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A Few Small Repairs

 
Album Review: A Few Small Repairs
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Few Small Repairs

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  • Artist: Shawn Colvin
  • Rating: StarStarStarStarHalf Star
  • Release Date: October 01, 1996
  • Total Time: 51:09
  • Type: Lyrics are included with the album
  • Genre: Rock

Review

A Few Small Repairs, the proper follow-up to Fat City, was recorded on the heels of Shawn Colvin's divorce. And while the album is certainly a response, she avoids the obvious clichés in dealing with the aftermath, revealing instead the complex thought processes and complete range of human emotion, from anger, sadness, confusion, yearning, and disillusionment to resolve and recovery. Colvin has always been a songwriter of note, but with A Few Small Repairs, she reaches new heights, painting hauntingly vivid images that address not only relationships but also life in general with great insight. The subject matter predictably gives a generally dark mood to the album, but musically, the results are both diverse and irresistibly catchy. A Few Small Repairs marks a reunion with former collaborator/producer John Leventhal, and the two have found a perfect blend between words, music, and tasteful, organic arrangements for Colvin's finest effort to date. ~ Chris Woodstra, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
Sunny Came Home (Lyrics) Shawn Colvin, John Leventhal Shawn Colvin (4:24)
Get out of This House (Lyrics) Shawn Colvin, John Leventhal Shawn Colvin (4:15)
The Facts About Jimmy Shawn Colvin, John Leventhal Shawn Colvin (5:22)
You and the Mona Lisa (Lyrics) Shawn Colvin, John Leventhal Shawn Colvin (4:05)
Trouble (Lyrics) Shawn Colvin, John Leventhal, Tom Littlefield Shawn Colvin (4:18)
I Want It Back (Lyrics) Shawn Colvin, John Leventhal Shawn Colvin (4:55)
If I Were Brave (Lyrics) Shawn Colvin Shawn Colvin (3:11)
Wichita Skyline (Lyrics) Shawn Colvin, John Leventhal Shawn Colvin (3:39)
84,000 Different Delusions (Lyrics) Shawn Colvin, John Leventhal Shawn Colvin (4:01)
Suicide Alley (Lyrics) Shawn Colvin, John Leventhal Shawn Colvin (5:29)
New Thing Now (Lyrics) Shawn Colvin Shawn Colvin (3:34)
Nothin' on Me Shawn Colvin, John Leventhal Shawn Colvin (3:56)

Credits

Paul Dieter (Engineer), John Leventhal (Producer), Shawn Pelton (Drums), Bob Clearmountain (Mixing), Fred Kevorkian (Engineer), Shawn Colvin (Guitar), Ronald K. Fierstein (Executive Producer), Michael Rhodes (Bass), Scott Ansell (Engineer), Peter Keppler (Engineer), John Leventhal (Engineer), Mark Plati (Engineer), Bob Ludwig (Mastering), Fred Remmert (Engineer), Shawn Colvin (Vocals), Joe Blaney (Engineer)
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Wikipedia: A Few Small Repairs
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Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Wikipedia
A Few Small Repairs
Studio album by Shawn Colvin
Released October 1, 1996
Recorded N/A
Genre Rock, Contemporary Folk
Length 51:09
Label Columbia
Producer John Leventhal
Professional reviews
Shawn Colvin chronology
Live '88
(1995)		 A Few Small Repairs
(1996)		 Holiday Songs and Lullabies
(1998)
Alternative cover
(UK re-issue)
Singles from A Few Small Repairs
  1. "Get Out Of This House"
    Released: 1996
  2. "Sunny Came Home"
    Released: 1996
  3. "You And The Mona Lisa"
    Released: 1996
  4. "Nothin' On Me"
    Released: 1998

A Few Small Repairs is Shawn Colvin's fourth album. It was released on October 1, 1996[3].

This is a concept album about divorce, as Shawn Colvin's marriage was ending. At the time of the album's release, she had relocated to Austin, Texas.[4] The biggest single off A Few Small Repairs was "Sunny Came Home", which was released in 1997. (The title of the album comes from a lyric in this song: "It's time for a few small repairs" thinks Sunny, before burning down her home.) The cover of this album is a picture of a woman with a lit match, presumably Sunny. The song peaked on the Billboard Top 100 at number seven[5], and topped the Adult Contemporary[6], Adult Top 40[7], and Top 40 Adult Recurrents[8] charts the same year.

Another notable song off the album was "Nothin' On Me", which peaked at number 24 on Billboard's Adult Top 40 chart.[9] The song was also used on Suddenly Susan as its theme song from 1997 to 2000.[10]. Colvin appeared on the show in the second season episode Ready ... aim ... Fong!.[11] She performed the song on the show.

