Songs from an American Movie, Vol. 2: Good Time for a Bad Attitude [PA]

Performer: Everclear
Producer: A.P. Alexakis; Lars Fox
Distributor: EMI Music Distribution

Notes: Everclear: Art Alexakis (vocals, guitar); Craig Montoya (vocals, bass); Greg Eklund (vocals, drums). Engineers: Brad Cook, Dan Marnien, Neal Avron. Recorded at Sunset Sound, Hollywood, California. Everclear: Art Alexakis (vocals, guitar); Craig Montoya (vocals, bass); Greg Eklund (vocals, drums). Engineers: Brad Cook, Dan Marnien, Neal Avron. Recorded at Sunset Sound, Hollywood, California. Personnel: Everclear (vocals); Greg Eklund (vocals, drums); Craig Montoya (vocals); James Beaton (keyboards); Lars Fox (computer, loops). Audio Mixers: Mauricio Iragorri; Neal Avron. Recording information: Sunset Sound, Hollywood, CA. Photographer: Frank Ockenfels. Volume One, released earlier in 2000, was Everclear's sunniest, most pop-oriented, and instrumentally varied album. Volume Two, on the other hand, is closer to alt-rock business as usual, a heavy guitar album with leader Art Alexakis as lyrically cheesed-off as ever (and brilliantly so--not for nothing did Randy Newman announce that Alexakis was his current fave songwriter). Put the two halves together and what do you have? Well, a modern equivalent of the Beatles White Album isn't as far-fetched as it might seem. This is a band clearly at the top of its game. Highlights include the ironic, funny, and infectiously catchy "Rock Star" ("I want a girlfriend who doesn't drink beer," Alexakis notes in his list of reasons for wanting to be one), the angsty "When it All Goes Wrong Again," and "Out of My Depth," a rousing power-chord laden ode to emotional ambiguity. Volume One, released earlier in 2000, was Everclear's sunniest, most pop-oriented, and instrumentally varied album. Volume Two, on the other hand, is closer to alt-rock business as usual, a heavy guitar album with leader Art Alexakis as lyrically cheesed-off as ever (and brilliantly so--not for nothing did Randy Newman announce that Alexakis was his current fave songwriter). Put the two halves together and what do you have? Well, a modern equivalent of the Beatles White Album isn't as far-fetched as it might seem. This is a band clearly at the top of its game. Highlights include the ironic, funny, and infectiously catchy "Rock Star" ("I want a girlfriend who doesn't drink beer," Alexakis notes in his list of reasons for wanting to be one), the angsty "When it All Goes Wrong Again," and "Out of My Depth," a rousing power-chord laden ode to emotional ambiguity.

Rolling Stone (12/21/00, p.173) - 3.5 stars out of 5 - "...His songwriting gifts remain as sharp as ever....the negativity on VOL.2 makes it a far superior record [to VOL.1], because bad moods are something this guy understands..." Rolling Stone (12/21/00, p.173) - 3.5 stars out of 5 - "...His songwriting gifts remain as sharp as ever....the negativity on VOL.2 makes it a far superior record [to VOL.1], because bad moods are something this guy understands..." Entertainment Weekly (11/24/00, p.82) - "...Good tunes and spirited playing....splashing and playing around in the slough of despair..." - Rating: B+ Entertainment Weekly (11/24/00, p.82) - "...Good tunes and spirited playing....splashing and playing around in the slough of despair..." - Rating: B+ Q (5/01, p.108) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Will please Everclear's long-term fans with a return to their harder roots....positively Led Zeppelin-esque, while Alexakis' acerbic humor is well to the fore..." Q (5/01, p.108) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Will please Everclear's long-term fans with a return to their harder roots....positively Led Zeppelin-esque, while Alexakis' acerbic humor is well to the fore..."

In the aftermath of the Nirvana-led grunge explosion of the early 1990s, Everclear's grunged-out roots rock brought it all back home without a trace of pretension. At first glance, songs like "Santa Monica" and "Everything to Everyone" are deceptively simple-sounding, grunge pop affairs. By the end of the '90s, however, people listened a little harder and began to realize that bandleader Art Alexakis was actually a major songwriter of his time.

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