Greetings from Imrie House is the debut studio album by American rock band the Click Five. It was released on August 16, 2005 and reached #15 on the U.S. Billboard 200. It contains the band's two biggest domestic chart hits, "Just the Girl" and "Catch Your Wave". Also included are "Angel to You (Devil to Me)", "Pop Princess", and "Say Goodnight", three songs that originally appeared on an EP named after the former song. It is the only album by the band to feature lead vocalist & rhythm guitarist Eric Dill, who left the band in 2007 prior to the production of their second album, Modern Minds and Pastimes.
| Greetings from Imrie House | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 16, 2005 | |||
| Recorded | 2005 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 39:10 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer | Mike Denneen | |||
| The Click Five chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Greetings from Imrie House | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| About.com |   [4] |
| AllMusic |  [5] |
| Blender | [6] |
| Entertainment Weekly | (B)[7] |
| IGN | (0.2/10)[8] |
| Rolling Stone | [9] |
Background
editThe album's title refers to the band's Boston house on Imrie Street where they lived while writing the album and attending Berklee School of Music.[10]
The album's musical style of "retro new wave and power pop" was inspired by Cheap Trick, the Beach Boys, and the Knack.[10]
Commercial performance
editThe album debuted on the Billboard 200 at number 15 on September 3, 2005, marking the highest-ranking debut for any pop or rock band that year, selling 51,541 copies.[10] It was also the best debut in Lava Records' history.[11] Billboard's Melinda Newman opined that the grassroots following the band had developed online responsible for the high debut.[12] In its second week, the album dropped to number 28.[12]
In an era of declining album sales, the band moved 268,000 copies of the album by January 2006, considered disappointing in comparison to the sales of lead single "Just the Girl". "Part of me likes the idea of being a singles band," said Joe Guese to Rolling Stone at the time.[13]
Reception
editGreetings from Imrie House received mixed reviews. Rolling Stone's Barry Walters deemed the album and group "Simultaneously retro, current, mainstream-minded and knowing."[9] Gary Susman of Entertainment Weekly called it "insanely catchy blend," combining "guitar crunch, pop hooks, and Queen-worthy vocal harmonies."[7] John D. Luerssen of AllMusic predicted the band would be considered "disposable," while also attracting "instant acclaim" from other quarters.[5]
Spin's Jessica Grose found the album "unbelievably derivative and banal," commenting, "The thought of the Click Five catering to legions of swooning tweens may be inevitable considering their tour partners, but you don't have to be part of the Click Five problem. You can be part of the solution."[14] A reviewer for IGN was explicitly negative, describing the record at times "an aborted fetus" and "nauseatingly acrimonious," while also suggesting readers should instead download music from Leonard Cohen (misattributed as Joel Cohen), A Tribe Called Quest, and Can.[8]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Good Day" |
| 3:09 |
| 2. | "Just the Girl" | Adam Schlesinger | 3:54 |
| 3. | "Catch Your Wave" |
| 2:52 |
| 4. | "I'll Take My Chances" |
| 3:49 |
| 5. | "Friday Night" |
| 3:31 |
| 6. | "Angel to You (Devil to Me)" |
| 3:29 |
| 7. | "Resign" |
| 3:06 |
| 8. | "Pop Princess" | Romans | 4:18 |
| 9. | "Time Machine" | Romans | 3:14 |
| 10. | "Lies" |
| 2:58 |
| 11. | "Say Goodnight" |
| 4:50 |
| Total length: | 39:10 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12. | "Catch Your Wave" (live version) |
| 4:25 |
| Total length: | 43:35 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12. | "I Think We're Alone Now" | Ritchie Cordell | 2:55 |
| 13. | "Just the Girl" (acoustic live version) | Schlesinger | 3:52 |
| 14. | "Just the Girl" (music video) | ||
| 15. | "Catch Your Wave" (music video) | ||
| Total length: | 45:29 | ||
Personnel
edit- Eric Dill - lead and backing vocals, rhythm guitar
- Joe Guese - lead guitar, backing vocals
- Ben Romans - keyboards, synthesizers, backing vocals
- Ethan Mentzer - bass guitar, backing vocals
- Joey Zehr - drums, percussion, backing vocals
Notes
edit- ^ This release also included "Pop Princess" and "Say Goodnight", two songs that also appeared on the album.
References
edit- ^ "Angel to You (Devil to Me) - The Click Five". Allmusic. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
- ^ "Just the Girl - The Click Five". Allmusic. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
- ^ "Catch Your Wave - Single". Apple Music. November 22, 2005. Archived from the original on February 28, 2010. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
- ^ "Review of The Click Five' Greetings from Imrie House". Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
- ^ a b John D. Luerssen. "The Click Five – Greetings from Imrie House". AllMusic. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
- ^ Stephanie Zacharek. "The Click Five - Greetings from Imrie House". Blender. Alpha Media Group. Archived from the original on November 28, 2005. Retrieved April 8, 2016.
- ^ a b Gary Susman (August 15, 2005). "Greetings from Imrie House". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
- ^ a b "The Click Five - The House of Imrie". IGN. September 19, 2005. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
- ^ a b Barry Walters (August 25, 2005). "The Click Five – Greetings from Imrie House". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on December 10, 2007. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
- ^ a b c "The Click Five's Debut Album "Greetings From Imrie House" Debuts at #15 on the Billboard Top 200" (Press release). New York: Marketwired. August 24, 2005. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
- ^ "The Hot Box". Billboard. 117 (36): 85. September 3, 2005. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
- ^ a b Melinda Newman (September 10, 2005). "Don't Call Them 'Boy Bands'". Billboard. 117 (37): 64. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
- ^ Steve Baltin (January 20, 2006). "Stefani, Peas Lead Singles Boom". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
- ^ Jessica Grose (August 17, 2005). "The Click Five, 'Greetings From Imrie House' Review". Spin. Retrieved February 12, 2015.