Grammy success came to Colvin two years after the release of A Few Small Repairs. In the 1997 Grammy Awards, she was nominated for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance award for "Get Out of This House" and Best Pop Album for A Few Small Repairs.[12]. At the next year's Grammy Awards, Colvin was nominated for Song of the Year and Record of the Year for "Sunny Came Home". She won both awards (Leventhal also won Song of the Year).[13] As Colvin started her speech after winning Song of the Year, rapper Ol' Dirty Bastard stormed the stage protesting his loss of an award that same night, saying, "...I don't know how you all see it, but when it comes to the children, Wu-Tang is for the children..." leading him to be escorted off stage.[14] Colvin continued speaking, remarking, "I'm really confused now!"[15]

Overall, A Few Small Repairs made it to number 39 on the Billboard Top 200 chart.[16] The painting on the album's cover is by Julie Speed, one of Colvin's friends.[17]

Tracks[18]

All songs written by Shawn Colvin and John Leventhal unless noted.

  1. "Sunny Came Home" – 4:24
  2. "Get Out Of This House" – 4:15
  3. "The Facts About Jimmy" – 5:22
  4. "You And The Mona Lisa" – 4:05
  5. "Trouble" – 4:18 (Colvin, Leventhal, Tom Littlefield)
  6. "I Want It Back" – 4:55
  7. "If I Were Brave" – 3:11 (Colvin)
  8. "Wichita Skyline" – 3:39
  9. "84,000 Different Delusions" – 4:01
  10. "Suicide Alley" – 5:29
  11. "New Thing Now" – 3:34 (Colvin)
  12. "Nothin' On Me" – 3:56

References

  1. ^ Cannon, Bob. Music Review: A Few Small Repairs. Entertainment Weekly, October 25, 1996. Accessed 11-06-2006.
  2. ^ Hochman, Steve (1996-12-06). "ALBUM REVIEWS / POP; Shawn Colvin, "A Few Small Repairs," Columbia. (** 1/2)" (Newspaper). Los Angeles Times. p. 4. 
  3. ^ A Few Small Repairs. Allmusic. Accessed 08-06-2006.
  4. ^ Lebanon Opera House presents Shawn Colvin. Lebanon Opera House. Accessed 08-06-2006.
  5. ^ Billboard (1997-07-26). "The Billboard Hot 100 Sunny Came Home". Nielsen Business Media, Inc.. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=379&cfgn=Singles&cfn=The+Billboard+Hot+100&ci=3027477&cdi=7208115&cid=07%2F26%2F1997. Retrieved 2009-02-07. 
  6. ^ Billboard (1997-08-09). "Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks Sunny Came Home". Nielsen Business Media, Inc.. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=341&cfgn=Singles&cfn=Hot+Adult+Contemporary+Tracks&ci=3027708&cdi=7215660&cid=08%2F09%2F1997. Retrieved 2009-02-07. 
  7. ^ Billboard (1997-06-28). "Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks Sunny Came Home". Nielsen Business Media, Inc.. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=343&cfgn=Singles&cfn=Hot+Adult+Top+40+Tracks&ci=3027106&cdi=7194410&cid=06%2F28%2F1997. Retrieved 2009-02-07. 
  8. ^ Billboard (1997-12-27). "Hot Adult Top 40 Recurrents Sunny Came Home". Nielsen Business Media, Inc.. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=380&cfgn=Singles&cfn=Hot+Adult+Top+40+Recurrents&ci=3029044&cdi=7262042&cid=12%2F27%2F1997. Retrieved 2009-02-07. 
  9. ^ Billboard (1998-05-02). "The Billboard Hot 100 Sunny Came Home". Nielsen Business Media, Inc.. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=343&cfgn=Singles&cfn=Hot+Adult+Top+40+Tracks&ci=3030321&cdi=7307563&cid=05%2F02%2F1998. Retrieved 2009-02-07. 
  10. ^ IMDB: Full Cast and Crew for Suddenly Susan, accessed 08-06-2006.
  11. ^ Suddenly Susan: Ready ... aim ... Fong!. TV.com. Accessed 08-06-2006.
  12. ^ Rock On The Net: 39th Annual Grammy Awards - 1997. Rock On The Net. Accessed 09-06-2006.
  13. ^ Rock On The Net: 40th Annual Grammy Awards - 1998. Rock On The Net. Accessed 09-06-2006.
  14. ^ Wu-Tang's O.D.B. Bumrushes Grammy Podium. MTV News. Accessed 09-06-2006 via the Internet Archive.
  15. ^ 40th Annual Grammy Award Lowdown. Lyndsey Parker. Accessed 09-06-2006.
  16. ^ Billboard (1996-10-19). "The Billboard 200 A Few Small Repairs". Nielsen Business Media, Inc.. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=305&cfgn=Albums&cfn=The+Billboard+200&ci=3024740&cdi=7109164&cid=10%2F19%2F1996. Retrieved 2009-02-07. 
  17. ^ Sunny Came Home by Shawn Colvin. SongFacts.com. Accessed 08-06-2006.
  18. ^ (1996) Album notes for A Few Small Repairs by Shawn Colvin [CD]. Columbia Records (CK 67119).

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