| The Way We Were | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1998 | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 55:37 | |||
| Label | RCA | |||
| Producer | Steve Thompson | |||
| Babe the Blue Ox chronology | ||||
| ||||
The Way We Were is an album by the American band Babe the Blue Ox, released in 1998. [1] [2] They supported it with a North American tour. [3] Like most of the band's releases, The Way We Were was named for a Barbra Streisand album. [4] "Basketball" was released as a single. [5] The band was dropped by RCA Records shortly after the album's release. [6]
The album was produced by Steve Thompson. [7] The band appreciated his more direct approach to producing, often taking his advice to give tracks a harder sound. [8] Most of the lyrics were written by guitar player Tim Thomas; he chose to sing them in a lower voice, a decision partly inspired by Captain Beefheart. [9] [10] Babe tried to compose songs that had the potential to be added to radio playlists. [6] Many of the songs are about life in New York City. [11] "T.G.I.F.U." addresses the uniformity of American culture and geography, with lyrics describing the chain restaurants that are located off highway exits. [12] A version of "Tattoos" first appeared on the Je m'Appelle Babe EP. [13]
Guitar Player stated that Thomas "generates an assortment of guitar sounds that include dirty riffs, ringing arpeggios, three-note whines, ambient jangles, snotty wahs, and driving rock progressions." [14] The Columbus Dispatch determined that the band "nails the debilitating psychological impact of suburban sprawl." [12] The Plain Dealer noted that "the Babe crosses every style imaginable: straight riff-rock, shimmering, soaring pop and loopy funk." [15] The San Diego Union-Tribune dismissed the album as "little more than a schizophrenic stew of indie-rock conventions". [16]
Bass Player said that "Babe continues to refine its style; this album is less in-your-face and mathematical but perhaps grittier than previous efforts." [17] The Charleston Daily Mail concluded that "the group has become noticeably tighter and its playing even more economical—something the current crop of 'jam bands' would do well to note." [18] The Salt Lake Tribune called the album an "engaging kaleidoscope of rock, dance and funk rhythms and influences." [9] The Tallahassee Democrat praised the "slinky sound that's got a hint of skewed menace and a solid, funky base thanks to Hanna Fox's solid drumming." [19]
In 2007, The Village Voice labeled The Way We Were a "relentlessly glorious lost classic", writing that "Babe developed and perfected a vibrant, volatile blend of catchy melodies and spastic, rambunctious noise, like Captain Beefheart making children's records, Tom Waits auditioning for Kool and the Gang, the Minutemen meeting girls." [6]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "My Baby 'n' Me" | 4:21 |
| 2. | "Betty Davis" | 3:26 |
| 3. | "Heartbreak #1" | 4:19 |
| 4. | "Lotto Train" | 3:20 |
| 5. | "T.G.I.F.U." | 4:24 |
| 6. | "If You See Me" | 5:14 |
| 7. | "F-Train" | 2:26 |
| 8. | "The Monday After" | 3:17 |
| 9. | "Tattoos" | 4:16 |
| 10. | "Sheila" | 6:25 |
| 11. | "Basketball" | 4:39 |
| 12. | "I'm Not Listening" | 2:27 |
| 13. | "Mensy" | 3:34 |
| 14. | "Plan B" | 3:29 |
| Total length: | 55:37 | |
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