Bandwagonesque

Bandwagonesque is the third album by Scottish alternative rock band Teenage Fanclub, released in November 1991 on Creation Records. The album gave the band substantial US success when the single "Star Sign" reached number four on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart, becoming their biggest hit in that country, with "What You Do to Me" and "The Concept" also becoming top 20 hits on that chart. Bandwagonesque was voted 'album of the year' for 1991 by American music magazine Spin, beating R.E.M.'s Out of Time and Nirvana's Nevermind.^[3]

Bandwagonesque
Studio album by Teenage Fanclub
Released	4 November 1991 (UK) 19 November 1991 (US)
Recorded	9 April–12 May 1991
Studio	Amazon Studios, Liverpool
Genre	Alternative rock[1] power pop[2] jangle pop[3] noise pop[4]
Length	42:56
Label	Creation Records · DGC
Producer	Don Fleming Paul Chisholm Teenage Fanclub
Teenage Fanclub chronology
The King (1991) Bandwagonesque (1991) Thirteen (1993)
Singles from Bandwagonesque
"Star Sign" Released: 12 August 1991 "The Concept" Released: 21 October 1991 "What You Do to Me" Released: 27 January 1992

Background and recording

Teenage Fanclub released their debut album, A Catholic Education, in 1990 on small independent label Paperhouse, and followed it up with the God Knows It's True EP before signing with Creation Records.

Following an encounter with Don Fleming at CBGB in New York City in March 1991, Teenage Fanclub started recording at Amazon Studios in Liverpool, with Fleming as producer.^[5] Fleming encouraged the band to work on adding vocal harmonies, noting that not many of their contemporaries were doing so.^[6]

The album's release was preceded by that of The King, an album of covers and outtakes recorded using leftover studio time from the Bandwagonesque sessions.^[7]

Cover art

The cover was designed by Sharon Fitzgerald. When Kiss member Gene Simmons, who had trademarked the logo of a moneybag with dollar symbol, was made aware of the record he sent a letter to Geffen Records, who in turn gave in and sent Simmons a cheque, according to Simmons's book Sex Money Kiss.^[8]

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[9]
Chicago Tribune	[10]
Entertainment Weekly	B[11]
Mojo	[12]
NME	9/10[13]
Pitchfork	8.7/10[14]
Q	[15]
Rolling Stone	[16]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[17]
Uncut	10/10[18]

The liner notes to the 2009 Big Star box set Keep an Eye on the Sky said that Bandwagonesque was "... an album so in thrall to Chilton, Bell, and company that some critics had taken to calling it 'Big Star's 4th.'"^[19]

Legacy

In 2000, Bandwagonesque was voted number 386 in Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums.^[20] In 2013, NME ranked Bandwagonesque at number 115 on its list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.^[21]

Bandwagonesque was performed live in its entirety in 2006 as part of the All Tomorrow's Parties-curated Don't Look Back series.^[22]

"The Concept" was also featured prominently in the 2011 film Young Adult.^[23] "What You Do To Me" was featured in the 2013 film The World's End and on its soundtrack album.^[24]

On July 28, 2017, Benjamin Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie released Bandwagonesque, an album covering all twelve tracks of the original 1991 release. He noted that it was "[his] favorite record by [his] favorite band of all time."^[25]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"The Concept"	Norman Blake	6:07
2.	"Satan"	Blake, Gerard Love, Raymond McGinley, Brendan O'Hare	1:22
3.	"December"	Love	3:03
4.	"What You Do to Me"	Blake	2:00
5.	"I Don't Know"	McGinley	4:36
6.	"Star Sign"	Love	4:53
7.	"Metal Baby"	Blake	3:39
8.	"Pet Rock"	Love	2:35
9.	"Sidewinder"	Love, O'Hare	3:03
10.	"Alcoholiday"	Blake	5:26
11.	"Guiding Star"	Love	2:48
12.	"Is This Music?"	Love	3:18

Personnel

Teenage Fanclub

• Norman Blake – vocals, guitar, bass on "Is This Music?"
• Gerard Love – vocals, bass, guitar on "Is This Music?"
• Raymond McGinley – guitar, vocals on "I Don't Know"
• Brendan O'Hare – drums, vocals on "Sidewinder"

Additional musicians

• Joseph McAlinden – brass and strings
• Don Fleming – occasional guitar and vocals
• Dave Buchanan – handclaps

Technical

• Don Fleming – production
• Teenage Fanclub – production, arrangements
• Paul Chisholm – production, engineering
• Keith Hartley – engineer
• Dave Buchanan – assistant engineering
• George Peckham – mastering
• Sharon Fitzgerald – cover design, photography

References

1. Salmon, Ben (10 August 2018). "The 20 Best Teenage Fanclub Songs". Paste. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
2. Collar, Matt. "Teenage Fanclub Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
3. Unterberger, Andrew (7 April 2015). "SPIN 30: Teenage Fanclub Talk Unlikely Breakout Album, 'Bandwagonesque'". Spin. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
4. Prato, Greg; et al. (30 September 2021). "The 30 greatest rock guitar albums of 1991". Guitar World. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
5. Walker, Gary (28 April 2021). "The Genius Of… Bandwagonesque by Teenage Fanclub". Guitar.com. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
6. Jonze, Tim (12 August 2019). "Teenage Fanclub: how we made Bandwagonesque". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
7. Pinnock, Tom (14 August 2018). "Teenage Fanclub on their finest albums: 'If writing songs wasn't difficult, everyone would be doing it!'". Uncut. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
8. Ronnie. "SEX MONEY KISS - book review". Ear Candy Mag.
9. Ankeny, Jason. "Bandwagonesque – Teenage Fanclub". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
10. Kot, Greg (5 December 1991). "Teenage Fanclub: Bandwagonesque (DGC)". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
11. Browne, David (10 January 1992). "Bandwagonesque". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
12. Eccleston, Danny (September 2018). "Whatever you want". Mojo. No. 298. p. 100.
13. Brown, James (2 November 1991). "O Stupor-Men!". NME. p. 32. Archived from the original on 8 May 1999. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
14. Sodomsky, Sam (11 August 2018). "Teenage Fanclub: Bandwagonesque / Thirteen / Grand Prix / Songs from Northern Britain / Howdy!". Pitchfork. Retrieved 11 August 2018.
15. Davies, Paul (December 1991). "Untrammelled". Q. No. 63.
16. Berger, Arion (6 February 1992). "Teenage Fanclub: Bandwagonesque". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2 March 2008. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
17. Sisario, Ben (2004). "Teenage Fanclub". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. p. 805. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
18. Deusner, Stephen (September 2018). "Teenage Fanclub: Bandwagonesque / Thirteen / Grand Prix / Songs from Northern Britain / Howdy!". Uncut. No. 256. p. 51.
19. Mehr, Bob (2009). "The Great Crusade: Birthing the Cult of Big Star". Keep an Eye on the Sky (liner notes). Big Star. Rhino Entertainment. R2 519760. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
20. Larkin, Colin, ed. (2000). All Time Top 1000 Albums (3rd ed.). Virgin Books. p. 147. ISBN 0-7535-0493-6.
21. Barker, Emily (25 October 2013). "The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time: 200–101". NME. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
22. Concert information on Don't Look Back website
23. Monger, James Christopher. "Young Adult [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] - Original Soundtrack | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
24. Tovar, Daniel (9 July 2013). "'The World's End' soundtrack features Pulp, Blur, Stone Roses & more". Pretty Much Amazing. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
25. Kim, Michelle (13 July 2017). "Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard Covers Teenage Fanclub's "The Concept": Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved 28 July 2017.