Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars


Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars is the debut album by the American alternative rock band Edie Brickell & New Bohemians, released in 1988. The album went 2x platinum in the United States.
"What I Am" was the lead single and big hit from the album, reaching #7 on the Billboard Hot 100. The follow-up single, "Circle," was about strained relationships. Although described by author Brent Mann as "the perfect follow up single to 'What I Am'" and which "had 'smash' written all over it," it stalled at #48 on the Billboard Hot 100 and fared slightly better on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart, reaching #32. Another song from the album, "Little Miss S." was inspired by Edie Sedgwick and reached #38 on the Mainstream Rock chart and #14 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart.

Track listing

Song notes

Excerpted from a "songbook" included with a box set of the "What I Am" single, presumed to be annotated and illustrated by Brickell herself:
What I Am "What I Am is a way out of a deep discussion on the universe as it relates to the self."
Little Miss S. "Little Miss S. is just another one of those famous dead people."
Air of December "People change & affect you just like the weather."
The Wheel "Your kind's always gonna be a-round."
Love Like We Do "We're broke & we're ugly."
Circle "That weird lost feeling can get you even when you're hangin' round with friends."
Beat the Time "Time Divides."
She "She's just about a homegirl."
Nothing "There's something about nothing – but it's nothing I wanna talk about."
Now "When your heart occupies your head."
Keep Coming Back "Some people get right on your mind & just stay there."
I Do "I Do is a song for my cat."

Personnel

NEW BOHEMIANS
with:
Both Chris Whitten and Paul "Wix" Wickens were/are members of Paul McCartney's band; Whitten from 1989-1990 and Wickens from 1989-present.

Production

"Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars is almost impossible to be cynical about," remarked Time Out, "and the band are so likeable it's almost unreal."

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications