Teenage Symphonies to God

Amazon.com
For the title of their sophomore effort, the three members of Rhode Island's Velvet Crush turned to one of their idols: Teenage Symphonies to God is how Brian Wilson described the songs on the aborted Smile album. Singers and songwriters Ric Menck (formerly the drummer and leader of Chicago's Reverbs) and Paul Chastain (a respected guitar-pop solo artist) don't break any new ground. Their songs are strongly influenced by the Beach Boys, Big Star, and Gene Clark (they cover his "Why Not Your Baby"), and producer Mitch Easter recaptures the jangly sounds of Lets Active and early '80s R.E.M. But like their buddy Matthew Sweet, Menck and Chastain have enough enthusiasm, wit, and hooks to keep things fresh. --Jim DeRogatis

Teenage Symphonies to God,Velvet Crush,Sony,Alternative Country-Rock,Alternative Pop/Rock,Alternative/Indie-Rock,Indie Pop,Indie Rock,Jangle Pop,Pop,Pop Underground,Popular Music,Power Pop,Rock,Rock/Pop

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Teenage Symphonies to God

Average customer rating: brilliant, but not 5 stars. Possibly 4 and a half??. Ok 83%, that is precision A pop masterpiece This album will still hold up when they're gone AWESOME Country tinged Power-Pop "Teenage Symphonies" Wraps Around You

Teenage Symphonies to God Velvet Crush Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Jangle Pop | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Alt-Country & Americana | Country | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Power Pop | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Bandwagonesque Dear 23 Frosting on the Beater Free Expression Soft Sounds ASIN: B000002A7F Release Date: 1994-07-05

Tracks:

1. Hold Me Up
2. My Blank Pages
3. Why Not Your Baby
4. Time Wraps Around You
5. Atmosphere
6. #10
7. Faster Days
8. Something's Gotta Give
9. This Life Is Killing Me
10. Weird Summer
11. Star Trip
12. Keep On Lingerin'

Amazon.com

For the title of their sophomore effort, the three members of Rhode Island's Velvet Crush turned to one of their idols: Teenage Symphonies to God is how Brian Wilson described the songs on the aborted Smile album. Singers and songwriters Ric Menck (formerly the drummer and leader of Chicago's Reverbs) and Paul Chastain (a respected guitar-pop solo artist) don't break any new ground. Their songs are strongly influenced by the Beach Boys, Big Star, and Gene Clark (they cover his "Why Not Your Baby"), and producer Mitch Easter recaptures the jangly sounds of Lets Active and early '80s R.E.M. But like their buddy Matthew Sweet, Menck and Chastain have enough enthusiasm, wit, and hooks to keep things fresh. --Jim DeRogatis

Customer Reviews:

brilliant, but not 5 stars. Possibly 4 and a half??. Ok 83%, that is precision.......2006-03-11

Only reason I am writing this is to disagree with a previous reviewer, penalty(Ca. I guess that is california), on one point. Huge agreement, this is an overlooked classic. Huge agreement, this album could do with a small amount of trimming. However, I believe the trimming should be aimed at one of the slow-mid tempo tracks, one too many I think. 'Something's gotta give' is the hidden pearl in an album of gems, and as for trimming the guitar outro.???????? Nooooooooooo! that guitar outro. turns a great song into a truly special one. That is it. I feel better for getting that off my chest.
Anyway, if you do not know this band and you are a fan of big star, teenage fanclub, the byrds etc. buy this album now, you will love it.

A pop masterpiece.......2005-09-08

This record should have been huge. Great songs, amazing production by Mitch Easter, some of the best musicianship in town--to put it plainly, a masterpiece. The pop renaissance starts HERE.

