I couldn’t get enough of It’s a Shame About Ray when it was released in 1992.  It wasn’t only the title track either.  Songs like “Confetti, My Drug Buddy and Rudderless” (even the much reviled cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s “Mrs Robinson”) made this record a must own back then.   It was an Alternative Rock programmer’s dream; it had folk, rock, melody, a breeziness and it was catchy as all get out.   The Lemonheads had been around since 1986 and had really never risen above Indie status before their sixth record (including EPs), It’s a Shame About Ray, was released.   They had a following, don’t get me wrong, but it just seemed like their popularity exploded in 1992.  As far as I was concerned, it was with good reason.

If I understand the chain of events, the “Mrs Robinson” cover was almost an accident as it was recorded to promote the video release of the classic 1967 movie soundtrack The Graduate featuring Dustin Hoffman, Anne Bancroft and Katharine Ross.   It also appeared on the soundtrack to 1993′s Wayne’s World 2, but by then it was anticlimactic.   The band was annoyed that it was released at all, but it became so popular that they had to reissue the Ray CD and include it because so many people like me bought the original CD, sans “Mrs Robinson,” and were disappointed to find it was later reissued.    I just went out and bought the CD single My Drug Buddy (which included ”Mrs Robinson”)  to remedy the situation, but it was annoying to me as well.   I can so remember getting  singed a few years prior with XTC’s Skylarking when it failed to originally include the single “Dear God.”   The point is, while it is my understanding that The Lemonheads weren’t thrilled with  ”Mrs Robinson” they are still playing it on the radio to this day.  I can take it or leave it, but it’s not better than any of the other songs I mentioned above and I’m a mad Simon & Garfunkel fan.   I grew up with those boys.   Folk at its very best.

Chief Lemonhead Evan Dando became a popular face beyond his wildest expectations as a result of the genius of It’s a Shame About Ray.   The record was so strong it seemed to somehow fit right in with the Alice in Chains, Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden fare of the day.  Dando appeared even made People Magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful that year.   Heady stuff for a guy who allegedly had a taste for the drug world.   He had created his own musical category if memory serves called “Bubblegrunge.”  How awesome is that?  Call it whatever you want, but I loved it.  I was very disappointed when they couldn’t even come close to duplicating this record.  1993′s Come On Feel The Lemonheads had a nice single “Into Your Arms,” but ultimately the record fell flat.  They had half a dozen decent singles between 1987 and 1996 (see their cover of Suzanne Vega’s “Luka” for instance), but I just can’t help but think they could have done better.    That’s just my opinion of course.   I’ve never written a single song so I have no business criticizing anyone.

I know I’ve been posting more than one song in most of my posts, which I’m sure is good news to MP3 surfers, but this is a record I sort of want to post four songs so I’m going to.  If you somehow missed these the first time around; you’re welcome.   I could use some supportive comments though; the one’s I’ve been getting lately are coming from aggravated artists and fans after I’ve reluctantly labeled someone a potential one hit wonder.   I hope you like these songs as much as I do.

The Lemonheads – It’s a Shame About Ray.mp3

The Lemonheads – Confetti.mp3

The Lemonheads – Rudderless.mp3

The Lemonheads – My Drug Buddy.mp3

The Lemonheads - My Drug Buddy.mp3 YSI

Buy or download It’s a Shame About Ray from Amazon here. 

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