Showing posts with label Dan Wilson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dan Wilson. Show all posts

Thursday, November 14, 2019

"Chemistry" by Semisonic

If you want to learn what it is like to have 15 minutes of fame in a rock and roll band, check out Jacob Slichter's book, "So You Wanna Be a Rock & Roll Star: How I Machine-Gunned a Roomful Of Record Executives and Other True Tales from a Drummer's Life." Slichter was the drummer for 90s alternative rock band Semisonic, who scored a single chart hit in 1998 when the ubiquitous "Closing Time" reached #11.

I am always baffled why the band didn't score more hits--they wrote terrifically catchy pop songs that were just what the world needed after grunge. Slichter's book reveals the likely reason was incompetent management and record labels.

Even after a huge hit like "Closing Time," the band could not get back on the chart. It wasn't the band's fault. The follow-up record's lead single, "Chemistry," is fantastic. Lead songwriter Dan Wilson went on to a solo career, and has found great success writing for others, including Dixie Chicks and Adele.