I thought I’d better get some more power pop back on a blog called PowerPop. I was reading Dave’s post on a Fastball song called Out of My Head, and I thought of this song automatically. I liked Fastball when I first heard them in the late nineties. Their big breakthrough was The Way, and I liked that song, so I got the album. I always veered more toward this song. There was just something about that jangling guitar sound that caught me.
Our band actually played this song when it was released. We didn’t play many new songs at the time. Most of what we played came from the 60s and 70s, so for us to pick up a current song meant that we really liked it. This one was one of those rare exceptions. Fastball formed in Austin, Texas, with Miles Zuniga on guitar and vocals, Tony Scalzo on bass and vocals, and Joey Shuffield on drums. Their first album, Make Your Mama Proud, was released in 1996 but didn’t make much of an impact. That changed dramatically with their second album, All the Pain Money Can Buy, in 1998.
The Way, written and sung by Scalzo, became the song that broke the band. It was everywhere that year. This one followed as the second single, but it was written and sung by Zuniga. The album also produced “Out of My Head” and eventually went platinum. Fastball never repeated the success of The Way, which sometimes causes them to get thrown into the one-hit-wonder category. I think that sells them short. All the Pain Money Can Buy was a strong power pop album with more than one good song on it. This song peaked at #10 on the Alternative Billboard Chart in 1998.
It’s one of the more unusual videos I’ve seen. In the video, the band appeared to be kidnapped and killed by a deranged fan, but it has a good and unexpected ending!
Tony Scalzo: “The second-to-last one was almost perfect, and then the girl closed the door too fast and closed it on the camera, which upset everybody not just because the shot was ruined, but because it was a very expensive camera, It’s deathly hot. I’m in this bathtub so that’s okay. But I gotta lie upside down in the water with my face under water. Well, it took all day, but we finally got it and it came out a pretty creepy, weird video. The only other shots we had to do were us walking out of the house, looking stupid, and the live stuff where you see a performance video that’s on a TV in the house.“
Fire Escape
Well, I don’t wanna be President, Superman, or Clark Kent
I don’t wanna walk around in their shoes
‘Cause I don’t know whose side I’m on
I don’t know my right from wrong
I don’t know where I’m goin’ to
I don’t know about you
I’ll be the rain falling on your fire escape
And I may not be the man you want me to
I can be myself, how ’bout you?
I don’t wanna make you mad
I don’t wanna meet your dad
I don’t wanna be your dream come true
‘Cause I don’t know just what I’ve found
I don’t know my sky from ground
I don’t know where I’m goin’ to
I don’t know about you
I’ll be the rain falling on your fire escape
And I may not be the man you want me to
I can be myself, how ’bout you?
I’ll be the rain falling on your fire escape
And I may not be the man you want me to
I can be myself, how ’bout you?
I can be myself, how ’bout you?
I can be myself, how ’bout you?
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Thanks for the link and mention! Like I said to you, the only time I seem to hear it is when you mention it and go back to remind myself of it but it is catchy. They had a real way with hooks and middle-of-the-alternative-road songs that worked well , too bad their popularity didn’t carry on
They sure did have a way of writing good pop hooks…that jangle got me right away…plus man…creepy funny video.
they had a good sound that was both retro and totally modern too, which is difficult to pull off
You said it all right there…thats what I should have said in the post…they sounded both. I touched on it but you drove it home.
(Great description Dave- right smack dab in the middle of the genre!)
Great tune! Of course I remember Fastball from The Way, which I liked, like everybody else. And I remember that they were the critics darling at the time–and they’re from Austin, all of which should have put them more on my radar. I’m going to delve into All the Pain Money Can Buy.
It really is a good tune…hooks and all. The album is worth checking out. This one got to me right away.
I’ve not heard of the band in ages. I do remember them though
They were a good power pop band…with a little edge. They fell off the cliff as far as radio after this album.
I like the authentic lyrics in this song where the band just wants to be who they are, nice music, Max.
Great song! Like I guess it was the case for many folks, “The Way” brought Fastball on my radar screen. But, as “Fire Escape” demonstrates, there’s more to the picture here. This is gorgeous power pop candy – totally up my alley!
Yes it is…and I share that alley with you…that jangle…not sixties jangle but 90s jangle which is fine!
Feel like I’m rating a record on American Bandstand. First time I have heard the song. Catchy. I hear why it’s in your wheelhouse.
LOL…Yea…it was a nice break from the grunge at the time that dominated everything. That jangle man.
It feels like it has some good stuff going on.
I’ve never heard this, and Out of My Head only sounds vaguely familiar. Bet it’s fun to play live though.
Yes it was… it brought that 60s jangle to the 90s. I really liked it.
Yes, they deserved to hang around more. They have a sorta Tom Pettyish feel to me, not his longevity charts-wise.
That is a good comparison. Something like American girl is in this neighborhood.
Ditto here, I also bought the album so I could get a copy of The Way, after hearing it on US radio a lot on a Florida holiday. Good track.
Thanks…it was refreshing to hear this power pop at the time…and still is.
I agree with the comment about being retro and modern at the same time. Pretty wild video to be sure, Max. I’m sure you enjoyed rocking out to this one with your band!
Yes I did Bruce! It was a lot of fun to play…