Sachs (June 8, 2010). "Author (Still) Unknown: The Brilliant Music and Star-Crossed Career of Jason Falkner". HuffPost. Oath Inc. Retrieved September 24, 2018.

External links

• Can You Still Feel? at Discogs (list of releases)