All the Pain Money Can Buy [Bonus Tracks]

by Fastball

Overview

Fastball's charms came into sharp focus on All the Pain Money Can Buy. Stripping away the grungy guitars that defined 1996's Make Your Mama Proud, Fastball decide to indulge in a power pop fantasia, snatching elements from the British Invasion, '70s AM pop, psychedelia, new wave, power pop, and adult alternative rock. Co-producer Julian Raymond certainly assisted in this shift, but it's also evident that songwriters Tony Scalzo and Miles Zuniga -- the pair never wrote together, choosing to alternate songs instead -- decided to stretch their muscles, writing a few songs in distinct styles ("G.O.D. [Good Old Days]" is a horn-driven piece of bubblegum that evokes "Build Me Up Buttercup"), but also choosing to blend their influences. Notable among the latter is Scalzo's "The Way," a simmering, cinematic pop gem that climbed its way to number five on Billboard's Hot 100. Its success pigeonholed Fastball as a one-hit wonder, a designation that was neither true -- Scalzo's easy-rolling "Out of My Head" went to number 20 on its way to being an adult album alternative staple -- nor fair. Perhaps All the Pain Money Can Buy carries some trappings of the post-grunge salad days of the early '90s -- certainly, its very title suggests it's a collection of angst -- but at its core, it's a colorful, catchy collection of tunes rooted in classic pop. Zuniga's "Fire Escape" is driven by hooks that chime like the Byrds, while his "Sooner or Later" punches like prime Elvis Costello, sounds that find a contemporary balance with his lite-soul duet with Poe ("Which Way to the Top?") and Scalzo's hits. Removed from the post-grunge era, what's striking about All the Pain Money Can Buy is that fine, sturdy craft, which is evident both in the songs and production. No longer seeming like part of the Zeitgeist, the album appears to be part of a long, proud tradition of tuneful guitar pop. [Omnivore's 20th anniversary reissue of All the Pain Money Can Buy contains nine bonus tracks, including B-sides, covers of the Replacements and Burt Bacharach, and a host of demos.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	11/09/2018
Label:	Omnivore
UPC:	0816651011599
Rank:	85325

Tracks

1. The Way
2. Fire Escape
3. Better Than It Was
4. Which Way to the Top?
5. Sooner or Later
6. Warm Fuzzy Feeling
7. Slow Drag
8. G.O.D. (Good Old Days)
9. Charlie, the Methadone Man
10. Out of My Head
11. Damaged Goods
12. Nowhere Road
13. Sweetwater, Texas
14. Quit Your Job
15. Freeloader Freddy
16. The Way
17. Fire Escape [Demo]
18. Slow Drag [Demo]
19. Sweetwater, Texas [Demo]
20. Androgynous
21. This Guy's in Love With You
22. The Way [Unpaved Accoustic Version]

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Fastball   Primary Artist
Rick Braun   Guest Artist,Trumpet
Poe   Guest Artist,Vocals
Miles Zuniga   Vocals,Keyboards,Guitar
Dennis Farias   Trumpet
Bennett Salvay   Organ,Piano,Piano (Electric)
Walt Vincent   Piano
Kim Bullard   Organ,Keyboards
Joey Shuffield   Drums,Vocals,Percussion
Tony Scalzo   Bass,Vocals,Keyboards,Percussion
Greg Smith   Sax (Baritone)
Guy Fantasy   Vocals (Background)
Doug Norwine   Sax (Tenor)
Erika Duke-Kirkpatrick   Cello
Nick Lane   Trombone

Technical Credits

Miles Zuniga   Composer,Instrumentation
Burt Bacharach   Composer
Hal David   Composer
Chris Lord-Alge   Mixing
Joe Barresi   Engineer
Bennett Salvay   Horn Arrangements
Paul Westerberg   Composer
Kim Bullard   Programming
Fastball   Producer
Tony Scalzo   Composer
Jeff Groves   Composer
Brian Gardner   Mastering
Julian Raymond   Producer
Petronio Ortiz   Illustrations
Howard Rosenberg   Photography
Dave Reed   Assistant Engineer
Enny Joo   Design
Anthony Scalzo   Composer