Track Listing

1. Closing Time
2. Singing In My Sleep
3. Made To Last
4. Never You Mind
5. Secret Smile
6. DND
7. Completely Pleased
8. This Will Be My Year
9. All Worked Out
10. California
11. She Spreads Her Wings
12. Gone To The Movies

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #21285 in Music
• Released on: 1999-07-12
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .22 pounds
• Running time: 51 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
College rock's been done by everyone from literate romantics to heads-down bar bands to power-pop hooksmiths... but seldom by bands who can be all three--and score hit singles to boot. And in Semisonic's native Minneapolis, where the career of shambolic nearly-men The Replacements looms over the music scene like the dead (drunk) hand of history, the success part of the equation is even less likely. Against the odds, then, this trio's gleamingly produced second album not only hit the charts in the States, where wryly-observed anthem "Closing Time" was tailor-made for festival audiences, but in the UK, where the purring, Hall & Oates-ish "Secret Smile" seduced radio listeners who'd barely heard of musical kindred spirits The Posies and Fountains Of Wayne.

Beyond the singles, though, even album tracks here get the balance of bar-band crunch and pop kid swoon just right. Stuffed with Todd Rundgren/Big Star-style hooks and harmonies, Feeling Strangely Fine has a Wilco-like grasp of the joys of pop songs about pop in the compilation-cassette love story of "Singing In My Sleep" and the infectious self-deprecation of "This Will Be My Year". In a rare case of Minnesota guys finishing first, the latter's prediction even came true. --Jennifer Nine

CD Description
Semisonic likes to craft happy, mid-tempo distorto-pop songs. Fear not, however--homogeneity rears not its bland face. While acoustic guitar is present throughout, this power triois adept at varying its textures; Moog, wah-wah guitar and a pretty string section make a happy marriage here. In his lower range, lead vocalist/guitarist Dan Wilson adds a Dave Matthews-esque flavour, while higher up one hears echoes of Bono and Elton John. His guitar lines are simple and evocative, yet reinforced with enough overdrive to feel naughty. "Never You Mind" opens with piano reminiscent of Beatles rompers like "Lady Madonna", generously lacquered with trippy synth whistles and bubbles. The infectious guitar riff on "California" (that's Ca-li-forn-Eye-ah) is a welcome companion to a song about home and volcanoes. Brimming with original popcraft, FEELING STRANGELY FINE is true to its title, rising above its plaintive undertone with a bittersweet sense of wonder.

Customer Reviews

Pure genius...
Chances are that if you were alive and cognisant in 1998 you will have heard the single "Closing Time" and quite probably "Secret Smile" as well. If you were a true discerning listener of taste you may well have been aware of 1996 critically acclaimed but totally unheard album "Great Divide". So on the basis of this you dutifully went out and bought "Feeling Strangely Fine", came home played it once, casually admired the music within, and then placed it in your collection to gather dust.
You fool.
With their debut E.P. "Pleasure" Semisonic revealed to the world a thoughtful, talented band with the energy and drive to match any expectations. In "Great Divide" they found their direction and added maturity to the masterful but sometimes-chaotic signature sound developed in their previous E.P. With 1998s "Feeling Strangely Fine" they truly hit their stride.
I recently tried to compile a list of the top 50 songs of all time. Had I not imposed a one-song limit on each band the top 12 songs would all have been from this album. Each track is an undoubted masterpiece - from the quirky cheerfulness of songs such as "Never You Mind" and "Completely Pleased" to the more melancholy, acoustic numbers such as "Gone To The Movies" and the inspiring vocal performance of bassist John Munson on "She Spreads her Wings". A must-have for all music lovers.

A beautiful, hypnotic album from an unusual band
This excellent album has so much in it that makes it stand out from others of its genre. Less outspoken and softer than louder rock, less reliant on electronica than many of its counterparts, Dan Wilson and co have created a very special and memorable album.

The touching tracks 'Closing Time' and 'Secret Smile' really stand out (for me 'Secret Smile' is the tune of 90s nostalgia): the gentle vocals and guitar complete the wonderful tunes and sincere lyrics. There is a beautiful naivety and theme of positivity in tracks such as 'Singing in my Sleep' and 'She Spreads Her Wings', which do something to relieve the emotion from more melancholy tracks such as 'Gone to the Movies' and create an album which overall is full of life and hope.

My one criticism would be that some of the songs begin to be somewhat samey and less distinctive, particularly towards the end of the album (This Will Be My Year and Completely Pleased are, in my opinion, underachivers). Nevertheless, these tracks are very much the exception and this album is overall emotive, original and well worth the purchase.

A quality album worthy of any great collection.
This album is pure masterclass by Semisonic. After buying on the basis of a live concert and two songs ('Closing time' & 'Secret smile') I was delighted to discover that these tracks were complimented with other superb songs such as 'DND' and 'Singing in my sleep' - possibly the best on the Album. If there is an American version of the mancunian band 'James', then this is it. But what band starts an album with the lyrics 'Closing time' ?