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"Lullaby" was more than just a one-off novelty hit that unexpectedly established the career of longtime indie singer/songwriter Shawn Mullins in 1998-1999 (though it was that, too). It was a song that encapsulated both of Mullins' strongest traits. In its semi-spoken verses, he revealed his eye for detail and his sardonic outlook; in its choruses, he demonstrated his ability to craft a pop hook. On Beneath the Velvet Sun, his first real major-label album (its predecessor, Soul's Core, was picked up by Columbia after release on his own SMG label), Mullins leans more to the latter tendency, but he provides enough of the former to pacify the audience he earned with "Lullaby." The album's first single, "Everywhere I Go," is a good example of Mullins' pop talent, a catchy but somewhat weightless effort with a bland love lyric. But the song Columbia really should have released as the first single is the lead-off track, "Up All Night," a story song about a lowlife rock & roll couple full of Mullins' wry observations and the album's only song to be half-spoken in the style of "Lullaby." A bigger budget allows the artist to indulge in string and horn sections here and there, demonstrating the breadth of his stylistic reach. But the fans he earned with "Lullaby" are more likely to respond to more conventional pop/rock songs like "Amy's Eyes," not only because of its catchiness but also because of its name-dropping third-person description. Another good song is "Santa Fe," a driving song with a twangy guitar hook and more of Mullins' individual characterizations. If one of these songs takes off, it may not matter (at least to the bottom line) that there are too many simpleminded, vague love songs among the other tracks. But Beneath the Velvet Sun is the uneven work of a talented artist who doesn't seem to trust the idiosyncratic approach that brought him to national attention enough to really let himself go. You can hardly blame him for trying to play it safe, given his one-hit wonder status, but the album's very bow to commercialism may keep it from being the hit it might have been.
© William Ruhlmann /TiVo
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Shawn Mullins, Acoustic Guitar, Associated Performer, Composer, Lyricist, Main Artist, Producer, Acoustic Guitar, Associated Performer, Composer, Lyricist, Producer - Julian Raymond, Producer - Matthew Kahler, Composer, Lyricist - Greg Goldman, Engineer - Michael Ward, Electric Guitar - Luis Conte, Percussion - Bryan Cook, Assistant Engineer - Joe Bishara, Programmer - M. Lawler, Author - Vinnie Colaiuta, Drums - Bernie Grundman, Mastering Engineer - Bennet Salvay, Piano - Al Bonds, Associated Performer - Kim Bullard, Loops - John Pierce, Bass
(P) 2000 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
Shawn Mullins, Acoustic Guitar, Associated Performer, Composer, Lyricist, Main Artist, Producer, Acoustic Guitar, Associated Performer, Composer, Lyricist, Producer - Julian Raymond, Producer - Matthew Kahler, Composer, Lyricist - Greg Goldman, Engineer - Michael Ward, Electric Guitar - Mike Lawler, Composer, Lyricist - Luis Conte, Percussion - Bryan Cook, Assistant Engineer - Bernie Grundman, Mastering Engineer - Vinnie Colaiuta, Drums - Bennett Salvay, Harpsichord, Organ - Kim Bullard, Loops - John Pierce, Bass
(P) 2000 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
Shawn Mullins, Acoustic Guitar, Associated Performer, Composer, Lyricist, Main Artist, Producer, Acoustic Guitar, Associated Performer, Composer, Lyricist, Producer - Julian Raymond, Composer, Lyricist, Producer - Greg Goldman, Engineer - Michael Ward, Electric Guitar - Luis Conte, Percussion - Bryan Cook, Assistant Engineer - Bernie Grundman, Mastering Engineer - Vinnie Colaiuta, Drums - Bennett Salvay, Organ, Piano - Kim Bullard, Loops - John Pierce, Bass
(P) 2000 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
