The Presidents of the United States of America (album)

Last updated
The Presidents of the United States of America
The Presidents of the United States of America-The Presidents of the United States of America.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedMarch 10, 1995
Recorded1994
StudioThe Laundry Room (Seattle)
Egg (Seattle)
Genre
Length37:54
Label PopLlama/Columbia
Producer Conrad Uno, Chris Ballew, Dave Dederer
The Presidents of the United States of America chronology
Froggystyle
(1994)
The Presidents of the United States of America
(1995)
II
(1996)
Singles from The Presidents of the United States of America
  1. "Kitty"
    Released: 1995
  2. "Lump"
    Released: August 8, 1995
  3. "Peaches"
    Released: February 27, 1996
  4. "Dune Buggy"
    Released: July 8, 1996 [1]

The Presidents of the United States of America is the debut studio album by the American alternative rock band The Presidents of the United States of America, released on March 10, 1995, via PopLlama Records. Columbia Records signed the band shortly after its release to handle increased distribution for the album.

Contents

Released during the grunge and punk music breakthrough-era, the album produced four singles—"Kitty", "Lump", "Peaches" and "Dune Buggy"—that helped the group gain mainstream popularity, and "Lump" can be found on the band's 2000 compilation album with the same title. The Presidents of the United States of America received positive reviews, and has been certified triple Platinum by the RIAA. [2]

Background and recording

Chris Ballew and Dave Dederer met while attending The Bush School in Seattle. In the 1980s and early 1990s they collaborated on various musical projects. Ballew returned to Seattle in the summer of 1993, and he and Dederer formed what would become The Presidents of the United States of America that autumn. Initially a drummerless duo, they performed a half-dozen or so shows in late 1993 as "The Lo-Fis", "The Dynamic Duo", and "Pure Frosting." Ballew eventually came upon the name "The Presidents of the United States of America." Shortly after settling on their name, Ballew and Dederer added drummer Jason Finn. In early December 1993, the band played their first show as a trio at The Romper Room in Seattle. At the time, Finn was also the drummer in the band Love Battery, who had recently changed record labels from Sub Pop to Atlas Records, an A&M subsidiary.

In early 1994, The Presidents recorded a 10-song cassette, Froggystyle, at Laundry Room Studios. The band sold the cassette at shows in 1994. Finn also sold the cassette from behind the bar of Seattle's legendary Comet Tavern, where he tended bar.

In 1994, the Presidents signed with the tiny Seattle label PopLlama Records and released their self-titled debut in the following year, featuring several remixed tracks from Froggystyle. The band also released a limited edition blue vinyl 7-inch single, "Fuck California", on C/Z Records. Columbia Records signed the band shortly thereafter and re-released the album in late July 1995. Driven by the singles "Lump", "Peaches", and "Kitty", their debut album proved to be a smash, eventually selling over three million copies.

Composition

Critics praised the band's catchy, humorous, and self-deprecating songs, which were a major departure from the grunge/post-grunge sound present on the airwaves. The album received Grammy nominations in 1995 and 1996. Though "Peaches" met the most critical success, the band credits "Lump" as their favorite single. The song's strange lyrics came from a dream that Ballew had while fighting pneumonia. The antibiotics he was taking caused an allergic reaction that produced several consecutive nights of wild and crazy dreams. The lyrics for "Peaches" were written about a crush Ballew used to have on a girl. According to him, she had a peach tree in the front of her yard, and when he finally summoned the courage to go talk to her, he stood under the tree and smashed peaches in his fist until he decided not to talk to her.

Packaging and release

Originally, the album was released in March 1995 on the independent Seattle label, PopLlama Records. This version of the album was noticeably different than other subsequent releases. The inside cover featured a picture of the band with Bill Clinton, who was the president of the United States at the time. The CD looked like a food inspection stamp. "Feather Pluckn" included a verse which was an homage of the Beatles' "I've Got a Feeling". The PopLlama release was also pressed on yellow vinyl with two bonus tracks. After the band signed to Columbia Records, the album was re-released on July 25, 1995. This version's inside cover featured a picture of the band members painted in red, white and blue in multiple pictures. The CD looks like a vinyl record label. All of the songs were re-mixed, and "Feather Pluckn" lost the "I've Got a Feeling" verse.

