Cannon (song)

"Cannon"
Single by Self
from the album Subliminal Plastic Motives
B-side	"Sophomore Jinx"
Released	October 24, 1995 (1995-10-24)
Recorded	1994–May 1995
Genre	Power pop alternative rock[1]
Length	4:01
Label	Zoo Spongebath
Songwriter(s)	Matt Mahaffey
Producer(s)	Matt Mahaffey
Self singles chronology
"Cannon" (1995) "So Low" (1996)
Music video
"Cannon" on YouTube

"Cannon" is a song by American pop rock band Self, released on October 24, 1995. It was the band's debut single, distributed simultaneously with their album Subliminal Plastic Motives by Zoo Entertainment and Spongebath Records. It became an alternative rock radio hit, boosted by its Jesse Peretz-directed music video airing on MTV.

Background and release

Matt Mahaffey wrote the song "Cannon" in tribute to Richard Williams, founder of Spongebath Records and manager of his band Self. It lyrically incorporates the advice Williams received from others, switching between embracing support and spiting opposition.[2] "Cannon" begins with a white noise sample, leading into soft verses.[3] It instrumentally builds until it rockets into a heavy chorus,[4] using a sporadic guitar sequence and bassline alternating with intense vocals.[3] The song was released alongside the album as the lead single of Subliminal Plastic Motives on October 24, 1995.[3]

A music video for "Cannon" was additionally released in the same year,[2] directed by Jesse Peretz.[5] The video opens with the band eating together, performing primarily in a kitchen with additional shots in various indoor and outdoor locations. Later, they assemble the band's name with marquee lettering outside a Thrifty Inn. The music video ends with the band eating, framed like the opening scene. It aired several times on MTV, commercially boosting the song.[6] It additionally received radio play on alternative rock stations,[7] including KROQ-FM.[8]

Reception

Larry Flick of Billboard commended the single, calling the single a "dead-center hit".[3] In the context of Subliminal Plastic Motives, the song was positively reviewed by Ryan Schreiber of Pitchfork.[9] Chuck Campbell of Knoxville News Sentinel lauded "Cannon" as a "modern-rock hit", likening its lyricism to the Breeders' song "Cannonball".[4] Laurent of Indiepoprock additionally praised the song, describing it as the best representation of energetic power pop.[10] Contrarily, Eric Brace of the Washington Post labeled "Cannon" as uninventive for rock music, comparing it to the works of Better Than Ezra and the Dambuilders.[11]

Personnel

Self

• Matt Mahaffey – lead vocals, instruments, sampler
• Mike Mahaffey – instruments

Technical

• Matt Mahaffey – production, mixing engineer
• Bob Ludwig – mastering engineer
• Jim Faraci – mixing engineer, engineer
• Sean McLean – assistant engineer
• Pete Martinez – assistant engineer
• Brian Bottcher – art direction

References

1. Hinds, Andy. "Subliminal Plastic Motives Review". AllMusic. Retrieved January 6, 2025.
2. Orr, Jay (October 20, 1995). "Music City: Lyrics on band's 1st album won't expose too much of 'Self'". Nashville Banner. p. C1.
3. Flick, Larry (October 28, 1995). "Popular Uprisings - Self Assured". Billboard. Vol. 107, no. 43. pp. 28, 89. Retrieved January 6, 2025.
4. Campbell, Chuck (February 2, 1996). "'Cannon' Shoots Self Into The Limelight". Knoxville News Sentinel. p. T8.
5. Atwood, Brett (May 18, 1996). "Peretz Has Lighthearted Approach". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 20. p. 80. Retrieved January 4, 2025.
6. Paulson, Dave (October 11, 2018). "Matt Mahaffey: the Nashville music genius behind the new 'Ninja Turtles'". The Tennessean. Retrieved January 6, 2025.
7. Flannagan, Mike (March 22, 1996). "Radio Finds Self Awareness". Knoxville News Sentinel. p. T10.
8. Besecker, Gabe (December 11, 2023). "sElf-Indulgent: A Retrospective on the Band That Started Matt Mahaffey's Career". Woof Magazine. Retrieved January 6, 2025.
9. Schreiber, Ryan (June 1996). "Self: Subliminal Plastic Motives: Pitchfork Review". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on October 28, 2004. Retrieved January 4, 2025.
10. Laurent (September 15, 1995). "Self - Subliminal Plastic Motives". Indiepoprock (in French). Retrieved January 4, 2025.
11. Brace, Eric (February 8, 1996). "Self Made Debut: Good Motives'". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 6, 2025.