The best thing about Alternative Rock from the 1990s was it lived up to its name. Really a broad-spanning genre, you could put everyone from Nirvana to Oasis under the umbrella, and it would all sound great. Then there were others taking the Alternative Rock world by storm in their own corner, like Everclear.
Coming out of the Northwestern region of the United States, the fact that Everclear put out their debut album World of Noise independently in 1993 after recording it in a basement on a microbudget, only makes them that much more endearing. With this in mind, they quickly earned much more attention once signing with Capitol Records and put out the beloved Sparkle and Fade in 1995. An album that featured fan-favorites like “Heroin Girl” and “Santa Monica,” within a year it was certified platinum, but was really only a precursor to bigger things. In fact, 1997’s So Much for the Afterglow was a pinnacle Alternative Rock album of the time, and thus is Everclear’s best-selling ever.
Truly an epic accomplishment, it is important to look at So Much for the Afterglow when discussing Everclear’s progression; because the album is largely different from their prior works and certainly boarding the lines of Power Pop in some areas. Additionally, the album arguably laid the groundwork for Everclear’s expansion into a more mainstream audience with the release of Songs from an American Movie Vol. One: Learning How to Smile three years later in 2000. Their first release of the new millennium, not only carried over the love found with So Much for the Afterglow but solidified Everclear as an Alternative Rock mainstay.
Released on July 11th of 2000, Songs from an American Movie Vol. One: Learning How to Smile may not have sold as many units as So Much for the Afterglow, but it still managed to beat it out with higher chart positions across the world. Impressive, the album sheds away more of the Punk and Grunge tendencies of earlier works and highlights the band’s more colorful Power Pop tendencies. Not at all a bad thing, Lead Lyricist/Vocalist Art Alexakis was growing and so were the songs. Looking deeper into this period of Everclear, Songs from an American Movie Vol. One: Learning How to Smile was actually the first part of two albums released in 2000; the second being Songs from an American Movie Vol. Two: Good Time for a Bad Attitude. Each follows a similar concept that is based on Alexakis’ personal experiences, with Vol. One there is a much more Pop sound, while Vol. Two are a bit rougher around the edges.
Like a two-sided coin, they work well off one another, but historically, Songs from an American Movie Vol. One: Learning How to Smile remains the most popular. Everclear’s second best-selling album ever, next to, you guessed it, So Much for the Afterglow, some major standouts included “AM Radio,” their lovely rendition of Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl,” but of course, “Wonderful.” With plenty more in-between it all, like “Here We Go Again” and “Learning How To Smile,” there is no denying the significant impact of “Wonderful.” The band’s highest charting single ever, “Wonderful” was a mainstream juggernaut that was heard not only on Alternative Rock radio, but other formats, like Top 40.
An amazing story of a band who literally started in the cellar, Everclear continues to release new music and tour the world all these years later. Most recently putting out the must-listen Live at the Whisky A Go Go in 2023, now in 2024 they celebrate the past, with the first-ever vinyl issue of Songs from an American Movie Vol. One: Learning How to Smile.
Set for release on September 13, 2024 through Intervention Records, this 25th-anniversary edition is really put together with the most care in mind. First off, it was all given the green light from Art Alexakis himself; who admits he has been pining for a vinyl release of Songs from an American Movie Vol. One: Learning How to Smile for decades. Allegedly it was planned for a vinyl release from Capitol back in 2000, but at the time vinyl sales were down, so the release was scrapped. Ironically in 2024 vinyl is the only physical format actually selling, so it makes sense to finally fulfill the dream. With that, this new release is limited to only 2,000 copies. Pressed by Gotta Groove Records and 100% analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, it is presented on a lovely transparent yellow high-quality 140G vinyl.
Truly lovely, the sound is warm and rich, while the overall presentation of the colored vinyl inside a gatefold sleeve only adds to the experience. In enough words, it is a flawless encapsulation of an important part of Everclear’s history, and that is why Cryptic Rock urges you to pick up a copy before the limited pressing is sold out. However, if you cannot get your hands on a copy at a local record store, or at an Everclear show, an unlimited version of Coke Bottle Clear vinyl is coming out on October 11, 2024. All worth looking for, Cryptic Rock gives the new vinyl edition 5 out of 5 stars.
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