Songs from an American Movie Vol. One: Learning How to Smile | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | July 11, 2000 | |||
Genre | Pop, [1] rock [2] | |||
Length | 45:18 | |||
Label | Capitol | |||
Producer | Art Alexakis, Lars Fox, Neal Avron | |||
Everclear chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Songs from an American Movie Vol. One: Learning How to Smile | ||||
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 57/100 [6] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [2] |
Alternative Press | 4/5 [7] |
Entertainment Weekly | B− [8] |
Los Angeles Times | [9] |
Melody Maker | [10] |
NME | 4/10 [11] |
Q | [12] |
Rolling Stone | [13] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [14] |
The Village Voice | A− [1] |
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 (along with its sequel, Songs from an American Movie Vol. Two: Good Time for a Bad Attitude ) 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.
Learning How to Smile is the band's second highest selling album ever with 1.28 million copies sold and a Platinum certification by the RIAA. [15] It is also the band's only album to debut in the top ten on the Billboard 200, where it peaked at number nine, and the last album by Everclear to sell over 500,000 copies.
All lyrics written by Art Alexakis, all music composed by Alexakis, Craig Montoya and Greg Eklund, unless otherwise noted.
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Song from an American Movie, Pt. 1" | 1:39 |
2. | "Here We Go Again" (samples "Bring the Noise" by Public Enemy) | 4:10 |
3. | "AM Radio" (samples "Mr. Big Stuff" by Jean Knight) | 3:56 |
4. | "Brown Eyed Girl" (Van Morrison cover) | 4:21 |
5. | "Learning How to Smile" | 3:50 |
6. | "The Honeymoon Song" (Eklund/Everclear) | 3:38 |
7. | "Now That It's Over" | 3:49 |
8. | "Thrift Store Chair" | 2:08 |
9. | "Otis Redding" | 3:56 |
10. | "Unemployed Boyfriend" | 4:15 |
11. | "Wonderful" | 5:01 |
12. | "Annabella's Song" | 4:55 |
On the original 2000 release of the album, the divide between tracks 11 and 12 was in the middle of "Annabella's Song." A reissue in 2001 corrected this error, as well as replacing the album version of "AM Radio" with the single mix and adding two bonus tracks: "Out of My Depth (single mix)" and "Rock Star."
Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.
Marcy Playground is an American alternative rock band consisting of three members: John Wozniak, Dylan Keefe (bass), and Shlomi Lavie (drums). The band is best known for their 1997 hit "Sex and Candy".
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.
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.
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
Greg Eklund is an American musician/drummer. Originally, he was the drummer for Jolly Mon and quit the band after the release of their debut album. He then joined the rock band Everclear as their drummer from 1994 to 2003, the Oohlas from 2004 to 2008, and Storm Large and Le Bonheur 2009–present.
"AM Radio" is a song by American rock band Everclear from their fourth album, Songs from an American Movie Vol. One: Learning How to Smile (2000). The song was released as the second single from the album on August 22, 2000, and failed to enter the Billboard Hot 100, reaching number one on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart.
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.
"Wonderful" is a song by American rock band Everclear, released as the first single from their fourth studio album, Songs from an American Movie Vol. One: Learning How to Smile (2000), on May 22, 2000. The song reached number 11 on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming the band's only top-40 hit on the Hot 100. Outside the United States, "Wonderful" reached number 12 in Iceland, number 13 in Canada, number 21 in New Zealand, number 36 in the United Kingdom, and number 38 in Australia. In Canada, the single topped the RPM Top 30 Rock Report.
The Chase is the fourth studio album by American country music artist Garth Brooks. It was released on September 14, 1992, through Liberty Records and sold 403,000 copies in its first week, The Chase debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart and Top Country Albums chart and has been certified diamond by the RIAA. It was also successful internationally, reaching number one on the UK country albums chart and remained in the top ten for many months.
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".
Invisible Stars is the eighth studio album of original material by alternative rock band Everclear. The album was released June 26, 2012 through eOne Music, and marked their first release of original material in six years, following 2006's Welcome to the Drama Club. The album's only single, "Be Careful What You Ask For", was released on May 15, 2012, with an accompanying music video in the following month. The album debuted at #119 on the Billboard 200.
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.
Programmers embraced the set's lead single, 'Wonderful,' immediately upon its May 22 arrival at radio.