So Long, Astoria
| So Long, Astoria | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by The Ataris | ||||
| Released | March 4, 2003 | |||
| Recorded | August 19 to November 1, 2002 at Ocean Studios, Burbank, California; Grandmaster, Hollywood, California and Orange Whip Studios, Santa Barbara, California | |||
| Genre | Pop punk,[1][2] punk rock,[3] rock[4] | |||
| Length | 48:55 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Producer | Lou Giordano | |||
| The Ataris chronology | ||||
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| Singles from So Long, Astoria | ||||
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So Long, Astoria is the fourth full-length album released by The Ataris in March 2003.
The album's title song alludes to the 1985 film The Goonies, which is set in Astoria, Oregon.
Background and recording
After promoting their previous album End is Forever and ending their contract with Kung Fu Records the band signed with major label Columbia Records to begin the recording of their fourth full-length album. The band hired Lou Giordano to produce the record.
The band officially entered the studio to begin recording sessions for So Long, Astoria on August 19, 2002 at Ocean Studios, Burbank, California.
Release
This is The Ataris' first and only album on Columbia Records, having previously been signed to independent punk label Kung Fu Records. "In This Diary" was released to radio on February 11, 2003.[5] It was released on March 4. From June to August, the group went on the 2003 edition of Warped Tour.[6] "The Boys of Summer" was released to radio on June 3, 2003.[5] "The Saddest Song" was released to radio on September 9, 2003.[5]
In December 2013, the band released the demos that had been recorded for the album.[7]
Reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Aggregate scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 57/100[8] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| PopMatters | positive[1] |
| Punknews.org |  [4] |
| Rolling Stone | [9] |
| Sputnikmusic | 4.0/5[2] |
Initial critical response to So Long, Astoria was very average. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received an average score of 57, based on seven reviews.[10] The album was included at number 25 on Rock Sound's "The 51 Most Essential Pop Punk Albums of All Time" list.[11]
It peaked at No. 24 on the Billboard 200[12] and has been certified gold status.[13] To date So Long, Astoria is The Ataris’ most successful album.
Track listing
All tracks written by Kris Roe, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "So Long, Astoria" | 3:22 |
| 2. | "Takeoffs and Landings" | 3:56 |
| 3. | "In This Diary" | 3:54 |
| 4. | "My Reply" | 4:14 |
| 5. | "Unopened Letter to the World" | 2:38 |
| 6. | "The Saddest Song" | 4:15 |
| 7. | "Summer '79" | 3:57 |
| 8. | "The Hero Dies in This One" (Roe, John Collura, Mike Davenport, Chris Knapp) | 4:07 |
| 9. | "All You Can Ever Learn is What You Already Know" (Roe, Collura, Davenport, Knapp) | 3:31 |
| 10. | "The Boys of Summer" (Don Henley, Michael Campbell) | 4:18 |
| 11. | "Radio #2" | 3:20 |
| 12. | "Looking Back on Today" | 3:53 |
| 13. | "Eight of Nine" | 3:30 |
| 14. | "I Won't Spend Another Night Alone" | 3:50 |
| 15. | "The Saddest Song (Acoustic)" | 4:10 |
| Total length: | 48:55 | |
| Japanese and Hidden tracks | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 14. | "I Won't Spend Another Night Alone" (hidden track) | 3:50 |
| 15. | "The Saddest Song (Acoustic)" (hidden track) | 4:09 |
| 16. | "Beautiful Mistake" (Japanese release) | 3:13 |
| 17. | "Rock 'N' Roll High School" (Japanese release) | 2:17 |
- Radio #2 is in reference to an earlier Ataris track "Radio Still Sucks" from the Let It Burn split with Useless ID.
Personnel
denotation: * did not play on the album
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Charts
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Certifications
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References
- Citations
- 1 2 "The Ataris: So Long, Astoria". PopMatters.
- 1 2 Sputnikmusic review
- 1 2 Allmusic Review
- 1 2 "The Ataris - So Long, Astoria". Punknews.org.
- 1 2 3 "FMQB Airplay Archive: Modern Rock". Friday Morning Quarterback Album Report, Incorporated. Retrieved October 30, 2016.
- ↑ D'angelo, Joe (January 21, 2003). "Warped Tour Dates Announced, 17 More Bands Added". MTV. Retrieved June 29, 2016.
- ↑ https://theataris.bandcamp.com/album/complete-demos-so-long-astoria
- ↑ "So Long, Astoria". Metacritic.
- ↑ Rolling Stone Review
- ↑ "So Long, Astoria reviews at Metacritic.com". Metacritic. CNET Networks, Inc. Retrieved October 22, 2009.
- ↑ Bird, ed. 2014, p. 71
- ↑ "So Long, Astoria: Charts & Awards: Billboard Albums". Allmusic.
- ↑ RIAA Search 'The Ataris'
- ↑ "So Long, Astoria - The Ataris". Billboard. Retrieved March 18, 2012.
- Sources
External links
- So Long, Astoria at YouTube (streamed copy where licensed)