Fountains of Wayne - Welcome Interstate Managers 2xLP - Red Vinyl

Virgin/Real Gone (2021, Reissue)

I was a little bit late to the original Fountains of Wayne party.  Or I was a little early to the big one that everyone else cared about.  Regardless, I got into Fountains of Wayne sometime after Utopia Parkway came out.  Yet another band recommended to me by my buddy Alan, and once again he was right.   There were definitely a couple of years between 1999 and 2003 where it seemed that the band might be done, but then the rumblings of new music started.

By this time, I was working in the music biz and had a friend that worked at Artemis records.  He knew a guy who knew a guy that was either helping, or was on the receiving end of Fountains of Wayne shopping for a new record label.  This friend made me a copy of what was to become Welcome Interstate Managers.  I, of course, shared with Alan and we were both pretty impressed with what we heard.  Maybe not on the level of the first two records, but it was so great to have new music by these guys that I for sure got caught up in it.

Sometime in here, after I had the record, but before it actually came out, Fountains of Wayne started playing some shows.  Including one at Bowery Ballroom that we all went to.  I was so excited, but I remember all of us leaving the show kind of disappointed.  It was so long ago that I don't remember any specifics really, but my big takeaway was it felt kind of clinical.  Everything sounded perfect, but maybe a little too perfect?

Soon after the record was officially released and we watched in amazement as a guitar pop band from the fringes of major label world was suddenly everywhere with "Stacy's Mom."  A goofy and fun song that I really liked probably the first three thousand times I heard it, but at this point would be fine never hearing again.  That said, the rest of this album holds up really well and I will still contend that songs like "Mexican Wine" and "Hackensack" are as good as anything off the first two albums.

In a lot of ways, this record for me is like All The Nations Airports for Archers of Loaf.  A record that is more than half good, has a handful of stellar moments, but marks the turning point where I started to lose interest in what the band was doing.  But for three records, both Fountains and Archers were towards the top of my list of the bands I listened to the most.

Fountains of Wayne - Welcome Interstate Managers:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mFiF_BMg6hcHiuE7zCqMA8pczu9DKVVwU

Fountains Of Wayne - Utopia Parkway LP

Fountains Of Wayne - Utopia Parkway LP, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Yep Roc (2012)

We had the S/T Fountains Of Wayne reissue yesterday, and today we have the follow up, Utopia Parkway. I'm not sure if I am in the minority or majority with this opinion, but I was even more excited to finally have the chance to own this record on vinyl than I was the first one. I have always preferred Utopia Parkway (not that I'm saying ANYTHING bad about S/T, I love that record too) and really think that it is Fountains Of Wayne's finest moment.

It's probably in part to the inclusion of the song Red Dragon Tattoo, which I think is simply outstanding. It could probably be counted as one of the all time greatest pop songs ever written. Utopia Parkway isn't a one trick pony, however. Hit after hit like Denise, Amity Gardens, Lost In Space, It Must Be Summer and the title track just elicit head nodding and toe tapping. A real masterpiece if you ask me.

Like S/T, the Yep Rock vinyl version sounds spectacular. This is the first time this album has ever been available on vinyl and it's release has been handle in fantastic fashion. I really can't say enough good things about this record, I'm just so thrilled to have the chance to walk into my living room, pop this guy on the turntable, lay down on the couch and just enjoy.

Fountains Of Wayne - Red Dragon Tattoo:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gp9i3zm_64A

Fountains Of Wayne - Amity Gardens:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=hB-Dg9NdpJM

Fountains Of Wayne - S/T LP

Fountains Of Wayne - S/T LP, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Yep Roc (2012)

Continuing on this week of nothing but reissues; we have the first Fountains Of Wayne album. Though this was actually pressed by Atlantic when the album originally came out, the vinyl version wasn't in my collection. I've been keeping my eye on this for a while as the original pressing tends to sell for a fairly absurd price.

I first heard rumblings about this reissue a few years ago when it popped up as a pre-order on Amazon. Of course, the date of the release came and went and news disappeared once again. Earlier this year, another pre-order went up. Then it popped up on a few other sites and finally it was found on Yep Roc's site (though kind of hidden). Even though it did get pushed back 3 more times this year, I did finally have a package that came in the mail.

It sounds really great. Yep Roc did a fantastic job with this reissue and the sound quality, vinyl & artwork are all top notch. The record has been one of my very favorites and despite the fact that they certainly don't blow me away live, I feel like I can always go back the this record and be completely impressed. Maybe to me, Fountains Of Wayne today aren't quite the band of their first 2 records, but man those first 2 records are still pretty wonderful.

Fountains Of Wayne - Radiation Vibe:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmqswLKKYyU

Fountains Of Wayne - Sink To The Bottom:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgLZMvnWxRU