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Dividing her time between waging war on the music industry and writing sublime pop songs, Aimee Mann shows on her fourth solo album that she is equally adept at both. "Let's hear it for guys like me," she sings over the lilting rhythms and stylish guitar work of "Guys Like Me." Her case for toppling the corporate structure is airtight; just check her Web site for the latest bulletin. Her music, meanwhile, keeps getting better. The success of the Magnolia soundtrack may have restored her confidence following the record company strife that followed her first two solo releases--Whatever and I'm With Stupid--but the wounds have not healed. "All the perfect drugs and superheroes wouldn't be enough to bring me up to zero," the former 'Til Tuesday singer imparts over the layered, lush tones of the opening "Humpty Dumpty." Meanwhile, on the emotionally distressed "It's Not," she muses over a forlorn 16-piece string section, "I keep waiting for a change but I don't know for what." It could be the prettiest, most polite battle cry ever. --Aidin Vaziri

Product description

Personnel includes: Aimee Mann (vocals, guitar, 6- & 12-string acoustic guitars, piano, bass, percussion, tambourine); Michael Lockwood (guitar, 12-string acoustic guitar, baritone guitar, slide guitar, dobro, zither, autoharp, celeste, chamberlin, omnichord, marxophone, harmonium, Mini-Moog synthesizer, Prophet synthesizer, theremin, bass, shakers); Jebin Bruni (piano, chamberlin, Prophet synthesizer); Mike Denneen (Wurlitzer piano, harpsichord); Patrick Warren (chamberlin); Dave Palmer (organ); Jason Falkner (bass); Ryan Freeland, Michael Penn (loops); John Sands (drums, shakers); Jay Bellerose (drums); Darian Sahanaja, Buddy Judge, Rusty Squeezebox, Mike Randle (background vocals). Producers: Michael Lockwood, Ryan Freeland, Mike Deneen. Recorded at Sonora Recorders, Hensons Recording Studio and Stampede Origin Studios, Los Angeles, California; Kampo, New York, New York; and QSound, Boston, Massachusetts. Personnel: Aimee Mann (vocals, guitar, acoustic guitar, acoustic 12-string guitar, electric guitar, piano, keyboards, acoustic bass, bass guitar, drums, clappers, tambourine, percussion, sound effects, background vocals); Michael Lockwood (guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, 12-string guitar, slide guitar, baritone guitar, dobro, E-bow, autoharp, zither, celesta, harmonium, chamberlin, omnichord, keyboards, ARP synthesizer, mini-Moog synthesizer, clappers, shaker, loops, sound effects, Theremin); Michele Richards, Darius Campo, Susan Chatman (violin, bass violin); John Wittenberg, Mario de Le?n, Joel Derouin, Peter Kent, Natalie Leggett, Berj Garabedian (violin); Armen Garabedian (bass violin); Carole Mukogawa, Denyse Buffum (viola); Larry Corbett, Dan Smith, Steve Richards (cello); Patrick Warren (strings, horns, chamberlin); Jebin Bruni (strings, piano, chamberlin); Joe Meyer (French horn); Mike Denneen (electric piano, harpsichord, Wurlitzer organ); Dave Palmer (organ); John Sands (drums, shaker); Jay Bellerose (drums); Seth McClain, Ryan Freeland (clap, ISBN13: B00006AAJF ISBN10: B00006AAJF Material Type: audioCD