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Change My Life (Epic Soundtracks album)

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Change My Life
Studio album by
Epic Soundtracks
Released1996
GenrePop
LabelBar/None
ProducerHenry Olsen, Epic Soundtracks
Epic Soundtracks chronology
Debris
(1995) 		Change My Life
(1996) 		Everything Is Temporary
(1999)

Change My Life is the final studio album by the English musician Epic Soundtracks, released in 1996, a year before his death.[1][2] It was his third album for Bar/None Records.[3] A North American tour to support the album was canceled when the United States Customs Service refused to allow Soundtracks to enter the country, allegedly because the agency considered his earlier Chicago band practices to be paying live dates.[4]

Production

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The album was produced primarily by Henry Olsen.[5] Luke Haines assisted Soundtracks during the recording sessions.[6] "Nighttime" and "Thirteen" are covers of the Alex Chilton songs, included as a bonus track.[5]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[7]
Alternative Rock8/10[8]
Calgary Herald[9]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[10]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide[11]

The Calgary Herald said that the "songs sound like Spector or Wilson stripped bare, like Thunders turned prissy and a whole lot like Chilton."[9] The Province concluded that the album "seems to be a conscious attempt to pay tribute to his pre-punk pop influences, notably Brian Wilson minus the lush Beach Boys harmonies but with the lilting sweep of Pet Sounds-era melodies."[12] CMJ New Music Monthly called the album "bland, sentimental nonsense—i.e., wonderful pop music."[13]

AllMusic opined that when Soundtracks "tries to rock harder, the results are strained and awkward, as his voice isn't strong enough to carry raucous material."[7] Trouser Press noted that "Stealaway" "adds horns and tubular bells (!) to the mix and allows him to indulge his Spectorsound obsession."[14]

Track listing

[edit]
No.TitleLength
1."You Can Be My Baby" 
2."Stealaway" 
3."The Rain Came Down" 
4."Something's Wrong" 
5."Sweet Sixteen" 
6."Landslide" 
7."Ring the Bells" 
8."Wild Child" 
9."Sleepy City" 
10."There's a Light Up in the Sky" 
11."The Wishing Well" 
12."Nighttime/Thirteen" 

References

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  1. ^ Ferguson, Jon (July 1996). "Change My Life". Audio. Vol. 80, no. 7. p. 81.
  2. ^ Ryan, Mo (27 November 1997). "Epic Soundtracks; forged groundwork of indie rock". Chicago Tribune. p. 2.20.
  3. ^ "Epic Soundtracks Biography by Steve Huey". AllMusic. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
  4. ^ Makin, Robert (30 May 1996). "Customs changes Epic's plans". Courier News. p. D4.
  5. ^ a b "Albums". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 19. 11 May 1996. p. 40.
  6. ^ "Luke Haines". Record Collector. No. 495. 8 July 2019.
  7. ^ a b "Change My Life Review by Richie Unterberger". AllMusic. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
  8. ^ Thompson, Dave (2000). Alternative Rock. Miller Freeman Books. p. 299.
  9. ^ a b Muretich, James (19 May 1996). "New Releases". Calgary Herald. p. D2.
  10. ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 3. MUZE. p. 299.
  11. ^ MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 1058.
  12. ^ Harrison, Tom (18 July 1996). "Music". The Province. p. B4.
  13. ^ Zink, Nell (July 1996). "Reviews". CMJ New Music Monthly. No. 35. p. 44.
  14. ^ Sprague, Deborah. "Epic Soundtracks". Trouser Press. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
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