So Long, Astoria

So Long, Astoria
Studio album by The Ataris
Released	March 4, 2003
Recorded	August 19 to November 1, 2002 at Ocean Studios, Burbank, California; Grandmaster, Hollywood, California and Orange Whip Studios, Santa Barbara, California
Genre	Pop punk,[1][2] punk rock,[3] rock[4]
Length	48:55
Label	Columbia
Producer	Lou Giordano
The Ataris chronology
All You Can Ever Learn Is What You Already Know (2002) So Long, Astoria (2003) Live at the Metro (2004)
Singles from So Long, Astoria
"In This Diary" Released: February 2003 "The Boys of Summer" Released: September 29, 2003 "The Saddest Song" Released: November 5, 2003

So Long, Astoria is the fourth full-length album released by The Ataris on March 4, 2003.

This is The Ataris' first and only album on Columbia Records, having previously been signed to independent punk label Kung Fu Records. It peaked at No. 24 on the Billboard 200^[5] and has been certified gold status.^[6] The album's title song alludes to the 1985 film The Goonies, which is set in Astoria, Oregon. To date So Long, Astoria is The Ataris’ most successful album. In December 2013 the band released the demos that had been recorded for the album.^[7]

Background and recording

Origins

After promoting their previous album End is Forever and ending their contract with Kung Fu Records the band signed with major label Columbia Records to begin the recording of their fourth full-length album. The band hired Lou Giordano to produce the record.

Recording

The band officially entered the studio to begin recording sessions for So Long, Astoria on August 19, 2002 at Ocean Studios, Burbank, California.

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	57/100[8]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[3]
PopMatters	positive[1]
Punknews.org	[4]
Rolling Stone	[9]
Sputnikmusic	4.0/5[2]

Initial critical response to So Long, Astoria was very average. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received an average score of 57, based on seven reviews.^[10] The album was included at number 25 on Rock Sound's "The 51 Most Essential Pop Punk Albums of All Time" list.^[11]

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Kris Roe, except where noted. 

No.	Title	Length
1.	"So Long, Astoria"	3:22
2.	"Takeoffs and Landings"	3:56
3.	"In This Diary"	3:54
4.	"My Reply"	4:14
5.	"Unopened Letter to the World"	2:38
6.	"The Saddest Song"	4:15
7.	"Summer '79"	3:57
8.	"The Hero Dies in This One" (Roe, John Collura, Mike Davenport, Chris Knapp)	4:07
9.	"All You Can Ever Learn is What You Already Know" (Roe, Collura, Davenport, Knapp)	3:31
10.	"The Boys of Summer" (Don Henley, Michael Campbell)	4:18
11.	"Radio #2"	3:20
12.	"Looking Back on Today"	3:53
13.	"Eight of Nine"	3:30
14.	"I Won't Spend Another Night Alone"	3:50
15.	"The Saddest Song (Acoustic)"	4:10
Total length:		48:55

Japanese and Hidden tracks
No.	Title	Length
14.	"I Won't Spend Another Night Alone" (hidden track)	3:50
15.	"The Saddest Song (Acoustic)" (hidden track)	4:09
16.	"Beautiful Mistake" (Japanese release)	3:13
17.	"Rock 'N' Roll High School" (Japanese release)	2:17

• Radio #2 is in reference to an earlier Ataris track "Radio Still Sucks" from the Let It Burn split with Useless ID.

Personnel

The Ataris Kristopher Roe – Lead vocals, rhythm guitar, lead guitar, bass, mellotron, moog synthesizer Mike Davenport  – Bass guitar * John Collura  – Lead guitar, backing vocals, piano * Chris Knapp – Drums, percussion denotation: * did not play on the album Artwork Sergie Loobkoff – Art direction, design Kristopher Roe – Photography Danny Clinch – Band photos Chuck Meyer – Water Tower photos Brent Vann – Tattoo Art Additional musicians Angus Cooke – Cello Mike Herrera – Additional backing vocals on "Radio #2" James Muhawi – Piano on "The Saddest Song" Glen Phillips & Tim Pagnotta –Additional backing vocals

Production Lou Giordano – Producer, mixing The Ataris – Track arranger Tim Devine – A&R David Ashton, Jason Cupp & Dean Nelson – Assistant Engineers Andrew Alekel & Thomas Flowers  – Engineers Jack Joseph Puig – Mixing Johnathan Cox – Programming Elissa Meihsner – Additional Tracking Management Darren Lewis – Management Christel Layton, Nicole Palmer, David Weise – Business Management Alan Mintz – Legal Andy Somers – North American Booking Dave Chumbley –International Booking Anne Alderete – Management Assistant Jon Pikus – A&R Associate

Charts

Album Chart (2003) Peak position Australian Albums Chart 38 UK Albums Chart 92 US Billboard 200[12] 24 Singles Year Song Chart Position 2003 In This Diary U.S. Modern Rock Tracks 11 The Boys Of Summer Billboard Hot 100 20 U.S. Modern Rock Tracks 2 Top 40 Mainstream 10 Top 40 Tracks 16 Mainstream Rock Tracks 36 Adult Top 40 18 The Saddest Song U.S. Modern Rock Tracks 27

Certifications Country Certification Sales United States Gold 700,000 Units+

References

Citations

1. "The Ataris: So Long, Astoria". PopMatters.
2. Sputnikmusic review
3. Allmusic Review
4. "The Ataris - So Long, Astoria". Punknews.org.
5. "So Long, Astoria: Charts & Awards: Billboard Albums". Allmusic.
6. RIAA Search 'The Ataris'
7. https://theataris.bandcamp.com/album/complete-demos-so-long-astoria
8. "So Long, Astoria". Metacritic.
9. Rolling Stone Review
10. "So Long, Astoria reviews at Metacritic.com". Metacritic. CNET Networks, Inc. Retrieved October 22, 2009.
11. Bird, ed. 2014, p. 71
12. "So Long, Astoria - The Ataris". Billboard. Retrieved March 18, 2012.

Sources

• Bird, Ryan, ed. (September 2014). "The 51 Most Essential Pop Punk Albums of All Time". Rock Sound (London: Freeway Press Inc.) (191). ISSN 1465-0185.

External links

• So Long, Astoria at YouTube (streamed copy where licensed)