3 Balloons
| 3 Balloons | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 24 March 2009 | |||
| Genre | Comedy | |||
| Length | 39:23 | |||
| Label | HaHa/What Are Records? | |||
| Stephen Lynch chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    [1] |
3 Balloons is an album by comedian/musician Stephen Lynch. According to his official website, it was first studio album since 2000's A Little Bit Special. As of 5 March 2009, it is available for purchase in MP3 format directly from WhatAreRecords.com.[2] It was made available from other on-line stores starting the following week of March 2009. CDs were made available for sale at shows and on-line shortly after that, and it was released in stores starting 24 March.[3] On the week ending April 11, 2009, the album debuted and peaked at #152 on the Billboard 200.[4]
On his official site, Lynch says:
"My last two albums were recorded live in concert, just guitar and voice, and I wanted to do something different this time. Whenever I write or perform a new song, in my head I hear pianos and drums and tubas and string sections and jug bands and children's choirs. I want you to hear those things too. Except we couldn't find a children's choir whose parents would let them sing about drug mules and transsexual prostitutes. Maybe next time."
— Stephen Lynch, Official Website[5]
Most professional news sources did not review the album, with the notable exception of Allmusic's positive review, stating: "Love him or hate him — and that really does seem all there is to choose from — 3 Balloons finds novelty songster Stephen Lynch on a roll, keeping the quality high even when the formula is the same it has been for the past decade."
The album cover is a visual parody of the artwork design for the T. Rex album Electric Warrior.
Track listing
All tracks are written by Stephen Lynch.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Waiting" | 3:57 |
| 2. | "Fishin' Hole" | 3:54 |
| 3. | "Dear Diary 1" | 0:47 |
| 4. | "Crazy Peanuts" | 3:08 |
| 5. | "3 Balloons" | 4:04 |
| 6. | "Dear Diary 2" | 0:48 |
| 7. | "Medieval Bush" | 2:38 |
| 8. | "A History Lesson" | 2:32 |
| 9. | "Dear Diary 3" | 0:48 |
| 10. | "You (Prettier Than)" | 2:55 |
| 11. | "The Ballad of Scarface" | 4:48 |
| 12. | "America" | 3:24 |
| 13. | "Dear Diary 4" | 0:48 |
| 14. | "Hallelujah" | 4:44 |
Personnel
- Stephen Lynch – acoustic guitar, vocals
- Dean Sharenow – drums
- Ivan Bodley – bass
- Rich Campbell – piano
- Erik Della Penna – electric guitar, cigar box guitars
- Jonathan Dinklage – violin, viola, string arrangements
- Dave Eggar – cello
- Rod Cone and David Josefsberg – additional vocals
Charts
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[6] | 152 |
References
- ^ 3 Balloons Stephen Lynch Allmusic.com David Jeffries
- ^ "Stephen Lynch : What Are Records?". Secure.whatarerecords.com. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 1 September 2011.
- ^ "Stephen Lynch". Stephen Lynch. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 1 September 2011.
- ^ "elpee.jp". elpee.jp. Archived from the original on 11 April 2009. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
- ^ "Stephen Lynch". Stephen Lynch. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 1 September 2011.
- ^ "Stephen Lynch Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 16, 2025.