All Together Now (Better Than Ezra album)
| All Together Now | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 9, 2014 | |||
| Recorded | The Hobby Shop (Highland Park, CA) | |||
| Genre | Alternative rock,[1] post-grunge | |||
| Length | 39:09[2] | |||
| Label | The End | |||
| Producer | Tony Hoffer | |||
| Better Than Ezra chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from All Together Now | ||||
All Together Now is the eighth studio album by the
Background and recording
On February 10, 2014, it was announced that the band had signed with The End Records for the release of their eighth studio album.[6]
The band entered producer Tony Hoffer's studio, The Hobby Shop in
"Tony's aesthetic is different than maybe ours -- production-wise. He wants to have less elements do more. Our default when we produce...is like, 'We need more guitars!"...And Tony is like, 'No we're going to do one guitar and make it sound great and interesting."[8]
In an interview with Pollstar published on March 26, 2014, bassist Tom Drummond explained the gap between the band's 2009 release Paper Empire and All Together Now:
"We decided that we were going to put this out on our own terms. Nobody was going to tell us we had to put one out right now and then we’d rush through a bunch of songs to put out. We didn’t want to do that. We wanted to make the album we wanted to make ... So we took our time with it, we hired the right producer and we’re very excited about it."[9]
The band aimed for a sound that would please old fans and at the same time attract new ones. "We made an album that was poppier and more concise songwriting," says lead singer and songwriter Kevin Griffin. "We wanted to give our old fans something familiar, but we wanted to attract new fans."[10]
Promotion
In support of the album, the band is touring the US during the summer and fall of 2014.[10][11]
One week before its release, Billboard premiered the album in its entirety via online stream.[7]
On September 21, 2014, the band's performance from Anaheim's House of Blues was streamed live through Yahoo! Music.[10]
Release
On June 3, 2014, it was announced that the album would be released on September 9, 2014.[11]
On July 11, 2014, the artwork and track listing for the album were unveiled.[1]
Singles
The lead single from All Together Now, titled "Crazy Lucky", was released on March 25, 2014.[3] According to singer/guitarist Kevin Griffin, the song is about "the serendipitous nature of a relationship -- just how it's happenstance, how we meet people and the significant events over the course of our lives are so random."[8] The song peaked at No. 38 on the US Adult Top 40 chart.[12]
On August 5, 2014, the second single from the album, "Gonna Get Better", was released.[4]
Album
All Together Now was released on September 9, 2014, through The End Records.[5]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [13] |
All Together Now has received mostly positive feedback from music critics. Fred Thomas of AllMusic rated the album three and a half stars out of five, writing that it "finds (the band) at characteristic heights of wistful FM radio pop songwriting."[13]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Crazy Lucky" | 3:11 |
| 2. | "Gonna Get Better" | 3:06 |
| 3. | "Undeniable" | 3:25 |
| 4. | "Insane" | 3:03 |
| 5. | "Sunflowers" | 3:11 |
| 6. | "The Great Unknown" | 3:58 |
| 7. | "Before You" | 3:16 |
| 8. | "Dollar Sign" | 3:18 |
| 9. | "One Heart Beating" | 3:23 |
| 10. | "Diamond in My Pocket" | 2:40 |
| 11. | "I Fly Away" | 3:24 |
| 12. | "Shut Up and Dance" (Digital bonus track – available through iTunes, Amazon or Google Play[10]) | 3:14 |
| Total length: | 39:09[2] | |
Chart performance
Singles
Billboard Music Charts (North America)
| Song | Chart (2014) | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| Crazy Lucky | US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[15] | 38 |
Album
| Chart (2014) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[16] | 43 |
| US Independent Albums (Billboard)[17] | 9 |
| US | 7 |
| US | 13 |
Release history
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States[1] | September 9, 2014 |
|
The End |
References
- ^ a b c "Better Than Ezra – All Together Now". The End Records. July 11, 2014. Archived from the original on August 8, 2014. Retrieved July 31, 2014.
- ^ ASIN B00M5J7LXS. Retrieved September 10, 2014.
- ^ ASIN B00J23J4ZI. Retrieved July 30, 2014.
- ^ ASIN B00M5J7OJY. Retrieved August 5, 2014.
- ^ ASIN B00LD0V96K. Retrieved July 30, 2014.
- ^ a b "Platinum Selling Alternative Rock Group BETTER THAN EZRA Sign To The End Records". The End Records. February 10, 2014. Archived from the original on August 8, 2014. Retrieved July 31, 2014.
- ^ a b Payne, Chris (September 2, 2014). "Exclusive Premiere: Listen to Better Than Ezra's New Album 'All Together Now'". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved September 2, 2014.
- ^ a b Moraski, Lauren (June 4, 2014). "Better Than Ezra recaptures magic with "All Together Now"". CBS News. Retrieved July 31, 2014.
- ^ Smith, Jay (March 26, 2014). "Q&A With Better Than Ezra's Tom Drummond". Pollstar. Retrieved July 31, 2014.
- ^ a b c d "BETTER THAN EZRA RELEASE EIGHTH STUDIO ALBUM ALL TOGETHER NOW TODAY!". The End Records. September 9, 2014. Archived from the original on 2014-09-10. Retrieved September 10, 2014.
- ^ a b Smith, Jay (June 3, 2014). "Better Than Ezra Is 'All Together Now'". Pollstar. Retrieved July 31, 2014.
- ^ "Better Than Ezra - Chart history - Billboard". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved September 16, 2014.
- ^ Rovi Corporation. Retrieved December 23, 2014.
- ^ "iTunes - Music - All Together Now by Better Than Ezra". iTunes. Retrieved August 5, 2014.
- ^ "Better Than Ezra Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 16, 2014.
- ^ "Better Than Ezra Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
- ^ "Better Than Ezra Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard.
- ^ "Better Than Ezra Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard.
- ^ "Better Than Ezra Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard.
