Fake Songs

Last updated
Fake Songs
Fakesongs.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedApril 1, 2003
RecordedVarious times
StudioLiam Lynch's home studio
Genre Comedy rock
Length36:57
Label S-Curve
Producer Liam Lynch
Liam Lynch chronology
We're All Nighters
(2002)
Fake Songs
(2003)
How To Be A Satellite
(2006)
Singles from Fake Songs
  1. "United States of Whatever"
    Released: November 25, 2002
  2. "Still Wasted from the Party Last Night"
    Released: 2003

Fake Songs is the third studio album by American musician Liam Lynch, released on April 1, 2003 through S-Curve Records and distributed worldwide by Capitol Records. The album is known for featuring his best-known song "United States of Whatever", which was released as a single in 2002. The album features a bonus DVD that compiles two-hours of various shorts and skits created by Lynch in his home studio. [1]

Contents

An early version of the album, containing an alternative track list with songs unique to that version, was released in 2000 through Lynch's 111 Productions imprint.

Background and recording

During the first two seasons of Liam Lynch's show The Sifl and Olly Show , Lynch wrote and recorded comedic tracks, some of which not only appearing on Fake Songs but even being featured on the show itself, such as "United States of Whatever". The track was featured on a sampler album, where fans ripped the song and burned CD-R copies of it. [2] One burned disc eventually got into the hands of the Los Angeles radio station KROQ, in which the track grew in popularity through repeated requests. Lynch would soon give Global Warming Records the right to release the track as a single in the UK in 2002.The sudden popularity of the single resulted in Lynch getting a one-album deal with S-Curve Records.

Song information

As the title suggests, some songs on this record are parodies of specific artists. Liam describes these songs as being "musical caricatures". The tracks "Try Me" and "Cuz You Do" (previously released on Liam's 2002 album We're All Nighters ) were re-recorded for this album, featuring Ringo Starr, of The Beatles fame, on drums. The track "Rock and Roll Whore" is a duet song between Lynch and Jack Black of Tenacious D, a band with whom Lynch is friends. Lynch also directed the music video for the band's music video for their song "Tribute" as well as their 2006 feature-length film Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny . "Electrician's Day" was taken from Lynch's 2000 comedy album History of America? with Matt Crocco, creator of The Sifl and Olly Show

Other "Fake Songs"

Four other post-Fake Songs parodies by Liam Lynch are known to exist. They are as follows:

Both of the fake Bob Dylan songs have been featured on his Podcast, Lynchland , along with appearing on the corresponding album, More Songs From Lynchland . "Fake Beatles Song" was never actually meant to be part of the collection of fake songs. Liam had made the song with intent of showing it to Beatles cover band, The Fab Four so that when they played it live, the audience would think it was a never before heard song by The Beatles.

Marketing

A music video was produced for the album's lead single "United States of Whatever". Lynch was invited to perform the track on the British TV show Top of the Pops , however was unable to attend the show, so instead he produced a music video for the show to use instead in a single day. [3] A second single, released as a promo, was made of the track "Still Wasted from the Party Last Night" in 2003. The single was released with little to no airplay and did not initially had a video produced for it. A video was eventually produced years later for Lynch's online podcast Lynchland.

With the exception of a few live TV show performances, Lynch did not tour to support the album. According to Lynch, S-Curve did offer him a budget to use for touring, however he instead ask them to use the budget to produce short television commercials for the album as well as package the album with the Fake Movies bonus DVD. [1]

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 52/100 [4]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [5]
The A.V. Club Mixed [6]
Chicago Tribune Mixed [7]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [8]
Ink19(unfavorable) [9]
No RipcordStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [10]
Pitchfork 7.3/10 [11]
Stylus F [12]

Fake Songs has received mixed reviews. On the review aggregate site Metacritic, the album has a score of 52 out of 100, indicating "Mixed or average reviews." [4] Some critics praised the album's humor, while others criticized it. MacKenzie Wilson of Allmusic stated that the album "is a hilarious effort loaded with satirical song parodies and rock n' roll spoofs" and gave the record a 4 out of 5 rating. [5] Ink19 writer Aaron Shaul on the other hand found the humor to be flat and also criticized the use of non-comedic songs (such as "Try Me") and the Fake Movies bonus DVD. [9]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Liam Lynch.

