| Deconstruction | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 28, 1999 | |||
| Recorded | c. 1998–1999 | |||
| Genre | Alternative rock | |||
| Length | 50:14 | |||
| Label | Capitol | |||
| Producer |
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| Meredith Brooks chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Deconstruction | ||||
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Deconstruction is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Meredith Brooks. It was released on September 28, 1999, by Capitol Records. Following the album's disappointing commercial reception, Brooks was dropped from the record label.
Unlike her involvement with Meredith Brooks (1986) and Blurring the Edges (1997), Brooks sought to take more control over the compositions on Deconstruction. With the exception of "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)", Brooks wrote or co-wrote and played lead guitar on every song on the album, in addition to co-producing the album with David Darling. Thematically, Brooks claims that the material on Deconstruction was a direct reaction to her experiences with the success of "Bitch". She explained: "The new album is about deconstructing everything, letting people know that I'm not just any one thing." [3]
Deconstruction was released on September 28, 1999. Prior to the album's release, Brooks released rough mixes of several album tracks on her official website. There are two unreleased songs from these sessions titled Deconstruction and Strangely Erotic. [4] Fans had the opportunity to vote for their favorite songs and discuss the then-upcoming album with Brooks on the site's message board. [5]
In an effort to promote the album, Brooks opened for the Eurythmics on their Peace Tour (1999). [6]
Two singles were released from the album. The first was a cover version of Melanie's "Lay Down (Candles In The Rain)", which also featured Queen Latifah.
The second single, "Shout," was written by Brooks, and included references to pop culture events at the time, such as the scandal between Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky, as well as the Y2K scare. It was featured on the February 2000 in-store playlist at Abercrombie & Fitch. [7]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [8] |
| Entertainment Weekly | C+ [9] |
| Los Angeles Times | [10] |
Tom Demalon of AllMusic referred to the album as "another pleasant if somewhat derivative helping of adult rock [from Brooks]." Demalon highlighted "Nobody's Home" and "I Said" as the standout tracks from the album. [8] Beth Johnson of Entertainment Weekly remarked that the album starts off strong with "Shout," before delving into "sound-alikes of Sheryl Crow, late-'90s Madonna, and (oh so annoyingly) Blondie's rap." [9]
In the United States, Deconstruction was considered a commercial disappointment in comparison to Brooks' previous effort, Blurring the Edges. Deconstruction failed to chart on the Billboard 200 chart and the album only sold approximately 20,000 units over two months after release. [11]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Shout" | Brooks | 3:54 |
| 2. | "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)" (featuring Queen Latifah) |
| 4:37 |
| 3. | "I Have Everything" | Brooks | 4:05 |
| 4. | "Cosmic Woo Woo" |
| 3:36 |
| 5. | "Nobody's Home" |
| 5:12 |
| 6. | "All for Nothing" |
| 4:43 |
| 7. | "I Said It" |
| 3:23 |
| 8. | "Back to Eden" |
| 3:52 |
| 9. | "Bored with Myself" |
| 3:45 |
| 10. | "Careful What You Wish For" |
| 4:27 |
| 11. | "Sin City" | Brooks | 4:37 |
| 12. | "Back to Nowhere" | Brooks | 4:03 |
| Total length: | 50:14 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Little Slice" |
| 3:25 |
| Total length: | 53:39 | ||
Credits are adapted from the liner notes of Deconstruction. [12]
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| Chart (1999) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [14] | 42 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [15] | 95 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [16] | 30 |
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link){{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link){{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)Meredith Ann Brooks is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A member of the Oregon music scene, she received international acclaim with her solo album Blurring the Edges (1997) and its single, "Bitch", which reached the top 10 in many countries and earned her a Grammy Award nomination.
Blurring the Edges is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Meredith Brooks. It was released on May 6, 1997, by Capitol Records. Following the release of her self-titled debut studio album (1986) and her departure from the short-lived band the Graces, Brooks temporarily retired from the music industry. Uninterested in the cynicism of grunge music that reigned in the early nineties, Brooks became re-inspired to write music with a more positive message. Brooks co-wrote the album with her friend Shelly Peiken, with further songwriting contributions from Larry Dvoskin, Christopher Ward, Stan Lynch, John Corey, Kevin Dukes, and Tom DeLuca. Brooks enlisted David Ricketts to produce the effort, with Geza X helming production on a single song.
See It Through My Eyes is the reissue of American singer-songwriter Meredith Brooks' self-titled debut studio album. Originally released in 1986 as Meredith Brooks by Ariola, the album was reissued on November 11, 1997, by Bizarre Planet Entertainment. The record label intended to capitalize on Brooks' newfound success following the release of her second album, Blurring the Edges (1997).
Bad Bad One is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter Meredith Brooks. It was released on May 21, 2002, by Gold Circle Records. Following the commercial disappointment of her previous album, Deconstruction (1999), Brooks was dropped from Capitol Records. Brooks subsequently signed to Gold Circle Records and built a home studio to record and produce the album herself, with additional production from frequent collaborator David Darling. Bad Bad One received little commercial recognition, with Gold Circle Records folding shortly after the album's release. Despite this minimal commercial recognition, the album received praise from music critics. In 2004, the album was reissued under the title Shine by Kissing Booth Records. The reissue had a rearranged track listing and included an additional remix of "Shine," which was featured as the theme song for Dr. Phil from 2004 to 2008.
