The Half-Baked Serenade
| The Half-Baked Serenade | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 5, 1997 | |||
| Studio | Matt Mahaffey's home | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 33:43 | |||
| Label | Spongebath | |||
| Producer | Matt Mahaffey | |||
| Self chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from The Half-Baked Serenade | ||||
| ||||
The Half-Baked Serenade is the second studio album by American rock band Self, released through Spongebath Records on March 5, 1997.
Background
[edit]Following the success of Self's debut album Subliminal Plastic Motives (1995), lead member Matt Mahaffey frequently received invitations to strip clubs from radio personalities and other music industry colleagues. Mahaffey's strong disinterest in this lifestyle led him to drop his guitar usage, citing the stereotypes around rock bands like Eve 6 and Green Day as the reason. Using a Discman,[2] he recorded the album solely in his living room. The Half-Baked Serenade was sold on CD for $7 USD, available exclusively through mail order.[1] After release, "KiDdies" was marketed as the album's sole single in 1999, receiving radio play through KROQ-FM.[citation needed]
Reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Pitchfork | 7.5/10[3] |
| Spin | 7/10[4] |
The Half-Baked Serenade received favorable reviews. Shan Fowler of Pitchfork gave the album a rating of 7.5/10,[3] while Chuck Eddy of Spin gave it a rating of 7/10.[4] The album peaked at number 70 on CMJ's Top 200 chart,[5] and peaked at number 48 on their Top 75 Alternative Radio Airplay chart.[6]
Track listing
[edit]All tracks are written by Matt Mahaffey.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Joy, the Mechanical Boy" | 4:11 |
| 2. | "Dielya Downtown" | 2:16 |
| 3. | "Crimes on Paper" | 2:57 |
| 4. | "KiDdies" | 2:33 |
| 5. | "Cinderblocks for Shoes" | 2:56 |
| 6. | "Song for Nelson" | 1:57 |
| 7. | "Preschool Days" | 3:02 |
| 8. | "Cater to Your Ego" | 1:58 |
| 9. | "Microchip Girl" | 3:39 |
| 10. | "Sassy Britches" | 5:04 |
| 11. | "When You're Alone" (bonus) | 3:07 |
| Total length: | 33:43 | |
Personnel
[edit]Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.[7]
- Matt Mahaffey – lead vocals, instruments, production, mixing, arrangement
- Tommy Dorsey – mastering engineer
- Chris James – mixing
- Jason Rawlings – mixing (all tracks), drums (2)
- Brian Rogers – guitar (4)
- Mike Mahaffey – guitar (9)
- Brian Bottcher - album design, artwork direction
References
[edit]- ^ a b Flippo, Chet (August 9, 1997). "Billboard". Billboard. Vol. 109, no. 32. pp. 66–67. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
- ^ Harkey, Scott (September 11, 2000). "Self / Interviews". Silent Uproar. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
- ^ a b Fowler, Shan (1997). "Self: The Half-Baked Serenade: Pitchfork Review". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on April 4, 2005. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
- ^ a b Eddy, Chuck (October 1997). "Self: The Half-Baked Serenade". Spin. Vol. 13, no. 7. pp. 143–144. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
- ^ "CMJ New Music Report". CMJ. Vol. 52, no. 545. November 10, 1997. p. 6. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
- ^ "CMJ New Music Monthly". CMJ. No. 54. February 1998. p. 55. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
- ^ The Half-Baked Serenade (Media notes). Self. Spongebath. 1997.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
