Fairweather Johnson | 
 enlarge | Artist: Hootie & The Blowfish
Label: Atlantic / Wea
Category: Music
List Price: $9.98
Buy Used: $0.01
You Save: $9.97 (100%)
New (91) Used (443) Collectible (12) from $0.01
Rating:  32 reviews
Sales Rank: 15386
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
MPN: 82886
UPC: 075678288623
EAN: 0075678288623
ASIN: B000002J98
Release Date: April 23, 1996
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
| |
| Tracks:
| • | Be the One | | • | Sad Caper | | • | Tucker's Town | | • | She Crawls Away | | • | So Strange | | • | Old Man & Me | | • | Earth Stopped Cold at Dawn | | • | Fairweather Johnson | | • | Honeyscrew | | • | Let It Breathe | | • | Silly Little Pop Song | | • | Fool | | • | Tootie | | • | When I'm Lonely |
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Customer Reviews:
Probably their best CD in the catalog... May 9, 2008
Micah Collard
The sappy romantic in me:
This CD has a unique place in my life. I bought this during a difficult time in my life, and it's been a comfort to me every time I hear it.
The pragmatic in me:
Everyone has heard Cracked Rear View. It's what one would expect from any band that has Glen Ballard backing them as a producer and Steve Albini mastering a few of their singles. Yet despite this polish and the millions of copies sold, critics accused Hootie and The Blowfish of having no depth, and Fairweather Johnson was their answer. There's a more natural sound to a lot of their songs. Instead of their prior album, you get a lot more blues, melancholy, angst, and yes, even a few pop-absorbable singles.
What to expect:
After their first track "Be the One", you know this isn't the comfortable anymore. Probably one of their angriest songs, yet isn't self loathing. "Sad Caper" and "Tucker's Town" are the obvious singles on the disc. "She Crawls Away" and "Old Man and Me" is leaning towards Cracked Rear View, probably a set of B-Sides they cut from it. (Nothing wrong with them... just not particularly memorable) "The World Stopped Cold at Dawn" is a simple acoustic adagio to a possible death, the eponymous "Fairweather Johnson" a nod to their mutual love of sports and "Honeyscrew" an obvious lament to a cheated relationship. "Tootie" and "Fool" are two of my favorite tracks... Fool sounding like the end of a work day at a familiar bar, very relaxing. Tootie is a downbeat love song for someone who left you long ago. "Silly Little Pop Song" near the end is a fun, quick, and at the end pointless pop song. Just to show you they can still find a catchy melody in all the seriousness of the back 7 tracks of the album. And the closing track "When I'm Lonely" feels like a car ride back home after something very tiring.
So, short of a few tracks I could do without: (Let it Breathe and So Strange are "meh" tracks... you hear em, you go "Meh", and you press track forward) this is my favorite album from Hootie and The Blowfish. Short of Not Even The Trees, Look Away, and Time, I would pass on the first album altogether and just get the greatest hits if you want their singles, but don't pass on this album. It's underrated enough.
The Legend of Hootie...the Timing Was Never Quite Right. January 16, 2008
K.W.Corona (North Carolina)
Its a shame that the public wasn't ready for Hootie in their real heyday. The band formed in 1985, freshman year at the University of South Carolina. It took nine years to finally get their songs out on a major record label. "Cracked Rear View" had such college feel to it. It was a blend of Blues and youthful idealism. In 1995, they were perfectly positioned to fill the void previously occupied by bands like U2 and R.E.M., who were starting to lose touch with their audiences. Hootie had already been performing the songs from the debut six years earlier. When it came time to write "Fairweather Johnson," the band had grown beyond their audience. When it was released, it was a major disappointment to some of their younger fans. Hootie also suffered a serious backlash from being so overexposed. This was an excellent release, but it was missing the big radio song like "Hold My Hand" was on the debut. "Tucker's Town", "Sad Caper", and the "Old Man & Me" are great tunes supported by catchy grooves like "So Strange" and "Be the One." This is a deep CD...But there wasn't a song that really announced itself to the masses.
 The Prime of Hootie and the Blowfish January 1, 2008
Robert Jaworoski (Chino Hills, CA, USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This album exhibits the group as they have peaked and are in their prime musically. They are feeling comfortable and established and it comes out on this one. They are really "in the pocket" on most of the songs. Even though I didn't care too much for the opening song (somewhat oversung to me), this is every bit as good as cracked rear view and the songs flow even better on this album. I think there are more quality songs on this one as well. I'm puzzled that this album didn't sell more, but some of the best songs didn't get radio. All in all, if you are a fan of this group, you've got to have Fairweather Johnson.
Good Album but Just Not As Good As Original January 31, 2006
GameraRocks (Gillsville, GA USA)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
I bought "Cracked Rear View" in '94 and couldn't wait for the next record to come out and in '96 I got my wish. This record is great, but it just didn't have all of what the first record had. I still really do like this record though. My favorite tracks on here are "Sad Caper" and "Old Man and Me". If you like Hootie then you should like this album.
They Just Keep Getting Better and Better January 31, 2005
L. Hocum
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
Hootie & the blowfish have done it again, they have created some of the best music I have ever heard. One of my absoulte favorite Hootie songs is on here and that is the "Earth Stopped Cold at Dawn." Nanci Griffith (the girl in the song) does a great job at the harmony with Darrius. Anyways this is one of my favorite Hootie albums and definetley recommenend that if you want some easy listening too music, that you should definetley get this album.
|
|
|
