All Together Now (Better Than Ezra album)

All Together Now
Studio album by Better Than Ezra
Released September 9, 2014
Recorded The Hobby Shop (Highland Park, CA)
Genre Alternative[1]
Length 39:09[2]
Label The End
Producer Tony Hoffer
Better Than Ezra chronology
Paper Empire
(2009)		 All Together Now
(2014)
Singles from All Together Now
  1. "Crazy Lucky"
    Released: March 25, 2014[3]
  2. "Gonna Get Better"
    Released: August 5, 2014[4]

All Together Now is the eighth studio album by the New Orleans-based rock group Better Than Ezra, released on September 9, 2014.[5] It is available on CD, vinyl and as a digital download.[5] Produced and mixed by Grammy-nominated producer Tony Hoffer, the album marks the band's first release through The End Records.[6]

Background and recording

On February 10, 2014, it was announced that the band had signed with The End Records for the release of their eighth studio album.[6]

The band entered producer Tony Hoffer's studio, The Hobby Shop in Highland Park, CA, in the summer of 2013 to record the album.[7] Singer/guitarist Kevin Griffin described the process with Hoffer to CBS News in June 2014:

"Tony's aesthetic is different than maybe ours -- production-wise. He wants to have less elements do more. Our default when we produce...is like, 'We need more guitars!"...And Tony is like, 'No we're going to do one guitar and make it sound great and interesting."[8]

In an interview with Pollstar published on March 26, 2014, bassist Tom Drummond explained the gap between the band's 2009 release Paper Empire and All Together Now:

"We decided that we were going to put this out on our own terms. Nobody was going to tell us we had to put one out right now and then we’d rush through a bunch of songs to put out. We didn’t want to do that. We wanted to make the album we wanted to make ... So we took our time with it, we hired the right producer and we’re very excited about it."[9]

The band aimed for a sound that would please old fans and at the same time attract new ones. "We made an album that was poppier and more concise songwriting," says lead singer and songwriter Kevin Griffin. "We wanted to give our old fans something familiar, but we wanted to attract new fans."[10]

Promotion

In support of the album, the band is touring the US during the summer and fall of 2014.[11][10]

One week before its release, Billboard premiered the album in its entirety via online stream.[7]

On September 21, 2014, the band's performance from Anaheim's House of Blues was streamed live through Yahoo! Music.[10]

Release

On June 3, 2014, it was announced that the album would be released on September 9, 2014.[11]

On July 11, 2014, the artwork and track listing for the album were unveiled.[1]

Singles

The lead single from All Together Now, titled "Crazy Lucky", was released on March 25, 2014.[3] According to singer/guitarist Kevin Griffin, the song is about "the serendipitous nature of a relationship -- just how it's happenstance, how we meet people and the significant events over the course of our lives are so random."[8] The song peaked at No. 38 on the US Adult Top 40 chart.[12]

On August 5, 2014, the second single from the album, "Gonna Get Better", was released.[4]

Album

All Together Now was released on September 9, 2014, through The End Records.[5]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[13]

All Together Now has received mostly positive feedback from music critics. Fred Thomas of AllMusic rated the album three and a half stars out of five, writing that it "finds (the band) at characteristic heights of wistful FM radio pop songwriting."[13]

Track listing

Standard edition[14]
No. Title Length
1. "Crazy Lucky"   3:11
2. "Gonna Get Better"   3:06
3. "Undeniable"   3:25
4. "Insane"   3:03
5. "Sunflowers"   3:11
6. "The Great Unknown"   3:58
7. "Before You"   3:16
8. "Dollar Sign"   3:18
9. "One Heart Beating"   3:23
10. "Diamond In My Pocket"   2:40
11. "I Fly Away"   3:24
12. "Shut Up and Dance" (Digital bonus track – available through iTunes, Amazon or Google Play[10]) 3:14
Total length:
 39:09[2]

Chart performance

Singles

Billboard Music Charts (North America)

Song Chart (2014) Peak
position
Crazy Lucky US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[15] 38

Album

Chart (2014) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[16] 43
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[17] 9
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)[18] 7
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[19] 13

Release history

Region Date Format(s) Label
United States[1] September 9, 2014
The End

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Better Than Ezra – All Together Now". The End Records. July 11, 2014. Retrieved July 31, 2014.
  2. 1 2 "All Together Now: Better Than Ezra: MP3 Downloads". Amazon.com. ASIN B00M5J7LXS. Retrieved September 10, 2014.
  3. 1 2 "Crazy Lucky: Better Than Ezra: MP3 Downloads". Amazon.com. ASIN B00J23J4ZI. Retrieved July 30, 2014.
  4. 1 2 "Gonna Get Better: Better Than Ezra: MP3 Downloads". Amazon.com. ASIN B00M5J7OJY. Retrieved August 5, 2014.
  5. 1 2 3 "All Together Now: Better Than Ezra: Music". Amazon.com. ASIN B00LD0V96K. Retrieved July 30, 2014.
  6. 1 2 "Platinum Selling Alternative Rock Group BETTER THAN EZRA Sign To The End Records". The End Records. February 10, 2014. Retrieved July 31, 2014.
  7. 1 2 Payne, Chris (September 2, 2014). "Exclusive Premiere: Listen to Better Than Ezra's New Album 'All Together Now'". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved September 2, 2014.
  8. 1 2 Moraski, Lauren (June 4, 2014). "Better Than Ezra recaptures magic with "All Together Now"". CBS News. Retrieved July 31, 2014.
  9. ↑ Smith, Jay (March 26, 2014). "Q&A With Better Than Ezra's Tom Drummond". Pollstar. Retrieved July 31, 2014.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "BETTER THAN EZRA RELEASE EIGHTH STUDIO ALBUM ALL TOGETHER NOW TODAY!". The End Records. September 9, 2014. Retrieved September 10, 2014.
  11. 1 2 Smith, Jay (June 3, 2014). "Better Than Ezra Is 'All Together Now'". Pollstar. Retrieved July 31, 2014.
  12. ↑ "Better Than Ezra - Chart history - Billboard". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved September 16, 2014.
  13. 1 2 Thomas, Fred. "All Together Now - Better Than Ezra - Review". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved December 23, 2014.
  14. ↑ "iTunes - Music - All Together Now by Better Than Ezra". iTunes. Retrieved August 5, 2014.
  15. ↑ "Better Than Ezra – Chart history" Billboard Adult Pop Songs for Better Than Ezra. Retrieved September 16, 2014.
  16. ↑ "Better Than Ezra – Chart history" Billboard 200 for Better Than Ezra.
  17. ↑ "Better Than Ezra – Chart history" Billboard Independent Albums for Better Than Ezra.
  18. ↑ "Better Than Ezra – Chart history" Billboard Top Alternative Albums for Better Than Ezra.
  19. ↑ "Better Than Ezra – Chart history" Billboard Top Rock Albums for Better Than Ezra.
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