This album will still hold up when they're gone.......2002-04-28

This is an overlooked gem of an album. It is more than just power pop, and it is more than just a tribute to the great music of the '60s. Yes, there are the Byrds and Brian Wilson touchstones, but Velvet Crush takes their influences and creates something new, fresh and timeless with them. Track by track:

1. Hold Me Up -- just a great, melodic power-pop song. Rocks with the best of 'em.

2. My Blank Pages -- The title is, of course, a Dylan/Byrds takeoff on "My Back Pages," and the tune rocks in similar fashion to "Hold Me Up." Another rocking power-pop song with a great melody.

3. Why Not Your Baby -- VC turns up the twang and does this old Gene Clark song in style. The slide guitar solo at the end is killer.

4. Time Wraps Around You -- Wow...gorgeous, melodic, wonderful harmonies, a classic all the way.

5. Atmosphere -- I'm not too crazy about the melody on this one. One of the lesser songs in my opinion, though it still rocks pretty well. Sounds like it could've been a cutout from Big Star's #1 Record, which is not really a bad thing.

6. #10 -- VC slows things down here with a tender acoustic guitar-based ballad. Very nice.

7. Faster Days -- a wistful medium-tempo song. One of my faves.

8. Something's Gotta Give -- a song by their buddy Matthew Sweet. It sounds just like something that could've been on 100% Fun. Goes on a little too long, with an extended guitar jam at the end.

9. This Life Is Killing Me -- This one just doesn't do much for me. I think it is a little annoying, actually, with a mediocre melody and the "ba ba ba" backing vocals. Thankfully, it's short.

10. Weird Summer -- One of the best songs on the album. Great melody and a jangly feel.

11. Star Trip -- This one could've been a Teenage Fanclub song off their Grand Prix album. Another favorite.

12. Keep On Lingerin' -- The twang returns on this country song. A great ending to a great album.

I knocked off one star for tracks 5 and 9 (especially 9), which I feel are not up to the level of the rest of the songs. But there are no really "bad" tracks on this album. I keep coming back to it over and over. You will too.

AWESOME Country tinged Power-Pop.......2001-06-18

Brian Wilson once referred to the songs of "Pet Sounds" as "Teenage Symphonies to God" and Velvet Crush, showing their true allegiance to 60's pop, comes through "big-time" in their tribute to the Beach Boys, the Byrds and all those other influential, jangly bands of the 60's and 70's (If the CD cover ISN'T a dead-on imitation of so many 60's "STEREO" or "DYNAGROVE" jackets I don't know what is!!! By itself it takes me back to my living room floor in the 60's).

The cover of Gene Clark's "Why Not Your Baby" is nearly worth the CD's price! Add in oughta be hits such as "Hold Me Up", "Time Wraps Around You" and "My Blank Pages" (a clever turn on a Dylan "title" covered by the Byrds) along with the other eight pop-masterpieces on this disc and you've got yourself some real toe-tapping, hum-along, rock'n'roll music.

These guys don't record often, and this one is a must have for lovers of rock melody. Put them on your list of 90's power-pop greats along with Teenage Fanclub, Catherine Wheel and some other "retro-pop" bands recording today. Buy this CD then sit back and enjoy, it may be a while before you put it back in its jewel case!

"Teenage Symphonies" Wraps Around You.......2001-02-01

I don't hand out five star reviews very often but TEENAGE SYMPHONIES TO GOD deserves it. It's beautifully crafted power pop music with a healthy dash of country for good measure. Velvet Crush (like their pal, Matthew Sweet) subversively combines lonely and sometimes bleak lyrics with a brisk backbeat so you'll find yourself bouncing one moment and crying in your beer the next. Hey, that's like life itself, isn't it?

