Songs from an American Movie Vol. One: Learning How to Smile

Songs from an American Movie Vol. One: Learning How to Smile is the fourth studio album by American alternative rock band Everclear, released on July 11, 2000. The album (along with its sequel, Songs from an American Movie Vol. Two: Good Time for a Bad Attitude) is a loose concept album inspired by lead singer Art Alexakis's second divorce. The first album is much more influenced by American pop music, especially from the 1970s, as well as being more "loving" in tone than the hard rock Good Time for a Bad Attitude. The album is dedicated to David Ridderhof and Louis Montoya.

Songs from an American Movie
Vol. One: Learning How to Smile
Studio album by
Everclear
ReleasedJuly 11, 2000
GenreAlternative rock, post-grunge
Length45:18
LabelCapitol
ProducerArt Alexakis, Lars Fox, Neal Avron
Everclear chronology
So Much for the Afterglow
(1997)		 Songs from an American Movie
Vol. One: Learning How to Smile
(2000)		 Songs from an American Movie Vol. Two: Good Time for a Bad Attitude
(2000)
Singles from Songs from an American Movie Vol. One: Learning How to Smile
  1. "Wonderful"
    Released: May 22, 2000
  2. "AM Radio"
    Released: 2000
  3. "Brown Eyed Girl"
    Released: 2001
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic57/100[1]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Alternative Press4/5[3]
Entertainment WeeklyB−[4]
Los Angeles Times[5]
Melody Maker[6]
NME4/10[7]
Q[8]
Rolling Stone[9]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[10]
The Village VoiceA−[11]

Learning How to Smile is the band's second highest selling album ever with 1.28 million copies sold and a Platinum certification by the RIAA.[12] It is also the band's only album to debut in the top ten on the Billboard charts, and the last album by Everclear to sell over 500,000 copies.

Track listing

All lyrics written by Art Alexakis, all music composed by Alexakis, Craig Montoya and Greg Eklund, unless otherwise noted.

No.TitleLength
1."Song from an American Movie, Pt 1"1:39
2."Here We Go Again" (samples "Bring the Noise" by Public Enemy)4:10
3."AM Radio" (samples "Mr. Big Stuff" by Jean Knight)3:56
4."Brown Eyed Girl" (Van Morrison cover)4:21
5."Learning How to Smile"3:50
6."The Honeymoon Song" (Eklund/Everclear)3:38
7."Now That It's Over"3:49
8."Thrift Store Chair"2:08
9."Otis Redding"3:56
10."Unemployed Boyfriend"4:15
11."Wonderful"5:01
12."Annabella's Song"4:55

On the original 2000 release of the album, the divide between tracks 11 and 12 was in the middle of "Annabella's Song." A reissue in 2001 corrected this error, as well as replacing the album version of "AM Radio" with the single mix and adding two bonus tracks: "Out of My Depth (single mix)" and "Rock Star."

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.

Everclear
Additional personnel
  • James Beaton – keyboard
  • Lars Fox – co-producer, percussion, backing vocals
  • Neal Avron – co-producer
  • Roy Lott – executive producer
  • Perry Watts-Russell – executive producer
  • Mike Kent – additional production and recording
  • Sean Cox – studio assistant
  • Andy Banton – studio assistant
  • Mike Ternyik – studio assistant
  • Charlie Paakkari – 2nd engineer
  • Frank W. Ockenfels III – photography

References
  1. "Reviews for Songs From An American Movie Vol. One: Learning How To Smile by Everclear". Metacritic. Retrieved December 4, 2012.
  2. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Songs from an American Movie, Vol. 1: Learning How to Smile – Everclear". AllMusic. Retrieved December 4, 2012.
  3. "Everclear: Songs from an American Movie Vol. One: Learning How to Smile". Alternative Press (146): 89. September 2000.
  4. Browne, David (September 14, 2000). "Songs from an American Movie, Vol. 1: Learning How to Smile". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 4, 2012.
  5. Nichols, Natalie (July 9, 2000). "'Movie' Finds Everclear in a Sentimental Mood". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 17, 2015. Retrieved December 5, 2015.
  6. "Everclear: Songs from an American Movie Vol. One: Learning How to Smile". Melody Maker: 50. August 8, 2000.
  7. "Songs From An American Movie, Volume 1: Learning How To Smile". NME. September 8, 2000. Archived from the original on October 12, 2008. Retrieved December 4, 2012.
  8. "Everclear: Songs from an American Movie Vol. One: Learning How to Smile". Q (168): 99. September 2000.
  9. Zacharek, Stephanie (July 6, 2000). "Everclear: Songs From An American Movie Vol. 1: Learning How To Smile". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on January 1, 2008. Retrieved December 4, 2012.
  10. Harris, Keith (2004). "Everclear". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 285–86. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  11. Christgau, Robert (September 26, 2000). "Consumer Guide: Afropop Worldwide". The Village Voice. Retrieved September 27, 2015.
  12. "Gold & Platinum - RIAA". RIAA. Retrieved December 27, 2016.
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