#65 "Everything To Everyone" by Everclear

Everclear blew up big time in the mid-90's. Their songs were all over the radio. Every time you turned on the tv, they were there too. As a matter of fact, they were so big near the end of the decade that when Washington, DC was planning its enormous Millenium New Year's Bash, Everclear was the headliner. For about six or seven years, they were one of the biggest bands out there. But I guess like the title of their album "Sparkle and Fade," they might've known that their success wouldn't last forever.

Everclear's second album was their big break-through. That's the one that had "Santa Monica" and "Heartspark Dollarsign" on it. I thought the first single was great. Like a lot of Everclear's early stuff, it had a legit rock-n-roll feel, some punk edge, and some pop-music sensibilities as well. A lot of the songs from their first two albums were pretty fast, dark, and intense. There were lots of songs about drugs, like "Heroin Girl" and "Chemical Smile," and a whole lot of others about the pain of divorce, bitter break-ups, and general failure. It's what gave Everclear's music weight beneath some of their more sing-a-long tunes. I've actually used lyrics from two of their tunes in my English class and maintain that Art Alexakis, bandleader and primary creative force, is one of the more effectively honest songwriters of his generation.

"Everything to Everyone" is from "So Much for the Afterglow." It's not one of Everclear's best songs, lyrically-speaking, but it's got this infectious groove and melody. I was hooked the very first time I heard it. It's a rather negative jab at the people who can't say no to anyone or anything and can't realize that "the hand you hold is the hand that holds you down." The beat of the song is so great though that honestly I don't pay much attention to the message. Sadly, however, the smooth craftsmanship that made this tune so radio-friendly and popular was also the thing that eventually spelled Everclear's demise. They went from being an edgy three-piece band named for grain alcohol who sang about drugs and darkness... whose first album was recorded for only $400... to an overdubbed, glossy disaster with layers of fake harmonies, too many instruments, and no more edge. I'd never wish bad times on anyone, but sometimes struggles really DO make for the best art.

"Everything to Everyone" is from the album "So Much for the Afterglow." To hear the song, click on the icon in the widget jukebox along the side of the blog.