At Home with Bobby and Tim is an album by the American power pop duo the Windbreakers, released in 1989.[2][3] The album marked a reunion for Tim Lee and Bobby Sutliff, who had spent a few years working on solo projects.[4] The band supported the album with North American tour.[5]
| At Home with Bobby and Tim | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1989 | |||
| Studio | Terminal Records | |||
| Genre | Power pop | |||
| Label | DB[1] | |||
| Producer | The Windbreakers | |||
| The Windbreakers chronology | ||||
| ||||
Production
editAt Home with Bobby and Tim was recorded at Terminal Records, in Pearl, Mississippi.[6] Although a reunion album of sorts, Lee and Sutliff often worked separately, even listing in the liner notes which member played which guitar solo.[7] Mitch Easter contributed production work to some songs.[8] The initial CD version of At Home with Bobby and Tim included the pair's critically-praised album Terminal.[9]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [10] |
| Chicago Sun-Times |  [9] |
| Chicago Tribune | [4] |
| Orlando Sentinel | [11] |
Trouser Press called the album "confident-sounding [and] smoothly crafted," writing that "the pair sounds as strong as ever on bittersweet originals like Lee’s 'Just Fine', Sutliff’s 'On the Wire' and a cover of Russ Tolman’s 'Portrait of Blue'."[12] The Orlando Sentinel wrote that there is "an occasional touch of Tom Petty in the vocals and Alex Chilton in the no-frills execution, but the band has a low-key charm of its own on songs such as 'Just Fine' and 'On the Wire'."[11] The Rocket considered it "a near-perfect pop album."[13]
The Chicago Tribune opined that "Lee gives Sutliff's love-lost tunes a kick in the pants, and Sutliff's melodicism and concision have rubbed off on the ragged-voiced Lee."[4] The Washington Post called At Home with Bobby and Tim the band's best album, writing that "every song boasts an attention- grabbing pop melody sustained by ringing guitar harmonies, yet the vocals are driven by the urgent sense of a personal crisis."[14]
AllMusic wrote that "the pair turn out a brace of capable songs, some of which refine old styles and others of which explore new ground."[10]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Just Fine" | |
| 2. | "I Thought You Knew" | |
| 3. | "On the Wire" | |
| 4. | "Down to It" | |
| 5. | "Ill at Ease" | |
| 6. | "Cold, Cold Rain" | |
| 7. | "Our Little War" | |
| 8. | "Portrait of Blue" | |
| 9. | "Saw You Again" | |
| 10. | "Give Me a Reason" | |
| 11. | "Closer to Home" |
Personnel
edit- Tim Lee - vocals, guitars
- Bobby Sutliff - vocals, guitars
References
edit- ^ Blackstock, Peter (16 Mar 1990). "There's music in the air with diverse SXSW showcases". Austin American-Statesman. p. G5.
- ^ "The Windbreakers Biography & History". AllMusic.
- ^ Zimmerman, Lee (January 23, 2019). Americana Music: Voices, Visionaries, and Pioneers of an Honest Sound. Texas A&M University Press. ISBN 9781623497019 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b c Caro, Mark (12 Apr 1990). "Windbreakers At Home with Bobby and Tim". Chicago Tribune. p. 19C.
- ^ Fisher, Harry (9 Dec 1989). "The Windbreakers At Home with Bobby and Tim". The Morning Call. p. A76.
- ^ Lucas, Sherry (19 Oct 1989). "Back to Lee and...". The Clarion-Ledger. p. 12E.
- ^ Rogers, Forrest (December 23, 1989). "Reviews". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. L25.
- ^ The Encyclopedia of Record Producers. Billboard Books. 1999. p. 211.
- ^ a b McLeese, Don (February 5, 1990). "The Windbreakers 'At Home with Bobby & Tim'". Features. Chicago Sun-Times. p. 25.
- ^ a b "At Home with Bobby & Tim". AllMusic.
- ^ a b Gettelman, Parry. "The Windbreakers". Orlando Sentinel.
- ^ "Windbreakers". Trouser Press. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
- ^ McCaughey, Scott (Feb 1990). "Earachin'". The Rocket. p. 33.
- ^ "Post-Punk Paradox and Beatles Go On". The Washington Post. Retrieved 9 August 2021.