Feeling Strangely Fine

Feeling Strangely Fine is the second studio album by American rock band Semisonic. It is the follow-up to the band's debut album Great Divide recorded at Seedy Underbelly Studio in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The album contains some of Semisonic's best-known songs, including the major radio hit "Closing Time", as well as the singles "Singing in My Sleep" and "Secret Smile". The song "Never You Mind" was featured in the 1999 film Never Been Kissed.[9]

Feeling Strangely Fine
Studio album by
Semisonic
ReleasedMarch 24, 1998
RecordedApril–August 1997
StudioSeedy Underbelly Studio, Minneapolis, Minnesota
GenreAlternative rock, power pop, post-grunge
Length50:31
LabelMCA
ProducerNick Launay
Semisonic chronology
Great Divide
(1996)		 Feeling Strangely Fine
(1998)		 All About Chemistry
(2001)
Singles from Feeling Strangely Fine
  1. "Closing Time"
    Released: March 10, 1998
  2. "Singing in My Sleep"
    Released: August 18, 1998
  3. "Secret Smile"
    Released: January 11, 1999
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Entertainment WeeklyB[2]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide[3]
NME5/10[4]
Q[5]
Robert Christgau(dud)[6]
Rolling Stone[7]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[8]

Recording

The band had over 60 new songs in mind as they went into the recording process and had three specific requirements when they decided they wanted to record a new album. First, they didn't want to record any demotapes beyond simple guitar and vocal basement sketches, meaning the album versions would be the first band recordings of the songs. Second, they wanted no deadline for the finished masters. Third, the trio wanted to create tracks for the album in various hi- and lo-tech settings around Minneapolis, and use their computers to meld the different sounds together. Nick Launay was brought in to produce the album and the band recorded twenty songs over the course of four months. They pared those down to sixteen, mixed them, and used the best twelve for the finished record.

Track listing

All tracks written by Dan Wilson unless otherwise noted.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Closing Time" 4:33
2."Singing in My Sleep" 4:30
3."Made to Last" 5:02
4."Never You Mind"Wilson, Jacob Slichter4:24
5."Secret Smile" 4:39
6."DND" 4:11
7."Completely Pleased" 3:19
8."This Will Be My Year"Slichter4:32
9."All Worked Out" 2:52
10."California" 5:29
11."She Spreads Her Wings"John Munson3:06
12."Gone to the Movies" 3:52

20th Anniversary Edition Bonus Tracks

No.TitleLength
13."Long Way from Home"4:05
14."I'm a Liar"4:24
15."Beautiful Regret"3:56
16."Makin' a Plan"4:10

Personnel

Semisonic

  • John Munson – bass guitar (all tracks), background vocals (all tracks except 11), lead vocals (track 11), additional guitar (track 2), all guitars (track 11), wah wah guitar (track 12), trembly guitar (track 4), Moog synthesizer (tracks 5, 7, 8), slide guitar solo (track 6), Moog bass (track 10), piano (track 1), loops (track 10)
  • Jacob Slichter – drums (all tracks), background vocals (all tracks), conducting (tracks 1, 5, 6, 12), piano (tracks 8, 9, 11), string arrangement (tracks 1, 5, 12), Rhodes electric piano (track 3), Wurlitzer electric piano (tracks 2), mellotron (track 11), Moog synthesizer (track 8), loops (track 10), flute arrangement (track 5)
  • Dan Wilson – lead vocals (all tracks except 11), background vocals (track 11), guitar (all tracks except 11), piano (tracks 3, 4, 7), string arrangement (tracks 5, 6), Rhodes electric piano (track 5), synth whistle (track 4), drum loops (track 6), flute arrangement (track 5)

Additional personnel

  • Bruce Allard – strings (tracks 1, 5, 6, 12)
  • Mary Bahr – strings (tracks 1, 5, 6, 12)
  • Carolyn Boulay – strings (tracks 1, 5, 6, 12)
  • Troy Gardner – strings (tracks 1, 5, 6, 12)
  • Josh Koestenbaum – strings (tracks 1, 5, 6, 12)
  • Matt Wilson – lead guitar (track 4)

Charts

Certifications
Certifications for Feeling Strangely Fine
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[18] Gold 50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[19] Platinum 350,000[17]
United States (RIAA)[20] Platinum 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. Childers, David M.. Feeling Strangely Fine at AllMusic. Retrieved 2012-02-18.
  2. Bautz, Mark (1998-04-10). "Feeling Strangely Fine Review". ew.com. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2012-02-18.
  3. MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 997.
  4. "Feeling Strangely Fine - NME".
  5. Blake, Mark. "Review: Semisonic – Feeling Strangely Fine". Q. EMAP Metro Ltd (July 1999): 146.
  6. Christgau, Robert. "Semisonic". Retrieved August 21, 2019.
  7. Tarnow, Noah (1998-03-23). "Semisonic: Feeling Strangely Fine : Music Reviews". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2008-07-25. Retrieved 2012-02-18.
  8. Cross, Charles R. (2004). "Semisonic". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 727. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  9. Kaplan, Illana (April 9, 2019). "'Never Been Kissed' Turns 20: Pucker Up for Its 6 Best Music Moments". Billboard.
  10. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 248.
  11. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 7949". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  12. "Charts.nz – Semisonic – Feeling Strangely Fine". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  13. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
  14. "The Official Charts Company - Semisonic - Feeling Strangely Fine" (PHP). Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2012-02-16.
  15. "Semisonic Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  16. "Billboard.BIZ - Year-end Charts - Billboard 200 - 1998". billboard.biz. Retrieved 2012-02-16.
  17. "Complete UK Year-End Album Charts". Archived from the original on 2012-03-10. Retrieved 2011-09-12.
  18. "Canadian album certifications – Semisonic – Feeling Strangely Fine". Music Canada. Retrieved 2012-02-16.
  19. "British album certifications – Semisonic – Feeling Strangely Fine". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 2012-02-16.
  20. "American album certifications – Semisonic – Feeling Strangely Fine". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2012-02-16.
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