In 2004, the band independently re-released the album as a Ten Year Super Bonus Special Anniversary Edition. It featured 13 bonus tracks, including B-sides and demos, and (except for the Australian release) a bonus DVD of music videos and performance footage. This version features the food inspection stamp-like design that originally appeared on the 1995 edition. The insert picture features a collage of band performances. In addition, the liner notes were slightly updated. In 2008, the album was re-released on CD for a final time by the band's then-current label, Fugitive Recordings, minus the bonus tracks.

In February 2020, the group announced a vinyl reissue via Kickstarter. [3]

Reception

Commercial performance

The Presidents of the United States of America peaked at number six on the Billboard 200. As of 1997, the album has shipped over three million copies and has been certified triple platinum. [2]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [4]
Christgau's Consumer Guide Five Pointed Star Solid.svg [5]
Drowned in Sound 8/10 [6]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [7]
Entertainment Weekly D [8]
NME 7/10 [9]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [10]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [11]

Critical reception to The Presidents of the United States of America was mostly positive. Johnny Loftus of AllMusic retrospectively wrote that "their quirky take on punk-pop did help expand the palette of MTV and alternative radio, and make their oddball singles part of the enduring sound of the era." [4]

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Chris Ballew, except where noted; all music is composed by Chris Ballew, Dave Dederer & Jason Finn, except where noted

No.TitleLength
1."Kitty"3:23
2."Feather Pluckn" (3:19 on original PopLlama CD)2:57
3."Lump"2:14
4."Stranger"3:04
5."Boll Weevil"3:16
6."Peaches"2:51
7."Dune Buggy"2:44
8."Wake Up" (Bonus track on European yellow vinyl LP edition)2:38
9."We Are Not Going to Make It" (Ben Reiser)1:52
10."Kick Out the Jams" (Rob Tyner, Wayne Kramer, Fred "Sonic" Smith, Michael Davis & Dennis Thompson)1:25
11."Body"4:11
12."Back Porch"2:59
13."Candy"3:16
14."Naked and Famous"3:42
15."Twig in the Wind" (Bonus track on European yellow vinyl LP edition. Re-recorded as "Twig" for II .)2:55

Ten Year Super Bonus Special Anniversary Edition bonus tracks

No.TitleLength
14."Confusion" (From the Home Alive benefit compilation Home Alive: The Art of Self Defense)2:44
15."Candy Cigarette" (B-side of various versions of the "Lump" single)2:02
16."Wake Up" (B-side of the "Lump" 7-inch picture disc and U.S. cassette single)2:40
17."Carolyn's Booty" (B-side of the "Fuck California" 7-inch, and of various versions of the "Lump" single)2:17
18."Fuck California" (7-inch on C/Z Records)3:05
19."Puffy Little Shoes" (B-side of the "Naked & Famous" 7-inch. Re-recorded for II .)3:35
20."Kitty (Demo)"1:26
21."Lump (Demo)"2:39
22."Stranger (Demo)"2:50
23."Boll Weevil (Demo)"2:06
24."Candy (Demo)"3:51
25."Naked and Famous (Boston Demo)" (Performed by Chris Ballew's pre-PUSA band Egg.)2:36
26."Naked and Famous (New York Demo)"2:08

14-17 also appear on various editions of the "Peaches" single. 20-24 and 26 are performed entirely by Chris Ballew.
Ten Year Super Bonus Special Anniversary Edition Super Bonus Thrillpack DVD

No.TitleLength
1."Lump" (Official video) 
2."Lump (Version 2)" (Intended as the official video) 
3."Peaches" (Official video) 
4."Mach 5" (Official video) 
5."Jupiter" (Live, featuring Duff McKagan on bass) 
6."Volcano" (Live, featuring Washington State's then-governor Gary Locke on introduction and backing vocals) 
7."Lunatic to Love" (Live) 
8."Tiny Explosions" (Live) 

The DVD also includes a commentary track by the band.

