Songs from an American Movie, Vol. 1: Learning How to Smile
Encyclopedia
Songs from an American Movie, Vol. 1: Learning How to Smile is an album by Everclear
, released on July 11, 2000. The album (along with its sequel, Songs from an American Movie, Vol. 2: Good Time for a Bad Attitude
) is a loose concept album
based around lead singer Art Alexakis
' second divorce. The first album is much more influenced by American pop music, especially from the 1970s, as well as being more "loving" in tone than the hard rock Good Time for a Bad Attitude. The album is dedicated to David Ridderhof and Louis Montoya.
The cover art is a parody of the famous painting American Gothic
by Grant Wood
. It could also allude to the music video for So Much for the Afterglow
track, "I Will Buy You A New Life", in which the band can be seen performing in a yard through a spyhole.
"Learning How To Smile" is the band's second highest selling album ever with 1.28 million copies sold. It is also the band's only album to debut in the top ten on the Billboard charts, and the last album by Everclear to sell over 500,000 copies.
/Everclear
unless otherwise noted.)
On the original 2000 release of the album, the divide between tracks 11 and 12 was in the middle of "Annabella's Song." A reissue in 2001 corrected this error, as well as replacing the album version of "AM Radio" with the single mix and adding two bonus tracks: "Out of My Depth (single mix)" and "Rock Star."
Everclear (band)
Everclear is a rock band formed in Portland, Oregon in 1992 best known for their radio hits spanning more than a decade. For most of its existence, Everclear has consisted of Art Alexakis , Craig Montoya , and Greg Eklund . Eklund replaced original drummer Scott Cuthbert in 1994...
, released on July 11, 2000. The album (along with its sequel, Songs from an American Movie, Vol. 2: Good Time for a Bad Attitude
Songs from an American Movie, Vol. 2: Good Time for a Bad Attitude
Songs from an American Movie, Vol. 2: Good Time for a Bad Attitude is an album by Everclear, released on November 21, 2000. They recorded Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 in the same year and released them only a few months apart. Both albums are loose concept albums based around Art Alexakis' second divorce...
) is a loose concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
based around lead singer Art Alexakis
Art Alexakis
Arthur Paul "Art" Alexakis is best known as the American singer, composer, and lead guitarist of the rock band Everclear. He has been a member of several notable bands, in addition to his own work as a songwriter for other artists...
' second divorce. The first album is much more influenced by American pop music, especially from the 1970s, as well as being more "loving" in tone than the hard rock Good Time for a Bad Attitude. The album is dedicated to David Ridderhof and Louis Montoya.
The cover art is a parody of the famous painting American Gothic
American Gothic
American Gothic is a painting by Grant Wood, in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. Wood's inspiration came from a cottage designed in the Gothic Revival style with a distinctive upper window and a decision to paint the house along with "the kind of people I fancied should live in that...
by Grant Wood
Grant Wood
Grant DeVolson Wood was an American painter, born four miles east of Anamosa, Iowa. He is best known for his paintings depicting the rural American Midwest, particularly the painting American Gothic, an iconic image of the 20th century.- Life and career :His family moved to Cedar Rapids after his...
. It could also allude to the music video for So Much for the Afterglow
So Much for the Afterglow
-Personnel:* Art Alexakis - Banjo, Guitar, Mandolin, Piano, Guitar , Keyboards, Vocals, Producer, Vocal Arrangement, Horn Arrangements, String Arrangements, Cover Art Concept, Cover Design, Toy Piano...
track, "I Will Buy You A New Life", in which the band can be seen performing in a yard through a spyhole.
"Learning How To Smile" is the band's second highest selling album ever with 1.28 million copies sold. It is also the band's only album to debut in the top ten on the Billboard charts, and the last album by Everclear to sell over 500,000 copies.
Track listing
(All songs by Art AlexakisArt Alexakis
Arthur Paul "Art" Alexakis is best known as the American singer, composer, and lead guitarist of the rock band Everclear. He has been a member of several notable bands, in addition to his own work as a songwriter for other artists...
/Everclear
Everclear (band)
Everclear is a rock band formed in Portland, Oregon in 1992 best known for their radio hits spanning more than a decade. For most of its existence, Everclear has consisted of Art Alexakis , Craig Montoya , and Greg Eklund . Eklund replaced original drummer Scott Cuthbert in 1994...
unless otherwise noted.)
- "Song from an American Movie, Pt 1" – 1:39
- "Here We Go Again" (samples "Bring the NoiseBring the Noise"Bring the Noise" is a song by the hip hop group Public Enemy. It was included on the soundtrack of the 1987 film Less Than Zero and was also released as a single that year. It later became the first song on the group's 1988 album It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back...
