Across the Universe (album)
Encyclopedia
Across The Universe is an album released by Trip Shakespeare
in 1990
. It was the band's first release on A&M Records
, the major label that they had signed with earlier in the year.
recalls lead songwriter Matt Wilson's preoccupation with the British Invasion band:
New York Newsday praised the album's "original melodies, soaring, driving hooks, and precise, daringly oddball lyrics", but complained that "the jokey tone often descends into feyness, then facetiousness," and said the "overbaked singing accentuates the overly florid lyrics of otherwise engaging songs". The Toronto Star called Across the Universe "odd stuff, but completely engaging."
The band itself was less than satisfied with the album. "We did not succeed on Across the Universe," Matt Wilson later said. "There was kind of a compromise between what the label wanted on there and what the band wanted." Despite this attempt to tailor the product for the record-buying public, Across the Universe sold a disappointing 33,000 copies--a showing characterized by Wilson as "bad, really bad."
"Pearle" is a murder ballad
rerecorded from the band's self-released debut album, Applehead Man. The "new version...demonstrates how much Trip has grown; the playing is more confident and interactive than ever, with an increased rock edge," wrote Trouser Press.
Calling "Snow Days" "Trip Shakespeare at its best", Newsday described it as "an eccentric blues about the kind of blizzard that shuts down school...a lovely evocation of childhood in the Minnesota winter."
"Every time we worked on the song in the studio, it seemed to snow," bassist John Munson
claimed of "Snow Days". "When we were mixing the song in New York, it snowed there for the first time
in years on Thanksgiving," said Matt Wilson.
"Drummer Like Me" is said to "credibly capture the social misfortunes of the band member who often gets the least respect."
"The Slacks" has been called a "tale of strange sexual discovery", and "a naughty dance song about a one-eyed lady from France with a fatal weakness for magic trousers."
"Honey Tree"'s lyrics were co-written by Matt and Dan Wilson--the first Trip Shakespeare words not credited solely to Matt. "The honey tree is someplace beyond this world," Dan said of the song. "The garden where that romance takes place is other-earthly. It's real, in the same way that a dream is real."
except as indicated. All lyrics by Matt Wilson except "Honey Tree" by Matt Wilson and Dan Wilson.
Trip Shakespeare
Trip Shakespeare was a Minneapolis-based alternative rock band of the late 1980s/early 1990s.-Origins:The band originated when Harvard University English student Matt Wilson teamed up with Elaine Harris , a Harvard grad student in biological anthropology, in the early 1980s...
in 1990
1990 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1990.-Events:*January 21 – MTV's Unplugged premieres on cable television with British band Squeeze...
. It was the band's first release on A&M Records
A&M Records
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
, the major label that they had signed with earlier in the year.
Title
The title's echo of a particularly trippy Beatles songAcross the Universe
"Across the Universe" is a song by the English group The Beatles. It was written by John Lennon, and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The song first appeared on the various artists charity compilation album No One's Gonna Change Our World in December 1969, and later, in different form, on Let It Be,...
recalls lead songwriter Matt Wilson's preoccupation with the British Invasion band:
- There's a part of us that's plainly trying to make epic, gorgeous music that can be admired on at least a couple of levels.... There are people who will say: "Rock 'n' roll is supposed to be simple, three-chord stuff like Keith RichardsKeith RichardsKeith Richards is an English musician, songwriter, and founding member of the Rolling Stones. Rolling Stone magazine said Richards had created "rock's greatest single body of riffs", and placed him as the "10th greatest guitarist of all time." Fourteen songs written by Richards and songwriting...
plays." But when you get right down to it, I guess we find ourselves more in the Beatles' school than in the Rolling StonesThe Rolling StonesThe Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
'.
Reaction
TrouserPress.com called Across The Universe a "too-rare example of an indie act benefiting musically from major-label treatment"—citing the an "increased rock edge that doesn't detract from the gentle charm" of tracks like "Snow Days", "Gone, Gone, Gone" and "The Crane"—the latter being the closest thing the album had to a hit.New York Newsday praised the album's "original melodies, soaring, driving hooks, and precise, daringly oddball lyrics", but complained that "the jokey tone often descends into feyness, then facetiousness," and said the "overbaked singing accentuates the overly florid lyrics of otherwise engaging songs". The Toronto Star called Across the Universe "odd stuff, but completely engaging."
The band itself was less than satisfied with the album. "We did not succeed on Across the Universe," Matt Wilson later said. "There was kind of a compromise between what the label wanted on there and what the band wanted." Despite this attempt to tailor the product for the record-buying public, Across the Universe sold a disappointing 33,000 copies--a showing characterized by Wilson as "bad, really bad."
Songs
The album opens with "Turtledove", described as "a love song written, logically enough, from the point of view of a male bird.""Pearle" is a murder ballad
Murder ballad
Murder ballads are a sub-genre of the traditional ballad form, the lyrics of which form a narrative describing the events of a murder, often including the lead-up and/or aftermath...
rerecorded from the band's self-released debut album, Applehead Man. The "new version...demonstrates how much Trip has grown; the playing is more confident and interactive than ever, with an increased rock edge," wrote Trouser Press.
Calling "Snow Days" "Trip Shakespeare at its best", Newsday described it as "an eccentric blues about the kind of blizzard that shuts down school...a lovely evocation of childhood in the Minnesota winter."
"Every time we worked on the song in the studio, it seemed to snow," bassist John Munson
John Munson
John Munson is a Minneapolis musician who is best known as the bass player for Semisonic. He was also a member of Trip Shakespeare during the late 1980s and early 1990s.-Trip Shakespeare:...
claimed of "Snow Days". "When we were mixing the song in New York, it snowed there for the first time
in years on Thanksgiving," said Matt Wilson.
"Drummer Like Me" is said to "credibly capture the social misfortunes of the band member who often gets the least respect."
"The Slacks" has been called a "tale of strange sexual discovery", and "a naughty dance song about a one-eyed lady from France with a fatal weakness for magic trousers."
"Honey Tree"'s lyrics were co-written by Matt and Dan Wilson--the first Trip Shakespeare words not credited solely to Matt. "The honey tree is someplace beyond this world," Dan said of the song. "The garden where that romance takes place is other-earthly. It's real, in the same way that a dream is real."
Track listing
All music by Matt Wilson and Dan WilsonDan Wilson (musician)
Daniel Dodd "Dan" Wilson is a multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, Grammy-winning songwriter and producer...
except as indicated. All lyrics by Matt Wilson except "Honey Tree" by Matt Wilson and Dan Wilson.
- "Turtledove" – 3:36
- "Pearle" (Matt WilsonMatt WilsonMatthew Wilson may refer to:* Matt Wilson , Irish international footballer of 1880s.* Matt Wilson , of Trip Shakespeare and the Flops* Matt Wilson , New York jazz drummer & composer* Matthew Wilson, British rally driver...
, Larry Abhitz) – 3:46 - "Snow Days" (Matt Wilson) – 4:04
- "Drummer Like Me" (Matt Wilson) – 3:50
- "Gone, Gone, Gone" – 4:41
- "The Slacks" (Matt Wilson) – 4:00
- "Unlucky Lady" – 2:35
- "The Nail" – 3:11
- "The Crane" – 3:24
- "Late" – 3:28
- "Honey Tree" (John MunsonJohn MunsonJohn Munson is a Minneapolis musician who is best known as the bass player for Semisonic. He was also a member of Trip Shakespeare during the late 1980s and early 1990s.-Trip Shakespeare:...
, Matt Wilson) – 4:20