Fight Songs (Old 97's album)

Last updated
Fight Songs
Old 97s-Fight Songs.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedApril 27, 1999
RecordedKingsway in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
Genre Country rock, alternative country, alternative rock, power pop
Length46:45
Label Elektra
Producer Andrew Williams
Old 97's chronology
Too Far to Care
(1997)
Fight Songs
(1999)
Early Tracks EP
(2000)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [1]
The Austin Chronicle Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [2]
The Boston Phoenix Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [3]
Entertainment Weekly A− [4]
Los Angeles Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [5]
Pitchfork 4.0/10 [6]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [7]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [8]
Spin 7/10 [9]
The Village Voice A [10]

Fight Songs is the fourth studio album by American alternative country band Old 97's, first released on April 27, 1999. It features the song "Murder (Or a Heart Attack)", which was ranked #176 on Blender magazine's list of "500 Greatest Songs From 1980-2005." [11]

Contents

The group's second record on Elektra Records, Fight Songs is more slick and pop-oriented than the group's previous efforts, a trend continued on 2001's Satellite Rides . The song "Crash on the Barrelhead" is rumored to be targeted at alt-country rival, Ryan Adams, [12] while "Murder ..." was inspired by a cat owned by singer Miller's roommate in Los Angeles. [13]

Track listing

All songs written by Rhett Miller, Ken Bethea, Murry Hammond and Philip Peeples.

  1. "Jagged" – 3:27
  2. "Lonely Holiday" – 4:08
  3. "Oppenheimer" – 3:28
  4. "Indefinitely" – 3:41
  5. "What We Talk About" – 4:10
  6. "Crash on the Barrelhead" (vocals by Murry Hammond) – 2:39
  7. "Murder (Or a Heart Attack)" – 3:41
  8. "Alone So Far" – 4:17
  9. "Busted Afternoon" – 3:11
  10. "19" – 3:41
  11. "Let the Idiot Speak" – 3:43
  12. "Valentine" (vocals by Murry Hammond) – 3:08

Personnel

Old 97's
Additional personnel

Related Research Articles

Elektra (character) Marvel Comics fictional character

Elektra Natchios is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Frank Miller, the character first appeared in Daredevil #168. She is a love interest of the superhero Matt Murdock / Daredevil, but her violent nature and mercenary lifestyle divide the two, before she ultimately becomes the second Daredevil in 2020.

Old 97s

Old 97's is an American alternative country band from Dallas, Texas. Formed in 1993, they have since released twelve studio albums, two full extended plays, shared split duty on another, and have one live album. Their most recent release is Twelfth.

Rhett Miller American singer

Stewart Ransom "Rhett" Miller II is the lead singer of the alternative country band Old 97's. He also records and performs as a solo musician, and has been published as a writer of both fiction and non-fiction.

<i>Hitchhike to Rhome</i> 1994 studio album by Old 97s

Hitchhike to Rhome is the first studio album by American country/rock band Old 97's, first released on November 1, 1994. The title comes from the song, "Stoned," and refers to Rhome, Texas.

<i>Wreck Your Life</i> 1995 studio album by Old 97s

Wreck Your Life is the second studio album by American country/rock band Old 97's, first released on October 3, 1995. The album's title comes from a Texas Department of Transportation bumper sticker with the slogan, "Don't Wreck Your Life". Drummer Philip Peeples removed the first word and applied the sticker to the band's touring van.

<i>Too Far to Care</i>

Too Far to Care is the third studio album by American country/rock band Old 97's, first released on June 17, 1997. The album's title comes from the song "Streets of Where I'm From."

<i>Satellite Rides</i> 2001 studio album by Old 97s

Satellite Rides is the fifth studio album by American country/rock band Old 97's, first released in the second quarter of 2001. Though track 9, "Weightless", refers to outer space while the chorus croons "ride on, ride on" to an unspecified audience, the album's title does not appear in the lyrics but was later used for the song "In The Satellite Rides A Star" on the band's follow-up album, 2004's Drag It Up.

<i>Drag It Up</i> 2004 studio album by Old 97s

Drag It Up is a studio album by American country/rock band Old 97's, released in 2004. The album's title comes from the fourth track, "Smokers."

<i>Early Tracks</i> (EP) 2000 EP by Old 97s

Early Tracks is an EP collection of unreleased early recordings by American country/rock band Old 97's. The EP contains four songs from two early singles as well as four more from the Wreck Your Life recording sessions.

<i>Mythologies</i> (album) 1989 studio album by Rhett Miller

Mythologies is the first studio album by American country/rock band performer, Rhett Miller, who later became the lead singer and songwriter of the Old 97's. Miller recorded the album with friend, and future Old 97's bassist, Murry Hammond. His next solo effort would wait more than a decade.

