Perennial Favorites
1998 studio album by Squirrel Nut Zippers
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Perennial Favorites is an album by the swing revival band Squirrel Nut Zippers, released in 1998.[11][12]
| Perennial Favorites | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 4, 1998 | |||
| Studio | Kensway, Pittsboro, North Carolina | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 37:04 | |||
| Label | Mammoth[1] | |||
| Producer | Mike Napolitano, Squirrel Nut Zippers[2][3] | |||
| Squirrel Nut Zippers chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [4] |
| Robert Christgau |  [5] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [1] |
| Entertainment Weekly | C−[6] |
| Los Angeles Times |  [7] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | [8] |
| Rolling Stone | [9] |
| Spin | 4/10[10] |
The album peaked at No. 18 on the Billboard 200.[13] It achieved gold status.[11]
Production
The album was recorded at Ken Mosher's studio in Pittsboro, North Carolina.[3]
Critical reception
AllMusic wrote: "Part of the reason [the Zippers] stand apart from the rest of the neo-swing crowd is that they don't forget that there was a bit of menace in the days of hot jazz -- it wasn't a naive, swinging party, there was some genuine hedonism as well."[4] Entertainment Weekly's review called the band "adept but inconsequential," writing that Katharine Whalen's "sleepy Billie Holiday cadences verge on satire."[6] Spin called the album "self-congratulatory, jokey, essentially heartless cartoon music masquerading as 1920s 'hot jazz'."[10] The Houston Press deemed it "a dozen rock-solid originals that represent the band's finest and most ambitious collection to date."[14]
Track listing
- "Suits Are Picking Up the Bill" (Jimbo Mathus) – 3:04
- "Low Down Man" (Mathus) – 4:14
- "Ghost of Stephen Foster" (Mathus) – 3:32
- "Pallin' with Al" (Maxwell) – 2:41
- "Fat Cat Keeps Getting Fatter" (Mathus) – 2:47
- "Trou Macacq" (Maxwell) – 3:17
- "My Drag" (Mathus) – 3:27
- "Soon" (Maxwell) – 3:02
- "Evening at Lafitte's" (Mathus) – 2:48
- "The Kraken" (Maxwell) – 3:40
- "That Fascinating Thing" (Mathus) – 2:43
- "It's Over" (Mathus) – 1:49
- Hidden track: "Berceuse Tendres" – 1:16 [between tracks 11 and 12]
Personnel
- Jimbo Mathus – vocals, trombone, banjo, piano, lead guitar, guitar, percussion, backing vocals
- Tom Maxwell – vocals, tenor and baritone saxophone, gong, backing vocals, clarinet, rhythm guitar
- Katharine Whalen – vocals, banjo
- Ken Mosher – alto and baritone saxophone, guitar, cymbal, Fender Rhodes
- Je Widenhouse – cornet, trumpet, backing vocals
- Stuart Cole – bass
- Don Raleigh – bass
- Chris Phillips – drums, percussion, steel drum, contraption kit, backing vocals
Additional personnel
- Andrew Bird – violin, percussion, background vocals
- Emily Laurance – harp
- Steve Watson – pedal steel
- Rick Lassiter – bass
- Jay Faires – executive producer
- Steve Balcom – executive producer
- Clay Walker – Enhanced CD Design, Multimedia Producer, Photography, Video Editor, Video Producer