No.TitleLength
1."SOS"2:19
2."United States of Whatever"1:29
3."Fake Björk Song"2:21
4."Still Wasted from the Party Last Night"1:56
5."Cuz You Do"2:22
6."I'm All Bloody Inside"1:15
7."Electrician's Day"2:15
8."Rapbot"1:16
9."Fake David Bowie Song"1:32
10."Rock and Roll Whore"1:55
11."Sugar Walkin"1:30
12."Fake Pixies Song"1:43
13."Happy"0:59
14."Well Hung"1:53
15."Fake Depeche Mode Song"1:35
16."Try Me"2:09
17."Vulture's Song"2:33
18."Horny Kind of Love"1:40
19."Fake Talking Heads Song"2:29
20."Sir Track"1:35
Total length:36:57

Personnel

Related Research Articles

The Rutles

The Rutles were a rock band that performed visual and aural pastiches and parodies of the Beatles. This originally fictional band, created by Eric Idle and Neil Innes for a mid-1970s BBC television comedy programme,toured and recorded, releasing two albums that included two UK chart hits.

The Beatles Anthology is a television documentary, a three-volume set of double albums, and a book describing the history of the Beatles. Beatles members Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr participated in the making of the works, which are sometimes referred to collectively as the Anthology project, while John Lennon appears in archival interviews.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers American rock band

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers was an American rock band from Gainesville, Florida. Formed in 1976, the band originally comprised Tom Petty, Mike Campbell, Ron Blair, Stan Lynch (drums), and Benmont Tench (keyboards). In 1981, Blair, weary of the touring lifestyle, departed the band. His replacement, Howie Epstein, stayed with the band for the next two decades. In 1991, Scott Thurston joined the band as a multi-instrumentalist—mostly on rhythm guitar and second keyboards. In 1994, Steve Ferrone replaced Lynch on drums. Blair returned to the Heartbreakers in 2002, the year before Epstein's death. The band had a long string of hit singles including "Breakdown," "American Girl," "Refugee," "The Waiting," "Learning to Fly," and "Mary Jane's Last Dance," among many others, that stretched over several decades of work.

Donovan Scottish singer, songwriter and guitarist

Donovan Phillips Leitch is a Scottish singer, songwriter and guitarist. He developed an eclectic and distinctive style that blended folk, jazz, pop, psychedelic rock, and world music. He has lived in Scotland, Hertfordshire (England), London, California, and since at least 2008 in County Cork, Ireland, with his family. Emerging from the British folk scene, Donovan reached fame in the United Kingdom in early 1965 with live performances on the pop TV series Ready Steady Go!.

Dhani Harrison English musician

Dhani Harrison is a British musician, composer and singer-songwriter. He is the son of George and Olivia Harrison. Harrison debuted as a professional musician assisting in recording his father's final album, Brainwashed, and completing it with the assistance of Jeff Lynne after his father's death in November 2001. Harrison formed his own band, thenewno2, in 2002 and has performed at festivals including Coachella where Spin magazine dubbed their performance as one of the "best debut performances of the festival." The band also played Lollapalooza three times with Harrison joining the festival's founder Perry Farrell on a cover of The Velvet Underground's "Sweet Jane" at 2010's event. In 2017 Harrison released his debut solo album IN///PARALLEL. The 2019 film IN///PARALIVE, showcases the live version of his debut solo album and was recorded in the round at the legendary Henson Studios in Los Angeles. Harrison's latest single, "Motorways ", was described by Rolling Stone as "a psychedelic track with a robust beat".

William Patrick Niederst, best known as Liam Lynch, is a musician, puppeteer and filmmaker. Lynch co-created, co-wrote, played the music for, directed, and produced MTV's Sifl and Olly Show.