<i>The Instigator</i> 2002 studio album by Rhett Miller

The Instigator is the second studio album by American country/rock band performer, Rhett Miller, lead singer of the Old 97's. Miller's first album came more than a decade earlier. Miller is joined by idol Robyn Hitchcock on "Point Shirley" and the album's title comes from the song "The El."

<i>The Believer</i> (Rhett Miller album) 2006 studio album by Rhett Miller

The Believer is a solo album by American country/rock musician Rhett Miller, lead singer of the Old 97's.

<i>Hit by a Train: The Best of Old 97s</i> 2006 greatest hits album by Old 97s

Hit By A Train: The Best of Old 97's is a best-of compilation album by American country/rock band Old 97's, first released on June 20, 2006.

<i>Blame It on Gravity</i> 2008 studio album by Old 97s

Blame It on Gravity is the seventh studio album by American country/rock band Old 97's, released on May 13, 2008. It entered the Billboard 200 album charts at #85. The album was produced by Salim Nourallah. Robert Christgau gave the album an A− and also said this about Blame It On Gravity" on the NPR radio show All Things Considered, "They've just put out their best album in seven years. Blame It On Gravity is noticeably more taut and focused than their earlier albums--more delicate, too..

<i>The Grand Theatre, Volume One</i> 2010 studio album by Old 97s

The Grand Theatre, Volume One is the title of the eighth studio album from alternative country/rock band the Old 97's, released on October 12, 2010. The band took up a week-long residency at Sons of Hermann Hall in Dallas, Texas, simulating the concert experience to test out new material. The songs which the band felt worked were then taken to Treefort Studios in Austin, Texas, for proper recording. Over two dozen songs were recorded during these sessions. The remaining material was released as The Grand Theatre, Volume Two in 2011.

<i>Mimeograph</i> (EP) 2010 EP by Old 97s

Mimeograph is an EP consisting of recordings by American country/rock band Old 97's. It was released on July 6, 2010. The EP contains four cover songs, originally recorded by The Rolling Stones, The Fratellis, R.E.M., and David Bowie.

<i>The Grand Theatre, Volume Two</i> 2011 album by Old 97s

The Grand Theatre, Volume Two is the title of the ninth studio album from alternative country/rock band the Old 97's, released on July 5, 2011.

<i>Old 97s & Waylon Jennings</i> 2013 EP by Old 97s with Waylon Jennings

Old 97's & Waylon Jennings is an EP consisting of 1996 demo recordings by American country/rock band Old 97's and two unreleased duets with country music legend Waylon Jennings. It was released on October 1, 2013 by Omnivore Recordings.

<i>Most Messed Up</i> 2014 studio album by Old 97s

Most Messed Up is the tenth studio album by American country/rock band Old 97's, first released on April 29, 2014.

<i>Graveyard Whistling</i> 2017 studio album by Old 97s

Graveyard Whistling is the eleventh studio album by American alt-country band Old 97's, released on February 24, 2017. The album's title comes from the song "Irish Whiskey Pretty Girls." The album was recorded at Sonic Ranch in April 2016. Brandi Carlile joins in on the vocals of "Good with God".

References

  1. Johnson, Zac. "Fight Songs – Old 97's". AllMusic . Retrieved February 16, 2012.
  2. Caliguiri, Jim (April 23, 1999). "Old 97's: Fight Songs (Elektra)". The Austin Chronicle . Retrieved October 5, 2016.
  3. Martin, Richard (June 3–10, 1999). "Old 97's: Fight Songs (Elektra)". The Boston Phoenix . Archived from the original on April 2, 2017. Retrieved October 5, 2016.
  4. Hermes, Will (April 30, 1999). "Fight Songs". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved October 5, 2016.
  5. Weingarten, Marc (April 30, 1999). "Old 97's, '20 Fight Songs,' Elektra". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved October 5, 2016.
  6. Lieberman, Neil. "Old 97's: Fight Songs". Pitchfork . Archived from the original on August 16, 2000. Retrieved February 16, 2012.
  7. Moon, Tom (May 27, 1999). "Old 97's: Fight Songs". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved February 16, 2012.
  8. Harris, Keith (2004). "Old 97's". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp.  602–03. ISBN   0-7432-0169-8.
  9. Schone, Mark (April 30, 1999). "Old 97's: Fight Songs". Spin . 15 (6): 144. Retrieved October 5, 2016.
  10. Christgau, Robert (May 18, 1999). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice . Retrieved October 5, 2016.
  11. "Blender Magazine".
  12. Falatko, Daniel (29 March 2018). "Dissing Ryan Adams: An Emerging Songwriting Genre". Niche Apparel.
  13. Browning, Laura (4 August 2015). "Old 97s Hid A Missing Cat Sage in a Love Song". AV Club. Retrieved 18 May 2019.