 | Sounds & Lyrics | |
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Feeling as if the Atticus sound might have been forever silenced, Donnie auditioned for several new-forming rock groups in the area. Each venture went well, but it didn't take long for Donnie to realize that he wasn't enjoying the new styles he had gotten into. The music didn't have any real feeling or substance, and every group sounded exactly like the one before it. Donnie was at the point of giving up altogether when he finally realized the obvious solution: record an Atticus album with the three members who formed the group in 1995 - Allen Clark, Aaron Sauers, and himself. In April of 2001, the original Atticus returned to the studio with determination and pride. Eight months later, Figment was born. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
PROGRAM LENGTH: 14 tracks, 62:08 TT RELEASED: December 20, 2001 (independent) RECORDED AT: Dwell Studios, Knoxville, TN; "The Weekend House" recorded at Citadel Broadcasting Studios, Knoxville, TN. PRODUCTION: Atticus & MiAH. MIXING & MASTERING: MiAH. ARTWORK CONCEPTION: Amanda Krawietz, MiAH, Aaron Sauers, & Donnie Shockley. PHOTOGRAPHY: MiAH. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Recorded April, 2001 through December, 2001 at Dwell Studios in Knoxville, TN. Produced by MiAH and Donnie Shockley. All engineering, mixing, mastering, and artwork assembly by MiAH. Songs ©2001 Goldacre & Horner Music, Ltd., except "Runaway" and "Pachelbel's Kanon In D." Album ©2001 Goldacre & Horner Records, Inc. All rights reserved. Any unauthorized duplication is a violation of applicable laws. Atticus - Allen Clark Aaron Sauers Donnie Shockley Guest Musicians - Bob Goodson - lead guitar on "Eternity," "You & Me," and "Full House" Quinna Johnson - vocals on "Fallin' Apart" MiAH - additional guitar on "Eternity;" lead guitar on "Yankee & Dixie," "It Wouldn't Be Christmas Without You," "Carolina," and "99 Bottles;" bass on "Full House" Monique McCague - reading of "The Weekend House" Marcus Parcus - keyboard on "Runaway" "99 Bottles Of Beer On The Wall" recorded live at the Glasgow Cathouse in Scotland on March 14, 2001. Dedicated to my classmates in Speech 210, Fall 2001, UTK! Donnie thanks: Everyone who has supported me and the music over the years...you're the reason why I keep going. To Bob Goodson, Quinna Johnson, MiAH, Monique McCague, and Marcus Parcus for playing so excellently on the album. To my brothers in da band: AC, Aaron, Adam Menhinick, Jeev Raghow, Matt DeMonbrum, and Cliff Lin. To Mandie for being the most wonderful girl a guy could possibly have, and to Ashley for being the most wonderful little girl a guy could possibly have. :) To Dwell, Joe Friday, Perfect Mercy, Dead Mark, and Sarah Lewis for shows and support. To Marie Taylor, creator of the A List website and a huge Atticus fan...we love you and miss you greatly. To unsignedFM radio in London for giving us a spin every now and then...I can't get airplay in my hometown, but I can get it in England? Go figure! This album is for my best friend and the most talented songwriter and musician I know: Allen Clark. Aaron also says: "Thanks." Visit the official Atticus website at www.atticus.biz Contact Atticus via e-mail at atticus@atticus.biz | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Album Review by Sarah Sherburn (dailybeacon.utk.edu) Local band Atticus delivers a smooth acoustic mix with its second independent release Figment. The album begins with a cover of Del Shannon's "Runaway." The band adds some extra lyrics at the beginning, starting off with a bouncy bass line and progressing into a happy mid-tempo tune. It may put a smile on listeners' faces. A highlight of Figment is "I Know that Baby Loves Me." It is a delightful reminder of old barbershop quartet songs and includes very soft guitar riffs in the background. The song "In Texas My Love" borders on country. It is acoustic, slow and includes very engaging harmonies. Atticus puts a stirring rendition of "99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall" at track five. The song was recorded live in Scotland and is just what listeners might expect - a song that would be quite good for drunken parties. It is the longest track at 13 minutes. One of the most beautiful tracks on the album actually has no words. It is a drowsy yet uplifting rendition of "Pachelbel's Canon in D." Violins croon for a full six minutes of gorgeousness. Figment also includes two Christmas songs, although "It Wouldn't be Christmas Without You" is more of a happy, poppy love song. The foot-tapping tune has a simple chorus centered on the lyrics, "I can't take another Christmas without you, baby/ it wouldn't be Christmas without you." "One Less Christmas You'll have to Spend Alone" is a mellow end to the album. The song features a bluegrass intro and highlights the vocals with lyrics like "Daddy's gonna be outside that night to sing his girl a Christmas song." In between the two Christmas songs is a spoken piece called "The Weekend House," which is read by Monique McCague. It is an odd but slightly refreshing respite among the holiday tunes. Figment has many good points. The vocals are unique and accompany the acoustic guitars that are featured in most of the songs. The extras such as the instrumentals and "99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall" will make listeners take note and not get too lost in the music. |
