Skip to main content

12 by Fountains Of Wayne


12 by... aims to summarize an artist's career in 12 songs. This one features...

The trick with a Fountains of Wayne complication is balancing their rocking songs and their ballads, while also representing their variety of styles. I believe this list covers those bases pretty well.


1. "Radiation Vibe" (Fountains Of Wayne, 1996) 
The first song on their first album is still one of their best. 

2. "She's Got A Problem" (Fountains Of Wayne, 1996) 
This was the first inkling of FOW as songwriters in the Billy Joel-character-sketch vein. 

3. "Red Dragon Tattoo" (Utopia Parkway, 1999) 
Maybe the most memorable of their many self-deluded, well-intentioned narrators. 

4. "Troubled Times" (Utopia Parkway, 1999) 
The poster child for all of those "why wasn't that a hit?" songs. 

5. "Stacey's Mom" (Welcome Interstate Managers, 2003) 
And then the actual hit!

6. "Hackensack" (Welcome Interstate Managers, 2003) 
The best song containing a reference to Christopher Walken ever written. 

7. "Bright Future in Sales" (Welcome Interstate Managers, 2003) 
Comes just after "Red Dragon Tattoo" on the self-deluded narrator continuum.  

8. "I Know You Well" (Out-Of-State Plates, 2005) 
I picked this sweet ditty mostly for the bridge, which sticks in my craw. 

9. "Yolanda Hayes" (Traffic & Weather, 2007) 
In its own way, as scintillating a come on as Marvin Gaye's Let's Get It On. Plus, horns! 

10."Someone to Love" (Traffic & Weather, 2007)
The twist ending gets me every single time.

11. "Richie and Ruben" (Sky Full of Holes, 2011)
More fine character work, and a melody so good that it makes you want to consider making some bad investments.

12. "A Road Song" (Sky Full of Holes, 2011)
The mix of sweet and acerbic with a sprinkling of pop culture references on top encapsulate the Fountains of Wayne worldview. And bonus points for being a parody that's also and a fine example of what it's parodying.

*

The above was revised in 2021. Here is the original 2008 entry:

1. Radiation Vibe (Fountains Of Wayne, 1996)
Their opening song is still one of their best.

2. She's Got A Problem (Fountains Of Wayne, 1996)
This was the first inkling of FOW as songwriters in the Billy Joel-character-sketch vein.

3. I've Got A Flair (Fountains Of Wayne, 1996)
A rare narrator of unabashed confidence.

4. Red Dragon Tattoo (Utopia Parkway, 1999)
On the other hand, the first of many self-deluded, well-meaning narrators.

5. Troubled Times (Utopia Parkway, 1999)
The poster child for all of those "why wasn't that a hit?" songs.

6. Stacey's Mom (Welcome Interstate Managers, 2003)
And then the actual hit.

7. Hackensack (Welcome Interstate Managers, 2003)
The best song containing a reference to Christopher Walken ever written.

8. Hey Julie (Welcome Interstate Managers, 2003)
Ever had a crappy job and a happy home life? This sparkling song is about that.

9. Maureen (Out-Of-State Plates, 2005)
An ode to that self-involved female friend who knows you have a crush on her but will never give it up.

10. I Know You Well (Out-Of-State Plates, 2005)
I picked this sweet ditty mostly for the bridge, which sticks in my craw.

11. Yolanda Hayes (Traffic & Weather, 2007)
In its own way, as scintillating a come on as Marvin Gaye's Let's Get It On. Plus, horns!

12. Fire In The Canyon (Traffic & Weather, 2007)
Eagles eat your heart out.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Honoring the Legacy of REO Speedwagon

I suppose I should have known the saga of REO Speedwagon couldn't end with a whimper. Before I get into the latest developments, here's a brief review of what's happened so far: In September 2024 came the announcement that the band was effectively breaking up at the end of the year. Apparently, frontman Kevin Cronin ruled that bassist Bruce Hall was no longer fit to continue touring following back surgery in summer 2024. Hall felt otherwise. Here we learned that REO had essentially become a three-way partnership between Cronin, Hall, and Doughty (who retired from touring in January 2023) following the departure of original members Alan Gratzer and Gary Richrath in 1988. Doughty sided with Hall, so Cronin was outvoted 2-1. No Bruce Hall, no REO Speedwagon. In December 2024 Cronin revealed he would continue performing REO Speedwagon songs with the two musicians who replaced Doughty and Hall, as well as Brian Hitt and Dave Amato (who replaced Gratzer and Richrath), with the on...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Unlikely Musical Life of Tom Kelly

You may not know the name Tom Kelly, but I guarantee that you've sung along to songs he wrote.  Born in West Lafayette, Indiana in 1952, Tom moved to Effingham, Illinois when he was 11 years old, just in time to witness the Beatles' debut on Ed Sullivan. Bit by the rock music bug, he joined a local band called the Trifaris, singing and playing bass. His family moved back to Indiana in '66. When Tom finished high school, he decided to go to college in Illinois, but his choice was made based on extracurricular factors, not academic ones. "I started at Eastern [Illinois University] because there was a band,” he told the Effingham Daily News in 2011, “Then I transferred to Southern [Illinois University] because there was another band.”  Champaign, Illinois  Continuing his college hopping, Tom headed closer to home to attend Purdue, and there he had a group called The Gaping Huggers, comprised of former fellow Trifari JC Marshall on drums, and University of Illino...
Post a Comment
Read more

86. The Magic Numbers - The Magic Numbers (2005)

Very few things in life can sustain the same level of excitement from beginning to end, and The Magic Numbers' debut album is no exception. Like a party that's loud, full and hoppin' from the get-go and then eventually dwindles down to a quiet few, the CD makes its statement early and then fades away. Mornings Eleven is a helluva opener. It consists of two separate sections; the first makes you want to shake your ass, the second makes you want to swoon. Going from country-rock boogie to '50s doo-wop harmony, the two movements spend the song alternating back and forth, and it's effective enough to make the 5-and-a-half minute running time seem too short. As the album continues that becomes a recurring theme. The songs are long, but rarely overstay their welcome. That's a tribute to Romeo Stodart's compositions, but another factor may be that the group consists of two sets of brothers and sisters (the Allman Brothers would be proud). I believe that familial s...
12 comments
Read more