Product Description

New Bohemians, indeed. In the late '80s, this rag-tag Texasband stormed the music scene and rocketed up the charts with their beat/hippy debut.
Edie Brickell begins SHOOTING RUBBERBANDS AT THE STARS with the naively all-knowing credo "I'm not aware of too many things/I know what I know if you know what I mean". From her flower girl looks, to her carefree, girlish vocals, Brickell suggests a musical persona straight from the '60s; but her well-defined lyrics and original music are very today, and not as vulnerable as might first appear. Edie's style is conversational, quirky--in a Rickie Lee Jones fashion--yet very personal, and extremely off-centre. Her poetry is intimate and on-target. In "She" we meet a woman who "glows around you like a moon/She smiles at her reflection in a spoon/She reads expensive magazines/She sees herself in everything". In "Nothing" the sentiment is as simple as "There's nothing I hate more than nothing", and "The Air Of December" shows off Edie's best poetry.
The youth and innocence exhibited on this important debut is sturdy enough to stand the test of time. And it leaves us with the universal statement/question, "What I am is what I am, are you what you are, or what?"

Track Listing

1. What I Am
2. Little Miss S.
3. Air Of December
4. The Wheel
5. Love Like We Do
6. Circle
7. Beat The Time
8. She
9. Nothing
10. Now
11. Keep Coming Back
12. I Do

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #17776 in Music
• Released on: 1999-03-20
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 49 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
"What I Am", the lead-off track on Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars, was a left-field hit off this Dallas band's debut album, and it remains about the only thing they're remembered for (save Brickell's eventual marriage to Paul Simon). But a good part of this album is quite listenable and stands up reasonably well to the years. "Love Like We Do", "Little Miss S" and "The Wheel" are basically equal to "What I Am" in their rhythmic and melodic pop appeal; "Air of December" and "She" allow the band's more jazz-oriented roots a little room to flourish and the poignantly personal ballad "Circle" remains the best lyric Brickell has written. It was all downhill from here but Shooting Rubberbands was an early peak worth revisiting. --Peter Blackstock

Customer Reviews

Not for me
Having really liked the "Good times" song and video on the Windows 95 cd, and having liked even more the experimental tracks that are available from Edie Brickell's own website I came to this cd with high expectations. Sorry to say I was disappointed. Just not my musical territory I guess but the impression to my ear is of tuneless songs with uninspired accompaniment that mostly sound indistinguishable.
No point in criticising it for not being something different, but if you were attracted by songs like "Mad dog" and "Fast World" (or "Good times") and her more folky/country-ish material, then this one may not be for you.

quite simply beautiful
Like most people I got into Edie Brickell after hearing What I am, bought this album and absolutely loved it - didn't realise 16 years later I would still love it as much! To put it in the simplest terms....IF YOU LIKE GOOD MUSIC, LISTEN TO EDIE BRICKELL! Nothing is the stand out track lyric wise - so very true.
All the other albums are great as well.

Brilliant
Kicking off with the great What I am, Edie's distinctive voice coupled with the distinctive jangly sounds of the New Bohemians. Little Miss S is written with the skill of an eleanor rigby, The Air of December has a brillant yet simple guitar part that will hook you from the off, joined by swirling keyboads and Edies in and out vocal this is a sunday morning song at its best. The Wheel is slightly heavier with the drums in the chorus pounding it along. the Circle is simply beautiful, with a lovely melancholic feel to it, a haunting wistfulness which is Edie at her best. Beat the Time bops along. She has the jangly bohemains guitars like a latter day Byrds that the Bohemians are so good at doing. Now is the album closer, although it isn't, ghostly, spiritual and moving. Then whilst you are swimming in the stars you are hit by Keep Coming back which is raucous guitar driven pop in the best sense of the word and just when you think thats all then I do taps you on the shoulder. Edie and an acoustic guitar, folky, simple and beautiful.
A Fantastic debut album, an album to play in spring to reflect all the hope and optimism that it brings.