Wishpool
Wishpool is the third and final studio album by American rock band Brother Cane, released March 31, 1998. It features the hit "I Lie in the Bed I Make," which was their second #1 single on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, maintaining that position for four weeks. Due to low album sales, however, Virgin released Brother Cane which disbanded soon after. ProductionWishpool marked a different creative approach for Brother Cane; rather than writing about a dozen songs before entering the studio, the band took an extended period of time to write almost 40 songs, with the idea that the more songs they wrote, the more strong ones they would have to choose from.[1] Frontman Damon Johnson has regarded Wishpool as "certainly my most personal statement as a lyricist and the body of work that I am most proud of."[2] He reflected on the album in a 2006 interview, noting that by the time they began recording Wishpool, he was very comfortable with his vocals and put considerably more effort into his writing and singing. However, Johnson elaborated:
Working with producer Kelly Gray, who later replaced Chris DeGarmo of Queensrÿche, led Johnson, Gray, and Queensrÿche drummer Scott Rockenfield to later form the side project Slave to the System. Promotion and touringOn March 22, 1998 Brother Cane was interviewed for an Album Network radio broadcast and performed their upcoming album live in anticipation of its release.[3] Regarding the commercial success of Wishpool, Johnson has stated that had it been released at a different time, the album would certainly have sold more units. Elaborated on the nature of Virgin Records and how that effected the album's success:
Brother Cane toured North America from March until November 1998 in promotion of Wishpool. However, Johnson later explained that the band's tour success did not translate into album sales:
Song appearancesA live rendition of "Lead My Follow" was featured on the 1998 edition of Live in the X Lounge. This was sold to benefit United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Birmingham, based in Brother Cane's home state of Alabama. "I Lie in the Bed I Make" was featured on The Unvailed Alternative Collection 1998, a compilation album. It, as well as "Machete," would later appear on the 2004 compilation The Best of Brother Cane. In 2005, Brother Cane reunited for two concert performances. This was later released on a 2009 DVD set entitled Come Alive Again, named after the eighth track on Wishpool. The DVD set also features various songs from that album.[6] Critical reception
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic gave the album four out of five stars and noted "While it lacks anything as flat-out catchy as 'Got No Shame' or 'And Fools Shine On,' there are plenty of sturdy songs on the record. Brother Cane may not push forward into new territory on Wishpool, but it delivers exactly what its fans would want, and that's enough." Track listing
Personnel
Production
Chart performance
References
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