Sha Sha (album)
Appearance
Sha Sha | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | Version 1: 2000 (CD-R) Version 2: March 10, 2023 (3 discs) | |||
Recorded | 1999 | |||
Studio | Muscle Shoals Studio, Alabama 2002 at Sear Sound, New York City, NY | |||
Genre | Indie rock, power pop | |||
Length | 45:02 | |||
Label | ATO | |||
Producer | Stephen Harris | |||
Ben Kweller chronology | ||||
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Aggregate scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 69/100[1] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [2] |
Austin Chronicle | [3] |
The Guardian | [4] |
NME | 6/10[5] |
Pitchfork | 6.7/10[6] |
The Village Voice | [7] |
Sha Sha is the debut album by American indie rock singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and former Radish member Ben Kweller.[8] The album was originally composed of outtakes from sessions for Radish's unreleased album Discount Fireworks. It was self-released by Kweller, via CD-R, in 2000. In 2002, ATO Records released a second version of the album with a radically different track listing featuring many new recordings and songs.[9]
Track listing
All tracks written by Ben Kweller except where noted.
2000 CD-R version (PA 101)
- "Launch Ramp"
- "Next Time"
- "Drink Me Away"
- "How It Should Be (Sha Sha)" (Joe Butcher/Ben Kweller)
- "Wasted and Ready"
- "In Other Words"
- "What It's Like to Live in Commerce" (AKA: "Commerce, TX")
- "Silent Scene"
- "Girl in Between"
- "4.40 (Episode 2)"
2002 ATO Records version (07863 68114-2)
- "How It Should Be (Sha Sha)" – 1:49 (Joe Butcher/Ben Kweller)
- "Wasted & Ready" – 3:51
- "Family Tree" – 4:20
- "Commerce, TX" – 3:52
- "In Other Words" – 5:36
- "Walk on Me" – 3:55
- "Make It Up" – 4:50
- "No Reason" – 3:51
- "Lizzy" – 4:06
- "Harriet's Got a Song" – 4:50
- "Falling" – 4:04
2023 20th Anniversary Edition Bonus Discs
Disc 2 (Demos & Outtakes)
- "Falling - Brooklyn Demo"
- "Walk on Me - Brooklyn Demo"
- "Lizzy - Brooklyn Demo"
- "Lizzy - LA Demo"
- "Ballad of Wendy Baker - Brooklyn Demo"
- "How It Should Be (Sha Sha) - Brooklyn Demo" (Joe Butcher/Ben Kweller)
- "Walk on Me - Live at The Double Door"
- "Make It Up - Brooklyn Demo"
- "No Reason - Brooklyn Demo"
- "No Reason (feat. Nils Lofgren) Live at The Marquee"
Disc 3 (B-sides & Rarities)
- "Today" (William Patrick Corgan)
- "Psycho Girl" (Ben Kweller/Jonathan Jeter/Jason McComb)
- "I Have the Power"
- "Kokomo (with Adam Green)" (Mike Love/Scott McKenzie/Terry Melcher/John Phillips)
- "Debbie Don't Worry Doll"
- "My Drug Buddy - Live at The Mercury Lounge" (Evan Griffith Dando)
- "SHS-10r"
- "It's Up to You"
- "It's Up to You (feat. Evan Dando) Live at The Brattle Theatre"
- "Undone - The Sweater Song (feat. Juliana Hatfield) Live at Fletchers" (Rivers Cuomo)
- "Lollipop" (Julius Dixon/Beverly Ross)
- "It's Not Fair"
Personnel
- Ben Kweller – lead vocals, guitar, piano
- John Kent – drums (also backing vocals on PA-101 version)
- Josh Lattanzi – bass
- Debbie Williams – bass (PA-101 version)
- Joe Butcher – bass (PA-101 version)
- Jane Scarpantoni – string arrangements
- Steve Mazur – engineer
- Stephen Harris – producer, mixing, engineer
- Roger Greenawalt – producer
- C. Taylor Crothers – photography
- Mike Waring – photography
- Liz Smith – photography
- Brett – art direction
- Greg Calbi – mastering
Charts
Album
Chart (2003) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (ARIA)[10] | 82 |
Singles
Year | Single | Peak positions | ||
Modern Rock Tracks | ||||
2002 | "Wasted and Ready" | 29 |
References
- ^ "Sha Sha by Ben Kweller". Metacritic. Retrieved 2018-04-14.
- ^ Sullivan, Denise. "Sha Sha". AllMusic. Retrieved 2018-04-14.
- ^ Haupt, Melanie (2002-04-26). "Review: Ben Kweller". Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 2018-04-14.
- ^ Costa, Maddy (2002-07-26). "Pop CD: Ben Kweller, Sha Sha". The Guardian. Retrieved 2018-04-14.
- ^ Fox, Jason. "Sha Sha". NME. Archived from the original on 2004-06-10. Retrieved 2018-04-14.
- ^ Mitchum, Rob (2002-09-18). "Ben Kweller: Sha Sha Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2018-04-14.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (2002-12-31). "Don't Call It a Comeback". The Village Voice.
- ^ "Ben Kweller: Sha Sha". PopMatters. May 22, 2002.
- ^ "B.K Discography". Xanthein.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-03-09.
- ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 159.