I’ve never particularly liked the term “one hit wonder,” since it implies that the band or artist didn’t have any other good material that preceded or followed after a moment of success. Alas, Marcy Playground usually gets lumped into that “one hit wonder” moniker when discussing bands from the late 90’s Alternative Rock scene. The band found breakthrough success with their song “Sex and Candy,” and they steadily released three additional albums, with their last studio album coming in 2009 called Leaving Wonderland…In A Fit of Rage. Marcy Playground recently paired up with other 90’s bands like Everclear and Local H on 2018’s Summerland Tour, and I always felt like they didn’t get the true recognition they deserved for their unique brand of quirky rock. Marcy Playground in particular, their self-titled debut, was one of those records I discovered later in life and was kicking myself for not diving further into the material earlier. There’s never been a better time to dive back into this record that delivers all over the album.
The set kicks off with the crunchy guitar riffs of “Poppies” as lead singer John Wozniak takes the listener on a history lesson as he explains, “Long long ago in China, I’m told / To England was traded some tea / And so sealed the fate, in pieces of eight / All England and all of the world / Yeah…poppies.” The great drumming Dan Rieser really stands out on repeat listens, as his unique fills really bring the song a great punch and drive to it.
”Sex and Candy” follows the outstanding opener with a slower tempo and a unique drawl to Wozniak’s somber vocal approach. The strange thing about this ultra-successful single is that compared to the other material found on this record, it doesn’t sound like it “fits” the direction they took on this debut. However, Marcy Playground was probably ecstatic that the song found its way to so many radio stations and listeners’ hearts, and would spend 15 weeks at the top of the Modern Rock Billboard charts. The song has that emo feel to it, even before emo really was becoming widely recognized in the next decade.
”Ancient Walls of Flowers” is another mid-tempo song that finds Marcy Playground experimenting with acoustic guitar elements to bring further texture to their sound. The chorus of, “But I never heard you callin’ from the sun / Did you ever care to shoot your silver gun / No I never heard you callin’ from the moon / Did you ever care to sing your free love tune,” has a very campfire sing-a-long feel to it and the acoustic guitar solo after the second chorus is incredibly impressive from Wozniak.
One of my favorites in the set comes in the form of “Saint Joe On the School Bus,” that features a great bass line from previous bassist Glenn Braver and really helps the song progress nicely. The brutal lyrics of “Saint Joe he said he’s never been dressed up like a woman / Saint Joe they said your dad is gay / They said your mom she’s a whore / They said it ’til you were raw / They said your mom she’s a bore / They made her beg,” reminds me of playground bullies shouting out obscenities at the “uncool” kids and making their life a living hell. The song, much like most of the material found on the debut, unfolds like a story and brings new complexities to each lyric.
”A Cloak of Elvenkind” is a slow-tempo ballad that feels like a folk song as it gently picks up momentum. The second verse of, “Sixteen books on magic spells / Stacked below the cloak of elves / And sixteen books on magic spells / So elegantly bound,” paints a mythical picture of someone finding their peace in literature to cope with the outside world. It bleeds into my favorite track on the record, “Sherry Fraser,” that again has a folk feel to it on the first verse of, “Oh, I saw stars falling all around her head / Red, gold, and blue / Sherry Fraser where are you / ‘Cause I saw stars falling all around your head / When we were young.” The pairing of these two songs breaks up some of the aggressive-tinged sounds found on the earlier songs, and showcases the great storytelling of the band through their lyrics.
”Gone Crazy” and “Opium” are the two of the last really slow songs that bring out the more psychedelic part of Marcy Playground’s sound, and they sound great through a nice pair of headphones to feel the great complexities they bring into the speakers.
”One More Suicide” is another track that plays out like a rich story based on the vivid lyrics from Wozniak. The song features some well-placed, backing strings towards the end of the song to make for a sweeping orchestral-type ballad. Things eventually pick up steam again, tempo-wise, on “Dog and His Master.” The bridge at the end of, “One little, two little, three little idiots / Four little, five little, six little idiots / Seven little, eight little, nine little idiots / All in suit and tie / One little, two little, three little idiots / Four little, five little, six little idiots / Seven little, eight little, nine little idiots / All dressed up to die, and I say / You can be any way that you wanna be / But how I’ll be, that’s up to me,” bring that familiar-sounding children’s refrain new meaning as Marcy Playground explain the hardest parts of growing up.
The closing duo of “The Shadow of Seattle” and “The Vampires of New York” round out this under-appreciated gem of a late 90’s Alternative Rock record that is filled with thrilling storytelling, great musicianship, and still ends up feeling too short over the 12 songs that clock in at just over 34 minutes. If nothing else, I hope people that only remember this band for the “Sex and Candy” song give this record another chance to showcase the beauty that these musicians were able to create on this album.