Son of Sam I Am

Last updated

Son of Sam I Am
Son of Sam I Am.jpg
Studio album by
Released1988
Genre Rock, power pop
Label Alias
Producer Michael James
Too Much Joy chronology
Green Eggs and Crack
(1987)
Son of Sam I Am
(1988)
Cereal Killers
(1991)

Son of Sam I Am is an album by the American band Too Much Joy, released in 1988. [1] [2] The first single was "Making Fun of Bums". [3] The band supported the album with a North American tour that included shows with Love Tractor. [4] Giant Records released a resequenced version of Son of Sam I Am in 1990. [5] While promoting the rerelease, the band was arrested on obscenity charges for covering 2 Live Crew songs at a show in Broward County. [6] Proceeds from the show were directed to retailers who had been arrested for selling As Nasty as They Wanna Be . [7]

Contents

Production

The album was produced by Michael James. [8] Most of the lyrics were written by singer Tim Quirk, who was influenced by Minor Threat and John Prine. [9] "That's a Lie" is a cover of the LL Cool J song. [10] "Clowns" samples Bozo the Clown; a lawsuit from Bozo led to the removal of the sample from later pressings. [11] "Hugo!" refers to the Gang of Four drummer Hugo Burnham. [12] "Bad Dog" is about S&M. [13] "Kicking (That Gone Fishing Song)" is about a young man with cancer. [14] "My Past Lives" deals with the concept of reincarnation. [15] The rerelease includes a cover of Terry Jacks's version of "Seasons in the Sun". [16]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [3]
Robert Christgau A− [17]
Dayton Daily News Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [18]
Los Angeles Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [19]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [8]
Orlando Sentinel Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [20]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [21]
The Virgin Encyclopedia of Dance Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [22]

Newsday wrote that "Too Much Joy is a pie-in-the-face to those who feel cutting edge rock has to have its source in adversity... There are knowing, snide stabs at the music business, pop culture, and their co-generationalists." [23] The Orlando Sentinel concluded that "cleverness rarely requires sincerity... It does require something more to carry an album though." [20] Robert Christgau noted that, "where formerly Tim Quirk spoke his lyrics in tune, now he mocks, expostulates, kid-drawls, projects, so that sometimes they sound smarter (and sassier) than they read." [17] The Los Angeles Times wrote that "they're at least as funny as Mojo Nixon desperately wants to be, and 20 times as tuneful." [19]

Trouser Press opined: "Sharpening both instrumental skills and songwriting wit, TMJ hit their stride on Son of Sam I Am, an accomplished rock album." [24] The New York Times determined that "songs like 'Worse' and 'Clowns' ... capture paranoia, kitsch overload, frustration, and the shrug that allows them to live with it all." [25] The Edmonton Journal said that "there's much more than bratty kitsch and a spunky garage band beat going on with this cheeky foursome." [26] The State appreciated that "there's plenty of teenage angst, but not one discouraging note amongst these power chords." [27]

AllMusic wrote that "most of the songs are sweet-and-sour power pop." [3]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Making Fun of Bums" 
2."Song for a Girl Who Has One" 
3."Clowns" 
4."My Past Lives" 
5."That's a Lie" 
6."Hugo!" 
7."Kicking (That Gone Fishing Song)" 
8."Life Is Flowers" 
9."Connecticut" 
10."Bad Dog" 
11."1964" 
12."Worse" 

References

  1. "Too Much Joy Biography by Mark Deming". AllMusic. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  2. Semon, Craig S. (April 14, 1991). "Too Much Joy happily states its wacky case". Datebook. Telegram & Gazette. p. 11.
  3. 1 2 3 "Son of Sam I Am Review by Stewart Mason". AllMusic. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  4. Moon, Tom (April 7, 1989). "Love Tractor and Too Much Joy". Features Weekend. The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 30.
  5. Wyman, Bill (September 27, 1990). "Too Much Joy". Arts & Culture. Chicago Reader.
  6. "Band arrested on obscenity charges". St. Petersburg Times. August 12, 1990. p. B5.
  7. Hill, Edward (August 10, 1990). "Solidarity". News. The Plain Dealer.
  8. 1 2 MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1996. p. 686.
  9. Hoekstra, Dave (April 28, 1989). "Too Much Joy twists '60s rock 'n' roll". Weekend Plus. Chicago Sun-Times. p. 7.
  10. Kane, Dan (September 30, 1990). "Too Much Joy 'Son of Sam I Am'". Stars. Herald American. p. 26.
  11. McLeod, Kimbrew (2007). Freedom of Expression®: Resistance and Repression in the Age of Intellectual Property. University of Minnesota Press. p. 64.
  12. Popson, Tom (April 28, 1989). "Cows, clowns, dancing bubbles and Too Much Joy". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. 1.
  13. Jenkins, Mark (August 3, 1990). "Look at What's In With the Outsiders". The Washington Post. p. N16.
  14. LaSalle, Mick (February 9, 1989). "Too Much Joy – S.F. Record Company Produces a Gem". San Francisco Chronicle. p. E2.
  15. Gnerre, Sam (September 28, 1990). "'Son of Sam I Am' Too Much Joy". Daily Breeze. p. E12.
  16. Rasmussen, Eric (August 9, 1990). "New Releases Are Swelling Rock Turf". The Capital Times. p. 1D.
  17. 1 2 "Too Much Joy". Robert Christgau. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  18. Warren Murray, Anne (August 10, 1990). "Recordings on Review". Go!. Dayton Daily News. p. 19.
  19. 1 2 Willman, Chris (January 20, 1991). "Record Rack". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 83.
  20. 1 2 Fields, Curt (April 2, 1989). "Too Much Joy". Calendar. Orlando Sentinel. p. 5.
  21. The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 711.
  22. Larkin, Colin (1998). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Dance Music. Virgin. p. 342.
  23. Robins, Wayne (March 26, 1989). "New Releases". Part II. Newsday. p. 25.
  24. "Too Much Joy". Trouser Press. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  25. Pareles, Jon (August 18, 1989). "Rock Album of the Week". The New York Times. p. C23.
  26. Metella, Helen (October 21, 1990). "Son of Sam I Am Too Much Joy". Edmonton Journal. p. C4.
  27. Miller, Michael (May 19, 1989). "Too Much Joy, 'Son of Sam I Am'". The State. p. 11D.