I will admit, however, that much of the praise that has been heaped onto TEENAGE SYMPHONIES has been a little overwrought. It's a tremendous album but it's not a classic the same way, say, PET SOUNDS is a classic. And I often wonder how influential TEENAGE SYMPHONIES is going to be twenty years from now. First of all, a lot of TEENAGE SYMPHONIES is drawn from the past. Think Gram Parsons, a little Big Star, the Byrds... They even cover Gene Clark's "Why Not Your Baby" and album's title is lifted from a quote from everyone's hero, the great Brian Wilson. The album also sounds like a lot like the work of many of VC's contemporaries - Matthew Sweet (who even writes one of the songs here, "Something's Gotta Give"), Teenage Fanclub, the Jayhawks, and even a little like Uncle Tupelo and its offshoot bands, Wilco and Son Volt. But this is all part of the charm of TEENAGE SYMPHONIES. It's not an album you can hear and say "Oh, that's from 1994," or from the 80s, or whenever. This album sounds like it could have come from 1994, 1974, or even 2004. When you think about it, all of the best albums have that timeless feel to them.

So, no, it's not really groundbreaking and no one I know ever argues that it is. There are plenty of artists out there today who are straining to be recognized as "groundbreaking" but they're not really "reaching" anyone, even if they are selling a million albums in the process. They're here today and gone tomorrow. TEENAGE SYMPHONIES TO GOD is a keeper. It is warm, human, and well-made, without an ounce of pretension. It's one of those rare albums where every single track is terrific and it seamlessly covers an entire range of emotions, when so many artists today can't even put together a single effective three minute song. That's why so many people treasure this album, why it made so many "Best of the 90s" lists, and why so many people are giving it five star reviews.

The stand out tracks, to me, include the rolling "Hold Me Up" and "Atmosphere," the sad, dewdrop fresh cover of "Why Not Your Baby," the wide-eyed and yearning "Faster Days," and my absolute favorite song on the album, the jaw-dropping, gorgeous "Time Wraps Around You." But they're all great in their own way. This album never sold a lot of copies, but those of us who did get it never let go of it and we never will.

Average customer rating:

Teenage Symphonies to God Velvet Crush Manufacturer: Creation ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Jangle Pop | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Alt-Country & Americana | Country | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Power Pop | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Rock | Imports | Stores | Music ASIN: B000024D8X Release Date: 2006-05-15

Tracks:

1. Hold Me Up
2. My Blank Pages
3. Why Not Your Baby
4. Time Wraps Around You
5. Atmosphere
6. #10
7. Faster Days
8. Something's Gotta Give
9. This Life Is Killing Me
10. Weird Summer
11. Star Trip
12. Keep on Lingerin'

Album Description

1994 album from U.S. power-pop band featuring 12 tracks. Creation.

Average customer rating:

Teenage Symphonies to God Velvet Crush Manufacturer: Creat ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Jangle Pop | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Rock | Imports | Stores | Music ASIN: B000007WOB Release Date: 1998-03-25

Tracks:

1. Hold Me
2. My Blank Pages
3. Why Not Your Baby
4. Time Wraps Around You
5. Atmosphere
6. # 10
7. Faster Days
8. Something's Gotta Give
9. This Life Is Killing Me
10. Weird Summer
11. Star Trip
12. Keep on Lingerin'
13. One Hundred Years from No
14. It's Been Too Long and It
15. Don't You Slip Away From

Album Details

Japanese Re-release featuring Three Bonus Tracks.

Average customer rating:

Teenage Symphonies to God Velvet Crush ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music ASIN: B000009GB7

Tracks:

1. Hold Me Up
2. My Blank Pages
3. Why Not Your Baby
4. Time Wraps Around You
5. Atmosphere
6. #10
7. Faster Days
8. Something's Gotta Give
9. This Life Is Killing Me
10. Weird Summer
11. Star Trip
12. Keep On Lingerin'
13. One Hundred Years From Now
14. It's Been Tool Long And It's Too Late Now
15. Don't You Slip Away From Me

Album Description

Japanese edition of their acclaimed 1994 album (that MitchEaster produced) with three bonus tracks: 'One Hundred YearsFrom Now', 'It's Been Too Long And It's Too Late Now' and'Don't You Slip Away From Me'. 15 tracks total. 1998Creation/ Epic/ Sony Records release.

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