Nice write-up. I only heard "Stacy's Mom" recently when somebody picked it for a playlist review group I'm part of (nothing like the fantastic participation / back and forth on here by the way). I know nothing about the band other than the brief Wiki intro I read last night. Should be fun.The Album Review Club – Week #17
Welcome Interstate Managers – Fountains of Wayne (2003)
Selected by FogBlueInSanFran
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COVID first “hit” me on April 1, 2020, when I found out Adam Schlesinger died of it at age 52. That name doesn’t mean much to most if any of you, but he and Chris Collingwood were the driving forces behind the indomitable Fountains of Wayne, a band that can only be described as among the most wryly talented in America during the early 2000s. I’ve selected my favo(u)rite record of theirs, Welcome Interstate Managers.
Named after a now-closed garden store called Fountains of Wayne in Wayne, New Jersey (featuring prominently -- and no doubt cheekily -- in the Sopranos episode pictured in my first clue), FoW is best known for what sounds like a novelty song -- “Stacy’s Mom”, which is on this record. The video quite famously starred Rachel Hunter (Rod Stewart’s ex-wife), pictured in my second clue.
But this band was so, so much more than that.
As with my first selection, The Replacements' Let It Be, this record ranges through a very wide variety of musical styles: a lot of straight-ahead alt rock early on, but with several quieter pop songs later too. There’s folksy country and, for lack of a better term, 70s wocka-wocka rock.
On WIM, as some of you noted, FoW channels The Beatles, Cheap Trick, The Cars, Steve Miller Band, Weezer . . . and another group fronted by a couple of well-known City fans.
All the way along, the writing tells satirically-observed human stories, especially regarding the joys and naivete of youth -- from the still-hungover young idiot making his way on Wall Street (“Bright Future In Sales”) to the wistful and celebrity-obsessed young construction laborer in “Hackensack”, to the young football (American football) player dreaming of glory in “All Kinds of Time”, to the young restaurant worker who sucks at her job (“Halley’s Waitress”), to the young teenagers thrilled their parents are out of town so they can swim naked and drink beer (“Fire Island”).
But unlike Let It Be, this record is not unkempt. It’s slickly-produced, and detail-oriented. The musicianship is precise; the instruments are crisp. The vocals are pushed way forward so you pick up all the words, which are often witty, and sometimes moving. The harmonies and falsetto moments are also a huge part of the appeal.
Admittedly the record is a song or two long (I could do without “Peace and Love” and “Hung Up On You”), but I’ve infrequently listened to an album with more hooky, catchy tunes than this. It’s very hard to pick a favo(u)rite.
Depending on mood, I go back and forth between the ganja-celebratory homage to/parody of Oasis on “Supercollider”, and the pretty “Valley Winter Song” which is so evocative of January in northeast America that you can see your breath while you listen. And I don’t think many music lovers of any genre can help but sing along to “Hey Julie” -- I know I can’t, and that goes for my whole family.
Is there meaning in all this? I don’t think so. It’s a series of sketches and short stories – mostly observations, a few snide or empathetic judgments, but certainly no pronouncements.
The setting for nearly every tune is lovingly and specifically the New York metropolitan area. I guess you could call it a love song to the city, or a sketchbook of what it is like to be young, but not much more than that.
Whatever it is or is meant to be, it’s good, and I think a lot of fun. And a change of pace!
Happy listening!
PS. If you like this, also worth checking out is Schlesinger’s side project Ivy -- especially Apartment Life and Long Distance, two very good records.
PPS. Note that the Spotify closer “Elevator Up” was not on the original record -- it ended with “Yours and Mine”.
There's some Weezer, and some Cars (specifically they were trying to emulate them on "Stacy's Mom"), but a ton of other bands too . . . and that's the point. When you listen to the entire record you'll hear a massive variety of styles, which is why I selected this, and why I think they were great talents.