Personnel

The Presidents of the United States of America
Additional musician
Technical (PopLlama edition)
Additional technical credits (Columbia edition)

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1995-1996)Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA) [12] 3
Canada Albums (The Record) [13] 5
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista) [14] 25
French Albums (SNEP) [15] 40
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [16] 18
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [17] 3
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [18] 18
US Billboard 200 [19] 6
US Heatseekers Albums ( Billboard ) [20] 3

Year-end charts

Chart (1995)Position
US Billboard 200 [21] 185
Chart (1996)Position
Australia (ARIA)7
US Billboard 200 [22] 24

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [23] 4× Platinum280,000^
Canada (Music Canada) [24] 4× Platinum400,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ) [25] Platinum15,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [26] Gold100,000^
United States (RIAA) [27] 3× Platinum3,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

RegionDateLabelFormatCatalog
WorldJuly 25, 1995 Columbia Records CD -
United StatesCDCK67291
March 10, 1995PopLlama Records LP, CD-
2004PUSA Inc.CD-
2008Fugitive RecordsCD-
United KingdomJuly 25, 1995Columbia RecordsCDCOL 481039 2

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Presidents of the United States of America (band)</span> American alternative rock band

The Presidents of the United States of America were an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1993. The three-piece group's initial lineup consisted of vocalist and bassist Chris Ballew, drummer Jason Finn, and guitarist Dave Dederer. The band became popular in the mid-1990s for their hits "Lump" and "Peaches"—released in 1995 and 1996, respectively—which helped their self-titled debut album go triple Platinum.

<i>Pure Frosting</i> 1998 compilation album by The Presidents of the United States of America

Pure Frosting is a compilation album by the American alternative rock band The Presidents of the United States of America. It was released on March 10, 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Ballew</span> American musician (born 1965)

Christopher Ballew is an American musician best known as the lead singer and bassist of the alternative rock group the Presidents of the United States of America. He also performs and records as a children's artist under the pseudonym Caspar Babypants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fastbacks</span> Pop punk band from Seattle

Fastbacks are a Seattle, Washington, punk rock band. Formed in 1979 by songwriter/guitarist Kurt Bloch, and friends Lulu Gargiulo and Kim Warnick, they disbanded in 2001 but have reunited multiple times. Their sound mixes a generally punk rock approach to vocals and sound textures with poppy tunes and strong musicianship.

<i>Forgiven, Not Forgotten</i> 1995 studio album by the Corrs

Forgiven, Not Forgotten is the debut studio album by Irish pop rock group the Corrs. It was released by Atlantic Records on 26 September 1995 across the world. The album was primarily produced by David Foster, with additional production by Jim Corr. In January 1997, a special tour edition of the album was released in Australia and New Zealand and featured a bonus disc containing live and rare tracks which were recorded from their Forgiven, Not Forgotten World Tour.

<i>Freaked Out and Small</i> 2000 studio album by The Presidents of the United States of America

Freaked Out and Small is the third studio album by the American alternative rock band The Presidents of the United States of America. It was released in 2000 by MUSICBLITZ Records, which was a web based label. Copies of the album distributed through MUSICBLITZ included in the liner notes a special thanks to anyone who pre-ordered it from the MUSICBLITZ website. These fans are listed individually, by name.

<i>Love Everybody</i> 2004 studio album by the Presidents of the United States of America

Love Everybody is the fourth studio album by American rock band the Presidents of the United States of America. It was released on August 17, 2004, on the band's own label, PUSA Inc. It was the group's final album with Dave Dederer. The band returned to their standard musical style on this album.

