I bought this album on CD when it came out after hearing 'Mr Jones' on the radio, and I've loved it since. I added it to my 'Vinyl Wishlist' on Amazon and forgot about it. I was delighted that Santa Claus (via my brother and sister-in-law) delivered it on Christmas Day.
The album was released in 1993 and has become one of the defining records of the alt-rock scene in the '90s. The hits include the previously mentioned 'Mr Jones', along with 'Round Here', 'A Murder Of One', and 'Rain King', which I seem to remember was the bed to a scene in Scrubs where J.D. and Elliot bungee jumped off a bridge—think.
My favourite songs are album tracks, though. 'Omaha' (describing someone longing to leave a place they've outgrown), 'Perfect Blue Buildings' (about characters trying and failing to connect with each other), and 'Sullivan Street' (documenting a relationship failing) are all beautiful even if the subject matter isn't.
The album really resonates with me. It feels autumnal, something reinforced by the warmness that comes from playing it on vinyl with a decent pressing like this. It may be just the golden album colour that makes me think of 'the Fall', as the Americans would say. Whatever it is, I love it.
This is an album I keep going back to. It makes me smile and frown equally and is one of my all-time favourites. If you haven't already, give it a go, preferably while it is cold and dark. It works better now than it does in the summer.
Tracks To Try: ‘Round Here’, ‘Omaha’, ‘Mr Jones’, ‘Perfect Blue Buildings’, ‘Rain King, ‘Sullivan Street’.
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