So Long, Astoria

So Long, Astoria
Studio album by The Ataris
Released March 4, 2003
Recorded August 19 to November 1, 2002 at Ocean Studios, Burbank, California; Grandmaster, Hollywood, California and Orange Whip Studios, Santa Barbara, California
Genre Pop punk,[1][2] punk rock,[3] rock[4]
Length 48:55
Label Columbia
Producer Lou Giordano
The Ataris chronology
All You Can Ever Learn Is What You Already Know
(2002)All You Can Ever Learn Is What You Already Know2002		 So Long, Astoria
(2003)		 Live at the Metro
(2004)Live at the Metro2004
Singles from So Long, Astoria
  1. "In This Diary"
    Released: February 11, 2003
  2. "The Boys of Summer"
    Released: September 29, 2003
  3. "The Saddest Song"
    Released: November 5, 2003

So Long, Astoria is the fourth full-length album released by The Ataris in March 2003.

The album's title song alludes to the 1985 film The Goonies, which is set in Astoria, Oregon.

Background and recording

After promoting their previous album End is Forever and ending their contract with Kung Fu Records the band signed with major label Columbia Records to begin the recording of their fourth full-length album. The band hired Lou Giordano to produce the record.

The band officially entered the studio to begin recording sessions for So Long, Astoria on August 19, 2002 at Ocean Studios, Burbank, California.

Release

This is The Ataris' first and only album on Columbia Records, having previously been signed to independent punk label Kung Fu Records. "In This Diary" was released to radio on February 11, 2003.[5] It was released on March 4. From June to August, the group went on the 2003 edition of Warped Tour.[6] "The Boys of Summer" was released to radio on June 3, 2003.[5] "The Saddest Song" was released to radio on September 9, 2003.[5]

In December 2013, the band released the demos that had been recorded for the album.[7]

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic57/100[8]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic [3]
Melodic [9]
PopMatterspositive[1]
Punknews.org[4]
Rolling Stone [10]
Sputnikmusic4.0/5[2]

Initial critical response to So Long, Astoria was very average. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received an average score of 57, based on seven reviews.[11] The album was included at number 25 on Rock Sound's "The 51 Most Essential Pop Punk Albums of All Time" list.[12]

It peaked at No. 24 on the Billboard 200[13] and has been certified gold status.[14] To date So Long, Astoria is The Ataris’ most successful album.

Track listing

All tracks written by Kris Roe, except where noted.

No.TitleLength
1."So Long, Astoria"3:22
2."Takeoffs and Landings"3:56
3."In This Diary"3:54
4."My Reply"4:14
5."Unopened Letter to the World"2:38
6."The Saddest Song"4:15
7."Summer '79"3:57
8."The Hero Dies in This One" (Roe, John Collura, Mike Davenport, Chris Knapp)4:07
9."All You Can Ever Learn is What You Already Know" (Roe, Collura, Davenport, Knapp)3:31
10."The Boys of Summer" (Don Henley, Michael Campbell)4:18
11."Radio #2"3:20
12."Looking Back on Today"3:53
13."Eight of Nine"3:30
14."I Won't Spend Another Night Alone"3:50
15."The Saddest Song (Acoustic)"4:10
Total length:48:55

Personnel

Charts

References

Citations
Sources
  • Bird, Ryan, ed. (September 2014). "The 51 Most Essential Pop Punk Albums of All Time". Rock Sound. London: Freeway Press Inc. (191). ISSN 1465-0185. 
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