The Special Goodness
| The Special Goodness | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | United States |
| Years active | 1996–present |
| Genre | Alternative rock |
| Label | N.O.S./Epitaph/Surf Green Records |
| Members | Patrick Wilson |
| Past members | Atom Willard Pat Finn Lee Loretta Jeb Lewis Mikey Welsh Murph Karges Scott Shriner |
The Special Goodness is Patrick Wilson's side project. Wilson is the singer, guitarist, and primary songwriter for the band.
Overview
As other members of Weezer became restless due to periods of inactivity, or frustrated with Rivers Cuomo's dominance over the band's creative influx, they began to seek outside avenues to pursue their muse. Following Brian Bell's The Space Twins and Matt Sharp's The Rentals, Wilson decided to get into the act.
The Special Goodness can trace its roots back to 1994, when Wilson made a seven-track demo tape under the name Suburban Advantage. Using a Dr. Rhythm drum machine (set to the TR-808 kit), it was his first concerted attempt at a quality demo of his own material.
In late 1995, amidst various Pinkerton sessions, Wilson found the time to record no less than three different demos as Huge Guy. These recordings evolved directly into the early 1996 sessions for his debut, The Special Goodness (a.k.a. The Bunny Album). Despite the matching name, this album was is not considered a The Special Goodness album, rather a Patrick Wilson solo album. It was released exclusively in Japan, though a US release was considered.
During Weezer's hiatus after the Pinkerton tour, Wilson revived the project, and began making new demos. He intended on launching The Special Goodness as a full-fledged band, and employed various musicians, both in the studio and on tours, such as bassists Murphy Karges (of Sugar Ray), Mikey Welsh (formerly of Weezer), Scott Shriner (currently of Weezer), Pat Finn, Jeb Lewis and drummer Lee Loretta.
After recording the 2001 self-released disc At Some Point, Birds And Flowers Became Interesting, the drum kit was filled permanently by Atom Willard (Rocket from the Crypt, Angels & Airwaves, The Offspring). While the bass duties remain in flux, Wilson considers himself and Willard to be the official lineup.
In August 2002, Murphy Karges left the band to spend time with his then-pregnant wife and write songs for Sugar Ray. Weezer bassist Scott Shriner filled in for the remaining dates of the Enlightenment Tour.[1]
Wilson took the duo into the studio to record Land Air Sea, which was initially released in 2003 on N.O.S. Recordings, then reissued in 2004 with Epitaph, in a remixed/reordered edition. After Rod Cervera filled in for a December 2002 date at the Moore Theatre,[2] Jeb Lewis became the Special Goodness bassist for their 2003 shows.[3] The band toured extensively behind this release, including an opening slot for the Foo Fighters. Coincidentally, both bands were fronted by the drummer from another influential band.
The Special Goodness booked studio time and recorded a full album's worth of material in the spring of 2005, but the material was scrapped. Wilson felt it was unsatisfying, stating that it was "rushed" and the songs recorded "weren't very good".[4]
After several reports by Wilson in late 2011 that a new Special Goodness album was supposedly recorded, the fourth full length studio album Natural was eventually released digitally on May 22, 2012. However, Willard was not involved in the making of the album for unknown reasons.
The band's name comes from Wilson's description of how he feels when making music, and was an early vote of his for Weezer's name. Wilson has cited acts such as The Beatles, The Smiths, Black Sabbath and Pink Floyd as influences for the band.[5]
Discography
Albums
- The Special Goodness (Rock Records 1998, self-released reissue 1999)
- At Some Point, Birds And Flowers Became Interesting (Self-released 2001)
- Land Air Sea (N.O.S. Recordings 2003, Epitaph reissue 2004)
- Natural (Surf Green Records 2012)
While The Special Goodness was originally credited solely to Patrick Wilson, later reissues credit the album as a self-titled Special Goodness album.
Other releases
- I'm With You Sister single (Loosegroove Records 1999)
- Life Goes By single (N.O.S. Recordings 2003)
For a complete listing of demo sessions, please see List of Special Goodness demos.
See also
- List of Special Goodness songs
- List of The Special Goodness shows
- The Special Goodness tour diary - Fall 1999
- The Special Goodness tour diary - Spring 2000
- Patrick Wilson
- Atom Willard
- Suburban Advantage
- Huge Guy
- Franklin Mint
- Shows: The Special Goodness - 1999/07/06
External links
References
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20020804003207/http://pub12.ezboard.com/fthespecialgoodnessboardfrm1.showMessage?topicID=234.topic
- ↑ RollingStone.com article - December 6, 2002
- ↑ The Special Goodness biography - April 2003
- ↑ Wilson, Patrick (January 24, 2006). "The 2005 Recording Part 1". thespecialgoodness.com. Archived from the original on October 6, 2008.
- ↑ MusicRag.com interview with The Special Goodness - March 12, 2000