Aimee Mann - @#%&*! Smilers
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Free Music Notes for @#%&*! Smilers
Free Music Review: Aimee Mann Paints Another Work of Art
Hit: 5 Stars
Aimee Mann is an artist first. She's got a wonderful, pretty voice, is a good all-around musician, and is one of the pre-eminent songwriters of the era. But as an artist, she seems driven to create new art; it's never the same old. This confounds some of her followers, because when they're expecting an album 'just like the last one that they liked', she comes out with something different. When everyone was waiting for a spacey "Lost in Space II", she came out with a musical paperbacknovel, "The Forgotten Arm".
This time around, it's something new again -- no guitars! Lots of keyboards! How dare she say the fans. Too bad. If you like the artist, then let the artist paint, and sit back and enjoy the show.
Aimee Mann paints on this album. She paints an Aimee Mann work of art. She's aided by producer Paul Bryan, her right-hand man who did a terrific job on her Christmas album, adding wonderful background hoofs and sounds that made that album come alive. The apex of this album is the instant classic "Little Tornado", recorded by Bryan with whistling by Dave Eggers. It will put you back into a John Wayne-Dean Martin movie; or a Sergio Leone spaghetti western if that's where your head is at.
Aimee Mann is also a very smart cookie, and puts a lot of care into her work. She thinks on a different plane than the rest of us with her lyrics; they are Dylanesque on this album. I don't know how she remembers the words. And she insists on giving fans a show with the album artwork -- again her goal seems to be that the whole album is a total work of art. She won a Grammy last time 'round and may win another one for the covering on this album.
Starbucks is onto the genious of Aimee Mann; they make sure to add her to their Christmas CD every year. So too does Hollywood; she's appearing on more and more blockbuster movie soundtracks.
If you want a full dosage of Aimee Mann's music as art, buy this album. And sit back and enjoy the show.
Free Music Review: @#%&ing Amazing.
Hit: 5 Stars
I'm biased. I have been an Aimee Mann fan since her Til Tuesday hits, Voices Carry and Coming Up Close. To describe this album as "more of the same" from singer-songwriter Aimee Mann (as some earlier Reviewers have), begs the question: So what's wrong with "more of the same" when the music is nothing short of amazing? According to Mann's website, her album's title came from "the early days of the internet," where she read one guy's post on alt-bitter about being "fed up with people who would approach him at work when he was not in a good mood and tell him that things were not that bad and that he should just smile. So the post was a rant against all those "$*@$*%!" smilers." (See Mann's website for the proper pronunciation of "$*@$*%!.") Produced by Mann's bassist, Paul Bryan, @#%&*! Smilers is one of Mann's strongest albums to date, rich in Mann's sweet melodies, catchy hooks, and dark lyrics. The album even features Dave Eggers (A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius) whistling on "Little Tornado." Complete album tracks include:
1. Freeway 3:50
2. Stranger Into Starman 1:31
3. Looking for Nothing 3:46
4. Phoenix 3:56
5. Borrowing Time 3:12
6. It's Over 3:58
7. Thirty One Today 4:52
8. Great Beyond 3:12
9. Medicine Wheel 4:08
10. Columbus Ave. 4:06
11. Little Tornado 3:23
12. True Believer 3:32
13. Ballantines 2:21
G. Merritt
Free Music Review: A super-strong effort that stands on it's OWN!
Hit: 5 Stars
Ok, so some backgrounder on me. I attended the Berklee College of Music back in the 80s at the same time Aimee did, and later, even had Til Tuesday in the studio for a class project. So yeah, I feel I know Aimee's musciality and where she's coming from fairly well.
That said, allow me to state that I think the naysayers who are dismissing this album as a 'copy' of "Whatever" and "Lost In Space" must be HIGH on drugs! Compositionally as well as sonically, "@#%&*! Smilers" has absolutely NOTHING to do with "Lost in Space," and even less so with "Whatever."
In fairness, I would say that this effort is probably closer (as a whole) to "Bachelor #2" or "The Forgotten Arm." But that is not to imply there is not a progression here. There is much new ground broken here, and the effort seems, in a way, to be a nod to the creative work she and Michael (Penn) did on the Acoustic Vaudeville tour.
For me, the strongest track on the album is "Little Tornados." However, "True Believer" and "Ballantines" are also fantastic songs.
So, despite my history with Mrs. Mann, it is without bias that I rate this album as a *solid* 5-star effort. The compositions, lyrics, musicianship and record production compliment one another and combine beautifully into a cohesive, well-executed effort.
1 thumb WAY up!!
-wjb
Free Music Review: Don't Stop Listening to Aimee Mann
Hit: 5 Stars
She must be very frustrated with the "more of the same" type of review. Yes, some time ago, she figured out what her artistic metier was: Short stories set to magnificently subtle music. Most of her stuff is mid-tempo or slow for the obvious reason that her lyrics are the feature. You don't listen to Aimee Mann for the guitar solos. Her musical sensibility is absolutely brilliant, but it's more in the realm of underscoring, adding harmonic complexity to her tasty melodies and superior narratives.
"------ Smilers" is, I think, a superior example of her craft. It's hard to really pick a "best album" because of her remarkable consistency, but I think this one will be a contender. "Thirty One Today," "Freeway," "Phoenix," "The Great Beyond" and the short but affecting "Stranger into Starman" are among the best songs she's ever done. The arrangements are particularly effective on this album. It's clearly the best-sounding Aimee Mann disc. Her Berklee education continually shines through.
The last Aimee Mann album to be subjected to the "more of the same" treatment was "Lost in Space." I admit, at first I couldn't get into it, but the quality of the songs eventually penetrated my thick skull and now it's one of my favorites. This is another in that class.
Free Music Review: @#%&*! Aimee!
Hit: 5 Stars
@#%&*! Smilers
She's a great songwriter and while her and her husband went off and did their own concept albums last time (didn't care for her boxing album...Did I hear she did a dark Christmas album? No, she didn't...Man, it must cost a lot to live in LA) this is as compelling and addictive as Lost in Space for me.
I like the horns and the electronics, they seem to add more to her minimalistic song structures than studio cleansed guitars of albums past.
I would have seen her in concert when she comes to town but opening for Squeeze? Don't think I could sit through that. I'm sure while that band would look back at their perfectly coiffed 80s hits, Mann, will, no doubt musically, existentially, keep looking forward...That's what separates her from the rest, I believe.
Aimee is consistently fresh with her stories and even if she's comes across as a bit California-condescending in her observations at times and still clunks a bit with her references (Anne Sexton) and precious with Mr. Eggers whistling (Please...), she still carries a pop tune as well as she always has.
Jim Harris
A Bottle of Rain
Nowhere Near the Sea of Cortez