Shawn Mullins, Acoustic Guitar, Associated Performer, Composer, Lyricist, Main Artist, Producer, Acoustic Guitar, Associated Performer, Composer, Lyricist, Producer - Julian Raymond, Producer - David Immergluck, Mandolin - Greg Goldman, Engineer - Michael Ward, Electric Guitar - Bryan Cook, Assistant Engineer - Kim Bullard, Loops, Programmer - Marty Rifkin, Dobro - Bernie Grundman, Mastering Engineer - Luis Conte, Percussion - Vinnie Colaiuta, Drums - Bennett Salvay, Organ - Shawn Colvin, Associated Performer - John Pierce, Bass
(P) 2000 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
Shawn Mullins, Acoustic Guitar, Associated Performer, Composer, Lyricist, Main Artist, Producer, Acoustic Guitar, Associated Performer, Composer, Lyricist, Producer - Anthony J. Resta, Drums, Producer, Programmer - Jay Joyce, Electric Guitar - Julian Raymond, Producer - Kariadi Sutedja, Engineer - David Patterson, Electric Guitar - Glenn Matullo, Engineer - Chris Lord-Alge, Mixing Engineer - Ricky Keller, Bass
(P) 2000 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
Shawn Mullins, Acoustic Guitar, Associated Performer, Composer, Lyricist, Main Artist, Producer, Acoustic Guitar, Associated Performer, Composer, Lyricist, Producer - Nicole Chillemi - Anthony J. Resta, Producer - Kariadi Sutedja, Engineer - Stephan Sadler, Mandolin - Glenn Matullo, Engineer - Chris Lord-Alge, Mixing Engineer
(P) 2000 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
Shawn Mullins, Acoustic Guitar, Associated Performer, Composer, Lyricist, Main Artist, Producer, Acoustic Guitar, Associated Performer, Composer, Lyricist, Producer - Anthony J. Resta, Drums, Keyboards, Producer, Programmer - Kariadi Sutedja, Engineer - Jay Joyce, Electric Guitar - Glenn Matullo, Engineer - Chris Lord-Alge, Mixing Engineer - Shelby Lynne, Associated Performer - David LaBruyere, Bass - Garret Savluk, Trumpet
(P) 2000 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
Shawn Mullins, Associated Performer, Composer, Lyricist, Main Artist, Piano, Producer, Associated Performer, Composer, Lyricist, Piano, Producer - Kyle Shiver - Kelly Hobbs, Composer, Lyricist - Anthony J. Resta, Drums, Producer, Programmer - Julian Raymond, Producer - David Patterson, Classical Guitar, Electric Guitar - Kariadi Sutedja, Engineer - Jay Joyce, Electric Guitar - Glenn Matullo, Engineer - Chris Lord-Alge, Mixing Engineer - Ricky Keller, Bass
(P) 2000 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
Shawn Mullins, Acoustic Guitar, Associated Performer, Composer, Lyricist, Main Artist, Producer, Acoustic Guitar, Associated Performer, Composer, Lyricist, Producer - Bill Bonk, Composer, Lyricist - Anthony J. Resta, Drums, Producer, Programmer - Jay Joyce, Electric Guitar - Julian Raymond, Producer - Kariadi Sutedja, Engineer - David Patterson, Electric Guitar - Glenn Matullo, Engineer - Ricky Keller, Arranger, Bass - Chris Lord-Alge, Mixing Engineer - David Arenz, Violin - David Braitberg, Violin - Jay Christy, Violin - Jun-Ching Lin, Violin - Carolyn Hancock, Violin - Lorentz Ottzen, Violin - Ronda Respess, Violin - Willard Shull, Violin - Ralph Jones, Bass - Doug Sommer, Bass - Reid Harris, Viola - Eric Johnson, Viola - Paul Murphy, Viola - Hedi Nitchie, Viola - Jere Flint, Cello - David Hancock, Cello - Daniel Laufer, Cello - Elizabeth Murphy, Cello
(P) 2000 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
Shawn Mullins, Acoustic Guitar, Associated Performer, Composer, Lyricist, Main Artist, Producer, Acoustic Guitar, Associated Performer, Composer, Lyricist, Producer - Stephan Sadler, Mandolin - Anthony J. Resta, Producer - Kariadi Sutedja, Engineer - Glenn Matullo, Engineer - David Patterson, Acoustic Guitar - Chris Lord-Alge, Mixing Engineer
(P) 2000 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
