Product Description

Understandably vitriolic following a lengthy contractual battle, Aimee Mann channeled her bitterness into a 13-song setthat sees her revisiting her recurring themes (romantic failure, pervasive ignorance) to create a personal best. The tone is established on the opener, "Long Shot", as Mann, backed by a jittery guitar line, sings bitter lyrics that could easily be directed at herself and/or a former flame. The results of a rejuvenating stint in mid-1990s Britpop-crazy London, "You Could Make a Killing" is reportedly about her crush on Noel Gallagher of Oasis, while "Sugarcoated", inspired byguitarist Bernard Butler's acrimonious departure from Suede, was co-written by and features Butler himself.
Every track here is a winner, with Mann's vocals forceful and direct, and Jon Brion's production wonderfully edgy in all the right places. The album closer, "It's Not Safe", one of Mann's signature songs, expresses the anguish that many artists experience at the hands of unappreciative record companies. Butwhere many performers would have thrown in the towel by this point, Mann bounced back with her most fully realised work.

Track Listing

1. Long Shot
2. Choice In The Matter
3. Sugarcoated
4. You Could Make A Killing
5. Superball
6. Amateur
7. All Over Now
8. Par For The Course
9. You're With Stupid Now
10. That's Just What You Are
11. Frankenstein
12. Ray
13. It's Not Safe

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #30084 in Music
• Released on: 1995-10-30
• Number of discs: 1

Customer Reviews

Not her best, still amazing
I'm With Stupid is oddly hailed as Aimee Mann's best album, but I can't agree. It has its fair share of brilliance, such as That's Just What You Are and Choice in the Matter, but it's nowhere near as good as Whatever or Bachelor No.2: for starters, the disastrous Ray should have been left off, and there's filler in the form of Superball (a metaphor for emotional volatility that doesn't quite hit the spot - it's ahrd to hear the words "I'm a superball! Bounce me once and I'll ricochet around the room!" without wanting to laugh). This said, the other tracks are as close to perfection as you're likely to get, and there's at least two all-time classics on this album plus a top-quality hidden track, so 4 stars it is.

A little slive of beauty
Out of all her albums, this one is my favourite. An eclectic mixture of songs, ranging from upbeat with a nice hint of bitterness (Sugarcoated and Long Shot) to practically tear-inducing (Par for the Course). Aimee once again demonstrates the sheer diversity of her writing and also the diversity of her voice as she winds her way through memorable melodies and haunting ballads. Although she will currently be best known for her work on the Magnolia soundtrack, this should currently be seen as her finest album. It is worth noting that this is one of the few albums that I listen to the entire way through, instead of skipping either irritating or dull tracks!

One of the best solo female artists...
Liked this album from the second I bought it. Aimee is slightly bitter and twisted and seems to have C&W overtones (so my friends tell me!) but the quality of song-writing is very high and I recommend the album to everyone. As a guide, I also listen to old goth, trance, bowie, brit-pop and alternative.