Cheer Up!
Encyclopedia
Cheer Up! is the fourth full length release from ska punk
band, Reel Big Fish
.
It is a slight departure from the band's other releases, veering toward more of a rock sound as opposed to ska, especially on the first five tracks, where nary a syncopated drum beat or upstroke on the guitar is heard. Nevertheless, the album is a continuation of the band's longstanding tradition of putting self-loathing lyrics to upbeat music. The hornless single, "Where Have You Been?", was a moderate success in 2002, helping album sales. The album also shows Reel Big Fish expanding their musical styles past the pop-rock sound, as it contains an a cappella
cover of Frank Sinatra
's classic "New York, New York" as well as a cover of Sublime's
"Boss DJ". Additionally, the last track, "Drunk Again," as well as the international bonus track "Average Man," is actually sung by Reel Big Fish trumpeter/guitarist/pianist/vocalist Scott Klopfenstein
, with a style differing from the traditional Reel Big Fish sound, and the former song later being performed by Klopfenstein's side project The Littlest Man Band
.(The band later stated, perhaps jokingly, that the song was accidentally put on the album and was intended to have been on a Littlest Man Band album instead) The CD cover art of the evil clown for this album was drawn by Aaron Barrett
's father.
UK Bonus tracks
Japan Bonus tracks
Ska punk
Ska punk is a fusion music genre that combines ska and punk rock. It achieved its highest level of commercial success in the United States in the late 1990s. Ska-core is a subgenre of ska punk, blending ska with hardcore punk.The characteristics of ska punk vary, due to the fusion of contrasting...
band, Reel Big Fish
Reel Big Fish
Reel Big Fish is an American ska punk band from Huntington Beach, California, best known for the 1997 hit "Sell Out". The band gained mainstream recognition in the mid-to-late 1990s, during the third wave of ska with the release of the gold certified album Turn the Radio Off. Soon after, the band...
.
It is a slight departure from the band's other releases, veering toward more of a rock sound as opposed to ska, especially on the first five tracks, where nary a syncopated drum beat or upstroke on the guitar is heard. Nevertheless, the album is a continuation of the band's longstanding tradition of putting self-loathing lyrics to upbeat music. The hornless single, "Where Have You Been?", was a moderate success in 2002, helping album sales. The album also shows Reel Big Fish expanding their musical styles past the pop-rock sound, as it contains an a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
cover of Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
's classic "New York, New York" as well as a cover of Sublime's
Sublime (band)
Sublime was an American ska punk band from Long Beach, California, formed in 1988. The band's line-up, unchanged until their breakup, consisted of Bradley Nowell , Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh . Michael "Miguel" Happoldt also contributed on a few Sublime songs, such as "New Thrash." Lou Dog, Nowell's...
"Boss DJ". Additionally, the last track, "Drunk Again," as well as the international bonus track "Average Man," is actually sung by Reel Big Fish trumpeter/guitarist/pianist/vocalist Scott Klopfenstein
Scott Klopfenstein
Scott Allen "Scotty" Klopfenstein is an American musician and a former member of the band Reel Big Fish. He plays trumpet, guitar, keyboard, and sings....
, with a style differing from the traditional Reel Big Fish sound, and the former song later being performed by Klopfenstein's side project The Littlest Man Band
The Littlest Man Band
The Littlest Man Band was started by Scott Klopfenstein of Orange County, California. Scott was a long-time member of Reel Big Fish, a popular ska punk band. Scott had written a number of songs over the years that didn't conform to the usual style of Reel Big Fish...
.(The band later stated, perhaps jokingly, that the song was accidentally put on the album and was intended to have been on a Littlest Man Band album instead) The CD cover art of the evil clown for this album was drawn by Aaron Barrett
Aaron Barrett
Aaron Asher Barrett is the lead singer, lead guitarist, and primary songwriter for the band Reel Big Fish. Prior to forming with Reel Big Fish, Barrett played trombone in another ska-punk act, The Scholars, along with future Reel Big Fish bandmates Scott Klopfenstein and Grant Barry...
's father.
