Utopia Parkway

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Utopia Parkway
Studio album by Fountains of Wayne
Released	April 6, 1999
Recorded	Stratosphere Sound
Genre	Rock
Length	45:35
Label	Atlantic Records
Producer(s)	Adam Schlesinger, Chris Collingwood
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link The Music Box link
Fountains of Wayne chronology
Fountains of Wayne (1996)	Utopia Parkway (1999)	Welcome Interstate Managers (2003)

Utopia Parkway is an album by Fountains of Wayne. It was released in 1999 through Atlantic Records. It was preceded by Fountains of Wayne in 1996 and is followed by Welcome Interstate Managers, released in 2003. Like its predecessor, it focuses on showcasing upbeat, fun-to-create power pop music. Utopia Parkway was named an "Album Of The Week" by People Magazine in 1999 upon its release, and got very good reviews in major media outlets.

Concerning the band's body of work, Utopia Parkway is only slightly more mature than their debut, but the speedy production and recording still belie a band more interested in creating catchy songs whose primary focus is to entertain. It still aims at Beach Boys-like melodies and immediate hooks, which is why the three-minute ditties overshadow the few ballads. This album does show a growth toward a more professional musicianship in the band.

Utopia Parkway contains two fan favorite songs from the Fountains' live performances: "Red Dragon Tattoo," about a boy who gets a tattoo to impress a girl, and "Denise," a faux-grunge power-pop confection where the songwriters show their intentionally bad and comic writing with "She works at Liberty Travel//She's got a heart made of gravel." "Troubled Times," originally written by Chris Collingwood when he and Adam Schlesinger were in a previous incarnation of Fountains Of Wayne called Pinnwheel, is also a fan favorite. The rest of the album, excepting "Utopia Parkway," was less popular than the seven or eight concert-ready pop songs from their debut.

Following this album, Fountains Of Wayne was dropped by their label, Atlantic Records, after sales failed to meet expectations.

Utopia Parkway is also the name of the a major boulevard that connects the neighborhoods of Utopia and Beechhurst neighborhoods in the Queens borough of New York City.

[edit] Track listing

1. "Utopia Parkway"
2. "Red Dragon Tattoo"
3. "Denise"
4. "Hat and Feet"
5. "The Valley of Malls"
6. "Troubled Times"
7. "Go, Hippie"
8. "A Fine Day For a Parade"
9. "Amity Gardens"
10. "Laser Show"
11. "Lost in Space"
12. "Prom Theme"
13. "It Must Be Summer"
14. "The Senator's Daughter"