<i>The Sifl and Olly Show</i>

The Sifl and Olly Show is a comedy TV series that incorporates sock puppets, animation, and musical performances. Musicians Liam Lynch and Matt Crocco created and performed the series. The first episode aired on MTV in 1998. The show was cancelled in 1999. The characters, along with new material, currently appear on Liam Lynch's podcast entitled Lynchland.

Eels (band) American indie rock band

Eels is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1991 by singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Mark Oliver Everett, known by the stage name E. Band members have changed across the years, both in the studio and on stage, making Everett the only official member for most of the band's work. Eels' music is often filled with themes about family, death, and unrequited love. Since 1996, Eels has released thirteen studio albums, seven of which charted in the Billboard 200.

<i>Poodle Hat</i> 2003 studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic

Poodle Hat is the eleventh studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic, released on May 20, 2003. It was the fifth studio album self-produced by Yankovic. The musical styles on the album are built around parodies and pastiches of pop of the early-2000s. The album's lead single, "Couch Potato", is a parody of "Lose Yourself" by Eminem. The single failed to chart, although the album's song "eBay" eventually peaked at number 115 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2007.

Subterranean Homesick Blues Bob Dylan song

"Subterranean Homesick Blues" is a song by Bob Dylan, recorded on January 14, 1965, and released as a single by Columbia Records, catalogue number 43242, on March 8. It was the lead track on the album Bringing It All Back Home, released some two weeks later. It was Dylan's first Top 40 hit in the United States, peaking at number 39 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also entered the Top 10 of the UK Singles Chart. The song has subsequently been reissued on numerous compilations, the first being the 1967 singles compilation Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits. One of Dylan's first electric recordings, "Subterranean Homesick Blues" is also notable for its innovative film clip, which first appeared in D. A. Pennebaker's documentary Dont Look Back.

Bob Dylan discography Cataloging of published recordings by Bob Dylan

American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan has released 39 studio albums, 95 singles, 26 notable extended plays, 52 music videos, 12 live albums, 15 volumes comprising The Bootleg Series, 20 compilation albums, 16 box sets, seven soundtracks as main contributor, five music home videos and two non-music home videos. Dylan has been the subject of six documentaries, starred in three theatrical films, appeared in an additional eight films and 10 home videos, and is the subject of the biographical tribute film I'm Not There. He has written and published lyrics, artwork and memoirs in 11 books and three of his songs have been made into children's books. He has done numerous collaborations, appearances and tribute albums. The albums Planet Waves and Before the Flood were initially released on Asylum Records; reissues of those two and all others were on Columbia Records.

United States of Whatever

"United States of Whatever" is a song by American musician Liam Lynch. The song was released in 2002 as the first single from his album Fake Songs. The improvised song was written by Lynch himself. "United States of Whatever" is a comedy rock song that revolves around Lynch dismissively shouting "Whatever!" to various people.

<i>Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny</i> 2006 film by Liam Lynch

Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny is a 2006 American musical fantasy comedy film about comedy rock duo Tenacious D. Written, produced by and starring Tenacious D members Jack Black and Kyle Gass, it is directed and co-written by musician and puppeteer Liam Lynch. Despite being about an actual band, the film is a fictitious story set in the 1990s about the band's origins, and their journey to find a pick belonging to Satan that allows its users to become rock legends.

Free as a Bird Formerly unreleased home demo song by John Lennon released in Anthology documentary

"Free as a Bird" is a single released in 1995 by the Beatles. The song was originally written and recorded in 1977 as a home demo by John Lennon, the band's founding member. In 1995, 25 years after their break-up and 15 years after Lennon was murdered, the band released a studio version incorporating contributions from his surviving bandmates Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr.

<i>Were All Nighters</i> 2002 studio album by Liam Lynch

We're All Nighters is an album made by rock musician Liam Lynch. It was originally released in 2002, and was reissued in 2008 through digital.

Matt Crocco, born March 18, 1971, is a musician, writer, and producer. He co-created, composed music for, directed and produced MTV's Sifl and Olly Show.