Shawn Mullins, Acoustic Guitar, Associated Performer, Composer, Lyricist, Main Artist, Producer, Acoustic Guitar, Associated Performer, Composer, Lyricist, Producer - Anthony J. Resta, Drums, Guitar, Producer, Programmer - Kariadi Sutedja, Engineer - Stephan Sadler, Electric Guitar, Mandolin - Glenn Matullo, Engineer - Jan Joyce, Electric Guitar - Chris Lord-Alge, Mixing Engineer - David LaBruyere, Bass
(P) 2000 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
Shawn Mullins, Associated Performer, Composer, Lyricist, Main Artist, Piano, Producer, Associated Performer, Composer, Lyricist, Piano, Producer - Walter Carter Jr. - Anthony J. Resta, Drums, Producer, Programmer - Kariadi Sutedja, Engineer - Taj Artis - Garret Savluk, Arranger, Trumpet - Glenn Matullo, Engineer - Cheryl Renee - Chris Lord-Alge, Mixing Engineer - John madgett - Alfreda Gerald - Oliver Wells, Conductor - Dan Tamlow, Recording Engineer - Jay Joyce, Electric Guitar - David LaBruyere, Bass - Henley Douglas Jr., Baritone Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone
(P) 2000 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
Shawn Mullins, Associated Performer, Composer, Lyricist, Main Artist, Oboe, Piano, Producer, Associated Performer, Composer, Lyricist, Oboe, Piano, Producer - Jay Joyce, Electric Guitar - Anthony J. Resta, Executive Producer, Keyboards, Loops, Producer - David Patterson, Electric Guitar - Ricky Keller, Arranger - Kariadi Sutedja, Engineer - Glenn Matullo, Engineer - Chris Lord-Alge, Mixing Engineer
(P) 2000 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
Album review
"Lullaby" was more than just a one-off novelty hit that unexpectedly established the career of longtime indie singer/songwriter Shawn Mullins in 1998-1999 (though it was that, too). It was a song that encapsulated both of Mullins' strongest traits. In its semi-spoken verses, he revealed his eye for detail and his sardonic outlook; in its choruses, he demonstrated his ability to craft a pop hook. On Beneath the Velvet Sun, his first real major-label album (its predecessor, Soul's Core, was picked up by Columbia after release on his own SMG label), Mullins leans more to the latter tendency, but he provides enough of the former to pacify the audience he earned with "Lullaby." The album's first single, "Everywhere I Go," is a good example of Mullins' pop talent, a catchy but somewhat weightless effort with a bland love lyric. But the song Columbia really should have released as the first single is the lead-off track, "Up All Night," a story song about a lowlife rock & roll couple full of Mullins' wry observations and the album's only song to be half-spoken in the style of "Lullaby." A bigger budget allows the artist to indulge in string and horn sections here and there, demonstrating the breadth of his stylistic reach. But the fans he earned with "Lullaby" are more likely to respond to more conventional pop/rock songs like "Amy's Eyes," not only because of its catchiness but also because of its name-dropping third-person description. Another good song is "Santa Fe," a driving song with a twangy guitar hook and more of Mullins' individual characterizations. If one of these songs takes off, it may not matter (at least to the bottom line) that there are too many simpleminded, vague love songs among the other tracks. But Beneath the Velvet Sun is the uneven work of a talented artist who doesn't seem to trust the idiosyncratic approach that brought him to national attention enough to really let himself go. You can hardly blame him for trying to play it safe, given his one-hit wonder status, but the album's very bow to commercialism may keep it from being the hit it might have been.
© William Ruhlmann /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 13 track(s)
- Total length: 00:47:55
- Main artists: Shawn Mullins
- Composer: Shawn Mullins
- Label: Columbia
- Genre: Pop/Rock Rock
2000 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
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