Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too
Encyclopedia
Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too is the only album by the New Radicals
, released in late 1998 by MCA Records
. Two singles were released off it in 1998 and 1999, "You Get What You Give
" and "Someday We'll Know
".
The album reached #41 on the Billboard 200
and achieved Platinum status (1,000,000 copies sold) on October 14, 1999 in the United States
. On the UK Albums Chart
, the album reached a peak of #10.
, released two albums, Michigan Rain
(1989) and Intoxifornication
(1992), before signing with MCA Records
in 1997 and allegedly receiving an $600,000 advance for Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too. While the album was credited to New Radicals, many critics considered it more of a Gregg Alexander album, as he wrote and produced all songs (only the first two singles were co-written with other artists), played several instruments on it and is basically the only constant member of the band (save the possible exception of Danielle Brisebois
).
, World Party
, Hall & Oates
and the early work of Prince and Mick Jagger
from The Rolling Stones
. And while even some unfavorable critics had to admit that—musically—the album, with its upbeat pop-rock
and influences of funk
and soul
, was a "well-crafted project" and one of "the more promising releases of late 1998", others found that the record was "a contradictory mash-up of polemic, white funk, loved-up yelping and nasty AOR guitar solos that wallops pop music into genuinely heartstopping new shapes for a bit...And then freefalls like a shot duck."
The album's lyrics, with Alexander complaining about the commercialisation of Western society
, media
and religion
, also divided critics. While some found that Alexander's social criticism and observations "would sound clichéd if they weren't so insightful and articulated with such uninhibited truth", others deemed these attacks "shallow posturing" and "empty social pronouncements".
, except where noted.
The Japan
ese release of the album, ブレインウォッシュ (Romaji: Bureinwosshu, or "Brainwash"), featured an additional track, "To Think I Thought", that also appeared as a B-side
on the "You Get What You Give" single.
New Radicals
New Radicals were an American pop rock band active in the late 1990s, centered on frontman Gregg Alexander, who wrote and produced all of their songs and was the sole constant member...
, released in late 1998 by MCA Records
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
. Two singles were released off it in 1998 and 1999, "You Get What You Give
You Get What You Give
"You Get What You Give" is a song by the New Radicals. It was an international hit, the first and most successful single from their album Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too. It reached No. 30 on Billboard Hot 100 Airplay in January 1999, No. 36 on the overall Hot 100 and No. 8 on the Billboard...
" and "Someday We'll Know
Someday We'll Know
"Someday We'll Know" is a song by the New Radicals. It was released in May 1999 as the second single off their album Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too and the follow-up to the smash "You Get What You Give"...
".
The album reached #41 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
and achieved Platinum status (1,000,000 copies sold) on October 14, 1999 in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. On the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
, the album reached a peak of #10.
Overview
The New Radicals' lead singer, Gregg AlexanderGregg Alexander
Gregg Alexander is an American singer/songwriter and producer, best known as the frontman of the New Radicals, who scored the international hit "You Get What You Give" in late 1998. Earlier in life he recorded two solo albums, Michigan Rain and Intoxifornication...
, released two albums, Michigan Rain
Michigan Rain
Michigan Rain is the debut album from Gregg Alexander, released in 1989 by A&M Records.The album was originally supposed to be titled Save Me From Myself, but the title was changed at the last minute, because, as Alexander explained, "[...] the cover was me standing on a bridge with a broken mirror...
(1989) and Intoxifornication
Intoxifornication
Intoxifornication is the second album by Gregg Alexander, released on May 5, 1992.It includes five tracks that had already been released on Alexander's 1989 debut album Michigan Rain.Both "Smokin' In Bed" and "The Truth" were released as one-track promotional...
(1992), before signing with MCA Records
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
in 1997 and allegedly receiving an $600,000 advance for Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too. While the album was credited to New Radicals, many critics considered it more of a Gregg Alexander album, as he wrote and produced all songs (only the first two singles were co-written with other artists), played several instruments on it and is basically the only constant member of the band (save the possible exception of Danielle Brisebois
Danielle Brisebois
Danielle Anne Brisebois is an American actress, producer, songwriter and singer. In the 1990s she recorded two solo albums, Arrive All Over You and Portable Life, and was a member of the New Radicals...
