Wasn't Tomorrow Wonderful? is the debut album of new wave band the Waitresses, released in 1982 by Polydor Records, licensed from ZE Records.
| Wasn't Tomorrow Wonderful? | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | January 11, 1982 | |||
| Recorded | 1980–1981 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 41:43 | |||
| Label | Polydor | |||
| Producer |
| |||
| The Waitresses chronology | ||||
| ||||
The album peaked at No. 41 on the Billboard 200 chart and included the earlier single "I Know What Boys Like".
Reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Pitchfork | 8.2/10[2] |
| Rolling Stone |  [3] |
| The Village Voice | B+[4] |
AllMusic critic Ben Tausig, writing retrospectively, said that the album "was a unique and fairly important moment in early-'80s new wave", and noted that "lead singer Patty Donahue's singing ranged from a playful sexiness on the well-known hit "I Know What Boys Like" to a half-talk, half-yell with shades of post-punk groups like Gang of Four and the Raincoats on 'Pussy Strut' and 'Go On.' The guitar and bass were bizarre and funk-influenced in much the same way as other well-known Akron, OH, groups like Devo and the Pretenders".[1] Pitchfork's Madison Bloom called it "an arch yet sincere sendup of humdrum modern life" and each track "a miniature diorama of daily life, rendered in the highly saturated palette of pop art". Bloom commented that without several lines, its lyrics "might read like a dystopian critique of yuppie aspiration. But Butler knew that real life is a tad more complex—you do what you can to get by, and relish small moments of contentment".[2]
Track listing
editAll songs written by Chris Butler.[5] This is the track list for the original US version.[6]
- "No Guilt" – 3:46
- "Wise Up" – 3:20
- "Quit" – 5:10
- "It's My Car" – 3:20
- "Wasn't Tomorrow Wonderful?" – 3:40
- "I Know What Boys Like" – 3:11
- "Heat Night" – 3:43
- "Redland" – 2:55
- "Pussy Strut" – 4:12
- "Go On" – 2:49
- "Jimmy Tomorrow" – 5:37
Personnel
edit- Patty Donahue – vocals
- Mars Williams – reeds
- Tracy Wormworth – bass
- David Hofstra – bass
- Billy Ficca – drums
- Dan Klayman – keyboards
- Chris Butler – guitar
- Ariel Warner – backing vocals
with:
- Ralph Carney – saxophone on "No Guilt" and "I Know What Boys Like"
- Don Christensen – drums on "No Guilt"
- Rick Dailey – piano on "I Know What Boys Like"
- Stuart Austin – drums on "I Know What Boys Like"
- Andrew Fuhrmann – art direction
Charts
edit| Chart (1982) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[7] | 84 |
| US Billboard 200[8] | 41 |
References
edit- ^ a b Tausig, Ben. "Wasn't Tomorrow Wonderful? – The Waitresses". AllMusic. Retrieved August 2, 2012.
- ^ a b Bloom, Madison (October 15, 2023). "The Waitresses: Wasn't Tomorrow Wonderful? Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 15, 2023.
- ^ Puterbaugh, Parke (February 18, 1982). "The Waitresses: Wasn't Tomorrow Wonderful?". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 20, 2003. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (March 9, 1982). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved August 2, 2012.
- ^ Arar, Yardena (April 7, 1982). "The Waitresses: They Know What Boys Like". Santa Cruz Sentinel. Santa Cruz, California. AP. Retrieved August 5, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Wasn't Tomorrow Wonderful? at Discogs (list of releases)
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 331. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "The Waitresses Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard.com. Archived from the original on October 25, 2019.
