| Bedlam Ballroom | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 17, 2000 | |||
| Studio | Kingsway Studios, New Orleans [1] | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 38:14 | |||
| Label | Mammoth [2] | |||
| Producer | Mike Napolitano, John Plymale, Squirrel Nut Zippers | |||
| Squirrel Nut Zippers chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  
[3] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music |
[4] |
Bedlam Ballroom is a studio album by the swing revival band Squirrel Nut Zippers, released in 2000. [5] [6] It followed several major personnel changes. The album reflects a stylistic shift, with the band incorporating a broader ranges of styles, instrumentation, and production approaches. [3] The band broke up after the release of the album, eventually reuniting in 2007. [7]
The album peaked at No. 195 on the Billboard 200. [8]
Critical reception
Exclaim! wrote that the band have "abandoned their adherence to '30s recording techniques, and though a bit of the charm is lost, thankfully these Zippers ain't slick." [9] CMJ New Music Monthly wrote that the album finds SNZ "nearly as eclectic as ever, but more generic too." [10] Variety thought that the album "can easily be considered their best for, if nothing else, they reclaim a time when music was unsure of itself, an era when Louis Armstrong had given up on the music of his youth to build a wider audience through pop numbers and show tunes." [11]
Track listing
All songs written by Jimbo Mathus except where noted.
- "Bedbugs" – 3:12
- "Baby Wants a Diamond Ring" – 3:25
- "Do What?" – 2:42
- "Bent Out of Shape" – 2:47
- "Stop Drop and Roll" – 2:58
- "Hush" – 4:12
- "It All Depends" – 3:47
- "Bedlam Ballroom" (Stacy Guess) – 2:15
- "Just This Side of Blue" – 3:08
- "Don't Fix It" – 3:33
- "Missing Link" – 3:21
- "Bedlam Reprise" – :21
- "Do It This a Way" – 2:33
Details
- "Bedlam Ballroom" first appeared on the band's 1997 EP Sold Out as a live recording.
- Mathus sings lead vocals on tracks 1, 3, 5, 10, and 13; Katharine Whalen sings lead on tracks 2, 4, 6, 7, and 9.
- Most editions of the CD case have a lenticular cover. The cover artwork was created by artist Michael Doret.
Personnel
- Jimbo Mathus – vocals, guitar, bass guitar, Chamberlin, ukulele, banjo
- Katharine Whalen – vocals, banjo, baritone ukulele
- Tim Smith – alto, baritone, and tenor saxophones, flute, background vocals
- Reese Gray – piano, tack piano, Hammond B3 organ
- David Wright – piano, Wurlitzer, trombone, background vocals
- Je Widenhouse – trumpet
- Stuart Cole – bass guitar, background vocals
- Chris Phillips – drums, percussion, gong
Additional musicians
- Andrew Bird – violin
- Mike Napolitano – guitar
- George Rossi – bass
- Gabo Tomasini – congas
- Giustino Riccio – timbales
- Greg Humphreys – background vocals
References
- ^ Daly, Sean. "Squirrel Nut Zippers: Bedlam Ballroom". JazzTimes.
- ^ "Squirrel Nut Zippers: Bedlam Ballroom". PopMatters. October 16, 2000.
- ^ a b "Bedlam Ballroom - Squirrel Nut Zippers | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 7. MUZE. p. 688.
- ^ "Squirrel Nut Zippers | Biography & History". AllMusic.
- ^ "Squirrel Nut Zippers Unleash 'Bedlam'". Billboard. September 16, 2000 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Night Life". The New Yorker.
- ^ "Squirrel Nut Zippers". Billboard.
- ^ "Squirrel Nut Zippers Bedlam Ballroom". exclaim.ca.
- ^ "Reviews". CMJ New Music Monthly. November 3, 2000 – via Google Books.
- ^ Gallo, Phil (November 15, 2000). "Squirrel Nut Zippers". Variety.