).
Critical reception
The sound of Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too has often been compared to a wide range of atypical influences for a modern pop-rock album, such as Todd RundgrenTodd Rundgren
Todd Harry Rundgren is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and record producer. Hailed in the early stage of his career as a new pop-wunderkind, supported by the certified gold solo double LP Something/Anything? in 1972, Todd Rundgren's career has produced a diverse range of recordings...
, World Party
World Party
World Party is a British pop/alternative rock band, which is essentially the solo project of its sole member, Karl Wallinger. He started the band in 1986 in London after leaving The Waterboys.-Career:...
, Hall & Oates
Hall & Oates
Hall & Oates are an American musical duo composed of Daryl Hall and John Oates. They achieved their greatest fame in the late 1970s and early to mid-1980s. Both sing and play instruments. They specialized in a fusion of rock and roll and rhythm and blues styles, which they dubbed "rock and soul."...
and the early work of Prince and Mick Jagger
Mick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
from The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The 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...
. And while even some unfavorable critics had to admit that—musically—the album, with its upbeat pop-rock
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
and influences of funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
and soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
, was a "well-crafted project" and one of "the more promising releases of late 1998", others found that the record was "a contradictory mash-up of polemic, white funk, loved-up yelping and nasty AOR guitar solos that wallops pop music into genuinely heartstopping new shapes for a bit...And then freefalls like a shot duck."
The album's lyrics, with Alexander complaining about the commercialisation of Western society
Western culture
Western culture, sometimes equated with Western civilization or European civilization, refers to cultures of European origin and is used very broadly to refer to a heritage of social norms, ethical values, traditional customs, religious beliefs, political systems, and specific artifacts and...
, media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
and religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
, also divided critics. While some found that Alexander's social criticism and observations "would sound clichéd if they weren't so insightful and articulated with such uninhibited truth", others deemed these attacks "shallow posturing" and "empty social pronouncements".
Track listing
All songs written by Gregg AlexanderGregg Alexander
Gregg Alexander is an American singer/songwriter and producer, best known as the frontman of the New Radicals, who scored the international hit "You Get What You Give" in late 1998. Earlier in life he recorded two solo albums, Michigan Rain and Intoxifornication...
, except where noted.
- "Mother We Just Can't Get EnoughMother We Just Can't Get Enough"Mother We Just Can't Get Enough" is a song by the New Radicals from the album Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too. There hasn't been proof either way to show if this song released to retail as a single or not, however numerous 1-track promotional-only copies exist as well as 4-track pressings from...
" – 5:46 - "You Get What You GiveYou Get What You Give"You Get What You Give" is a song by the New Radicals. It was an international hit, the first and most successful single from their album Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too. It reached No. 30 on Billboard Hot 100 Airplay in January 1999, No. 36 on the overall Hot 100 and No. 8 on the Billboard...
" (Alexander, Richard NowelsRick NowelsRichard Wright Nowels Jr. is a Grammy / Ivor Novello award-winning songwriter/producer who has worked with many of the most vibrant artists in contemporary music...
) – 5:02 - "I Hope I Didn't Just Give Away the Ending" – 6:37
- "I Don't Wanna Die Anymore" – 4:16
- "Jehovah Made This Whole Joint for You" – 4:11
- "Someday We'll KnowSomeday We'll Know"Someday We'll Know" is a song by the New Radicals. It was released in May 1999 as the second single off their album Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too and the follow-up to the smash "You Get What You Give"...
" (Alexander, Danielle BriseboisDanielle BriseboisDanielle Anne Brisebois is an American actress, producer, songwriter and singer. In the 1990s she recorded two solo albums, Arrive All Over You and Portable Life, and was a member of the New Radicals...
