Give it up for the fucking Gin Blossoms

from there:
The Replacements couldn't work up the same dippy enthusiasm for lightweight stuff that the Gin Blossoms did, cuz they weren't as dippy.

I guess it depends on the meaning of the word "lightweight". Lightweigh in what way?

Also, the way he drags out "yeaars" (in "If I hadn't blown the whole thing years ago") a bit longer than the rest of the words is truly depressing. Maybe cuz he's so desperate for something that happened a long time ago. This is not some fresh wound. It's been festering.

Thinking about it, this song actually has a lot in common with "There is a Light That Never Goes Out"--the driving theme, the sense of urgency and importance of the moment ("oh god, my chance has come at last"), the feeling of having nowhere else to turn, the doomed and hopeless romanticism. The main difference, I suppose, is that Morrissey couldn't be totally honest ("but then a strange fear gripped me and I just couldn't ask") but Wilson / Hopkins are, though the next day they'll probably wish they hadn't been.

The guitar solo is one of the best parts of the song, also.

(yeah, I saw that you voted for it--really the fact that 10 people voted for it at all is sort of an accomplishment, even if it wasn't quite enough to get it on the list. It's a start.)

I guess I sort of understand what you're saying, with the "believe in me / 'coz I don't believe in anything" break especially. That song always seemed a bit too good-timey to really be a cry of desperation, though. I think closer to "Hey Jealousy," in fact, is "A Long December"--it's much slower, but it sounds just as desperate and defeated. The video goes along way towards that as well.

part of what ended up getting cut in my editing was that "hey jealousy" does what "mr. jones" tries to do much better.

Another song along the same lines is Soul Asylum's "Somebody to Shove," though it's a bit more hopeful sounding and (unfortunately) has a bit of a throwaway bridge and title. The chorus, though, fucking knocks me dead.

I smell revolution.

haha, just heard "Found Out About You" for the first time in about 15 years. Back then that song (and all the Gin Blossoms songs) were so ubiquitous and "alternative" they were a total joke, even to us 12 year olds. But you know what? It's some pretty OK pop. Of course I still smile my ass off whenever someone jokingly plays "Hey Jealousy" in a bar.

Haha I was hoping this thread'd remind me of the one really good song these guys had and hey, I told me just about straight away. Thanks, me.

HEY JEALOUSY

total jam imo

Just heard they're playing down the street from my work at the Hard Rock Cafe during the Denver International Film Festival. True story.

This band always seemed so dreary and same-y to me.

love these guys

HEY JEALOUSY

― ian, Tuesday, November 3, 2009 9:28 PM (55 minutes ago) Bookmark

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Can't believe I thought this would be close:

Taking Sides: Gin Blossoms vs. Toad The Wet Sprocket

don't forget baout 'found out about you'

hahaha found out about you came up twice on the radio recently, taunting me into buying a gin blossoms best of.

good pop instincts and surprisingly well-recorded

mental note: ridicule cad at next bos-fap

lol excellent revive by me

the story about them I saw on VH1 was pretty sad: band member who writes most of their songs including biggest hit is kicked out of band for drinking problem, holds grudge against them and commits suicide.

Huh I was just reading about that on their wikipedia article, inspired by this thread revive - bummer, man.

...sorry to be a downer on lighthearted 90s nostalgia thread. Got to admit I was glad to youtube Hey Jealousy after all these years.

(Also obv my reading of the article was inspired by this thread, not the article itself. Time I was less awake and less on the internet.)

appreciating the off-balance progression in the chorus of "Found Out About You". This is a lot like "With Every Heartbeat" - you never really get a nice return to the tonic, except a fake one that has the loud 1 note on "Whispers at the bus stop" but is actually a IV chord. They could have done away with the bridge but it's 1992 after all so I forgive them.

"follow you down" is some cast in amber 90's gold

the uncool Lemonheads

Haha I dig that comparison.

really good songwriters

obviously part of the landfill alternative era but they really were in their hearts a mid-80s US jangle band, they should have put out two records on IRS, then a major label flop, and opened for half of REM's Life's Rich Pageant tour dates

otm. been weirdly stuck on 29 for the last few months
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gq7psoiaBkw

yeah, they were Phoenix and I would sometimes see them play in Tucson in the late 80s. They were part of this desert rock scene (basically Jangle Rock with some Crazy Horse influence) along with Sidewinders/Sand Rubies. It was pretty surprising when they hit big, as they seemed sort of an earlier era.

from Phoenix

"Allison Road" is such a beautiful song

looking at the spotify numbers and im surprised that one isnt up there with hey jealousy and found out about you, seems like its the one i hear in the open the most these days.

congratulations im sorry has three really beautiful songs; not only numb, as long as it matters and competition smile.

i never listened to that kinda figured it wouldn't be much considering what happened