So Much for the Afterglow | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | October 7, 1997 | |||
Recorded | November 1996 – March 1997 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 49:11 | |||
Label | Capitol | |||
Producer | ||||
Everclear chronology | ||||
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Singles from So Much for the Afterglow | ||||
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So Much for the Afterglow is the third studio album by American alternative rock band Everclear, released on October 7, 1997, through Capital Records. It contained the singles "Everything to Everyone", "I Will Buy You a New Life", "Father of Mine", "So Much for the Afterglow", and "One Hit Wonder". "Everything to Everyone", "I Will Buy You A New Life", and "Father of Mine" received heavy rotation on MTV's Total Request Live and launched Everclear into mainstream popularity in the late-90s. So Much for the Afterglow provided Everclear with their only Grammy nomination to date, a Best Rock Instrumental nod in 1998 for "El Distorto de Melodica." The album is considered a departure from the band's earlier punk rock and grunge sound for a more pop-oriented sound. [4]
So Much for the Afterglow debuted at number 33 on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 34,000 in its first week of release. [7] It stayed on the chart for 88 weeks, and was certified 2× Platinum by the RIAA in 1998. [8] [9] It remains Everclear's best selling album, having sold 2.2 million copies in the United States by July 2004. [10]
It was originally going to be called Pure White Evil, [11] however, the title was changed to So Much for the Afterglow in March 1997.
Early on, singer Art Alexakis wanted to create "a combination of even heavier songs, more punk songs, and then kind of more melodic stuff." [11] By the time touring for Sparkle and Fade ended and recording began, the direction of the album shifted. [11] Alexakis remarked to MTV that, "the fact is, Sparkle and Fade was a rock record with pop influences; this time we tried to make a pop record with rock influences." [12] Regarding the recording process, Greg Eklund reflected, "We rented a room in a warehouse, oddly enough by Esco Steel, where I used to work, in Northwest Portland. We were literally around the corner from where I used to work in a steel foundry. I don't know how we found it, but it was in a really dilapidated warehouse down there. And Craig got, like, shingles and some weird flu that put him in the hospital or something. So I remember when we started working on Art's new songs it was just him and me." [11] He also noted there was pressure to follow up the success of the song "Santa Monica", commenting "We'd had some success with "Santa Monica" but there was a really big question mark whether we'd be able to continue that. You know what everybody says—you have 10 years to write your first record and six months to write your second. Art was a good songwriter, so I knew we had good songs, but it was sorta like, 'Wow, if this doesn't go, this might all end right here.'" [11]
Pro Tools were utilized during the recording, including on the song "El Distorto de Melodica", which was composed in Pro Tools by associate producer Lars Fox, using techniques he'd developed while with his band, Grotus. [11] On earlier Everclear releases, Alexakis sped up the tapes of songs to make them faster and more energetic. Due to Pro Tools, he was able to speed up songs without having his pitch altered. Fox recalled that "Everything to Everyone" was sped up by ten percent. He remarked, "If he'd sung it and sped it up that much he'd sound like Mickey Mouse. He'd sound like a chipmunk. So he sung it with the track already sped up some percentage." [11]
The final mixes for So Much for the Afterglow were completed in June 1997. [13]
Following a run of shows in the US during late 1997, Everclear had a troubled tour of Australia, which saw the band temporarily break up, with bassist Craig Montoya eventually leaving the tour. [11] At the time, MTV News stated, "Media reports from down under reveal that Montoya's bass was stolen at the Extreme Games concert on the Gold Coast; a firecracker or pipe bomb was thrown on the stage in Melbourne; and that Alexakis was hit in the face by a shoe in Wollongong. [Australian music industry columnist Christie] Eliezer's column also reports that following the theft of the guitar, Alexakis swore at the audience and made a reference to 'the worst kind of **** convicts' and dropped his pants and dedicated the final song to the cursed thief." [11] Alexakis later claimed the behaviour of the Australian fans didn't lead to friction, saying "The problem wasn't with me. The problem was that the other people were having a hard time. Look, I love Australia! Especially Melbourne. Every time I go down there, I almost don't wanna come back. I love it there." [14] Eklund also elaborated, "That's complete bullshit. That's a retelling of what happened. I love Australia, too. It's one of my favorite places in the world. That's not what happened." [11]
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [15] |
Chicago Tribune | [16] |
Entertainment Weekly | C+ [17] |
The Guardian | [18] |
Los Angeles Times | [19] |
Pitchfork | 8.2/10 [20] |
Rolling Stone | [21] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [22] |
Spin | 8/10 [23] |
The Village Voice | B+ [24] |