Track listing
All songs written and arranged by Reel Big Fish (A. Barrett, C. de la Garza, S. Klopfenstein, D. Regan, and M. Wong) except as noted.- "Good Thing" – 3:38
- "Somebody Loved Me" – 3:19
- "Ban the Tube Top" – 3:10
- "Cheer Up" – 2:43
- "Where Have You Been?" – 4:00
- "Suckers" – 3:57
- "What Are Friends For" – 3:35
- "A Little Doubt Goes a Long Way" – 3:19
- "Dateless Losers" – 3:34
- "Valerie" – 3:55
- "Rock and Roll Is Bitchin'" – 2:53
- "New York, New YorkTheme from New York, New York"Theme from New York, New York" is the theme song from the Martin Scorsese film New York, New York , composed by John Kander, with lyrics by Fred Ebb. It was written for and performed in the film by Liza Minnelli...
" (John Kander/Fred Ebb) (Frank SinatraFrank SinatraFrancis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
cover) – 3:25 - "Sayonara Señorita" – 4:09
- "Boss DJ" (Bradley Nowell) (SublimeSublime (band)Sublime was an American ska punk band from Long Beach, California, formed in 1988. The band's line-up, unchanged until their breakup, consisted of Bradley Nowell , Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh . Michael "Miguel" Happoldt also contributed on a few Sublime songs, such as "New Thrash." Lou Dog, Nowell's...
cover) – 3:09 - "Brand New Hero" – 3:39
- "Drunk Again" – 4:49
- "Give It to Me" (Peter Wolf/Seth Justman) (J. Geils Band cover) (Hidden track, attached to #16)
UK Bonus tracks
- "Kiss Me Deadly" (Mick Smiley) (Lita FordLita FordLita Ford is a British-born, American rock musician and singer who was the lead guitarist for The Runaways and achieved popularity for her solo career between the 1980s and late 2000s.-Early life:...
cover) – 3:40 - "Rock It with I" (Tony Brevett/Renford Cogle) (The MelodiansThe MelodiansThe Melodians were a reggae band formed in the Greenwich Town area of Kingston, Jamaica in 1965, by Tony Brevett , Brent Dowe and Trevor McNaughton...
cover) – 3:11 - "Give It to Me" (Peter Wolf/Seth Justman) (J. Geils Band cover) (Hidden track, attached to #18)
Japan Bonus tracks
- "Rock It with I" (Tony Brevett/Renford Cogle) (The MelodiansThe MelodiansThe Melodians were a reggae band formed in the Greenwich Town area of Kingston, Jamaica in 1965, by Tony Brevett , Brent Dowe and Trevor McNaughton...
cover) – 3:11 - "Average Man" - 3:34
- "Give It to Me" (Peter Wolf/Seth Justman) (J. Geils Band cover) (Hidden track, attached to #18)
Band
- Aaron BarrettAaron BarrettAaron Asher Barrett is the lead singer, lead guitarist, and primary songwriter for the band Reel Big Fish. Prior to forming with Reel Big Fish, Barrett played trombone in another ska-punk act, The Scholars, along with future Reel Big Fish bandmates Scott Klopfenstein and Grant Barry...
- Lead Vocals, GuitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, ProducerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
(tracks 7, 10, and 12), Digital Editing - Carlos de la Garza - drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration... - Scott KlopfensteinScott KlopfensteinScott Allen "Scotty" Klopfenstein is an American musician and a former member of the band Reel Big Fish. He plays trumpet, guitar, keyboard, and sings....
- TrumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
, Backing Vocals, Lead Vocals (track 16, 20), Guitar (tracks 1, 2, 4, 5, 9 and 15), Electric PianoElectric pianoAn electric piano is an electric musical instrument.Electric pianos produce sounds mechanically and the sounds are turned into electrical signals by pickups. Unlike a synthesizer, the electric piano is not an electronic instrument, but electro-mechanical. The earliest electric pianos were invented...
, Producer (track 12) - Dan ReganDan ReganDan Regan is the trombone player for the Southern California-based ska punk band Reel Big Fish. Regan has also played trombone in The Littlest Man Band with Scott Klopfenstein and currently has a hip-hop side project under the alias Black Casper.- External links :...