<i>II</i> (The Presidents of the United States of America album) 1996 studio album by The Presidents of the United States of America

II is the second studio album by the American rock band The Presidents of the United States of America. It was released via Columbia Records on November 5, 1996, coinciding with the United States presidential election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peaches (The Presidents of the United States of America song)</span> 1996 single by The Presidents of the United States of America

"Peaches" is a song by American alternative rock band the Presidents of the United States of America. It was included on their self-titled debut album and released as a single in February 1996. The track was produced by American producer Conrad Uno. The band members have acknowledged that "Peaches" borrows riffs from Bad Company's 1975 song "Feel Like Makin' Love".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lump (song)</span> 1995 single by the Presidents of the United States of America

"Lump" is a song by alternative rock band the Presidents of the United States of America. It was released in August 1995 by Columbia and included on their self-titled debut album (1995). The song reached number one on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart same year. Composer Chris Ballew said that the lyrics combined his own history of having a benign tumor in the head with a vision he had of a woman in a swamp, while employing the word "lump" because Ballew was fond of it. The musical part was described by Ballew as him "trying to write a Buzzcocks song". Ballew considers it his favorite composition. The music video for the song was directed by Roman Coppola. "Lump" has been covered or remade by several artists, including the Johnstones and "Weird Al" Yankovic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Young Fresh Fellows</span> American rock group

The Young Fresh Fellows are an American alternative rock group, that was formed in 1981 in Seattle, Washington, United States, by Scott McCaughey and Chuck Carroll. Tad Hutchison, Chuck Carroll's first cousin, joined for the recording of the group's debut album in 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love Battery</span> American rock band

Love Battery is an American rock band from Seattle, Washington. They released five albums during the 1990s, followed by sporadic one-off reunions. Frontman Ron Nine and guitarist Kevin Whitworth have been the only consistent members of the band throughout its existence.

<i>These Are the Good Times People</i> 2008 studio album by The Presidents of the United States of America

These Are the Good Times People is the fifth studio album by The Presidents of the United States of America. It was released on March 11, 2008. This is their first album to feature Andrew McKeag instead of Dave Dederer on guitbass.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kitty (song)</span> 1995 single by The Presidents of the United States of America

"Kitty" is a song by the American alternative rock band The Presidents of the United States of America. It originally appeared on the demo tape Froggystyle. This version was entitled "Kitty at My Foot". According to Dave Dederer, the song was based "as far as I know" on a true story about "a bad little cat that lived in some [apartment] Chris shared with some folks in Boston".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Presidents of the United States of America discography</span>

The discography of The Presidents of the United States of America, an American alternative rock group formed in Seattle, Washington in 1993, consists of six studio albums, sixteen singles, three extended plays, one video album, two compilation albums and a live album. The group's self-titled debut album was released on Columbia Records in 1995, with the singles "Kitty" and "Lump" bringing them exposure on the United States charts, as well as in Canada, Europe, the United Kingdom and Australia. Since then, The Presidents of the United States of America released five further albums, sometimes on different labels, none of which have been received as commercially or critically well as their debut album. The band broke up in 2016.

Nevada Bachelors were an American rock band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 1997. The band's lineup consisted of Robb Benson, Mike Squires and Ben Brunn. Dusty Hayes was the band's drummer from their formation until 1999, and was replaced by Jason Finn. They released two studio albums, Carrots & So On (1998) and Hello Jupiter (2000), before disbanding in 2001.

The Gentlemen was an American rock band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 1998. Formed by Duff McKagan, formerly of Guns N' Roses, the band's first lineup consisted of guitarists Michael Barragan, formerly of Plexi, and Dez Cadena, formerly of Black Flag, as well as drummer Taz Bentley, formerly of The Reverend Horton Heat. The same year, they adopted the Loaded moniker before disbanding.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conrad Uno</span> American record producer.

Conrad Uno is an American record producer and founder of the independent record label PopLlama Records. Uno began his career making his own music as a teenager in his makeshift basement studio. At the request of his friends, the Young Fresh Fellows, Uno produced their debut album The Fabulous Sounds of the Pacific Northwest. When the band decided to release their debut album themselves, Uno founded PopLlama Records to help with the release. He would also produce their next four albums; Topsy Turvey (1985), The Men Who Loved Music (1987), Totally Lost (1988) and This One's for the Ladies (1989), the latter three released through Frontier Records. He would also produce albums by Dharma Bums, Haywire: Out Through the Indoor (1989), and Scott McCaughey, My Chartreuse Opinion (1989), while he was the engineer on Mudhoney's self-titled album released in 1989.