So Much for the Afterglow received a mostly positive reaction from critics. The Orlando Sentinel observed in their review that, "It almost seems that Everclear is writing a soundtrack for their lives by singing about the 'girl next door', poverty, egotistical snobs and a father who abandons his family. Though Everclear does tackle some depressing subjects, their songs don't become Pearl Jam-like depress-fests because of the band's positive outlook and upbeat music." [25] Spin claimed the album explored "oddly grown-up topics for alt-rock", also noting similarities with the band's previous work, stating "On Sparkle and Fade, the centerpieces 'Santa Monica' and 'Summerland' deal expressly with escaping to begin a new life in a new place, west of here, beside the ocean if at all possible. Now in 'Amphetamine', Miss Perfect-in-a-Fucked-Up-Way comes 'out West to find the sun'". [23] Rolling Stone gave the album a mixed review, stating "the songs on So Much for the Afterglow manage only to present a series of victims, objects of leadman Art Alexakis' confused contempt or peculiarly mopey brand of compassion: the neglectful ne'er-do-well of 'Father of Mine'; the people-pleasing nymphet of the first single, 'Everything to Everyone'; the two-dimensional 'magazine girl' of 'Amphetamine'. Alexakis seems incapable of irony, depicting these people in a manner that's never less than heavy-handed." [21]
The New York Times included So Much for the Afterglow on their "Best of '97" list in January 1998, writing "With loud, obnoxious songs that confront the crisis of the family, monogamy's perils and the vise grip of money, from the perspective of a punk trying not to self-destruct for a change, Everclear is perfecting rebel rock for adults." [26] In 2017, The Dallas Morning News included So Much for the Afterglow in an article titled "Flash back to 1997: 5 albums that were as good 20 years ago as they are today", noting that it took the band from "one-hit wonder to modern rock headliner." [27]
Everclear toured the US and Australia in 2017 to celebrate the album's 20th anniversary. [28] [29]
All lyrics are written by Art Alexakis; all music is composed by Alexakis, Craig Montoya, and Greg Eklund
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "So Much for the Afterglow" | 3:53 |
2. | "Everything to Everyone" | 3:20 |
3. | "Ataraxia (Media Intro)" (Actually an excerpt from "The Relaxed Wife.") | 0:34 |
4. | "Normal Like You" | 3:13 |
5. | "I Will Buy You a New Life" | 3:58 |
6. | "Father of Mine" | 3:52 |
7. | "One Hit Wonder" | 3:28 |
8. | "El Distorto de Melodica (Instrumental)" | 3:07 |
9. | "Amphetamine" | 3:36 |
10. | "White Men in Black Suits" | 3:32 |
11. | "Sunflowers" | 3:48 |
12. | "Why I Don't Believe in God" | 4:17 |
13. | "Like a California King" (Contains hidden track "Hating You for Christmas") | 8:08 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
13. | "Like a California King" | 3:37 |
14. | "Local God" (Contains hidden track "Hating You for Christmas") | 8:30 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
13. | "Like a California King" | 3:35 |
14. | "Southern Girls" (Cheap Trick cover) | 2:51 |
15. | "Speed Racer" (Contains hidden track "Hating You for Christmas") | 7:01 |
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "This Is Your Death Song" (Re-recorded for Black Is the New Black ) | 2:28 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Australia (ARIA) [37] | Gold | 35,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Everclear is an American rock band formed in Portland, Oregon, in 1991. The band was formed by Art Alexakis, the band's lead songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist, and for most of the band's height of popularity, consisted of Craig Montoya on bass guitar and Greg Eklund on drums. After the limited release of their independently released debut album, World of Noise, the band found success with their first three albums on Capitol Records: Sparkle and Fade, So Much for the Afterglow, and Songs from an American Movie Vol. One: Learning How to Smile, which were all certified platinum in sales. However, the following two albums Songs from an American Movie Vol. Two: Good Time for a Bad Attitude and Slow Motion Daydream, were not as well received, and as sales suffered, Montoya and Eklund left the band shortly after in 2003.
Sparkle and Fade is the second album by Everclear, released in 1995. It was their first album to be released exclusively on Capitol Records; their previous effort, World of Noise, was re-released on Capitol after its introduction through the Portland, Oregon based label, Tim/Kerr Records. The album produced the singles "Heroin Girl," "Santa Monica," "Heartspark Dollarsign," and "You Make Me Feel Like a Whore." The album's music follows themes like addiction and romance through a loosely defined narrative similar to Art Alexakis' own troubled life when he was in his twenties.
Slow Motion Daydream is the sixth studio album by Everclear. It was released in the U.S. in 2003 on Capitol Records and recorded in 2002.
Arthur Paul Alexakis is an American musician best known as the singer-songwriter and guitarist of the rock band Everclear. He has been a member of several other bands in addition to his own work as a songwriter for other artists. Alexakis has founded several record labels throughout his career and worked as an A&R representative for major record labels between and during his own musical projects. Later he became a political activist and lobbied for special concerns which include drug awareness policies and support for the families of the military.
World of Noise is the debut album recorded by American rock band Everclear. It was recorded in a friend's basement for $400 with Art Alexakis on vocals/lead guitar, Craig Montoya on bass, Scott Cuthbert on drums and was released in 1993 by Tim Kerr Records.
Songs from an American Movie Vol. One: Learning How to Smile is the fourth studio album by American alternative rock band Everclear, released on July 11, 2000. The album is a loose concept album inspired by lead singer Art Alexakis's second divorce. The first album is much more influenced by American pop music, especially from the 1970s, as well as being more "loving" in tone than the hard rock Good Time for a Bad Attitude. The album is dedicated to David Ridderhof and Louis Montoya.
