Bachelor No. 2 or, the Last Remains of the Dodo

Bachelor No. 2
Studio album by Aimee Mann
Released	May 2, 2000 (2000-05-02)
Recorded	1999
Genre	Pop rock
Length	49:21
Label	SuperEgo, V2
Producer	Jon Brion Mike Denneen Buddy Judge Aimee Mann Brendan O'Brien
Aimee Mann chronology
Magnolia (1999)Magnolia1999 Bachelor No. 2 (2000) Ultimate Collection (2000)Ultimate Collection2000
Singles from Bachelor No. 2
"Red Vines" Released: March 12, 2001 "Calling It Quits" Released: September 17, 2001

Bachelor No. 2 or, the Last Remains of the Dodo (also shortened to Bachelor No. 2) is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Aimee Mann, released on May 2, 2000. The album is notable for the fact that Mann was initially without a record company and sold the album through her website, but the album went on to gain a worldwide release and achieve respectable sales. This was aided by the success of the Magnolia soundtrack, for the film of the same name by Paul Thomas Anderson, with which the album shares material.

The first release was a limited-run 7-song preview EP which was sold at concerts and via her website.

The full album was slated for a release through Interscope, but they did not think the material had commercial appeal. Mann purchased back the rights for "six figures", and began selling the album online. It was one of the first albums to be successful with only online sales, eventually selling 25,000 copies from Mann's website. After attracting attention, a distribution deal to traditional retail channels led to sales topping 200,000.^[1] As of 2008, sales in the United States have exceeded 230,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. ^[2]

The Japanese version of the album contains bonus material, the European version has a different track listing and slightly different material. The album was remastered and released in 2004 by the audiophile record label Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab (MFSL) as a hybrid stereo SACD and as an LP on 180-gram virgin vinyl.

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	89/100[3]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[4]
The Baltimore Sun	[5]
Entertainment Weekly	A−[6]
Houston Chronicle	A[7]
Los Angeles Times	[8]
Q	[9]
Rolling Stone	[10]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[11]
The Times	[12]
USA Today	[13]

Review aggregator website Metacritic states that the album received "universal acclaim" upon its release, giving it a score of 89 out of 100 based on 13 reviews.^[3] The same website placed the album at number 28 on their list of the best received album of the decade 2000–2009, and number 9 on their list of the best Indie/Alternative albums of the decade.^[14] Bachelor No. 2 or, the Last Remains of the Dodo placed on Slant Magazine's list of best albums of the 2000s at number 100.^[15]

Track listing

All songs by Aimee Mann, except where noted.

US and Japan releases

1. "How Am I Different" (Jon Brion, Mann) – 5:03^[16]
2. "Nothing Is Good Enough" – 3:10^[16][17]
3. "Red Vines" – 3:44^[16]
4. "The Fall of the World's Own Optimist" (Elvis Costello, Mann) – 3:06^[16]
5. "Satellite" – 4:10^[16]
6. "Deathly" – 5:37^[18]
7. "Ghost World" – 3:30
8. "Calling It Quits" – 4:09^[16]
9. "Driving Sideways" (Michael Lockwood, Mann) – 3:49^[18]
10. "Just Like Anyone" – 1:22^[16]
11. "Susan" – 3:51
12. "It Takes All Kinds" (Brion, Mann) – 4:06
13. "You Do" – 3:43^[18]
14. "Save Me" – 4:35^[18] (Japan bonus track)
15. "Save Me" (Video) (Japan Bonus track)

European release

The E.U. Edition of the Bachelor No. 2 CD on V2 Records has a rearranged track listing that removes "Driving Sideways" and adds a new track "Backfire". The Japanese bonus tracks are included.

1. "How Am I Different" – 5:03
2. "Nothing Is Good Enough" – 3:10
3. "Red Vines" – 3:44
4. "The Fall of the World's Own Optimist" – 3:06
5. "Satellite" – 4:10
6. "Deathly" – 5:37
7. "Ghost World" – 3:30
8. "Calling It Quits" – 4:09
9. "Susan" – 3:51
10. "Backfire" (Brion, Mann) – 3:25
11. "It Takes All Kinds" – 4:06
12. "Save Me" – 4:35
13. "Just Like Anyone" – 1:22
14. "You Do" – 3:43
15. "Save Me" (Video)

MFSL release

The MFSL SACD and LP releases feature the same track list as the 13 track US CD release.

Personnel

Musicians

• Aimee Mann – acoustic guitar, bass guitar, electric guitar, tambourine, lead vocals, background vocals, hi-hat
• Jon Brion – drums, electric guitar, keyboard, background vocals
• Mark Flannagan – trumpet
• Juliana Hatfield – background vocals
• Michael Hausman – percussion, tambourine
• Butch – drums, percussion
• Buddy Judge – background vocals, Wurlitzer, drum loop
• Michael Lockwood – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, keyboard, background vocals, soloist, 12 string electric guitar, 12 string acoustic guitar
• Ric Menck – drums
• Brendan O'Brien – bass guitar, slide guitar
• Michael Penn – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, background vocals, slide guitar, introduction, guitar feedback
• Grant Lee Phillips – background vocals
• John Sands – drums
• Clayton Scoble – electric baritone guitar
• Benmont Tench – piano, Chamberlin
• Jennifer Trynin – electric guitar
• Patrick Warren – piano, accordion, celeste, keyboard, Chamberlin, soloist

Production

• Producers: Aimee Mann, Jon Brion, Mike Denneen, Buddy Judge, Brendan O'Brien
• Executive producer: Michael Hausman
• Engineers: Mike Denneen, Nick DiDia, Ryan Freeland, S. "Husky" Höskulds, Dustin Jones, Buddy Judge, Hank Linderman, Brian Scheuble
• Assistant engineers: Elijah Bradford, Carlos Castro, Connie Hill, Dustin Jones
• Mixing: David Boucher, Bob Clearmountain, Ryan Freeland
• Mastering: Shawn R. Britton
• Extensive Help with Production: Buddy Judge
• Assistants: David Boucher, Ryan Freeland
• Computers: Buddy Judge
• Drum engineering: Hank Linderman
• Vocal engineer: S. "Husky" Hoskulds
• Drum programming: Michael Hausman, Buddy Judge, Hank Linderman
• Art direction: Aimee Mann, Gail Marowitz
• Design: Aimee Mann, Gail Marowitz

Charts

Album – Billboard (North America)

References

External links

• Bachelor No. 2 or, the Last Remains of the Dodo at Metacritic