The album was written by Chris Collingwood and Adam Schlesinger with the intention of emulating albums with a strong thematic story inspired by its surroundings, such as Muswell Hillbillies by The Kinks and Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen. According to Schlesinger, "When we were teenagers, we liked listening to Kinks records because we'd never been to England, and we got a sense of what it was like to live there. We really wanted to make a record that felt whole. We intentionally didn't include a few good songs because once we started picking up on the thematic connections, we wanted to stick with it." Collingwood added, "It had to do with reaching a level of maturity where you realize your own life is worth singing about. We spent so much time glamourizing bands like the Kinks, but what they were singing about was just everyday suburbia in England. There's this realization that you don't have to sing about Kensington for it to be worthwhile."[1]
In terms of musical direction, the band opted to evoke songs and bands that had an ubiquitous nature when they were younger. According to Schlesinger, "Musically, the stuff on the record is like picking through all the songs that people our age weren't about to avoid growing up. It could be Loverboy, Steve Miller, the Cars, Journey. You don't even know if you like it or hate it; it just pops into your head. Sometimes when we're arranging a song we all remember something at the same time so we'll throw it in there. It's not even really conscious."[1]
Collingwood's songwriting contributions on this album - including "Troubled Times", "A Fine Day for a Parade" and "Amity Gardens" - tended to be more serious than Schlesinger's. According to Collingwood, "I think I was a little panicky after the first record as being perceived as a novelty band. So I was trying to move away from making jokes on this record. That's why my contributions are more dismal."[2]
This is also the first Fountains of Wayne album to feature guitarist Jody Porter and drummer Brian Young, who joined the band after Collingwood and Schlesinger had finished recording the debut album almost entirely on their own. According to Collingwood, "The new album was definitely recorded more like a band. We had been touring with them for over a year after making the first record, and it felt like second nature when we made the new record and it sounded the way the band sounds. The progression from the first record to the second was so gradual that I didn't really notice until I went back and listened to the first album and realized it really didn't sound like a band."[2]
Coveredit
The album is named after a major street that connects the neighborhoods of Utopia and Beechhurst in the Queensborough of New York City, and its street sign is featured on the album cover. According to Schlesinger, "The name is so evocative. It ties in all these different places and characters because there's such a sense of longing about it."[1]
Detailsedit
Dropped by Atlantic after sales failed to meet expectations, the band had a growing dispute with the company after it put no effort into promoting the album's single "Troubled Times".[3]
Utopia Parkway was named an "Album of the Week" by People Magazine in 1999 upon its release,[14] but received mixed reviews from music press with some claiming the album showed the band "lacked depth"[15] while others declared it a "masterpiece from the moment you first hear it".[16]
The album contains two fan favorite songs from the Fountains' live performances:[citation needed] "Red Dragon Tattoo," about a boy who gets a tattoo to impress a girl, and "Denise," a faux-grunge power-pop confection where the songwriters show their intentionally bad and comic writing with "She works at Liberty Travel/ She's got a heart made of gravel." "Troubled Times," originally written by Collingwood when he and Schlesinger were in a previous incarnation of Fountains of Wayne called Pinnwheel, is also a fan favorite.[citation needed]
"Red Dragon Tattoo" was featured prominently throughout the Stephen King mini-series Kingdom Hospital. The 2008 Dar Williams album Promised Land includes a cover of "Troubled Times".
^ abcPowers, Ann (July 9, 1999). "On the Streets of New York with Fountains of Wayne: Urban Minstrels With Roots in Suburbia". The New York Times. Retrieved January 4, 2019.
^ abJenkins, Mark (July 2, 1999). . Washington Post. Archived from the original on January 5, 2019. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
^"iTunes - Music - Fountains of Wayne". Itunes.apple.com. Retrieved March 13, 2012.
^Stubbs, David (May 19, 1999). . NME. Archived from the original on August 17, 2000. Retrieved May 5, 2016.
^DiCrescenzo, Brent (April 6, 1999). "Fountains of Wayne: Utopia Parkway". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 5, 2016.
^Kot, Greg (April 15, 1999). . Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on May 12, 2003. Retrieved May 5, 2016.
^Weisbard, Eric (May 1999). "Fountains of Wayne: Utopia Parkway". Spin. 15 (5): 152–54. Retrieved May 5, 2016.
