Utopia Parkway
| Untitled | |
|---|---|
Utopia Parkway is the second studio album by the American rock band Fountains of Wayne. It was released by Atlantic Records in April 1999.
Cover
The album is named after a major street that connects the neighborhoods of Utopia and Beechhurst in the Queens borough of New York City, and its street sign is featured on the album cover.
Details
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
All songs written and composed 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
- Chris Collingwood – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
- Adam Schlesinger – bass, keyboards, backing vocals
- Jody Porter – lead guitar, backing vocals
- Brian Young – drums
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Entertainment Weekly | A[3] |
| Pitchfork Media | (5.1/10)[4] |
| Robert Christgau | A−[5] |
| USA Today | [6] |
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
The 2008 Dar Williams album Promised Land includes a cover of "Troubled Times".
References
- ^ "iTunes - Music - Fountains of Wayne". Itunes.apple.com. Retrieved 2012-03-13.
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. Utopia Parkway at AllMusic
- ^ Entertainment Weekly review
- ^ Pitchfork Media review
- ^ Robert Christgau review
- ^ USA Today review
External links
- Utopia Parkway at YouTube (streamed copy where licensed)