Whatever (Aimee Mann album)


Whatever is the first solo album by the American singer-songwriter Aimee Mann, released in 1993.
"I've Had It" is one of the songs featured in Nick Hornby's book 31 Songs. The album, with special note for the song "4th of July", was included by Elvis Costello in his "Costello's 500" list for Vanity Fair. It has also been included in the 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die list.

Reception

Whatever received mostly positive reviews from critics. Most praised her sense of melody and the wordplay of her lyrics, exemplified by Entertainment Weekly in "hooky songs" and "evocative lyrics". The Los Angeles Times reflected this by saying she "mixes words like a master, catching lifetimes of ache and Angst" in her songs while the Chicago Tribune compared her to Elvis Costello. Rolling Stone cited her music as "sunny, surreal melodies" with "razor-sharp lyrics". The Independents Andy Gill highly recommended the album, concluding that "it's the tension between Mann's disarmingly direct, conversational lyric style and the complexity of her musical design that gives Whatever its peculiar charge." On the other hand, Robert Christgau only cited "Mr. Harris" as a "choice cut", finding nothing else to say about it.
The album was included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Commercial performance

As of February 2001, combined sales for two releases of Whatever stand at 170,000 copies sold in United States.

Track listing

Original release

All tracks by Aimee Mann, except where noted.
  1. "I Should've Known" – 4:53
  2. "Fifty Years After the Fair" – 3:46
  3. "4th of July" – 3:21
  4. "Could've Been Anyone" – 4:23
  5. "Put Me on Top" – 3:28
  6. "Stupid Thing" – 4:27
  7. "Say Anything" – 4:57
  8. "Jacob Marley's Chain" – 3:01
  9. "Mr. Harris" – 4:05
  10. "I Could Hurt You Now" – 4:17
  11. "I Know There's a Word" – 3:16
  12. "I've Had It" – 4:42
  13. "Way Back When" – 4:05
  14. "Nothing" – 0:09

    ''Whatever – An Exclusive Collection''

In 1994, BMG Records in Germany released a limited edition Whatever – An Exclusive Collection. This featured a second CD containing previously released B-sides. The cover of the CD was unchanged, there just being a sticker announcing the bonus material. It appears that Aimee was unaware of this release until it was mentioned in the message forum at her website in 2004, her management calling it a bootleg before it being confirmed as an official release.
Contents of the second disc:
  1. "Jimmy Hoffa Jokes"
  2. "4th of July"
  3. "Say Anything"
  4. "Baby Blue"
  5. "Truth on My Side"
  6. "Fifty Years After the Fair"
  7. "Put on Some Speed"
  8. "Stupid Thing"
  9. "The Other End "

    Personnel

Weekly charts

Singles