Perennial Favorites

Last updated
Perennial Favorites
Perennialfavoritessnz.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedAugust 4, 1998 (1998-08-04)
StudioKensway, Pittsboro, North Carolina
Genre
Length37:04
Label Mammoth [1]
Producer Mike Napolitano, Squirrel Nut Zippers [2] [3]
Squirrel Nut Zippers chronology
Sold Out
(1997)
Perennial Favorites
(1998)
Christmas Caravan
(1998)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [4]
Robert Christgau Rating-Christgau-dud.svg [5]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Entertainment Weekly C− [6]
Los Angeles Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [7]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [8]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [9]
Spin 4/10 [10]

Perennial Favorites is an album by the swing revival band Squirrel Nut Zippers, released in 1998. [11] [12]

Contents

The album peaked at No. 18 on the Billboard 200. [13] It achieved gold status. [11]

Production

The album was recorded at Ken Mosher's studio in Pittsboro, North Carolina. [3]

Critical reception

AllMusic wrote: "Part of the reason [the Zippers] stand apart from the rest of the neo-swing crowd is that they don't forget that there was a bit of menace in the days of hot jazz -- it wasn't a naive, swinging party, there was some genuine hedonism as well." [4] Entertainment Weekly's review called the band "adept but inconsequential," writing that Katherine Whalen's "sleepy Billie Holiday cadences verge on satire." [6] Spin called the album "self-congratulatory, jokey, essentially heartless cartoon music masquerading as 1920s 'hot jazz'." [10] The Houston Press deemed it "a dozen rock-solid originals that represent the band's finest and most ambitious collection to date." [14]

Track listing

  1. "Suits Are Picking Up the Bill" (Jimbo Mathus) – 3:04
  2. "Low Down Man" (Mathus) – 4:14
  3. "Ghost of Stephen Foster" (Mathus) – 3:32
  4. "Pallin' with Al" (Maxwell) – 2:41
  5. "Fat Cat Keeps Getting Fatter" (Mathus) – 2:47
  6. "Trou Macacq" (Maxwell) – 3:17
  7. "My Drag" (Mathus) – 3:27
  8. "Soon" (Maxwell) – 3:02
  9. "Evening at Lafitte's" (Mathus) – 2:48
  10. "The Kraken" (Maxwell) – 3:40
  11. "That Fascinating Thing" (Mathus) – 2:43
  12. "It's Over" (Mathus) – 1:49

Personnel

Additional personnel

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References

  1. 1 2 Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 7. MUZE. p. 688.
  2. "CNN - Squirrel Nut Zippers defy labels with 'Perennial Favorites' - August 4, 1998". CNN.
  3. 1 2 "Squirrel Nut Zippers Sink Teeth Into New LP". MTV News. Archived from the original on January 28, 2021.
  4. 1 2 "Perennial Favorites - Squirrel Nut Zippers | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" via www.allmusic.com.
  5. "Robert Christgau: CG: Squirrel Nut Zippers". www.robertchristgau.com.
  6. 1 2 "PERENNIAL FAVORITES;THE DIRTY BOOGIE". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  7. "Separating the Faddies From the Real Swingin' Daddies". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  8. MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 1080.
  9. "Squirrel Nut Zippers: Perennial Favorites : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone . October 2, 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-10-02.
  10. 1 2 "Reviews". SPIN. September 21, 1998 via Google Books.
  11. 1 2 "Squirrel Nut Zippers | Biography & History". AllMusic.
  12. Joyce, Mike (August 30, 1998). "THE SWING SET'S UPS & DOWNS" via www.washingtonpost.com.
  13. "Squirrel Nut Zippers". Billboard.
  14. Ruggiero, Bob (August 6, 1998). "World of Their Own". Houston Press.