Shapeshifter (Marcy Playground album)

Last updated
Shapeshifter
Shapeshifter (Marcy Playground album).jpg
Studio album by
Marcy Playground
ReleasedNovember 2, 1999
StudioSabella Studios, Roslyn Heights, New York
Mushroom Studios, Vancouver
Genre Alternative rock
Length48:04
Label Capitol
Producer John Wozniak
Marcy Playground chronology
Marcy Playground
(1997)		Shapeshifter
(1999)		MP3
(2004)
Singles from Shapeshifter
  1. "It's Saturday"
    Released: 1999

Shapeshifter is the second studio album by American alternative rock band Marcy Playground, released on November 2, 1999, by Capitol Records. [1] [2]

Contents

The album's first single was "It's Saturday", which peaked at No. 25 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. [3] [4] The band promoted the album by touring with Blinker the Star. [5]

Production

Produced by frontman John Wozniak, Shapeshifter was recorded at Sabella Studios in Roslyn Heights, New York, and mixed at Mushroom Studios in Vancouver; [6] Wozniak ended up buying and renovating the latter venue. [7] [8] [9] The majority of the songs had been in the band's live set for years. [10]

The album cover artwork is by Mark Ryden. [11] It was originally commissioned for the Butthole Surfers, from an idea by their guitarist Paul Leary; Marcy Playground were unaware of its origins when they chose it for Shapeshifter. [12] [13]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [14]
Edmonton Journal Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [15]
Entertainment Weekly B+ [16]
Los Angeles Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [17]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [18]
The Sydney Morning Herald Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [19]

Entertainment Weekly thought that "Wozniak’s winsome lyrics set the trio above other alterna-pop hopefuls." [16] Rolling Stone determined that "rather than build on the promise of Marcy Playground's amateurish fun, the boys cling too tightly to watered-down grunge riffs." [18] The Los Angeles Times concluded that "the guitars are a little louder and the melodies more forceful, but Wozniak's sense of wonder is intact, which makes Shapeshifter a loopy pleasure." [17] The Sydney Morning Herald noted that "'Rebel Sodville' includes one of the longest sustained high notes this side of Jeff Buckley." [19]

The Boston Globe stated that Wozniak "writes inviting melodies that slide smoothly between folk-rock and electric hard-rock peaks." [20] The Age wrote that "Shapeshifter actually rocks out from time to time, with the Gothic ballad 'All the Lights Went Out' crashing out in true arena epic style." [21] The Edmonton Journal deemed the album "doleful, dotty rock," writing that it is "nowhere near as lethargic as Marcy's first disc." [15]

AllMusic wrote that "this faceless alternapop trio tosses together more harmless songs that don't have much to say yet manages to lumber along anyway." [14]

Track listing

All tracks are written by John Wozniak

No.TitleLength
1."It's Saturday"3:17
2."America"3:46
3."Bye Bye"2:49
4."All the Lights Went Out"4:55
5."Secret Squirrel"2:56
6."Wave Motion Gun"3:44
7."Rebel Sodville"5:02
8."Sunday Mail"2:49
9."Pigeon Farm"2:31
10."Never"3:50
11."Love Bug"4:12
12."Our Generation" (includes hidden track "Ol' Time Pigeon Farm")8:13

Personnel

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References

  1. ↑ "Marcy Playground Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
  2. ↑ Sansone, Glen (Nov 1, 1999). "Reviews". CMJ New Music Report. 60 (641): 22.
  3. ↑ Flick, Larry (Oct 30, 1999). "Marcy Playground unfolds 'Shapeshifter' on Capitol". Billboard. 111 (44): 12.
  4. ↑ "Marcy Playground". Billboard.
  5. ↑ Gurino, Mark (5 Nov 1999). "Marcy Playground with Blinker the Star". Daily Herald. Time Out. p. 4.
  6. ↑ "Marcy Playground – Shapeshifter (1999, CD)". Discogs.
  7. ↑ Taylor, Chuck (Oct 16, 1999). "Marcy Playground: It's Saturday". Billboard. 111 (42): 25.
  8. ↑ "Marcy has a new playground". Vancouver Sun. 21 Oct 1999. p. C17.
  9. ↑ Harrison, Tom (9 Oct 1999). "Art of tracking charts". The Province. p. A36.
  10. ↑ Joyce, Mike (3 Nov 1999). "A Romp With Marcy Playground". The Washington Post. p. C5:1.
  11. ↑ Blush, Steven (October 4, 2016). "New York Rock: From the Rise of The Velvet Underground to the Fall of CBGB". Macmillan – via Google Books.
  12. ↑ "Marcy Playground Album Cover Looks Familiar To Butthole Surfers". MTV News.
  13. ↑ Thompson, Dave (December 18, 2000). "Alternative Rock". Hal Leonard Corporation – via Google Books.
  14. 1 2 "Shapeshifter - Marcy Playground | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
  15. 1 2 Sperounes, Sandra (13 Nov 1999). "New releases". Edmonton Journal. p. C3.
  16. 1 2 "Shapeshifter". EW.com.
  17. 1 2 Weingarten, Marc (31 Oct 1999). "Record Rack". Los Angeles Times. Calendar. p. 66.
  18. 1 2 Eliscu, Jenny (Nov 25, 1999). "Shapeshifter". Rolling Stone (826): 101.
  19. 1 2 Molitorisz, Sacha (7 Jan 2000). "CD reviews". The Sydney Morning Herald. Metro. p. 19.
  20. ↑ Morse, Steve (4 Nov 1999). "MARCY PLAYGROUND SHAPESHIFTER". The Boston Globe. p. 8:5.
  21. ↑ Carney, Shaun (16 Dec 1999). "Shapeshifter". The Age. Green Guide. p. 30.
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