PopLlama Records is an independent record label founded by record producer Conrad Uno in Seattle, Washington, in 1984. After making several of his own demos in his basement studio, Uno would produce The Young Fresh Fellows' debut album The Fabulous Sounds of the Pacific Northwest at the band's request. When the band decided to release their own albums, Uno founded PopLlama Records to help, releasing their debut album as well as the follow-up Topsy Turvy. Uno would continue to produce, usually for friends, and release albums through PopLlama throughout the 1980s.

<i>Kudos to You!</i> 2014 studio album by the Presidents of the United States of America

Kudos to You! is the sixth and final studio album by The Presidents of the United States of America. It was released on February 14, 2014.

References

  1. "New Releases: Singles". Music Week . July 6, 1996. p. 35.
  2. 1 2 "Gold & Platinum - Search Results: The Presidents of the United States of America". Recording Industry Association of America. Archived from the original on 2013-05-18. Retrieved 2010-10-23.
  3. "Presidents of the USA VINYLIZE the popular one!".
  4. 1 2 Loftus, Johnny. "The Presidents of the United States of America – The Presidents of the United States of America". AllMusic . Macrovision Corporation . Retrieved February 6, 2010.
  5. Christgau, Robert (2000). "The Presidents of the United States of America: The Presidents of the United States of America". Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s. St. Martin's Griffin. ISBN   0-312-24560-2 . Retrieved February 6, 2010.
  6. Carlin, Tom (September 27, 2001). "Album Review: The Presidents of the United States of America – The Presidents of the United States of America". Drowned in Sound . Archived from the original on March 25, 2019. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  7. Larkin, Colin (2009). "Presidents of the United States of America" . The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN   978-0-199-72636-3 . Retrieved October 27, 2017.
  8. Mirkin, Steven (September 22, 1995). "The Presidents of the United States of America". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved May 13, 2020.
  9. "The Presidents of the United States of America: The Presidents of the United States of America". NME . November 4, 1995. p. 48.
  10. "The Presidents of the United States of America: The Presidents of the United States of America". Q . No. 121. October 1996. p. 185.
  11. Cross, Charles R. (2004). "The Presidents of the United States of America". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp.  646–47. ISBN   0-7432-0169-8.
  12. "Australiancharts.com – The Presidents of the United States of America – The Presidents of the United States of America". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 28, 2021.
  13. "HITS OF THE WORLD". Billboard . 9 March 1996. Retrieved December 26, 2018.
  14. "The Presidents of the United States of America: The Presidents of the United States of America" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved November 28, 2021.
  15. "Lescharts.com – The Presidents of the United States of America – The Presidents of the United States of America". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 28, 2021.
  16. "Dutchcharts.nl – The Presidents of the United States of America – The Presidents of the United States of America" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 28, 2021.
  17. "Charts.nz – The Presidents of the United States of America – The Presidents of the United States of America". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 28, 2021.
  18. "Swedishcharts.com – The Presidents of the United States of America – The Presidents of the United States of America". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 28, 2021.
  19. "The Presidents Of The United States Of America, TLP" . Billboard . Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  20. "The Presidents Of The United States Of America, TLN" . Billboard . Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  21. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1995". Billboard. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  22. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1996". Billboard. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  23. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1996 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved November 28, 2021.
  24. "Canadian album certifications – The Presidents of the United States of America – The Presidents of the United States of America". Music Canada . Retrieved November 28, 2021.
  25. "RIANZ Top 50 Albums > 22 September 1996". Recorded Music NZ . Retrieved 2016-03-22.
  26. "British album certifications – The Presidents of the United States of America – The Presidents of the United States of America". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved November 28, 2021.Select albums in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type The Presidents of the United States of America in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  27. "American album certifications – The Presidents of the United States of America – The Presidents of the United States of America". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved November 28, 2021.