Sha Sha (album)
| Sha Sha | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
![]()  | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | Version 1: 2000 (CD-R) Version 2: March 10, 2023 (3 discs)  | |||
| Recorded | 1999 | |||
| Studio |  
  | |||
| Genre | Indie rock, power pop | |||
| Length | 45:02 | |||
| Label | ATO | |||
| Producer | Stephen Harris | |||
| Ben Kweller chronology | ||||
 
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| Singles from Sha Sha | ||||
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| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating | 
| Metacritic | 69/100[1] | 
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating | 
| AllMusic | |
| Austin Chronicle | |
| The Guardian | |
| NME | 6/10[5] | 
| Pitchfork | 6.7/10[6] | 
| The Village Voice | |
Sha Sha is the debut album by American indie rock singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and former Radish member Ben Kweller.[8] The album was originally composed of outtakes from sessions for Radish's unreleased album Discount Fireworks. It was self-released by Kweller, via CD-R, in 2000. In 2002, ATO Records released a second version of the album with a radically different track listing featuring many new recordings and songs.[9]
Track listing
All tracks written by Ben Kweller except where noted.
2000 CD-R version (PA 101)
- "Launch Ramp"
 - "Next Time"
 - "Drink Me Away"
 - "How It Should Be (Sha Sha)" (Joe Butcher/Ben Kweller)
 - "Wasted and Ready"
 - "In Other Words"
 - "What It's Like to Live in Commerce" (AKA: "Commerce, TX")
 - "Silent Scene"
 - "Girl in Between"
 - "4.40 (Episode 2)"
 
2002 ATO Records version (07863 68114-2)
- "How It Should Be (Sha Sha)" – 1:49 (Joe Butcher/Ben Kweller)
 - "Wasted & Ready" – 3:51
 - "Family Tree" – 4:20
 - "Commerce, TX" – 3:52
 - "In Other Words" – 5:36
 - "Walk on Me" – 3:55
 - "Make It Up" – 4:50
 - "No Reason" – 3:51
 - "Lizzy" – 4:06
 - "Harriet's Got a Song" – 4:50
 - "Falling" – 4:04
 
2023 20th Anniversary Edition Bonus Discs
Disc 2 (Demos & Outtakes)
- "Falling - Brooklyn Demo"
 - "Walk on Me - Brooklyn Demo"
 - "Lizzy - Brooklyn Demo"
 - "Lizzy - LA Demo"
 - "Ballad of Wendy Baker - Brooklyn Demo"
 - "How It Should Be (Sha Sha) - Brooklyn Demo" (Joe Butcher/Ben Kweller)
 - "Walk on Me - Live at The Double Door"
 - "Make It Up - Brooklyn Demo"
 - "No Reason - Brooklyn Demo"
 - "No Reason (feat. Nils Lofgren) Live at The Marquee"
 
Disc 3 (B-sides & Rarities)
- "Today" (William Patrick Corgan)
 - "Psycho Girl" (Michael Donceel & Jonathan Jeter/ Ben Kweller)
 - "I Have the Power"
 - "Kokomo (with Adam Green)" (Mike Love/Scott McKenzie/Terry Melcher/John Phillips)
 - "Debbie Don't Worry Doll"
 - "My Drug Buddy - Live at The Mercury Lounge" (Evan Griffith Dando)
 - "SHS-10r"
 - "It's Up to You"
 - "It's Up to You (feat. Evan Dando) Live at The Brattle Theatre"
 - "Undone - The Sweater Song (feat. Juliana Hatfield) Live at Fletchers" (Rivers Cuomo)
 - "Lollipop" (Julius Dixon/Beverly Ross)
 - "It's Not Fair"
 
Personnel
- Ben Kweller – lead vocals, guitar, piano
 - John Kent – drums (also backing vocals on PA-101 version)
 - Josh Lattanzi – bass
 - Debbie Williams – bass (PA-101 version)
 - Joe Butcher – bass (PA-101 version)
 - Jane Scarpantoni – string arrangements
 - Steve Mazur – engineer
 - Stephen Harris – producer, mixing, engineer
 - Roger Greenawalt – producer
 - C. Taylor Crothers – photography
 - Mike Waring – photography
 - Liz Smith – photography
 - Brett – art direction
 - Greg Calbi – mastering
 
Charts
Album
| Chart (2003) | Peak position  | 
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[10] | 82 | 
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak positions  | ||
| Modern Rock Tracks | ||||
| 2002 | "Wasted and Ready" | 29 | ||
References
- ^ "Sha Sha by Ben Kweller". Metacritic. Retrieved April 14, 2018.
 - ^ Sullivan, Denise. "Sha Sha". AllMusic. Retrieved April 14, 2018.
 - ^ Haupt, Melanie (April 26, 2002). "Review: Ben Kweller". Austin Chronicle. Retrieved April 14, 2018.
 - ^ Costa, Maddy (July 26, 2002). "Pop CD: Ben Kweller, Sha Sha". The Guardian. Retrieved April 14, 2018.
 - ^ Fox, Jason. "Sha Sha". NME. Archived from the original on June 10, 2004. Retrieved April 14, 2018.
 - ^ Mitchum, Rob (September 18, 2002). "Ben Kweller: Sha Sha Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 14, 2018.
 - ^ Christgau, Robert (December 31, 2002). "Don't Call It a Comeback". The Village Voice.
 - ^ "Ben Kweller: Sha Sha". PopMatters. May 22, 2002.
 - ^ "B.K Discography". Xanthein.co.uk. Archived from the original on July 28, 2011. Retrieved March 9, 2012.
 - ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 159.
 
 
