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Sunday, December 15, 2019

"Coming Up Close" by 'til tuesday

Song#:  2982
Date:  01/10/1987
Debut:  90
Peak:  59
Weeks:  10
Genre:  Alternative Rock, Folk-Rock



Pop Bits:  This Boston band's second album, Welcome Home, got started with it's first single, "What About Love." While it would be a hit at Rock getting to #9, it didn't do as well at Pop where it fizzled at #26. It was a disappointing result, but hopes were high that this next single would do better. Unfortunately it stalled early at Rock only reaching #37 while not being able to crack the top half of the Pop chart. That left the album peaking at #49 and failing to reach the same gold level sales of their 1985 debut.

ReduxReview:  With the band shedding the new wave of their debut album for a more mature alt-folk rock sound, getting a hit single was going to be difficult. Indeed neither the first single nor this second one performed very well, which is too bad. Both were excellent tracks from an album that was far superior to their debut. Mann was feeling more comfortable in her writing and she grew leaps and bounds with Welcome Home and its follow up. Critics were handing out accolades, but pop radio and listeners didn't pay much attention. They were looking for "Voices Carry, Pt. 2" and it didn't happen. Yet it was probably a good thing. Mann went on to a brilliant solo career that earned her two Grammys and an Oscar nod (see below). That might not have happened had she stayed on the commercial 80s new wave/synthpop trail. This lilting folk-rock track was the logical choice for a second single from the album, but it just wasn't going to do very well on a chart that was being dominated by massively hooky tunes by the likes of Madonna, Janet Jackson, and Bon Jovi. Still, it was another quality song from Mann.

ReduxRating:  7/10

Trivia:  Following the band's 1988 third album, Everything's Different Now, they went out on tour. Personnel changes took place and they needed a guitarist. They hired on a musician who had recently moved to Boston named Jon Brion. After 'til tuesday broke up, Brion started to pick up session work. Then when it came time for Aimee Mann's solo album, Brion co-wrote three songs with Mann and co-produced the LP. He then co-write five songs for Mann's second solo effort and produced it. It raised his profile and more session and production work came his way. He would work for a big list of artists including Fiona Apple, Melissa Etheridge, Peter Gabriel, The Wallflowers, Macy Gray, and Rufus Wainwright. He also branched out to scoring music for films. In 1999, both he and Mann would work on music for the Paul Thomas Anderson film Magnolia. Brion wrote the score while Mann contributed songs. Their work on the film would earn them Grammy nominations while Mann would receive an Oscar nomination for the song "Save Me." Brion would go on to co-produce the 2005 album Late Registration by Kanye West. Brion would receive a Grammy for his work when the LP won for Best Rap Album

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