Songs from an American Movie Vol. Two: Good Time for a Bad Attitude is the fifth studio album by Everclear, released on November 21, 2000. They recorded Vol. One and Vol. Two in the same year and released them only a few months apart. Both albums are loose concept albums inspired by Art Alexakis' second divorce. The first one is more pop-based and melodic, the second angrier with a more punk/hard rock sound. It also focuses more on the destruction of relationships in its lyrical content.
White Trash Hell is an EP by Everclear, released on March 24, 1997. The disc is largely a collection of demos recorded with drummer Scott Cuthbert in 1994 in preparation for Sparkle and Fade, with the exception of the acoustic version of "Fire Maple Song", which features Greg Eklund on drums. The band turned over the recordings to their UK label, Fire Records, expecting them to be released sometime in 1995. However, the label stalled on releasing the EP, and it remained unissued until 1997.
Craig Aloysius Montoya is the bassist of Castella and Tri-Polar and former bassist of Everclear.
Welcome to the Drama Club is the seventh studio album from rock band Everclear. It was released on September 12, 2006 by Eleven Seven Music. It was the first album to include the new line-up of Everclear, established following the departure of Craig Montoya and Greg Eklund after Everclear's previous album, Slow Motion Daydream. It was also the first album since Everclear's departure from Capitol Records.
"Heroin Girl" is a rock song by the band Everclear from their 1995 album Sparkle and Fade. This song is generally agreed to be about lead singer Art Alexakis's girlfriend and brother overdosing on heroin; he heard the policeman say "Just another overdose" about his brother's death, a lyric used in the song.
"Santa Monica" is a song by American rock band Everclear, from their 1995 album Sparkle and Fade. The song was written by the band's lead singer, Art Alexakis. Though it was not commercially released as a single in the United States, radio stations played "Santa Monica" enough for it to reach number 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart and number one the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart for three weeks in 1996. It became a top-40 hit in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom; it is the band's highest-charting single in Australia.
"Father of Mine" is a rock song by American rock band Everclear from their 1997 album So Much for the Afterglow. This song is autobiographical, as lead singer Art Alexakis's father left his family when he was a young boy. "Father of Mine" was the third top-five Modern Rock Tracks single from So Much for the Afterglow, peaking at number four. It also hit number 23 and 24 on the Adult Top 40 and Mainstream Top 40 charts, respectively. This song is also recorded in a radio mix, which can be heard on Ten Years Gone: The Best of Everclear 1994-2004.
"Everything to Everyone" is a song by American alternative rock band Everclear, released as the first single off their album So Much for the Afterglow (1997). It was commercially successful, topping the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart in December 1997. It also hit No. 15 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, and No. 43 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart, as chart rules at the time prevented it from reaching the main Hot 100 listing.
"I Will Buy You a New Life" is a rock song by American rock band Everclear from their third studio album, So Much for the Afterglow (1997). The song peaked at number three on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart, number 20 on the Billboard Adult Top 40 chart, and number 31 on the Billboard Mainstream Top 40 chart. In Canada, it reached number 49 on the RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart and number one on the RPM Alternative 30 chart.
The discography of the American rock band Everclear consists of nine studio albums, one live album, six compilation albums, five extended plays, and 24 singles. Their first studio album, World of Noise, was released in 1993 and did not chart. Their second, 1995's Sparkle and Fade, peaked at number 25 in the United States and went platinum in both the US and Canada. Four singles were released from the album, including "Santa Monica", which reached number one on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.
In a Different Light is a 2009 album by the band Everclear. It is the band's first album with label 429 Records. The album features re-recordings of songs from the band's previous albums, performed in a more stripped down and acoustic fashion, as well as two previously unreleased songs, "At the End of the Day" and "Here Comes the Darkness".
Return to Santa Monica is a 2011 album by the band Everclear. It is the band's first album with label Cleopatra Records. The album consists of a mix of re-recorded Everclear originals and covers of other bands' hits.
The Very Best of Everclear is a 2014 compilation album by the band Everclear. It is the band's third release with label Cleopatra Records. The album consists of a mix of re-recorded Eveclear originals and covers of other bands' hits all of which were contained in previous albums. With an identical track listing, this album is essentially a vinyl version of Return to Santa Monica with a new name and cover art.
"Heartspark Dollarsign" is the third single released from American rock band Everclear's second studio album, Sparkle and Fade. Lead singer Art Alexakis wrote the song before Everclear formed, while he was in the band Colorfinger. The song was then recorded by Everclear in 1994 and included on Sparkle and Fade, which was released in May 1995. The lyrics describe an interracial relationship, something Alexakis often experienced in his youth.
Afterglow was certainly the more immediately palpable work. Even now it stands as superior: as an undeniably consistent, well-honed pop-rock compendium which saved Everclear from potential one-hit wonder status.
Overall, it still sounds a lot like Everclear's previous alt-rock album, So Much For The Afterglow.