By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Sun-Times
September 6, 1996
Despite the paradoxical name of the Gin Blossoms’ current album, “Congratulations, I’m Sorry,” the five-man band from Tempe, Ariz., has no reason to apologize.
“Congratulations” is as good as the Blossoms’ 1992 breakthrough CD, “New Miserable Experience” – something many critics predicted wouldn’t be possible after the suicide of original member Doug Hopkins, who wrote many of the group’s hits.
“I didn’t really feel any pressure to follow up `New Miserable Experience,’ ” said guitarist Jesse Valenzuela, phoning last week from New York. “We had a lot of songs written that we liked and we were ready to record them a while ago, but we were on the road so much supporting the first album that we had to make time to get into the studio.”
Currently on tour supporting Neil Young, the Gin Blossoms, along with the Dave Matthews Band, perform tonight at the New World Music Theatre.
Like the double-platinum “New Miserable Experience” – which produced the hits “Hey Jealousy,” “Until I Fall Away,” “Mrs. Rita,” “Found Out About You” and “Allison Road” – the current album is full of songs that are a blend of jangly guitars and chiming pop melodies set to Robin Wilson’s distinctive, quavering vocals. The first single, “Follow You Down,” shares the same anthemic style of “Hey Jealousy.”
But some of the best tunes have yet to be unleashed for radio play. The ballads “As Long as It Matters” and “Competition Smile” are heartbreakingly poignant, while “Memphis Time” (an acknowledgment of the good time they had recording the album in Tennessee) details a trippy hangover, set to buoyant music with a Cajun vibe.
Penned primarily by Valenzuela and Wilson, but with contributions from the other three members, “Congratulations” is a testament to the band’s potential longevity. But it’s inevitable that each song will be compared with Hopkins’ tracks from the previous album. Though the musicians don’t like to dwell on Hopkins, they also won’t downplay his role. (Hopkins, who was kicked out of the band because of alcohol abuse, killed himself in 1993.)
“You’d have to be stupid to think that those sorts of comparisons wouldn’t happen,” Valenzuela said, strumming a Marshall Crenshaw song on his guitar as he talked. “Doug was a very good songwriter. But we just had to go on.”
If Valenzuela has his way, the Blossoms won’t be the road warriors they were when they spent 2 1/2 years touring to promote “New Miserable Experience.” He’s optimistic that he’ll be able to take some time off in January to move to Los Angeles, although the band is booked through March.
“I want to move to a place that’s warm,” he said wryly.
The other band members aren’t putting up much of a struggle. Guitarist Scott Johnson, bassist Bill Leen and drummer Phillip Rhodes all are married, and Wilson will tie the knot next month. Still, knowing that one of the Blossoms wants to move away from Arizona just fuels the rumor that the band is ready to break up . . . again.
“When you’re with five guys for eight years, someone is threatening to leave every day,” Valenzuela said. “It’s like, `Pass the butter for my toast, please. And by the way, I’m quitting.’ But we’re not breaking up. We just may add a few things to our resumes.”
For Valenzuela, that means collaborating with other artists. He and Wilson wrote one of their best songs – ” ‘Til I Hear It From You” – with Crenshaw. He also worked on a video treatment for “As Long as It Matters” with Chicago-based drummer Andy Poland that was never completed.
But it’s their live shows that really show off their chops, as former Stray Cat Brian Setzer can attest. After one concert, Setzer told Valenzuela backstage, “Cute guitar solo.”
“When you play like (Setzer), you can get away with that,” Valenzuela laughed.