, Debra Holland) – 3:39 - "Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too" – 5:21
- "In Need of a Miracle" – 3:43
- "Gotta Stay High" – 3:06
- "Technicolor Lover" – 3:42
- "Flowers" – 3:52
- "Crying Like a Church on Monday" – 5:02
The Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese release of the album, ブレインウォッシュ (Romaji: Bureinwosshu, or "Brainwash"), featured an additional track, "To Think I Thought", that also appeared as a B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
on the "You Get What You Give" single.
Credits
- Alessandro AlessandroniAlessandro AlessandroniAlessandro Alessandroni is an Italian musician. He plays multipleinstruments, including the guitar, mandolin, mandolincello, sitar, accordion, and piano, and has composed over 40 film scores and countless library music....
– stringsString instrumentA string instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification, used in organology, they are called chordophones... - Gregg AlexanderGregg AlexanderGregg Alexander is an American singer/songwriter and producer, best known as the frontman of the New Radicals, who scored the international hit "You Get What You Give" in late 1998. Earlier in life he recorded two solo albums, Michigan Rain and Intoxifornication...
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, acoustic and electric guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, synthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
, 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 ....
, bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Rusty AndersonRusty AndersonRusty Anderson is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter and music producer. He is best known as lead guitarist with Paul McCartney, though he has worked with an extensive list of artists in addition to his own solo career.-Early life:Rusty Anderson grew up in La Habra, California...
– guitar - Tal Bergman – drums
- Danielle BriseboisDanielle BriseboisDanielle Anne Brisebois is an American actress, producer, songwriter and singer. In the 1990s she recorded two solo albums, Arrive All Over You and Portable Life, and was a member of the New Radicals...
– background vocals, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal... - Paul Bushnell – bass
- Lenny CastroLenny CastroLenny Castro is an American freelancing percussionist in the studio recording industry in the Los Angeles area.-Early life:Castro is a percussionist of Puerto Rican descent and was born and raised in New York City. His father, Hector Castro, played the keyboard in a Latin style and gave his son...
– 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... - Paolo Degregorio – synthesizer, guitar
- Gary Fergusson – drums
- Josh FreeseJosh FreeseJosh Freese is an American session drummer and songwriter. He is a permanent member of A Perfect Circle, The Vandals, and Devo, having formerly played drums for Nine Inch Nails from late 2005 until late 2008, and for Guns N' Roses from mid-1998 to 2001. Freese has appeared on close to 300 records....
– drums - Paul GordonPaul Gordon (musician)Paul Christian Gordon is a musician. He has worked with Natasha Bedingfield, Danielle Brisebois, Charles and Eddie, The B-52's, The Devlins, Eran DD, Jeffrey Gaines, Goo Goo Dolls, John Gregory, Nona Hendryx, Carly Hennessy, The Juliet Dagger, Jill Jones, Chaka Khan, Prince, Lila McCann, Mandy...
– piano - Michael James – electric guitar
- Stuart Johnson – drums
- Mitch Kaplan – piano
- Matt Laug – drums
- Lance MorrisonLance MorrisonLance Morrison is a professional bassist and session musician who has recorded on studio albums for Alanis Morissette, Elisa, Don Henley, Rick Springfield, Autograph and Jim Brickman. He has also been featured in movie soundtracks for Nicholas Sparks' novel-turned-feature film "Message in a...
– bass - Rick NowelsRick NowelsRichard Wright Nowels Jr. is a Grammy / Ivor Novello award-winning songwriter/producer who has worked with many of the most vibrant artists in contemporary music...
(listed as Richard Knowels) – piano - Phil Parlapiano – organOrgan (music)The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
- Greg PhillinganesGreg PhillinganesGreg Phillinganes is an active session keyboardist in Los Angeles, California. He is a graduate of Cass Technical High School, Detroit Michigan....
– piano - John Pierce – bass
- Richie Podler – percussion
- Juliet Prater – percussion
- Dan Rothchild – bass
External links
- MaybeYou've Been Brainwashed lyrics at unofficial New Radicals forum
- NewRadicals.Us. The unofficial NR forum covering New Radicals, Gregg Alexander and Danielle Brisebois.