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Useful Music

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}

{{Infobox album

| name = Useful Music

| type = studio

| artist = Josh Joplin Band

| cover = JoshJoplin_Useful.jpg

| alt =

| released = May 25, 1999

| recorded = Orphan Studios and Southern Living At Its Finest, Atlanta, GA
NG Studios, New York City, NY
New Reflections, Nashville, TN
Chicky World, Austin, TX

| venue =

| studio =

| genre = Folk rock, Americana

| length =

| label = SMG, Artemis

| producer = Shawn Mullins

| prev_title = Boxing Nostalgic

| prev_year = 1997

| next_title =

| next_year =

| misc = {{Extra chronology

| artist = Josh Joplin Group

| type = studio

| prev_title =

| prev_year =

| title = Useful Music

| year = 2001

| next_title = The Future That Was

| next_year = 2002

}}

{{Singles

| name = Useful Music

| type = studio

| single1 = Camera One

| single1date = February 6, 2001

| single2 = Gravity

| single2date = June 19, 2001

| single3 = I've Changed

| single3date = December 11, 2001

}}

}}

Useful Music is a studio album initially released in May 1999 under the SMG Records label by Josh Joplin Band, and again in January 2001 through Artemis Records after the band had renamed itself Josh Joplin Group following a change in its line-up. While the album did not enjoy widespread commercial success, it peaked at #22 on the Billboard Independent Albums chart and spawned a moderate hit with its first single, "Camera One", which quickly reached #1 on the Triple A airplay chart, the highest position ever achieved by an independent release at that point (February 2001). Featuring a more rock-edged, radio-friendly sound than most of the other material on Useful Music, the song was also featured in an episode of the comedy series Scrubs (season 1, episode 7, "My Super Ego").

Track listing

=Original release (1999)=

All songs written by Josh Joplin.

class="wikitable"
Track

! Title

! Producer

! Engineer

! Mixer

! Mastering

! Length

1

| "Matter"

| Jerry Harrison

| Karl Derfler

| Tom Lord-Alge

| Ted Jensen

| 4:13

2

| "Gravity"

| Shawn Mullins

| Russ Fowler, Alex Lowe

| Phil Nicolo

| Greg Calbi

| 3:04

3

| "Here I Am"

| Rob Gal, Mullins

| Fowler

| Matt Chiaravalle

| Calbi

| 4:18

4

| "Far Away"

| Mullins

| Fowler

| Fowler

| Calbi

| 2:54

5

| "Undone"

| Mullins

| Fowler

| Nicolo

| Calbi

| 4:09

6

| "I've Changed"

| Mullins

| Fowler

| Nicolo

| Calbi

| 4:13

7

| "Trailways"

| Mullins

| Fowler

| Chiaravalle

| Calbi

| 3:59

8

| "Who's Afraid of Thomas Wolfe?"

| Mullins

| Fowler

| Fowler

| Calbi

| 4:01

9

| "Phil Ochs"

| Allan Broyles, Josh Joplin

| Charles “Chicky” Reeves

| Fowler

| Calbi

| 3:12

10

| "Superstar"

| Mullins

| Fowler

| Chiaravalle

| Calbi

| 3:33

11

| "Human"

| Mullins

| Fowler

| Fowler

| Calbi

| 4:25

12

| "Dutch Wonderland"

| Mullins

| Fowler

| Fowler

| Calbi

| 3:54

=Re-release (2001)=

All credits are the same as the original release except where noted.

