Big Money Item is an album by the American power pop band the Greenberry Woods, released in 1995.[2][3] The band broke up two weeks after its release.[4] "Smash-Up" and "Super Geek" were released as singles.[5][6]
| Big Money Item | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1995 | |||
| Genre | Power pop | |||
| Label | Sire[1] | |||
| Producer | Andy Paley | |||
| The Greenberry Woods chronology | ||||
| ||||
Production
editThe album was produced by Andy Paley.[7] The songwriting was equally divided among guitar players Matt and Brandt Huseman and bass player Ira Katz.[8]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [9] |
| Calgary Herald | B+[10] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide |  [1] |
| The Province | [11] |
Trouser Press called Big Money Item "superb stuff, but overly derivative."[12] The Baltimore Sun thought that it "boasts enough beautiful minor-key melodies and lush, soaring harmonies to put any listener in mind of Rubber Soul and Revolver."[13] The Record opined that "the quartet makes affecting, careful pop look so effortless that it's easy to underestimate their tremendous accomplishment."[14]
The St. Petersburg Times wrote: "Like Squeeze and Crowded House at their least self-indulgent, the Beach Boys sans their one-trick-pony musical clichés, the Posies fulfilling their early promise, Badfinger with jangly optimism, Pezband with decent songs—this disc sounds as timeless and classic as anything you'll hear recorded today."[15] The Calgary Herald stated that "the Woods jangle and harmonize through 18 condensed gems in 50 minutes."[10] The Contra Costa Times declared that "the Greenberry Woods have tapped into some kind of long-forgotten genius on Big Money Item... this is an album so clear-headed and upbeat that you're blown backwards with joy."[16] The Northwest Herald listed Big Money Item as the fifth best album of 1995; the Times Colonist listed it as the eighteenth.[17][18]
AllMusic wrote that "even at its most superficial and derivative and unapologetically nerdy, Big Money Item is just so chock full of fatal hooks that ... well ... life almost starts to feel that fresh and innocent again."[9]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Love Songs" | |
| 2. | "Parachute" | |
| 3. | "Super Geek" | |
| 4. | "Smash-Up" | |
| 5. | "Yeah (Yeah, Yeah, Yeah)" | |
| 6. | "Round and Round" | |
| 7. | "For You" | |
| 8. | "Nervous" | |
| 9. | "Go Without You" | |
| 10. | "Invisible Threads" | |
| 11. | "Oh Janine" | |
| 12. | "Back Seat Driver" | |
| 13. | "Winslow to Arizona" | |
| 14. | "Baby You Can't Get It Back" | |
| 15. | "Punch Drunk" | |
| 16. | "Nice Girl" | |
| 17. | "Different Ways" | |
| 18. | "The Final Song" |
References
edit- ^ a b MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 508.
- ^ "The Greenberry Woods Biography". AllMusic.
- ^ Griffin, John (16 Sep 1995). "The Greenberry Woods Big Money Item Sire". The Gazette. p. D3.
- ^ Considine, J. D. "Splitsville is more and more together". The Baltimore Sun.
- ^ Granger, Jacquie (21 Jul 1995). "Greenberry Woods kick off tour in Dewey". The Daily Times. Salisbury. p. 11.
- ^ Maples, Tina (25 Aug 1995). "Oh, baby, baby: Greenberry Woods takes pop seriously". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. p. E9.
- ^ Sinclair, Tom (3 Sep 1995). "Greenberry Woods Big Money Item". Fanfare. Newsday. p. 19.
- ^ Ferguson, Jon (14 July 1995). "Can pop tunes still pay the bills? The Greenberry Woods pop the '90s big question". Happenings. Intelligencer Journal. p. 2.
- ^ a b "Big Money Item". AllMusic.
- ^ a b Buckingham, Booker (13 Aug 1995). "Recent Releases". Calgary Herald. p. F2.
- ^ Harrison, Tom (19 Oct 1995). "Some disturbing conclusions". The Province. p. B6.
- ^ "Greenberry Woods". Trouser Press. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
- ^ Considine, J. D. "Big Money Item The Greenberry Woods". The Baltimore Sun.
- ^ Weiler, Derek (7 Sep 1995). "The Greenberry Woods Big Money Item". The Record. p. D6.
- ^ "Audio Files". Tampa Bay Times.
- ^ Goodman, Tim (August 20, 1995). "'Money Item' a Pure-Pop Pleasure". Time Out. Contra Costa Times. p. 3.
- ^ McGowan, Mark (29 Dec 1995). "Top Ten". Sidetracks. Northwest Herald. p. 9.
- ^ Parisien, Roch (11 Jan 1996). "Roch on Music". Times Colonist. p. D1.