^Gundersen, Edna (April 27, 1999). . USA Today. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved May 5, 2016.
^. www.people.com. Archived from the original on September 19, 2015. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
^. www.popmatters.com. Archived from the original on August 3, 2015. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
^"Fountains Of Wayne: Utopia Parkway". Music.avclub.com. April 6, 1999. Retrieved April 9, 2020.
External linksedit
Utopia Parkway at YouTube (streamed copy where licensed)
April 10, 2024
utopia, parkway, street, queens, second, studio, album, american, rock, band, fountains, wayne, released, atlantic, records, april, 1999, studio, album, fountains, waynereleasedapril, 1999studiostratosphere, sound, york, citygenrealternative, rock, power, punk. For the street see Utopia Parkway Queens Utopia Parkway is the second studio album by the American rock band Fountains of Wayne It was released by Atlantic Records in April 1999 Utopia ParkwayStudio album by Fountains of WayneReleasedApril 6 1999StudioStratosphere Sound New York CityGenreAlternative rock power pop pop punkLength45 35LabelAtlanticProducerAdam Schlesinger Chris CollingwoodFountains of Wayne chronologyFountains of Wayne 1996 Utopia Parkway 1999 Welcome Interstate Managers 2003 Singles from Utopia Parkway Denise Released 1999 Red Dragon Tattoo Released 1999 Troubled Times Released 1999 Contents 1 Background 2 Cover 3 Details 4 Reception 5 Track listing 6 Personnel 7 References 8 External linksBackground editThe album was written by Chris Collingwood and Adam Schlesinger with the intention of emulating albums with a strong thematic story inspired by its surroundings such as Muswell Hillbillies by The Kinks and Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen According to Schlesinger When we were teenagers we liked listening to Kinks records because we d never been to England and we got a sense of what it was like to live there We really wanted to make a record that felt whole We intentionally didn t include a few good songs because once we started picking up on the thematic connections we wanted to stick with it Collingwood added It had to do with reaching a level of maturity where you realize your own life is worth singing about We spent so much time glamourizing bands like the Kinks but what they were singing about was just everyday suburbia in England There s this realization that you don t have to sing about Kensington for it to be worthwhile 1 In terms of musical direction the band opted to evoke songs and bands that had an ubiquitous nature when they were younger According to Schlesinger Musically the stuff on the record is like picking through all the songs that people our age weren t about to avoid growing up It could be Loverboy Steve Miller the Cars Journey You don t even know if you like it or hate it it just pops into your head Sometimes when we re arranging a song we all remember something at the same time so we ll throw it in there It s not even really conscious 1 Collingwood s songwriting contributions on this album including Troubled Times A Fine Day for a Parade and Amity Gardens tended to be more serious than Schlesinger s According to Collingwood I think I was a little panicky after the first record as being perceived as a novelty band So I was trying to move away from making jokes on this record That s why my contributions are more dismal 2 This is also the first Fountains of Wayne album to feature guitarist Jody Porter and drummer Brian Young who joined the band after Collingwood and Schlesinger had finished recording the debut album almost entirely on their own According to Collingwood The new album was definitely recorded more like a band We had been touring with them for over a year after making the first record and it felt like second nature when we made the new record and it sounded the way the band sounds The progression from the first record to the second was so gradual that I didn t really notice until I went back and listened to the first album and realized it really didn t sound like a band 2 Cover editThe album is named after a major street that connects the neighborhoods of Utopia and Beechhurst in the Queens borough of New York City and its street sign is featured on the album cover According to Schlesinger The name is so evocative It ties in all these different places and characters because there s such a sense of longing about it 1 Details editDropped by Atlantic after sales failed to meet expectations the band had a growing dispute with the company after it put no effort into promoting the album s single Troubled Times 3 Reception editProfessional ratingsReview scoresSourceRatingAllMusic nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp 4 Alternative Press4 5 5 Entertainment WeeklyA 6 Melody Maker nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp 7 MSN Music Expert Witness A 8 NME5 10 9 Pitchfork5 1 10 10 Rolling Stone nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp 11 Spin8 10 12 USA Today nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp 13 Utopia Parkway was named an Album of the Week by People Magazine in 1999 upon its release 14 but received mixed reviews from music press with some claiming the album showed the band lacked depth 15 while others declared it a masterpiece from the moment you first hear it 16 The album contains two fan favorite songs from the Fountains live performances citation needed Red Dragon Tattoo about a boy who gets a tattoo to impress a girl and Denise a faux grunge power pop confection where the songwriters show their intentionally bad and comic writing with She works at Liberty Travel She s got a heart made of gravel Troubled Times originally written by Collingwood when he and Schlesinger were in a previous incarnation of Fountains of Wayne called Pinnwheel is also a fan favorite citation needed Red Dragon Tattoo was featured prominently throughout the Stephen King mini series Kingdom Hospital The 2008 Dar Williams album Promised Land includes a cover of Troubled Times Track listing editAll tracks are written by Chris Collingwood and Adam SchlesingerUtopia Parkway Standard EditionNo TitleLength1 Utopia Parkway 3 092 Red Dragon Tattoo 3 323 Denise 2 324 Hat and Feet 3 035 The Valley of Malls 3 236 Troubled Times 3 397 Go Hippie 3 588 A Fine Day For a Parade 4 139 Amity Gardens 3 1110 Laser Show 2 2411 Lost in Space 2 1912 Prom Theme 3 0913 It Must Be Summer 3 1914 The Senator s Daughter 3 44Total length 45 35 Utopia Parkway Japanese EditionNo TitleLength15 I Know You Well 3 26Total length 49 01Personnel editFountains of WayneChris Collingwood lead vocals rhythm guitar keyboards production photography Adam Schlesinger bass rhythm guitar keyboards backing vocals production engineering mixing Jody Porter lead guitar backing vocals Brian Young drums percussionAdditional MusiciansRalph Farris strings on Prom Theme Conway Kuo strings on Prom Theme Ron Sexsmith backing vocals on A Fine Day For A Parade Garo Yellin strings on Prom Theme Kris Woolsey handclaps on Red Dragon Tattoo Technical PersonnelJoseph Cultice photography Mike Denneen mixing Gary Maurer engineer Vladimir Meller mastering Frank Olinsky artwork John Siket engineerReferences edit a b c Powers Ann July 9 1999 On the Streets of New York with Fountains of Wayne Urban Minstrels With Roots in Suburbia The New York Times Retrieved January 4 2019 a b Jenkins Mark July 2 1999 Spotlight Washington Post Archived from the original on January 5 2019 Retrieved January 5 2019 iTunes Music Fountains of Wayne Itunes apple com Retrieved March 13 2012 Erlewine Stephen Thomas Utopia Parkway Fountains of Wayne AllMusic Retrieved May 5 2016 Fountains of Wayne Utopia Parkway Alternative Press 131 94 June 1999 Willman Chris April 23 1999 Utopia Parkway Entertainment Weekly Retrieved May 5 2016 Fountains of Wayne Utopia Parkway Melody Maker 38 May 22 1999 Christgau Robert August 19 2011 Fountains of Wayne MSN Music Retrieved May 5 2016 Stubbs David May 19 1999 Fountains Of Wayne Utopia Parkway NME Archived from the original on August 17 2000 Retrieved May 5 2016 DiCrescenzo Brent April 6 1999 Fountains of Wayne Utopia Parkway Pitchfork Retrieved May 5 2016 Kot Greg April 15 1999 Fountains of Wayne Utopia Parkway Rolling Stone Archived from the original on May 12 2003 Retrieved May 5 2016 Weisbard Eric May 1999 Fountains of Wayne Utopia Parkway Spin 15 5 152 54 Retrieved May 5 2016 Gundersen Edna April 27 1999 Taking a dreamy drive down Utopia Parkway USA Today Archived from the original on March 4 2016 Retrieved May 5 2016 Picks and Pans Review Utopia Parkway People com www people com Archived from the original on September 19 2015 Retrieved January 17 2022 Fountains of Wayne Utopia Parkway PopMatters www popmatters com Archived from the original on August 3 2015 Retrieved January 17 2022 Fountains Of Wayne Utopia Parkway Music avclub com April 6 1999 Retrieved April 9 2020 External links editUtopia Parkway at YouTube streamed copy where licensed Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Utopia Parkway amp oldid 1214416573, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