"Bitch", also known by its censored title "B***h ", is a song by American singer-songwriter Meredith Brooks and co-written with Shelly Peiken. It was released in March 1997 by Capitol Records as the lead single from Brooks' second album, Blurring the Edges (1997). The song was produced by punk notable Geza X.
"Song 2" is a song by English rock band Blur. The song is the second song on their eponymous fifth studio album. Released physically on 7 April 1997, "Song 2" peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart, number four on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart, It was also popular on radio stations in the US; consequently, it peaked at number 55 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart, number 6 on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart, staying on that chart for 26 weeks.
"Tender" is a song by English rock band Blur from their sixth studio album, 13 (1999). Written by the four band members about Blur frontman Damon Albarn's breakup with musician turned painter Justine Frischmann, the song was released in Japan on 17 February 1999 and in the United Kingdom on 22 February as the album's lead single. "Tender" became Blur's 11th top-10 hit on the UK Singles Chart, debuting and peaking at number two the week after its release. It also reached the top 20 in Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, and Spain.
"Monkey Wrench" is a song by American rock band Foo Fighters. It was released as the lead single from their second album, The Colour and the Shape. The lyrics chronicle the 1997 disintegration of singer/songwriter Dave Grohl's four-year marriage to Jennifer Youngblood. The song peaked at number 9 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, and at number 12 on the UK Singles Chart.
"Breathe" is a song by Australian singer Kylie Minogue, from her sixth studio album, Impossible Princess (1997). It was released on 16 March 1998 as the third single from the album, and her final one for the Deconstruction Records label. "Breathe" was co-written by Minogue with Ball and Vauk and produced by Dave Ball and Ingo Vauk. Backed by synthesisers and keyboards, it is an electronica track. The lyrics revolve around contemplation and calmness. "Breathe" received mostly positive reviews from music critics, some of whom highlighted the track as an album stand-out and commended the lyrical and vocal delivery.
"Girls & Boys" is a song by English Britpop band Blur, released in March 1994 by Food Records as the lead single from the group's third studio album, Parklife (1994). The frontman of Blur, Damon Albarn wrote the song's lyrics with bandmembers Graham Coxon, Alex James and Dave Rowntree, while Stephen Street produced it.
"Summer Girls" is a song by American pop group LFO. It was released on June 29, 1999, as the lead single from their debut album, LFO (1999). "Summer Girls" reached number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). In 2010, Billboard magazine named it the 14th-biggest summer song of all time. In 2019, Billboard also ranked the song the 43rd-greatest song of 1999. This was the band's first single to feature Devin Lima as a member of the group after original member Brian "Brizz" Gillis left the group.
"Santa Baby" is a song performed by American singer Eartha Kitt with Henri René and His Orchestra and originally released in 1953. The song was written by Joan Javits and Philip Springer, who also used the pseudonym Tony Springer in an attempt to speed up the song's publishing process. Lyrically, the song is a tongue-in-cheek look at a Christmas list addressed to Santa Claus by a woman who wants extravagant gifts such as sables, yachts, and decorations from Tiffany.
"17 Again" is a song by British pop duo Eurythmics from their eighth studio album, Peace (1999). It was released as the album's second single on 10 January 2000. The lyrics to "17 Again" find the duo reminiscing about their long-standing career in pop music. The closing of "17 Again" contains an interpolation of Eurythmics' 1983 single "Sweet Dreams ".
"Shimmer" is a song by American alternative rock group Fuel. It was released in May 1996 as part of their third EP Porcelain and later on as lead single from their debut album Sunburn (1998).
"Longneck Bottle" is a song written by Steve Wariner and Rick Carnes, and recorded by American country music artist Garth Brooks. It was released in November 1997 as the first single from his album Sevens. Wariner also plays acoustic guitar and sings background vocals on the song.
"Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)" is the second single from Melanie Safka's 1970 album Candles in the Rain. It was her breakthrough hit in the United States, climbing to number six on the Billboard Hot 100 and number three on the Cash Box Top 100. The record was ranked number 23 on the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1970. It was released in March 1970.
"Thicker Than Blood" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Garth Brooks. It was released in May 2002 as the fourth single from the album Scarecrow. The song reached number 18 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. It was written by Brooks and Jenny Yates.
"What Would Happen" is a song by American singer-songwriter Meredith Brooks from her second studio album, Blurring the Edges (1997). The song was released to radio as the third single from the album on October 7, 1997, by Capitol Records. Brooks is credited as the sole writer of the song, while production was helmed by David Ricketts.
Blown to Smithereens: Best of The Smithereens is the first compilation album by The Smithereens, released April 4, 1995, by Capitol Records. It features the band's best-known songs and radio hits from 1983's Beauty and Sadness EP to the 1994 album, A Date with The Smithereens. The album also includes a cover of The Outsiders 1966 hit, "Time Won't Let Me", recorded for the film Timecop and released as a single in August 1994.
Dream 6 is an extended play by American rock band Dream 6, released by Happy Hermit Co. in 1983.
