New Miserable Experience
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| New Miserable Experience | |||||
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| Studio album by Gin Blossoms | |||||
| Released | August 4, 1992 | ||||
| Recorded | Ardent Studios, Memphis, TN |
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| Genre | Alternative Rock | ||||
| Length | 45:02 | ||||
| Label | A&M Records | ||||
| Producer | Gin Blossoms, John Hampton |
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| Professional reviews | |||||
| Gin Blossoms chronology | |||||
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| Alternate cover | |||||
Original 1992 cover
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New Miserable Experience is the breakthrough album by pop-rock band the Gin Blossoms, released on August 4, 1992 (see 1992 in music). The album was released to little fanfare and relatively lackluster reviews. However, nearly a year after its release, lead single "Hey Jealousy" ascended into the top 40, with "Found Out About You" following a few months later. The album eventually reached multi-platinum status.
Guitarist Doug Hopkins, the band's primary songwriter, was fired near the conclusion of the recording sessions for the album, ostensibly for his persistent alcohol problems. (His replacement, Scott Johnson, is listed as a member of the band in the liner notes, but did not play on the album.) Just as the album was becoming a success at the end of 1993, Hopkins committed suicide.
New Miserable Experience's initial release contained completely different packaging. The album's original cover artwork depicted the Arizona desert, the background behind which the band began. Songs on the album, such as "Mrs. Rita," a song about a local psychic from the Gin Blossoms' hometown of Tempe, Arizona, were also written with references to the area, people, and events surrounding the band at the time. The album was re-released in its current form in the late summer of 1993, in conjunction with A&M's newfound support of the album.
Contents |
[edit] Track listing
- "Lost Horizons" (Hopkins) – 3:20
- "Hey Jealousy" (Hopkins) – 3:56
- "Mrs. Rita" (Swafford, Valenzuela) – 4:25
- "Until I Fall Away" (Valenzuela, Wilson) – 3:51
- "Hold Me Down" (Hopkins, Wilson) – 4:50
- "Cajun Song" (Valenzuela) – 2:56
- "Hands Are Tied" (Valenzuela) – 3:17
- "Found Out About You" (Hopkins) – 3:53
- "Allison Road" (Wilson) – 3:18
- "29" (Valenzuela) – 4:18
- "Pieces of the Night" (Hopkins) – 4:33
- "Cheatin'" (Hopkins, Valenzuela) – 3:25
[edit] Reception
[edit] Critical
Rolling Stone highly-praised the album, saying it "sounds both fresh and highly personal."[1] All Music Guide called the album " a tight and lean collection of brilliant, edgy pop music."[2]
[edit] Commercial
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[edit] Chart performance
Album - Billboard (North America)
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Heatseekers | 1 |
| 1993 | The Billboard 200 | 30 |
Singles - Billboard (North America)
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | "Hey Jealousy" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 4 |
| 1993 | "Hey Jealousy" | The Billboard Hot 100 | 25 |
| 1993 | "Hey Jealousy" | Top 40 Mainstream | 20 |
| 1993 | "Found Out About You" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 5 |
| 1993 | "Found Out About You" | Modern Rock Tracks | 1 |
| 1993 | "Found Out About You" | The Billboard Hot 100 | 25 |
| 1993 | "Found Out About You" | Top 40 Mainstream | 6 |
| 1993 | "Mrs. Rita" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 36 |
| 1994 | "Until I Fall Away" | Adult Contemporary | 23 |
| 1994 | "Until I Fall Away" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 40 |
| 1994 | "Until I Fall Away" | Modern Rock Tracks | 13 |
| 1994 | "Until I Fall Away" | Top 40 Mainstream | 13 |
| 1994 | "Allison Road" | Modern Rock Tracks | 39 |
| 1995 | "Found Out About You" | Adult Top 40 | 38 |
| 1996 | "Hold Me Down" | Modern Rock Tracks | 8 |
[edit] Personnel
- Bill Leen - bass
- Phillip Rhodes - percussion, drums
- Jesse Valenzuela - guitars, mandolin, background vocals
- Robin Wilson - acoustic guitar, vocals
- Doug Hopkins - guitars
- Robert Becker - piano on "Until I Fall Away" and "Pieces of the Night"
- C. J. Chenier - accordion on "Cajun Song"
- Robby Turner - pedal steel guitar on "Cheatin'"
[edit] Production
- Producers: Gin Blossoms, John Hampton
- Engineer: John Hampton
- Assistant Engineer: James "Left Of" Senter
- Mixing: John Hampton
- Mastering: George Marino
- Art direction: Barrie Goshko
- Design: Barrie Goshko
- Photography: Jay Blakesberg, Robin Wilson
- Crew: Jim Coleman, Scott Guess, Mike Chappell
Original 1992 release:
- Art direction & design: Rowan Moore
- Photography: Dennis Keeley
- Radiator: Kelly Ray
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