Sweet Oblivion
Sweet Oblivion is the sixth studio album by Screaming Trees, released on September 8, 1992. It quickly became the band's best-selling record, and was the closest they ever came to achieving mainstream success. Sweet Oblivion sold in excess of 300,000 copies on the strength of “Nearly Lost You”.[2] The band's biggest hit, “Nearly Lost You” benefited from an appearance on Singles: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, a Top Ten, platinum-selling hit album which featured many other popular Seattle-based music acts from the period.
Sweet Oblivion | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | September 8, 1992 | |||
Recorded | March 1992 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 46:13 | |||
Label | Epic | |||
Producer | Don Fleming | |||
Screaming Trees chronology | ||||
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Around the time of the recording of the album, the band’s original drummer Mark Pickerel left to pursue other musical interests, and was replaced with Barrett Martin.
Four years passed in between Sweet Oblivion and the band's follow-up album, Dust, a move that hurt much of the Trees' commercial momentum.[3]
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Entertainment Weekly | B+[5] |
Kerrang! | 4/5[6] |
Los Angeles Times | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
NME | 8/10[8] |
Q | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Select | 5/5[11] |
Spin Alternative Record Guide | 9/10[12] |
The Village Voice | B+[13] |
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Shadow of the Season" | L. Conner, Lanegan | 4:34 |
2. | "Nearly Lost You" | L. Conner, V. Conner, Lanegan | 4:07 |
3. | "Dollar Bill" | V. Conner, Lanegan | 4:35 |
4. | "More or Less" | L. Conner, V. Conner, Lanegan | 3:11 |
5. | "Butterfly" | L. Conner, V. Conner, Lanegan | 3:22 |
6. | "For Celebrations Past" | L. Conner, V. Conner, Lanegan, Martin | 4:09 |
7. | "The Secret Kind" | L. Conner, V. Conner, Lanegan, Martin | 3:08 |
8. | "Winter Song" | L. Conner, Lanegan | 3:43 |
9. | "Troubled Times" | L. Conner, V. Conner, Lanegan, Martin | 5:20 |
10. | "No One Knows" | L. Conner, Lanegan | 5:13 |
11. | "Julie Paradise" | V. Conner, Lanegan | 5:05 |
Personnel
Screaming Trees
- Mark Lanegan – vocals
- Gary Lee Conner (legally Lee Gary Conner) – guitar
- Van Conner – bass
- Barrett Martin – drums
Technical
- Don Fleming – production
- Andy Wallace – mixing
- Howie Weinberg – mastering
- John Agnello – engineering
Visual
- David Coleman – art direction
- Michael Lavine – photography
Charts
Album
Year | Chart | Peak |
---|---|---|
1992 | Heatseekers | 4 |
1993 | The Billboard 200 | 141 |
Singles
Year | Single | Chart | Peak |
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1992 | "Nearly Lost You" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 12 |
"Nearly Lost You" | Modern Rock Tracks | 5 | |
Hot 100 Airplay | 62 | ||
UK Singles Chart | 50 | ||
1993 | "Dollar Bill" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 40 |
Modern Rock Tracks | 28 |
References
- Sweet Oblivion
- Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Screaming Trees Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
- Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "allmusic ((( Dust > Review )))". AllMusic. Retrieved March 17, 2010.
- Huey, Steve. "Sweet Oblivion – Screaming Trees". AllMusic. Retrieved March 17, 2010.
- Farber, Jim (October 9, 1992). "Sweet Oblivion". Entertainment Weekly: 58. Retrieved March 17, 2010.
- Watts, Chris (October 31, 1992). "Screaming Trees 'Sweet Oblivion'". Kerrang!. 416. London, UK: EMAP.
- McOmber, James Martin (November 8, 1992). "Screaming Trees: 'Sweet Oblivion' (Epic)". Los Angeles Times.
- "Screaming Trees: Sweet Oblivion". NME: 37. October 3, 1992.
- "Screaming Trees: Sweet Oblivion". Q (73): 90. October 1992.
- Randall, Mac (2004). "Screaming Trees". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. p. 721. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
- Perry, Andrew (November 1992). "Screaming Trees: Sweet Oblivion". Select (29): 84–85.
- Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig, eds. (1995). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
- Christgau, Robert (March 9, 1993). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved March 17, 2010.