Closer (Better Than Ezra album)

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources: "Closer" Better Than Ezra album – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (September 2009) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

|

2001 studio album by Better Than Ezra

Closer

Studio album by

Better Than Ezra

Released| August 7, 2001
Recorded| January 2001
Genre| Alternative rock, post-grunge
Length| 42:47
Label| Beyond
Better Than Ezra  (2009 reissue)
Producer| Brad Wood, Ethan Allen
Better Than Ezra chronology
| How Does Your Garden Grow?
(1998)  | Closer
(2001)  | Live at the House of Blues, New Orleans
(2004)

|
|

Professional ratingsAggregate scores

Source| Rating
Metacritic| 64/100[1]
Review scores
Source| Rating
Allmusic|  [2]

Closer is the fifth studio album by the New Orleans–based rock trio Better Than Ezra. It was released on August 7, 2001 by Beyond Records. Closer initially performed better than its predecessor, How Does Your Garden Grow?, peaking at #110 on the Billboard charts. The first single off the album, "Extra Ordinary," placed on both the Billboard Modern Rock and Adult Top 40 charts (it was the eighth and last BTE single to date to place on the Modern Rock charts). A second single, "Misunderstood," was planned, but Beyond Records declared bankruptcy before it could be released.

As of early 2007, Closer was out of print due to Beyond Records going out of business and copies were scarce, though some were still in stock in stores. Legal problems resulting from Beyond's bankruptcy meant it would be four years before Better than Ezra's next studio album, Before the Robots. In the meantime, the band would release a live album in 2004, recorded in their hometown at the House of Blues.

In June 2009, the band announced they had acquired the rights to "Closer" and all of the master tracks recorded during the sessions for the album, and would be reissuing it via their own label on CD, The re-release was made available in October 2009 via the band's online store, sporting a bright new red cover, and two bonus tracks, "Simple Song", a long-standing fan favorite, and "Screwed Up And Beautiful". Both tracks were recorded during the 2001 sessions for the album but omitted from the final record.

## Track listing

[edit]

All tracks by Kevin Griffin

1. "Misunderstood" – 3:46
2. "Extra Ordinary" (featuring DJ Swamp) – 3:37
3. "Closer" – 4:31
4. "Rolling" (featuring Toddy Walters) – 3:31
5. "A Lifetime" – 3:36
6. "Recognize" (featuring DJ Swamp) – 3:18
7. "Sincerely, Me" – 3:53
8. "Get You In" – 4:07
9. "Briefly" – 4:19
10. "Juarez" – 4:26
11. "I Do" – 3:44

2009 reissue

1.   2. "Screwed Up and Beautiful" – 3:09
3. "Simple Song" – 4:41

## Personnel

[edit]

* Kevin Griffin – Guitar, Piano, Vocals
* Tom Drummond – Bass
* Travis McNabb – Drums

### Additional personnel

[edit]

* Tim Palmer \- Mixing
* Mark Mullins – Trombone
* Eric Lucero – Trumpet
* David Campbell String Arrangements
* James Arthur Payne – Guitar
* Toddy Walters – Backing Vocals
* DJ Swamp – turntables
* DJ Wolf (Chick Wolverton) – keyboards, turntables
* Michael Goods – Rhodes, Organ

#### Quartet Illumina

[edit]

* Guenevere Measham – Cello
* Leah Katz – Viola
* Daphne Chen – Violin
* Melissa Reiner – Violin

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Closer by Better Than Ezra". Retrieved October 3, 2016.
2. ^ https://www.allmusic.com/album/r545664

* v
* t
* e

Better Than Ezra

* Kevin Griffin
* Tom Drummond
* James Arthur Payne Jr.
* Michael Jerome

* Joel Rundell
* Cary Bonnecaze
* Travis McNabb

Studio albums|

* Deluxe
* Friction, Baby
* How Does Your Garden Grow?
* Closer
* Before the Robots
* Paper Empire
* All Together Now
* Super Magick

Live albums|

* Live at the House of Blues, New Orleans

Singles|

* "Good"
* "In the Blood"
* "Rosealia"
* "King of New Orleans"
* "Desperately Wanting"
* "Extra Ordinary"
* "A Lifetime"
* "Our Last Night"
* "Juicy"
* "Absolutely Still"

Videos|

* Live at the House of Blues, New Orleans

Related articles|

* Discography

Category

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

|

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template