New Miserable Experience

New Miserable Experience
Studio album by Gin Blossoms
Released August 4, 1992
Recorded Ardent Studios,
Memphis, TN
Genre Power pop, jangle pop, alternative rock
Length 45:02
Label A&M
Producer Gin Blossoms,
John Hampton,
Gin Blossoms chronology
Up and Crumbling (EP)
(1991)		 New Miserable Experience
(1992)		 Shut Up And Smoke (EP)
(1994)
Alternate cover
Re-release cover
Singles from New Miserable Experience
  1. "Lost Horizons"
    Released: 1992
  2. "Mrs. Rita"
    Released: 1993
  3. "Hey Jealousy"
    Released: June 1993
  4. "Until I Fall Away"
    Released: August 1993
  5. "Found Out About You"
    Released: November 1993
  6. "Allison Road"
    Released: 1994

New Miserable Experience is the breakthrough album by power pop band Gin Blossoms, released on August 4, 1992. The album was released to little fanfare and relatively lackluster reviews. However, nearly a year after its release the lead single, "Hey Jealousy", entered the top 40, with "Found Out About You" following a few months later. The album eventually reached multi-platinum status.

The band's guitarist, Doug Hopkins, was fired near the conclusion of the recording sessions for the album, ostensibly for his persistent alcohol problems. His replacement, Scott Johnson, is listed as a member of the band in the liner notes, but did not play on the album. Just as the album was becoming a success at the end of 1993, Hopkins committed suicide.

New Miserable Experience's initial release had completely different packaging. The album's original cover artwork depicted the Arizona desert. Songs on the album, such as "Mrs. Rita", a song about a local psychic from the Gin Blossoms' hometown of Tempe, Arizona, were also written with references to the area, people and events surrounding the band at the time. The majority of the songs rely on a melody-driven pop style while the final track, "Cheatin'", leans into country music. The album was re-released in late summer 1993, in conjunction with A&M's newfound support of the album. To celebrate the album's tenth anniversary, a deluxe edition containing an extra disc of demos, outtakes and live performances was released by the label in 2002.

Track listing

  1. "Lost Horizons" (Doug Hopkins) – 3:20
  2. "Hey Jealousy" (Hopkins) – 3:56
  3. "Mrs. Rita" (Jim Swafford, Jesse Valenzuela) – 4:25
  4. "Until I Fall Away" (Valenzuela, Robin Wilson) – 3:51
  5. "Hold Me Down" (Hopkins, Wilson) – 4:50
  6. "Cajun Song" (Valenzuela) – 2:56
  7. "Hands Are Tied" (Valenzuela) – 3:17
  8. "Found Out About You" (Hopkins) – 3:53
  9. "Allison Road" (Wilson) – 3:18
  10. "29" (Valenzuela) – 4:18
  11. "Pieces of the Night" (Hopkins) – 4:33
  12. "Cheatin'" (Hopkins, Valenzuela) – 3:25

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Chicago Tribune[2]
Rolling Stone(favorable)[3]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[4]
The Village VoiceC+[5]

Rolling Stone praised the album, saying it "sounds both fresh and highly personal."[3] AllMusic called the album "a tight and lean collection of brilliant, edgy pop music."[1]

Chart performance

Album - Billboard (North America)

Year Chart Position
1993 Heatseekers 1
The Billboard 200 30

Singles - Billboard (North America)

Year Single Chart Position
1993 "Hey Jealousy" Mainstream Rock Tracks 4
The Billboard Hot 100 25
Top 40 Mainstream 20
"Found Out About You" Mainstream Rock Tracks 5
Modern Rock Tracks 1
The Billboard Hot 100 25
Top 40 Mainstream 6
"Mrs. Rita" Mainstream Rock Tracks 36
1994 "Until I Fall Away" Adult Contemporary 23
Mainstream Rock Tracks 40
Modern Rock Tracks 13
Top 40 Mainstream 13
"Allison Road" Mainstream Rock Tracks 20
Modern Rock Tracks 39
1995 "Found Out About You" Adult Top 40 38

Personnel

Gin Blossoms

Additional Personnel

Production

Original 1992 release:

References

  1. 1 2 Allmusic review
  2. ↑ Chicago Tribune review
  3. 1 2 "Gin Blossoms: New Miserable Experience : Music Reviews (Unfinished review)". Rolling Stone: 146. December 23, 1993. Archived from the original on 2007-12-23. Retrieved 2013-07-27.
  4. ↑ Brackett, Nathan; Christian Hoard (2004). The Rolling Stone Album Guide. New York City, New York: Simon and Schuster. p. 332. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  5. ↑ Christgau, Robert (November 29, 1994). "Turkey Shoot". The Village Voice (New York). Retrieved September 23, 2015.
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