  1. "Matter"
  2. "Gravity"
  3. "Here I Am"
  4. "Undone"
  5. "Camera One" – 4:33
  6. * Producer: Jerry Harrison
  7. * Engineer: Karl Derfler
  8. * Mixer: Tom Lord-Alge
  9. * Mastering: Ted Jensen
  10. "I've Changed"
  11. "Trailways"
  12. "Who's Afraid of Thomas Wolfe?"
  13. "Phil Ochs"
  14. "Superstar"
  15. "Human"
  16. "Dutch Wonderland"
  17. "I've Changed (alternate version)" – 4:21
  18. * Producer: Peter Collins
  19. * Engineer: F. Reid Shippen
  20. * Mastering: Greg Calbi

Album credits

=Personnel=

=Production=

  • John Bentham – photography
  • Chris Bilheimer – art direction
  • Allen Broyles – producer ("Phil Ochs")
  • Greg Calbi – mastering (all tracks except "Matter" and "Camera One")
  • Matt Chiaravalle – mixer ("Here I Am", "Trailways", and "Superstar")
  • Peter Collins – producer ("I've Changed (alternate version)")
  • Karl Derfler – engineer ("Matter" and "Camera One")
  • Russ Fowler – engineer (all tracks except "Matter", "Camera One", and "I've Changed (alternate version)"), mixer ("Far Away", "Phil Ochs", "Who's Afraid of Thomas Wolfe?", "Human", and "Dutch Wonderland")
  • Daniel Glass – executive producer
  • Jerry Harrison – producer ("Matter" and "Camera One")
  • J. Reid Hunter – legal
  • Ted Jensen – mastering ("Matter" and "Camera One")
  • Josh Joplin – producer ("Phil Ochs")
  • Matt Lively – illustration
  • Tom Lord-Alge – mixer ("Matter" and "Camera One")
  • Alex Lowe – engineer ("Gravity")
  • Shawn Mullins – producer (all tracks except "Matter", "Phil Ochs", "Camera One", and "I've Changed (alternate version)")
  • Phil Nicolo – mixer ("Gravity," "Undone," and "I've Changed")
  • Charles “Chicky” Reeves – engineer ("Phil Ochs")
  • Anthony J. Resta – drum and keyboard programmer
  • F. Reid Shippen – engineer ("I've Changed (alternate version)")

Sources

  • {{Cite magazine

| last = Jenkins

| first = Daniel

| title = Josh Joplin Group Serves Up "Useful Music" on Artemis Set

| magazine = Billboard

| volume = 112

| issue = 51

| pages = 20

| publisher = Nielsen Company

| location = New York

| date = December 16, 2000

| url = http://www.billboard.com/features/josh-joplin-group-serves-up-useful-music-1314583.story

| issn = 0006-2510}}

  • {{Cite magazine

| last = Aiese

| first = Eric

| title = Reviews & Previews – Singles (Rock Tracks): 'Gravity'

| magazine = Billboard

| volume = 113

| issue = 25

| pages = 24

| publisher = Nielsen Company

| location = New York

| date = June 23, 2001

| url = http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=926065

| issn = 0006-2510}}

  • {{Cite magazine

| last = Taylor

| first = Chuck

| title = Reviews & Previews – Singles (Pop): 'I've Changed'

| magazine = Billboard

| volume = 113

| issue = 50

| pages = 25

| publisher = Nielsen Company

| location = New York

| date = December 15, 2001

| url = http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1166409

| issn = 0006-2510}}

  • {{Cite web

| last = Thelen

| first = Christopher

| title = Album Reviews – Useful Music

| publisher = The Daily Vault

| date = March 14, 2001

| url = http://www.dailyvault.com/toc.php5?review=3993

| access-date = July 6, 2010}}

  • {{Cite web

| last = Warburg

| first = Jason

| title = Album Reviews – Useful Music

| publisher = The Daily Vault

| date = February 15, 2002

| url = http://www.dailyvault.com/toc.php5?review=1827

| access-date = July 6, 2010}}

External links

  • [http://www.discogs.com/Josh-Joplin-Group-Useful-Music/release/1574057 Useful Music] at Discogs
  • [http://m.billboard.com/album/josh-joplin-group/useful-music/362472 Useful Music] at Billboard.com

{{Authority control}}

Category:Josh Joplin albums

Category:1999 albums

Category:Artemis Records albums

Category:Albums produced by Shawn Mullins

Category:Albums produced by Jerry Harrison