Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars is the debut studio album by American alternative rock band Edie Brickell & New Bohemians, released on August 9, 1988, by Geffen Records. The album went double platinum in the United States.
"What I Am" was the lead single and hit from the album, reaching No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100. The follow-up single, "Circle", was about strained relationships. Cash Box said of "Circle" that "The key to this gentle song is Brickell’s breathy intensity. Supported by an acoustic-slanted track, she manages to sell the unusually dark lyric shadings." Another song from the album, "Little Miss S." was inspired by Edie Sedgwick and reached No. 38 on the Mainstream Rock chart and No. 14 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart.
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"Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars is almost impossible to be cynical about (I tried)," remarked Time Out, "and the band are so likeable it's almost unreal."
Track listing
Personnel
The New Bohemians
- Edie Brickell – vocals
- Kenny Withrow – guitars
- Brad Houser – bass
- Brandon Aly – drums
- John Bush – percussion
;with:
- Paul "Wix" Wickens – keyboards
- Robbie Blunt – guitars
- Chris Whitten – drums
- John Henry – backing vocals
Both Chris Whitten and Paul "Wix" Wickens in 1989 joined Paul McCartney's band; Whitten until 1990 and Wickens until the present.
Production
- Pat Moran – producer, engineer
- George Marino – mastering at Sterling Sound (New York City, New York)
- Barry Diament – CD mastering at Barry Diament Mastering (New York City, New York)
- Gabrielle Raumberger – art coordinator
- Terry Robertson – CD design
- Edie Brickell – cover illustration
- Mark Abrahams – solo photography
- Bob Cook – band photography
- Tracks 6 & 8 published by Geffen Music-Withrow Publishing-Edie Brickell Songs.
- Tracks 11 & 12 published by Geffen Music-Edie Brickell Songs.
- All other tracks published by Geffen Music-Strangemind Productions-Enlightened Kitty-Withrow Publishing-Edie Brickell Songs.
Charts
Weekly charts
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"
!Chart
!Position
|-
|align="left"|Australian Albums Chart
|31
|-
|align="left"|Austrian Albums Chart
|12
|-
|align="left"|Dutch Mega Albums Chart
|33
|-
|align="left"|German Media Control Albums Chart
|29
|-
|align="left"|Italian Albums Chart
|5
|-
|align="left"|New Zealand Albums Chart
|10
|-
|align="left"|UK Albums Chart
|25
|-
|align="left"|United States Billboard 200
|4
|-
|}
Year-end charts
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!Chart (1989)
!Position
|-
|align="left"|Australian Albums Chart
|81
|-
|align="left"|Canadian Albums Chart
|26
|-
|align="left"|Italian Albums Chart
|18
|}