The album that has "You Get What You Give" and "Someday We'll Know" on it is quietly one of the best power-pop albums of the '90s. I can't tell if it's tragic or heroic that Gregg Alexander got tired of the music industry bullshit after just one album.

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Maybe Marilyn Manson got to him.

I love this album too.

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Just chillin' like Garret Quillin.

The whole tenor of the album is really interesting. I can never tell if it's upbeat and optimistic, or full to bursting with contempt and despair. Salient arguments can be made for both. I guess the best way to carve it down the middle is to interpret it as one man's personal attempt to cope with the more unsavory aspects of 1990s humanity and society through music that, unlike Radiohead's wallowing, provides some ray of hope that we (and he) can make it through this bullshit alive and well if we want to badly enough. Or I could just say it's an exceedingly talented songwriter committing his best ideas to a recording medium of choice with no deeper message or motivation, but analysis is half the fun.

Great influences all around, especially the Stones callbacks on the leadoff, the shades of the Afghan Whigs on the third track about drug-binging with a hot girl, and the David Bowie vibe to the title track. "You Get What You Give" is one of the best singles of the '90s.

You know which album this reminds me of? Another beloved album of mine, Key Lime Pie by Camper Van Beethoven. Same level of high accomplishment from wire to wire, and the same contrast of light and dark sides of humanity. Both bands only have their one great album to their respective credits, but while this is New Radicals' only one, CVB had a bunch of goofy stuff beforehand that never registered any level of artistic achievement.

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Wow, Curious - Thanks for posting this. I actual forgot how much I loved this album.
I hadn't actually sat down to listen to it in quite some time, but after this morning's listen,
it definitely ranks as one of my favorites of all time. There's not a stinker in the bunch.
I'm not familiar with CVB, but I really liked the first 2 Cracker albums.

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Just chillin' like Garret Quillin.

Have we gotten an answer on whether love can move a mountain or not?

Material Issue is just as great. Kim The Waitress and What Girls Want are classic.