Album Details

• Artist: Semisonic
• Album: Feeling Strangely Fine
• Label: MCA
• Year of Release: 1998
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: charlesmartel on 2011-11-27

If albums were football matches -  

Host: Well, I am just hearing over the audio link that Semisonic's Feeling Strangely Fine has just finished. And we can now cross over to our commentator Barry Wotson for an interview. Barry...

BW: Yes, thanks, Dickie. I am here with Ron Manager talking about Feeling Strangely Fine which as you say has just finished. Ron, what would you say about that performance?

RM: Game of two ‘alves, Barry. We started strongly, y'know, and the first ‘alf was full of some fine performances. But, y'know, we tailed off badly after the midway point.

BW: And how do you feel about that, Ron?

RM: Sick as a parrot, Barry. I mean, truth is I'm gutted. I thought we did enough, y'know, to hold out for a result, but we couldn't sustain the momentum we had kinda built up with The Great Divide. We began well enough. "Closing Time" fooled the opposition, y'know, into thinking it was a bit off-colour, but, I mean, was soon able to weave its magic with a rocking singalong chorus.

BW: The opener was a cracker, I'd agree, and really livened up the crowd. But didn't it tail off from there?

RM: Quite. I mean, I thought "Singing in My Sleep" put in a good performance, y'know, and was probably the best one out there today. Can't fault it for effort. But it gets a bit of stick from the boo-boys for being a bit, y'know, weak, in comparison with big spending rock tracks. But that's unfair. The lad shows promise and should ‘ave been called up for a compilation at national level in my view. But the rest, y'know, a lot are going to have to do some ‘ard work in training.

BW: Is there anyone else you would single out?

RM: Well, it's a team effort as you know. It's not about one performance. But on the day I felt, y'know, that "Never You Mind" was a class act today just behind the front three. "DND" had a typically quiet performance in midfield, I mean, but was struggling with some quiet acoustic guitars. The lad's a bit delicate and, y'know, it was a credit that he was out there for us today, y'know. So, all in all I'm, y'know, pleased with the way our forwards and midfield were in the first half.

BW: Does that mean that you're feeling the back was a bit weak, Ron?

RM: Yes. I mean, this is all about teamwork at the end of the day, y'know. A good album is, y'know, based on solidity throughout. There are twelve songs out there, I mean, and I expect them all to pull their weight, y'know. Any who don't, need to consider their future on this album. I mean, we 'ave ambitions, Barry. The fans are looking towards qualification and, y'know, pay good money to listen to us. It's not right when they part with their ‘ard earned money and feel they 'aven't ‘ad value. I thought "California" was poor - ‘e's been in the country for too long, y'know, and our full backs, "She Spreads Her Wings" and "Gone to the Movies", I mean, they just never got going in my view.

BW: Well, Ron, where do you go from here?

RM: Well, we got to pick ourselves up off the floor and go back to basics with this one, I mean. We got All About the Chemistry coming up and, y'know, we know that's going to be a tough one.

BW: Ron, I know you want to get back to the songs. Thanks for taking the time to talk to us. That was Ron Manager there, talking about the Semisonics' latest performance. And now, back to you in the studio.

User Reviews and Comments

on 2012-01-09 hstisgod Said:

lol, if you weren't so dead on I'd call ya crazy, but this is just plain scary. Strangest and yet one of the most dead on reviews this site has EVER seen!
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