" by Public Enemy) – 4:10 - "AM RadioAM Radio (song)"AM Radio" is a rock song by the band Everclear. The song was recorded circa 2000 for Everclear's fourth album Songs from an American Movie, Vol. 1: Learning How to Smile. The song was released as the second single from Everclear's album Songs from an American Movie, Vol. 1: Learning How to Smile...
" (samples "Mr. Big StuffMr. Big Stuff"Mr. Big Stuff" is a song by R&B singer Jean Knight. Released from her 1971 debut album of the same title, it became a huge crossover hit. The song spent five weeks at number-one on Billboard's Best Selling Soul Singles and peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart. "Mr. Big Stuff" would...
" by Jean KnightJean KnightJean Knight is an African-American soul/R&B/funk singer, best known for her 1971 Stax Records hit single, "Mr. Big Stuff".-Early years:...
) – 3:56 - "Brown Eyed GirlBrown Eyed Girl"Brown Eyed Girl" is a song by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison. Written and recorded in 1967 by Van Morrison and produced by Bang Records chief Bert Berns, it was first released in May 1967 on the album Blowin' Your Mind!. When released as a single, it rose to number eight on the...
" (Van MorrisonVan MorrisonVan Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
) – 4:21 - "Learning How to Smile" – 3:50
- "The Honeymoon Song" (Eklund/Everclear) – 3:38
- "Now That It's Over" – 3:49
- "Thrift Store Chair" – 2:08
- "Otis Redding" – 3:56
- "Unemployed Boyfriend" – 4:15
- "WonderfulWonderful (Everclear song)"Wonderful" is a song by the band Everclear, released as the first single from their 2000 album Songs from an American Movie, Vol. 1: Learning How to Smile, reaching #11 on the Billboard Hot 100.-Meaning:...
" – 5:01 - "Annabella's Song" – 4:35
- "Night Train to Memphis" (Japanese version bonus trackBonus trackIn terms of recorded music, a bonus track is a piece of music which has been included on specific releases or reissues of an album. This is most often done as a promotional device, either as an incentive to customers to purchase albums they might otherwise not, or to repurchase albums they already...
)
On the original 2000 release of the album, the divide between tracks 11 and 12 was in the middle of "Annabella's Song." A reissue in 2001 corrected this error, as well as replacing the album version of "AM Radio" with the single mix and adding two bonus tracks: "Out of My Depth (single mix)" and "Rock Star."
Singles
- "WonderfulWonderful (Everclear song)"Wonderful" is a song by the band Everclear, released as the first single from their 2000 album Songs from an American Movie, Vol. 1: Learning How to Smile, reaching #11 on the Billboard Hot 100.-Meaning:...
" - "AM RadioAM Radio (song)"AM Radio" is a rock song by the band Everclear. The song was recorded circa 2000 for Everclear's fourth album Songs from an American Movie, Vol. 1: Learning How to Smile. The song was released as the second single from Everclear's album Songs from an American Movie, Vol. 1: Learning How to Smile...
" - "Brown Eyed GirlBrown Eyed Girl"Brown Eyed Girl" is a song by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison. Written and recorded in 1967 by Van Morrison and produced by Bang Records chief Bert Berns, it was first released in May 1967 on the album Blowin' Your Mind!. When released as a single, it rose to number eight on the...
"
Credits
- Art AlexakisArt AlexakisArthur Paul "Art" Alexakis is best known as the American singer, composer, and lead guitarist of the rock band Everclear. He has been a member of several notable bands, in addition to his own work as a songwriter for other artists...
- lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, Singer - Craig MontoyaCraig MontoyaCraig Montoya is the American bassist of Castella and Tri-Polar and former bassist of Everclear.-Early life:...
- BassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Greg EklundGreg EklundGreg Eklund was the American drummer for the rock band, Everclear, until 2003.Eklund attended high school at Lake Braddock Secondary School in Burke, Virginia, graduating in 1988...
- drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... - James Beaton - Keyboard
- Lars Fox - Co-producer, percussion, backing vocals
- Neal AvronNeal AvronNeal Avron is an American musician, record producer, mixer, and audio engineer. Working predominately in rock music, Avron began working on records in 1993 and achieved his production breakthrough when he co-produced Everclear's 1997 album So Much For The Afterglow...
- Co-producer - Roy Lott - Executive Producer
- Perry Watts-Russell - Executive producer
- Mike Kent - Additional production and recording
- Sean Cox - Studio assistant
- Andy Banton - Studio assistant
- Mike Ternyik - Studio assistant
- Charlie Paakkari - 2nd engineer
- Frank W. Ockenfels III - Photography