Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too
| Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by New Radicals | ||
| Released | October 20, 1998 | |
| Recorded | 1997–1998 | |
| Genre | ||
| Length | 54:21 | |
| Label | MCA | |
| Producer | Gregg Alexander | |
| Singles from Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too | ||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   |
| Encyclopedia of Popular Music | |
| Entertainment Weekly | A− |
| Los Angeles Times | |
| NME | 6/10 |
| Q | |
| Rolling Stone |  |
| Rolling Stone Denmark | |
| Spin |   |
| The Village Voice | A− |
Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too is the only album by the New Radicals, released in October 1998. Two singles were released off of the album, the first of which, "You Get What You Give," was successful worldwide. The album was met with positive reviews from critics, who praised the album's production and political themes, and was commercially successful, charting in several European countries and the United States.
Prior to forming The New Radicals, lead singer Gregg Alexander released two solo albums, Michigan Rain (1989) and Intoxifornication (1992). Both albums were flops, generating no charting singles and receiving lukewarm reviews from critics. Before signing to MCA Records in 1997, Alexander had been dropped by two record labels: A&M and Epic Records. In 1997, Alexander signed to MCA Records in 1997 and allegedly received a $600,000 advance.
When recording "Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too," Alexander stated that he "'completely ripped up' the 'rules that applied to (his) first two records.'" While the album was credited to The New Radicals, it is often considered to be a Gregg Alexander album, as he wrote and produced all songs (only the two singles were co-written with other artists), played several instruments on it and is the only constant member of the band. In reference to the wide variety of musicians he recruited to record the album, Alexander stated "Most of that record was me pulling favors with studios or musicians that had played on earlier records and were like, 'Oh, Gregg's down on his luck — let's go play on his demo for the hell of it, we'll have a good laugh, have a couple of beers and maybe smoke a jay or whatever.'"
The lyrical and musical content of Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too was compared to a variety of artists. The Encyclopedia of Popular Music likened The New Radicals' politically-oriented lyrics to British rock band Chumbawamba.Entertainment Weekly compared the album's music to that of Hanson. The Los Angeles Times likened The New Radicals to the Rolling Stones and the Beatles. Alexander's vocal performance drew frequent comparisons to Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins, while a review by AllMusic commented that his vocals resembled Mick Jagger's.Consequence of Sound commented that the album "made Gregg Alexander the 90's answer to Phil Spector, without the bad rap of murdering people." Music critic Robert Christgau felt that Todd Rundgren and Hall & Oates were clear influences to Alexander, also comparing the lyrics to Bob Dylan and Meat Loaf.
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