Son of Sam I Am is an album by the American band Too Much Joy, released in 1988.[1][2] The first single was "Making Fun of Bums".[3] The band supported the album with a North American tour that included shows with Love Tractor.[4] Giant Records released a resequenced version of Son of Sam I Am in 1990.[5] While promoting the rerelease, the band was arrested on obscenity charges for covering 2 Live Crew songs at a show in Broward County.[6] Proceeds from the show were directed to retailers who had been arrested for selling As Nasty as They Wanna Be.[7]
| Son of Sam I Am | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1988 | |||
| Genre | Rock, power pop | |||
| Label | Alias | |||
| Producer | Michael James | |||
| Too Much Joy chronology | ||||
| ||||
Production
editThe album was produced by Michael James.[8] Most of the lyrics were written by singer Tim Quirk, who was influenced by Minor Threat and John Prine.[9] "That's a Lie" is a cover of the LL Cool J song.[10] "Clowns" samples Bozo the Clown; a lawsuit from Bozo led to the removal of the sample from later pressings.[11] "Hugo!" refers to the Gang of Four drummer Hugo Burnham.[12] "Bad Dog" is about S&M.[13] "Kicking (That Gone Fishing Song)" is about a young man with cancer.[14] "My Past Lives" deals with the concept of reincarnation.[15] The rerelease includes a cover of Terry Jacks's version of "Seasons in the Sun".[16]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| Robert Christgau | A−[17] |
| Dayton Daily News |  [18] |
| Los Angeles Times | [19] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | [8] |
| Orlando Sentinel | [20] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [21] |
| The Virgin Encyclopedia of Dance Music | [22] |
Newsday wrote that "Too Much Joy is a pie-in-the-face to those who feel cutting edge rock has to have its source in adversity... There are knowing, snide stabs at the music business, pop culture, and their co-generationalists."[23] The Orlando Sentinel concluded that "cleverness rarely requires sincerity... It does require something more to carry an album though."[20] Robert Christgau noted that, "where formerly Tim Quirk spoke his lyrics in tune, now he mocks, expostulates, kid-drawls, projects, so that sometimes they sound smarter (and sassier) than they read."[17] The Los Angeles Times wrote that "they're at least as funny as Mojo Nixon desperately wants to be, and 20 times as tuneful."[19]
Trouser Press opined: "Sharpening both instrumental skills and songwriting wit, TMJ hit their stride on Son of Sam I Am, an accomplished rock album."[24] The New York Times determined that "songs like 'Worse' and 'Clowns' ... capture paranoia, kitsch overload, frustration, and the shrug that allows them to live with it all."[25] The Edmonton Journal said that "there's much more than bratty kitsch and a spunky garage band beat going on with this cheeky foursome."[26] The State appreciated that "there's plenty of teenage angst, but not one discouraging note amongst these power chords."[27]
AllMusic wrote that "most of the songs are sweet-and-sour power pop."[3]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Making Fun of Bums" | |
| 2. | "Song for a Girl Who Has One" | |
| 3. | "Clowns" | |
| 4. | "My Past Lives" | |
| 5. | "That's a Lie" | |
| 6. | "Hugo!" | |
| 7. | "Kicking (That Gone Fishing Song)" | |
| 8. | "Life Is Flowers" | |
| 9. | "Connecticut" | |
| 10. | "Bad Dog" | |
| 11. | "1964" | |
| 12. | "Worse" |
References
edit- ^ "Too Much Joy Biography by Mark Deming". AllMusic. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
- ^ Semon, Craig S. (14 Apr 1991). "Too Much Joy happily states its wacky case". Datebook. Telegram & Gazette. p. 11.
- ^ a b c "Son of Sam I Am Review by Stewart Mason". AllMusic. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
- ^ Moon, Tom (7 Apr 1989). "Love Tractor and Too Much Joy". Features Weekend. The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 30.
- ^ Wyman, Bill (September 27, 1990). "Too Much Joy". Arts & Culture. Chicago Reader.
- ^ "Band arrested on obscenity charges". St. Petersburg Times. 12 Aug 1990. p. B5.
- ^ Hill, Edward (August 10, 1990). "Solidarity". News. The Plain Dealer.
- ^ a b MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1996. p. 686.
- ^ Hoekstra, Dave (April 28, 1989). "Too Much Joy twists '60s rock 'n' roll". Weekend Plus. Chicago Sun-Times. p. 7.
- ^ Kane, Dan (September 30, 1990). "Too Much Joy 'Son of Sam I Am'". Stars. Herald American. p. 26.
- ^ McLeod, Kimbrew (2007). Freedom of Expression®: Resistance and Repression in the Age of Intellectual Property. University of Minnesota Press. p. 64.
- ^ Popson, Tom (28 Apr 1989). "Cows, clowns, dancing bubbles and Too Much Joy". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. 1.
- ^ Jenkins, Mark (3 Aug 1990). "Look at What's In With the Outsiders". The Washington Post. p. N16.
- ^ LaSalle, Mick (February 9, 1989). "Too Much Joy – S.F. Record Company Produces a Gem". San Francisco Chronicle. p. E2.
- ^ Gnerre, Sam (September 28, 1990). "'Son of Sam I Am' Too Much Joy". Daily Breeze. p. E12.
- ^ Rasmussen, Eric (August 9, 1990). "New Releases Are Swelling Rock Turf". The Capital Times. p. 1D.
- ^ a b "Too Much Joy". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
- ^ Warren Murray, Anne (August 10, 1990). "Recordings on Review". Go!. Dayton Daily News. p. 19.
- ^ a b Willman, Chris (20 Jan 1991). "Record Rack". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 83.
- ^ a b Fields, Curt (2 Apr 1989). "Too Much Joy". Calendar. Orlando Sentinel. p. 5.
- ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 711.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (1998). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Dance Music. Virgin. p. 342.
- ^ Robins, Wayne (26 Mar 1989). "New Releases". Part II. Newsday. p. 25.
- ^ "Too Much Joy". Trouser Press. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
- ^ Pareles, Jon (18 Aug 1989). "Rock Album of the Week". The New York Times. p. C23.
- ^ Metella, Helen (21 Oct 1990). "Son of Sam I Am Too Much Joy". Edmonton Journal. p. C4.
- ^ Miller, Michael (May 19, 1989). "Too Much Joy, 'Son of Sam I Am'". The State. p. 11D.