Slightly Odway

The group's line-up of Chris Daymond on lead guitar, Kevin Mitchell on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Vanessa Thornton on bass guitar and Kevin's older brother, Brett Mitchell, on drums started recording Slightly Odway in March 1997 with United Kingdom's Neill King (The Smiths, Madness, Elvis Costello) producing.{{cite web | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20121009001326/http://hem.passagen.se/honga/database/j/jebediah.html | url = http://hem.passagen.se/honga/database/j/jebediah.html | work = passage.se | title = Jedediah | publisher = Australian Rock Database (Magnus Holmgren) | last1 = Holmgren | first1 = Magnus | archivedate = 9 October 2012 | url-status = usurped | accessdate = 27 January 2015 }}

According to Australian music journalist Ed Nimmervoll, the title "is a comment on the slightly odd way they feel they approach life as well as music".{{Cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120819074923/http://www.howlspace.com.au/en3/jebediah/jebediah.htm |url=http://www.howlspace.com.au/en3/jebediah/jebediah.htm |title=Jebediah |last1=Nimmervoll |first1=Ed |authorlink1=Ed Nimmervoll |publisher=Howlspace – The Living History of Our Music. White Room Electronic Publishing Pty Ltd (Ed Nimmervoll) |archive-date=19 August 2012 |access-date=23 January 2014 |url-status=dead}}

In March 2002 Kevin reflected on his song writing "It didn't bother me that people didn't pick up on the lyrics. I'd made a conscious effort to focus on lyrics, because there were some lyrics on Slightly Odway that I was a little embarrassed about, ones where I hadn't really been trying. But I certainly didn't want vindication or attention for what I'd written."{{cite news | url = http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/03/22/1016744652509.html | title = Jebediah's journey | last = Mathieson | first = Craig | work = The Age | publisher = Fairfax Media | date = 22 March 2002 | accessdate = 29 January 2015 }}

The bowling green on the artwork of the album is the Kardinya Bowling Club, where bass player Vanessa Thornton's grandparents played. The spaceship is in fact a Futuro house that was located on the corner of Leach Highway and Karel Avenue in Willetton, close to where the band members grew up. The structure was used as part of a sales office for a nearby residential subdivision and was removed in 1996, after being donated to the Barking Gecko Theatre Company.{{cite web|url=http://www.thefuturohouse.com/Futuro-High-Wycombe-Perth-Australia.html|title=The Futuro House|publisher=TheFuturoHouse.com|date=8 October 2014|accessdate=21 January 2015}}

{{Album ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1score = {{rating|3.5|5}}{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/slightly-odway-mw0000369068 |title=Slightly Odway – Jebediah | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards |last=Lewis |first=Jonathan |publisher=AllMusic|accessdate=27 January 2015}} Note: User may have to click on a tab, e.g. 'Credits' to access further information.

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In his retrospective review, Jonathan Lewis of AllMusic wrote that Slightly Odway "shows Jebediah as a talented young band, despite the flimsy songwriting and the lack of light and shade on the album. Once Jebediah learn they don't need to bludgeon the audience with their guitar-playing they will be better off for it." Lewis preferred the earlier version of "Jerks of Attention", which is "one of their finest songs", over the album version, which was "a half-paced version of the original single: it certainly doesn't improve it."

In May 2011 Matt Neal of The Warrnambool Standard felt the album was "packed with big power chords, frontman Kevin "Bob Evans" Mitchell's distinctive sing-through-your-nose approach, inspired bursts of guitar noise and a love of crowd-friendly melodies. Some of it hasn't aged well".{{cite news |last=Neal |first=Mat |date=13 May 2011 |title=Jebediah |newspaper=The Warrnambool Standard |publisher=Fairfax Media |url=http://www.standard.net.au/story/792103/jebediah/ |accessdate=29 January 2014}}

In 2011, the album placed at number 15 in a list of the greatest 100 Australian albums compiled by Australian youth radio station Triple J.{{cite web|url=http://www.tonedeaf.com.au/news/featured/78787/powderfinger-take-out-triple-j-greatest-australian-album-poll.htm |title=Powderfinger Take Out Triple J Greatest Australian Album Poll on Tone Deaf |date=11 July 2011 |website=Tone Deaf |access-date=21 January 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120104210413/http://www.tonedeaf.com.au/news/featured/78787/powderfinger-take-out-triple-j-greatest-australian-album-poll.htm |archive-date=4 January 2012}}

{{Track listing

| all_writing = Jebediah (Chris Daymond, Brett Mitchell, Kevin Mitchell and Vanessa Thornton),{{cite web|publisher=Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) |title='Leaving Home' at APRA search engine |url=https://www.apra.com.au/cms/worksearch/worksearch.srvlt?action=workSearch#axd?q=Leaving%2Home |access-date=29 January 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150130182113/https://www.apra.com.au/cms/worksearch/worksearch.srvlt?action=workSearch |archive-date=30 January 2015}} Note: User may have to click 'Search again' and provide details at 'Enter a title:' e.g Leaving Home; or at 'Performer:' Jebediah except as noted

| title1 = Leaving Home

| length1 = 3:01

| title2 = Benedict

| length2 = 4:03

| title3 = Harpoon

| length3 = 4:28

| title4 = Jerks of Attention

| length4 = 4:46

| title5 = Invaders

| note5 = Jebediah, Reg Presley

| length5 = 3:40

| title6 = Spoil the Show

| length6 = 4:03

| title7 = Blame

| length7 = 1:56

| title8 = Puckdefender

| length8 = 4:57

| title9 = Lino

| length9 = 4:06

| title10 = Military Strongmen

| length10 = 3:27

| title11 = Teflon

| length11 = 3:46

| title12 = Twilight = Dusk

| length12 = 4:45

| title13 = La Di Da Da

| length13 = 7:47

}}

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; Jebediah

• Kevin Mitchell – guitar, keyboards, vocals
• Chris Daymond – guitar, percussion, vocals
• Brett Mitchell – drums, percussion, vocals
• Vanessa Thornton – bass

; Additional musicians

• DJ Rub-A-Dub – vocals on "Teflon"
• Helen Mountford – cello
• Michelle, Kim, Mindy, Tom, Heath, Brendon, Steph, Neill – vocals on "La Di Da Da"

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; Technical personnel

• Neill King – production, engineering, mixing
• Superdave Davis – production, engineering and mixing assistance
• Steve Smart – mastering
• Heath Bradby – management
• John "Wombo" O'Donnell – A&R
• Ben Steele – sleeve design and layout
• Nick Cowie – sleeve photography
• Chris Digby – sleeve photography

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{{reflist}}

• [https://www.jebediah.net/posts/slightly-odway Slightly Odway] on Jebediah's official website

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Category:1997 debut albums

Category:Jebediah albums

Category:Murmur (record label) albums