And I love the Cars -- as I wrote on the other thread, three great records, and two pretty good ones. In fact, it's entirely possible they will show up in a future review of mine . . . :)
Edit: I recognize now you were objecting to the comparison of Weezer, not FOW, to The Cars and while wouldn't go as far as you as I like some songs by Weezer (a lot of the blue record and especially "Hash Pipe" from the green one) I like The Cars overall better than Weezer too by some distance. Someone once called Weezer "alt Boston" which I thought was pretty mean but stings a bit because it's somewhat true.
There's some Weezer, and some Cars (specifically they were trying to emulate them on "Stacy's Mom"), but a ton of other bands too . . . and that's the point. When you listen to the entire record you'll hear a massive variety of styles, which is why I selected this, and why I think they were great talents.
And I love the Cars -- as I wrote on the other thread, three great records, and two pretty good ones. In fact, it's entirely possible they will show up in a future review of mine . . . :)
Edit: I recognize now you were objecting to the comparison of Weezer, not FOW, to The Cars and while wouldn't go as far as you as I like some songs by Weezer (a lot of the blue record and especially "Hash Pipe" from the green one) I like The Cars overall better than Weezer too by some distance. Someone once called Weezer "alt Boston" which I thought was pretty mean but stings a bit because it's somewhat true.
Wow! I'm glad you liked it Rob. I feel the same -- other than the NY metro setting and sketches about carefree youth is there isn't a lot to say message-wise, which is why it's not a 10 for me, but more a 9, and as I noted there are a couple of tunes that could have been cut (and I prefer "Elevator Up", which was left off the original record, to "Hung" or "Peace"). But the eclectic nature of this is really appealing I think and, given the breadth of musical tastes on this thread, why I thought folks would enjoy it.Am I hearing this wrong? The bouncy pop, slick guitars and vocals on show for the first three tracks sound not unlike Busted. Whilst I’m not a fan of Busted, there’s nothing wrong with this: it’s a great way to kick off the record and thankfully, Fountains of Wayne show that they are more than capable of tackling a variety of styles over the course of this album.
“Stacy’s Mom” is a fantastic song – great chugalong guitars during the verses and an epic singalong chorus. After the onslaught of the power pop, the downbeat “Hackensack” makes for a welcome change of gear. I love “No Better Place”, with its jangling start, the isolated strumming and superb background vocals. I don’t listen to a lot of upbeat pop, and I don’t know if anybody is familiar with his work, but this sound reminds me of Matthew Sweet. What a great three-song run this is.
The quieter acoustics of “Valley Winter Song”, “Hey Julie” (“He’s got me running ‘round the office like a gerbil on a wheel” – nice lyric) and the opening of “All Kinds of Time”, which builds into something bigger, again show off the variety that the band is capable of. Plus, is that a few soft jazz chords on “Halley’s Waitress”? They even throw in a bit of country on “Hung Up On You”, but whilst I like Americana and this is a pleasant enough song, it’s not this album’s finest moment.
“Peace and Love” has a lovely laid-back vibe and some nice background organ in the coda.
The sequencing towards the end of the album is interesting because with “Bought for a Song”, “Supercollider” and bonus track “Elevator Up”, it sounds like they’ve thrown in the optional Oasis tribute module! This is in no way a criticism because all three songs are great.
I think when a band gives you this much variety on a single album, you can’t help but applaud. For the same reason, it can feel “all over the place” and lack a single cohesive theme that marks out the truly great albums. As much as I enjoyed “Stacy’s Mom”, the first three songs had me wondering whether they were a one-trick pony, but the Fountains of Wayne more than demonstrated that this is not the case. I really enjoyed listening to this, and I’m happy to give it 8/10, which for me, puts it alongside Oasis and Led Zeppelin on this thread.
Thanks @FogBlueInSanFran for a great choice.
It's quite possible that it'll be one of those that grow on me with time and more listens.
Wow! I'm glad you liked it Rob. I feel the same -- other than the NY metro setting and sketches about carefree youth is there isn't a lot to say message-wise, which is why it's not a 10 for me, but more a 9, and as I noted there are a couple of tunes that could have been cut (and I prefer "Elevator Up", which was left off the original record, to "Hung" or "Peace"). But the eclectic nature of this is really appealing I think and, given the breadth of musical tastes on this thread, why I thought folks would enjoy it.