Matthew Sweet-Blue Sky On Mars (1997)


 

Artist: Matthew Sweet


Label: Volcano/Zoo Entertainment

Format: CD

Catalog Number: 61422-31130-2

Year of Release: 1997

Country and Year of Edition: US 1997

Sell Price: $2.99

Sell Date: 3/26/24

Condition: VG+/VG+

Discogs Last Sold  3/31/24 NM/NM $1.85

Low: $0.88

Median: $2.09

Average: $2.55

High: $6.32

Current low price: $0.77

Current Number on Sale at Discogs: 70

Have/Want:  894/22

Where Sold: Flushing, MI

Time It Took To Sell:  12 years

Where and When Bought: tossed collection

Gwiz-gau Letter Grade: B+

Sad To See It Go: No

The third and final Matthew Sweet sale from last week was the follow-up to 100% Fun entitled Blue Sky On Mars.  The cover features letting from famed Yes artist Roger Dean, but prog-stylings are nowhere to be found.  I guess that's why the buyer bought the first Yes album along with the Sweet CD's.

Anyway gone are contributions from Lloyd & Quine. Ric Menke stays for half the tracks and big box producer Brendan O'Brien imposes his will among the proceedings making that annoying dated late 90's alt-rock-pop production sound that sounds made for the mall.  Fortunately, Sweet has quality songs as usual so he doesn't muck it up too bad and O'Brien plays on some of the best tracks.

I liked this commercial record more than the critics of the day.  2 stars from Rolling Stone and the Record Guide bumps it up 1/2 a star.  Christgau's book gave it a "N" rating.  I had to look up the meaning and on his old scale it would've probably garnered a C, which everybody understands is really below average on the curve.

Maybe it's because the best tracks have a degree of misery.  My favorite, "Behind The Smile" portrays a miserable fuck and that's ok.   This is followed by another great cut in the middle of the album "Until You Break," despite the drum machine base.  Elliott Smith would pair well with that one.  The single "Where You Get Love" didn't get the kind of commercial love "Sick Of Myself" received and Sweet's Gold record run ended at 2. The opener, "Come To California" has a Beach Boys meets "Open My Eyes" by Nazz filtered through O'Brien's overproduction.

Sometimes trying to force a commercial hand doesn't get the desired results.


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