Any Man in America

Any Man in America is the sixth studio album and ninth album overall by alternative rock band Blue October. The album was recorded at Matchbox Studios in Austin, Texas between Summer of 2010 and March 2011, and was released August 16, 2011 by Justin Furstenfeld's Up/Down Records and distributed through RED Distribution. The album was produced by Tim Palmer, who has previously worked with artists such as David Bowie, Robert Plant, The Cure, U2 and Pearl Jam and had mixed Blue October's album History for Sale. The artwork on the album cover is a drawing of Justin Furstenfeld drawn by Tim Palmer's daughter Bluebell, who was three years old at the time.

Any Man in America
Studio album by
Blue October
ReleasedAugust 16, 2011
Recorded2010-2011
GenreAlternative rock
Post-grunge
Experimental
Length62:05
LabelRED Distribution,
Megaforce Records,
earMusic,
Up/Down Records,
Brando Records
ProducerTim Palmer
Blue October chronology
Ugly Side: An Acoustic Evening With Blue October
(2011)		 Any Man in America
(2011)		 Sway
(2013)
Singles from Any Man in America
  1. "The Chills"
    Released: May 31, 2011 (2011-05-31)
  2. "The Feel Again (Stay)"
    Released: June 14, 2011 (2011-06-14)
  3. "The Worry List"
    Released: October 8, 2011 (2011-10-08)

The songs on the album are largely about Justin Furstenfeld's divorce and custody battle over his daughter.[1]

The first single from the album, The Chills became available for digital download May 31, and impacted radio June 27, 2011.

On June 9, 2011 the band posted a video of the song The Feel Again (Stay), directed by Merritt Fields, on YouTube. Due to the overwhelming positive response to the video by fans, the band released the song on iTunes five days later.[2]

On Monday, July 25, 2011, the official music video for the first single, The Chills, was released via the band's YouTube Vevo channel.

Upon release, the album topped the amazon.com album downloads chart. The album sold 27,275 copies in its first week, making it the highest-selling debut, the highest-selling alternative rock album, the second highest-selling independent album, and the eighth best selling album overall.[3] Additionally, the album was popular on iTunes where it was the best selling alternative album, and the fifth best selling album overall.[4] The album debuted at number eight on the Billboard chart, making it the highest charting album of Blue October's career, although their two previous studio albums actually sold more units in their first week of release. On the Billboard Independent Albums chart, it peaked at #2, and on the Top Rock Albums Chart it peaked at #1.

Track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Everything (AM Limbo)"Justin Furstenfeld0:52
2."The Feel Again (Stay)"Justin Furstenfeld6:00
3."The Money Tree"Justin Furstenfeld4:59
4."For the Love"Justin Furstenfeld4:43
5."Drama Everything"Justin Furstenfeld, Andy Sharp4:30
6."The Chills"Justin Furstenfeld, Tim Palmer3:34
7."The Flight (Lincoln to Minneapolis)"Justin Furstenfeld6:45
8."Any Man in America"Justin Furstenfeld6:25
9."You Waited Too Long"Justin Furstenfeld, Tim Palmer4:28
10."The Honesty"Justin Furstenfeld4:22
11."The Getting Over It Part"Justin Furstenfeld, Tim Palmer4:38
12."The Worry List"Justin Furstenfeld, Dwight Baker4:33
13."The Follow Through"Justin Furstenfeld6:10

Reviews

The album was released to mixed reviews, Allmusic rating the album with 2 out of 5 stars and stating "Justin Furstenfeld has no qualms about putting his domestic problems on display, and while heartache and ruin are well-worn rock & roll topics, self-indulgence works best when tempered with hooks, something Furstenfeld seems to have left at the crime scene." Diminuendo had to say about the album, "As long as they continue doing what they're good at - writing deeply personal, heart-wrenching lyrics - it doesn't matter where they venture musically. Any Man in America is a model to follow for great artists: an ever-changing sound with a signature lyrics and vocals,"[5] giving the album a volume setting of 9 out of 11.

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[6]
Sputnikmusic[7]
MassLive.com[8]

Personnel
  • Justin Furstenfeld – vocals, guitar, production
  • Steve Schiltz - guitars
  • C.B. Hudson - guitar
  • Patricia Lynn Drew - backing vocals / guest vocalist
  • Ray Cordero - guest vocalist
  • Brendan Bond - trumpet
  • Dwight Baker - engineering
  • Matt Noveskey – bass, guitar
  • Jeremy Furstenfeld – drums, percussion
  • Ryan Delahoussaye - violin, keyboard, mandolin
  • Tim Palmer - guitars, production, engineering, mixing
gollark: Do you *want* a CB ice?
gollark: Probably more if you offload it to other people.
gollark: Well... 8 slots, 2 days per batch... I guess 24?
gollark: 🦑
gollark: Also, lots of breeding.

References
  1. Scott Iwasaki (2011-06-13). "Interview: Justin Furstenfeld of Blue October". Archived from the original on 2011-06-15. Retrieved 2011-06-15.
  2. ""The Feel Again (Stay)" Is Now Digitally Available!". 2011-06-14.
  3. "Building albums Sales Chart". 2011-08-22. Archived from the original on 2014-09-15.
  4. Shauna O'Donnell (2011-08-24). "Blue October Lands Highest Chart Debut of Their Career".
  5. "Blue October - Any Man in America (2011)". Diminuendo: A Musical Discourse. Retrieved August 18, 2011.
  6. James Christopher Monger (2011-07-26). "Blue October "Any Man In America" Album Review".
  7. SowingSeason (2011-08-22). "Blue October Any Man in America".
  8. "CD reviews: Blue October, John Martyn tribute disc". 2011-10-03.
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