Pocket Full of Kryptonite
| Pocket Full of Kryptonite |
|
| Studio album by Spin Doctors |
| Released |
August 20, 1991 |
| Recorded |
August–December 1990 at Power Station, NYC; RPM Studios, NYC and ACME Recording Studios Inc., Mamaroneck, NY; (tracks 11-13 of the European version recorded live, September 27, 1990 at Wetlands Preserve, NY) |
| Genre |
Alternative rock
College rock
Pop rock |
| Length |
50:30 |
| Label |
Epic
ZK-47461 |
| Producer |
Frank Aversa,
Peter Denenberg,
Frankie La Rocka,
Spin Doctors |
| Spin Doctors chronology |
|
|
| Professional ratings |
| Review scores |
| Source |
Rating |
| Allmusic |
[1] |
Pocket Full of Kryptonite is the first studio album by American band Spin Doctors, released in August 1991. It peaked at #1 and #3 on Billboard's Heatseekers and Billboard 200 albums charts, respectively. It was the band's best selling album, and was certified 5x Platinum by the RIAA.[2]
The album's title is a reference to Kryptonite, a fictional substance from the Superman comic book series. The title is taken from the album's opening track, "Jimmy Olsen's Blues", a reference to Superman supporting character Jimmy Olsen, who is attracted to Lois Lane and jealous of her romantic feelings for Superman. The cover, showing a phone booth, refers to Clark Kent frequently ducking into a nearby phone booth to change into his Superman attire.
Track listing
All songs by Spin Doctors (except where noted).
- "Jimmy Olsen's Blues" – 4:38
- "What Time Is It?" – 4:50
- "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong" – 3:54
- "Forty or Fifty" – 4:23
- "Refrigerator Car" – 4:46
- "More Than She Knows" – 2:12 (Schenkman, Lambert, Clark, Fitting)
- "Two Princes" – 4:18
- "Off My Line" – 3:58 (Schenkman, J. Bell, Spin Doctors)
- "How Could You Want Him (When You Know You Could Have Me?)" – 4:59
- "Shinbone Alley/Hard to Exist" – 12:42 (Barron, Schenkman, Popper, Comess)
- Note: The track listing for the cassette release can be found inside the tape's inlay. Unlike the CD release of Pocket Full of Kryptonite, the cassettes did not feature a track listing on the back cover—only the black & white photography (as seen on the vinyl and CD releases) is depicted. The digital cassette release of Pocket Full of Kryptonite, however, featured a black & white photograph of the band instead (sans the track listing).
- The "European Version" (Sony | 468250 9) contains three bonus tracks:
- "Yo Mamas A Pajama" (live)
- "Sweet Widow" (live)
- "Stepped On A Crack" (live)[3]
Members
Additional musicians
Production
- Producers: Frank Aversa, Peter Denenberg, Frankie La Rocka, Spin Doctors
- Engineers: Frank Aversa, Peter Denenberg, Marc Schwartz, Spin Doctors
- Assistant engineers: Jeff Lippay, Motley
- Mixing: Peter Denenberg, Frankie La Rocka, Spin Doctors
- Mastering: Ted Jensen
- Production Coordination: Jason J. Richardson
- Guitar technician: Joseph Miselis
- Equipment Manager: John Darren Greene
- Art direction: Francesca Restrepo
- Photography: Paul Aresu, Paul LaRaia
- Cover art: Darren Greene, Chris Gross, Nicky Lindeman
- Liner notes: Cree McCree
Charts
Album
Singles
| Year |
Single |
Peak position |
| US MR
[8]
|
US
[8]
|
US AC
[8]
|
UK
[5]
|
IRE |
NOR
[9]
|
| 1992 |
"Jimmy Olsen's Blues" |
8 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong" |
2 |
17 |
— |
23 |
27 |
— |
| 1993 |
"How Could You Want Him (When You Know You Could Have Me?)" |
28 |
102 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| 1993 |
"Jimmy Olsen's Blues" |
34 |
78 |
— |
40 |
— |
2 |
| 1993 |
"Two Princes" |
1 |
7 |
24 |
3 |
5 |
— |
| 1993 |
"What Time Is It?" |
26 |
— |
— |
56 |
— |
— |
End of decade charts
| Chart (1990–1999) |
Position |
| U.S. Billboard 200[10] |
95 |
References in popular culture
- In the months following the success of the album and the single release of "Jimmy Olsen's Blues", issues of the Superman: The Man of Steel comic (drawn at the time by artist Jon Bogdanove) depicted Jimmy Olsen wearing a Spin Doctors t-shirt as an in-joke.
- The song "Two Princes" can be heard in the 1993 film So I Married an Axe Murderer with Mike Myers.
- The song "Jimmy Olsen's Blues" was featured in the movies Beethoven's 2nd and Bye Bye Love.
- The song "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong" was featured in the movie Son In Law.
- The song "Two Princes" featured prominently in the episode "Maid to Border" of The Sarah Silverman Program, as the only song her friend and neighbor has on his iPod.
- The song "Two Princes" was also featured in the animated sci-fi sitcom Futurama, in the episode Love and Rocket, with the character Bender referring to it as "college rock".
- On the Adult Swim series The Venture Bros. Hank Dean refers to "the wind calling "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong".
References