Slide Away (Oasis song)

"Slide Away" is a song by the English rock band Oasis, taken from their debut studio album Definitely Maybe (1994). It was written by lead guitarist Noel Gallagher and serves as the tenth track on the album.

<i>Internet Leaks</i> 2009 EP by "Weird Al" Yankovic

Internet Leaks is the second EP released by American comedy musician "Weird Al" Yankovic. Released digitally on August 25, 2009, its lead single is a parody of "Whatever You Like" by artist T.I. For Yankovic, the EP was an experiment in using the Internet as a way to release music in an efficient and timely manner. As a result, the lead single, "Whatever You Like", references the Great Recession of 2008. The EP also contains style parodies of the Doors, Weezer, the White Stripes, and Queen; all of the songs, except for "Ringtone", had been released as separate digital singles between October 2008 and August 2009, preceding the record's release.

<i>Alpocalypse</i> 2011 studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic

Alpocalypse is the thirteenth studio album by American parody musician "Weird Al" Yankovic, released on June 21, 2011. It was the seventh studio album self-produced by Yankovic. The musical styles on the album are built around parodies and pastiches of pop and rock music of the late 2000s and early 2010s. The album's first single, "Whatever You Like", was released almost two and a half years prior to the release of the album, and the single peaked at number 104 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album's final single, "Perform This Way", was released digitally on April 25, 2011, but failed to chart.

R5 (band)

R5 was an American pop rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 2009. The band consisted of Ross Lynch, Riker Lynch, Rocky Lynch, Rydel Lynch (keyboard/vocals), and Ellington Ratliff (drums/vocals). They released their first EP Ready Set Rock March 9th, 2010, but it was removed once Ross got his role on the Disney Channel Show Austin and Ally. They then released the EP Loud on February 19th, 2013 Since releasing their debut album, Louder, on September 24, 2013, which peaked at 24 on the Billboard 200, followed by their world tour. Their second album, Sometime Last Night, was released on July 10, 2015, and debuted at 6 on the US Billboard 200, and reached the top 20 in five other countries. They have also released five EPs, eleven singles, and a documentary called R5: All Day, All Night that was first released in theaters April 15, 2015.

References

  1. 1 2 n/a. "Liam Lynch: From MTV To DVD". audiohead.net. Audiohead. Retrieved 2017-03-18.
  2. Ducker, Eric (2015-03-26). "United States Of... Whatever Happened To Liam Lynch?". theguardian.com. The Guardian. Retrieved 2017-03-17.
  3. n/a. "Liam Lynch Fun Facts". liamlynch.net. Liam Lynch. Retrieved 2017-03-18.
  4. 1 2 Fake Songs Reviews. Metacritic. Retrieved 14 June 2011.
  5. 1 2 Wilson, MacKenzie. "Liam Lynch - Fake Songs". allmusic.com. Allmusic. Retrieved 2017-03-16.
  6. Murray, Noel (2003-05-27). "Liam Lynch - Fake Songs". avclub.com. The AV Club. Retrieved 2017-03-16.
  7. Medsker, David (2003-04-23). "Fake Songs From The Demented Mind Of Liam Lynch". articles.chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2017-03-16.
  8. Clarke, Betty (2003-06-13). "Liam Lynch - Fake Songs". theguardian.com. The Guardian. Retrieved 2017-03-16.
  9. 1 2 Shaul, Aaron (2003-08-22). "Liam Lynch - Fake Songs". ink19.com. Ink19. Retrieved 2017-03-16.
  10. Lindsay, Cam (2003-07-21). "Liam Lynch - Fake Songs". noripcord.co.uk. No Ripcord. Archived from the original on 2005-01-13. Retrieved 2017-03-16.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  11. Ott, Chris (2003-05-01). "Liam Lynch - Fake Songs". pitchfork.com. Archived from the original on 2015-10-02. Retrieved 2017-03-16.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  12. Martin, Tyler (2003-09-01). "Liam Lynch - Fake Songs". stylusmagazine.com. Stylus Magazine. Archived from the original on 2006-11-12. Retrieved 2017-03-16.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)