Utopia Parkway
| Utopia Parkway | ||||
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| Studio album by Fountains of Wayne | ||||
| Released | April 6, 1999 | |||
| Recorded | Stratosphere Sound | |||
| Genre | Alternative rock, power pop | |||
| Length | 45:35 | |||
| Label | Atlantic 83177-2 |
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| Producer | Adam Schlesinger, Chris Collingwood | |||
| Fountains of Wayne chronology | ||||
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Utopia Parkway is the second album by power pop band, Fountains of Wayne. It was released on Atlantic Records in 1999.
Contents |
Cover [edit]
The album is named after a major street that connects the neighborhoods of Utopia, Beechhurst in the Queens borough of New York City, and its street sign is featured on the album cover.
Details [edit]
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 single for "Troubled Times".[1]
Track listing [edit]
All songs written by Chris Collingwood and Adam Schlesinger.
- "Utopia Parkway" – 3:09
- "Red Dragon Tattoo" – 3:32
- "Denise" – 2:32
- "Hat and Feet" – 3:03
- "The Valley of Malls" – 3:23
- "Troubled Times" – 3:39
- "Go, Hippie" – 3:58
- "A Fine Day For a Parade" – 4:13
- "Amity Gardens" – 3:11
- "Laser Show" – 2:24
- "Lost in Space" – 2:19
- "Prom Theme" – 3:09
- "It Must Be Summer" – 3:19
- "The Senator's Daughter" – 3:44
- "I Know You Well" – 3:26 (Japan bonus track)
Personnel [edit]
- Chris Collingwood – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
- Adam Schlesinger – bass, keyboards, backing vocals
- Jody Porter – lead guitar, backing vocals
- Brian Young – drums
Reception [edit]
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [2] |
| Entertainment Weekly | (A) [3] |
| Pitchfork Media | (5.1/10) [4] |
| Robert Christgau | (A−) [5] |
Utopia Parkway was named an "Album of the Week" by People Magazine in 1999 upon its release[citation needed], and got very good reviews in major media outlets.[specify]
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.
"Red Dragon Tattoo" was featured prominently throughout the Stephen King mini-series Kingdom Hospital.
Cover versions [edit]
The 2008 Dar Williams album Promised Land includes a cover of "Troubled Times".
References [edit]
- ^ "iTunes - Music - Fountains of Wayne". Itunes.apple.com. Retrieved 2012-03-13.
- ^ Utopia Parkway at Allmusic
- ^ Entertainment Weekly review
- ^ Pitchfork Media review
- ^ Robert Christgau review
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