- TromboneTromboneThe trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
, various screams - Matt WongMatt WongMatthew Wong, is a bassist and one of the founding members of the California-based ska punk band, Reel Big Fish...
- Bass GuitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
Additional musicians
- Tavis Werts - Trumpet, FlugelhornFlugelhornThe flugelhorn is a brass instrument resembling a trumpet but with a wider, conical bore. Some consider it to be a member of the saxhorn family developed by Adolphe Sax ; however, other historians assert that it derives from the valve bugle designed by Michael Saurle , Munich 1832 , thus...
(credited on tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 13, 15 and 16) - Tyler Jones - Trumpet (credited on tracks 7, 10, and 14)
- Ryland SteenRyland SteenRyland David-Burton Steen is the current drummer for the California-USA-based ska punk band, Reel Big Fish....
- Percussion (track 1) - Shawn Sullivan - Vocal PercussionVocal percussionVocal percussion is the art of creating sounds with one's mouth that approximate, imitate, or otherwise serve the same purpose as a percussion instrument, whether in a group of singers, an instrumental ensemble, or solo.-In Western music:...
(track 12), MixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
, Digital Editing, Chief EngineerEngineerAn engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,... - Kyle Homme - Percussion (track 7), Drum Samples (track 7), Digital Editing, Mixing
- Gordie JohnsonGordie JohnsonGordie Johnson is a Canadian musician, best known as the front man for the reggae-rock band Big Sugar, and later southern rock band Grady.-Biography:...
- DJ (track 14), Producer (track 14) - Iki Levy - Percussion Sampling (tracks 6 and 13)
- Nic. tenBroek - String Arrangement (track 16)
- Francis Carbone - backing vocals (track 6, 12)
- Russell Carney - emotional support (track 2, 4, 8)
Production
- George Marino - Mastering
- Richard Harbaugh - PhotographyPhotographyPhotography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
- David Schiffman - Engineer (track 14)
- Ross Garfield - Studio Technician
- Alex Feliscian - Studio Technician
- Tom Ames - Studio Technician
- Joseph Zook - Engineer
- Josh Atkins - Engineer, Digital Editing
- Adam Samuels - Engineer
- Pavan Grewall - Assistant Engineer
- John Avila - Engineer (track 12)
- Nathan Burden - Runner
- Nick Patton - Runner, "intern"
- Robert M. Barrett - Cover Art
- Mark Mediana - Art Direction and Design
- Val GarayVal GarayVal Garay is a record producer and engineer who has worked with Kim Carnes, The Motels, Marty Balin, Bonnie Raitt, Joan Armatrading, Dolly Parton, Pablo Cruise, James Taylor, Queensrÿche, Cock Robin, Dramarama, EZO, Ringo Starr, Linda Ronstadt, Sarah Brightman, Nicolette Larson, and Reel Big Fish,...
- Producer and Engineer (tracks 1-6, 8, 9, 11, 13, 15, 16)
Recording Locations
- World Class Audio - Anaheim CACaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
- The Sound FactoryThe Sound FactoryThe Sound Factory is a recording studio in Hollywood, California.The Sound Factory was built in the 1960s on Selma Avenue in Hollywood. At the time, it served as the home of Moonglow Records and the Moonglow Recording Studio...
- Hollywood, CA - Jakes Place - Studio City, CA
- Paramount StudiosParamount PicturesParamount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
- Hollywood, CA - Sony Music Studios - Santa MonicaSanta MônicaSanta Mônica is a town and municipality in the state of Paraná in the Southern Region of Brazil.-References:...
, CA - Grand Masters - Hollywood, CA
- Brando's Paradise - San GabrielSan GabrielSan Gabriel may mean:Ecuador*San Gabriel, EcuadorGuatemala*San Gabriel, SuchitepéquezMexico*San Gabriel, Durango*San Gabriel, Guanajuato*San Gabriel, Jalisco*San Gabriel Chilac, Puebla*San Gabriel Mixtepec, OaxacaPhilippines*San Gabriel, La Union...
, CA