Under the Western Freeway is the debut studio album by American indie rock band Grandaddy. It was released on October 21, 1997 by record label Will.
The album, while not commercially successful, was well-received by music critics.
Release
Under the Western Freeway was released on October 21, 1997. It was later reissued in the U.S. by V2 Records.[2]
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| The Guardian | [4] |
| NME | 8/10[5] |
| Pitchfork | 9.6/10[6] |
| Q | [7] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide |  [8] |
| Uncut | 9/10[9] |
| The Village Voice | A−[10] |
The album was well-received by music critics.
CMJ New Music Monthly described it as "an eccentric psych-pop collection".[11] Andy Gill of The Independent called it "one of the most beguiling debuts of the year [...] a fortuitous collision of Brian Wilson, Neil Young and the Pixies which throws out a stream of understated pop gems".[12] AllMusic noted similarities to the bands Pavement and Weezer, and described it as "a fairly brilliant album, combining a warm, earnest and rustic feel with sometimes goofy experimentation".[3] Frontman Jason Lytle's vocal performance was also praised; Jason Josephes of Pitchfork wrote: "If the lonely vocals of 'Lineage' and 'Collective Dreamwish of Upperclass Elegance' don't strike you there, you have no soul".[6] Steve Taylor wrote in his book The A to X of Alternative Music that "Laughing Stock" is the album's standout track.[13]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Jason Lytle.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Nonphenomenal Lineage" | 3:11 |
| 2. | "A.M. 180" | 3:20 |
| 3. | "Collective Dreamwish of Upperclass Elegance" | 5:26 |
| 4. | "Summer Here Kids" | 3:35 |
| 5. | "Laughing Stock" | 6:00 |
| 6. | "Under the Western Freeway" | 3:01 |
| 7. | "Everything Beautiful Is Far Away" | 5:13 |
| 8. | "Poisoned at Hartsy Thai Food" | 1:13 |
| 9. | "Go Progress Chrome" | 2:31 |
| 10. | "Why Took Your Advice" | 4:07 |
| 11. | "Lawn and So On" (The song "Lawn and So On" ends at 2:20. After 1 minute and 45 seconds of silence, at minute 4:05 begins an untitled hidden track: it's the singing of crickets.) | 9:05 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Levitz (Birdless)" | 4:22 |
| 2. | "My Small Love" | 1:21 |
| 3. | "G.P.C." | 1:43 |
| 4. | "12-Pak-599" | 3:56 |
References
- ^ Ankeny, Jason. "Grandaddy– Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
- ^ Strong, Martin C. (2003). The Great Indie Discography. Canongate. p. 773. ISBN 1-84195-335-0.
- ^ a b Abebe, Nitsuh. "Under the Western Freeway – Grandaddy". AllMusic. Retrieved January 17, 2012.
- ^ Cox, Tom (November 7, 1997). "Grandaddy: Under the Western Freeway (Big Cat)". The Guardian.
- ^ Mulvey, John (November 1, 1997). "Grandaddy – Under The Western Freeway". NME. Archived from the original on October 7, 2000. Retrieved May 6, 2016.
- ^ a b Josephes, Jason. "Grandaddy: Under the Western Freeway". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on January 24, 2001. Retrieved March 12, 2012.
- ^ Doherty, Niall (November 2017). "Grandaddy: Under the Western Freeway". Q (378): 117.
- ^ Harris, Keith (2004). "Grandaddy". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. p. 340. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
- ^ Wallace, Wyndham (January 2018). "Grandaddy: Under the Western Freeway (20th Anniversary Edition)". Uncut (248): 39.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (December 15, 1998). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved May 6, 2016.
- ^ Martin, Richard A. (February 2001). "Hidden Agenda: Grandaddy's Fake Plastic Trees Can't Obscure How Good They Are". CMJ New Music Monthly: 37–39. Retrieved January 17, 2012.
- ^ Gill, Andy (November 7, 1997). "Pop Albums: Grandaddy Under the Western Freeway (Big Cat ABB152CD)". The Independent. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
- ^ Taylor, Steve (2004). The A to X of Alternative Music. Continuum. p. 119. ISBN 0-8264-7396-2.
External links
- Under the Western Freeway at Discogs (list of releases)