Pocket Full of Kryptonite

Pocket Full of Kryptonite
Studio album by Spin Doctors
Released	August 20, 1991
Recorded	August–December 1990 at Power Station, NYC; RPM Studios, NYC and ACME Recording Studios Inc., Mamaroneck, NY; (tracks 11-13 of the European version recorded live, September 27, 1990 at Wetlands Preserve, NY)
Genre	Alternative rock College rock Pop rock
Length	50:30
Label	Epic ZK-47461
Producer	Frank Aversa, Peter Denenberg, Frankie La Rocka, Spin Doctors
Spin Doctors chronology
Up for Grabs...Live (1991) Pocket Full of Kryptonite (1991) Homebelly Groove...Live (1992)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]

Pocket Full of Kryptonite is the first studio album by American band Spin Doctors, released in August 1991. It peaked at #1 and #3 on Billboard's Heatseekers and Billboard 200 albums charts, respectively. It was the band's best selling album, and was certified 5x Platinum by the RIAA.^[2]

The album's title is a reference to Kryptonite, a fictional substance from the Superman comic book series. The title is taken from the album's opening track, "Jimmy Olsen's Blues", a reference to Superman supporting character Jimmy Olsen, who is attracted to Lois Lane and jealous of her romantic feelings for Superman. The cover, showing a phone booth, refers to Clark Kent frequently ducking into a nearby phone booth to change into his Superman attire.

Track listing

All songs by Spin Doctors (except where noted).

1. "Jimmy Olsen's Blues" – 4:38
2. "What Time Is It?" – 4:50
3. "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong" – 3:54
4. "Forty or Fifty" – 4:23
5. "Refrigerator Car" – 4:46
6. "More Than She Knows" – 2:12 (Schenkman, Lambert, Clark, Fitting)
7. "Two Princes" – 4:18
8. "Off My Line" – 3:58 (Schenkman, J. Bell, Spin Doctors)
9. "How Could You Want Him (When You Know You Could Have Me?)" – 4:59
10. "Shinbone Alley/Hard to Exist" – 12:42 (Barron, Schenkman, Popper, Comess)

• Note: The track listing for the cassette release can be found inside the tape's inlay. Unlike the CD release of Pocket Full of Kryptonite, the cassettes did not feature a track listing on the back cover—only the black & white photography (as seen on the vinyl and CD releases) is depicted. The digital cassette release of Pocket Full of Kryptonite, however, featured a black & white photograph of the band instead (sans the track listing).

• The "European Version" (Sony | 468250 9) contains three bonus tracks:

1. "Yo Mamas A Pajama" (live)
2. "Sweet Widow" (live)
3. "Stepped On A Crack" (live)^[3]

Members

• Chris Barron - vocals
• Aaron Comess - percussion, conga, drums, Hammond organ, background vocals
• Eric Schenkman - guitar, piano, lead vocals in "Off My Line"
• Mark White - bass

Additional musicians

• John Bush - conga, tambourine
• John Popper - harmonica, background vocals

Production

• Producers: Frank Aversa, Peter Denenberg, Frankie La Rocka, Spin Doctors
• Engineers: Frank Aversa, Peter Denenberg, Marc Schwartz, Spin Doctors
• Assistant engineers: Jeff Lippay, Motley
• Mixing: Peter Denenberg, Frankie La Rocka, Spin Doctors
• Mastering: Ted Jensen
• Production Coordination: Jason J. Richardson
• Guitar technician: Joseph Miselis
• Equipment Manager: John Darren Greene
• Art direction: Francesca Restrepo
• Photography: Paul Aresu, Paul LaRaia
• Cover art: Darren Greene, Chris Gross, Nicky Lindeman
• Liner notes: Cree McCree

Charts

Album

Year	Peak position
	US [4]	US HS [4]	UK [5]	NOR [6]	AUS [7]
1992	3	1	—	—	—
1993	—	—	2	2	1

Singles

Year	Single	Peak position
		US MR [8]	US [8]	US AC [8]	UK [5]	IRE	NOR [9]
1992	"Jimmy Olsen's Blues"	8	—	—	—	—	—
	"Little Miss Can't Be Wrong"	2	17	—	23	27	—
1993	"How Could You Want Him (When You Know You Could Have Me?)"	28	102	—	—	—	—
1993	"Jimmy Olsen's Blues"	34	78	—	40	—	2
1993	"Two Princes"	1	7	24	3	5	—
1993	"What Time Is It?"	26	—	—	56	—	—

End of decade charts

Chart (1990–1999)	Position
U.S. Billboard 200[10]	95

References in popular culture

• In the months following the success of the album and the single release of "Jimmy Olsen's Blues", issues of the Superman: The Man of Steel comic (drawn at the time by artist Jon Bogdanove) depicted Jimmy Olsen wearing a Spin Doctors t-shirt as an in-joke.
• The song "Two Princes" can be heard in the 1993 film So I Married an Axe Murderer with Mike Myers.
• The song "Jimmy Olsen's Blues" was featured in the movies Beethoven's 2nd and Bye Bye Love.
• The song "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong" was featured in the movie Son In Law.
• The song "Two Princes" featured prominently in the episode "Maid to Border" of The Sarah Silverman Program, as the only song her friend and neighbor has on his iPod.
• The song "Two Princes" was also featured in the animated sci-fi sitcom Futurama, in the episode Love and Rocket, with the character Bender referring to it as "college rock".
• On the Adult Swim series The Venture Bros. Hank Dean refers to "the wind calling "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong".

References

1. ^ Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "Allmusic review". Rovi Corporation. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r18615. Retrieved 2010-12-27. 
2. ^ "RIAA searchable certification database". Recording Industry Association of America. http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=&artist=spin%20doctors&format=&sort=Artist&perPage=25. Retrieved 2010-12-27. 
3. ^ http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000025NSN
4. ^ ^{a b} "Spin Doctors' Billboard albums history". All Media Guide / Billboard. http://www.allmusic.com/album/pocket-full-of-kryptonite-r18615/charts-awards. Retrieved 2010-12-27. 
5. ^ ^{a b} "UK charts archive". http://www.chartstats.com/artistinfo.php?id=6780. Retrieved 2010-12-27. 
6. ^ "Norwegian charts archive". Hung Medien. http://www.norwegiancharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Spin+Doctors&titel=Pocket+Full+Of+Kryptonite&cat=a. Retrieved 2010-12-27. 
7. ^ "Australian charts archive". Hung Medien. http://australian-charts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Spin+Doctors&titel=Pocket+Full+Of+Kryptonite&cat=a. Retrieved 2010-12-27. 
8. ^ ^{a b c} "Spin Doctors' Billboard singles history". All Media Guide / Billboard. http://www.allmusic.com/album/pocket-full-of-kryptonite-r18615/charts-awards/billboard-single. Retrieved 2010-12-27. 
9. ^ "Norwegian singles chart archive". Hung Medien. http://www.norwegiancharts.com/search.asp?cat=s&artist=spin+doctors&artist_search=starts&title=&title_search=starts. Retrieved 2010-12-27. 
10. ^ Geoff Mayfield (December 25, 1999). 1999 The Year in Music Totally '90s: Diary of a Decade - The listing of Top Pop Albums of the '90s & Hot 100 Singles of the '90s. Billboard. http://books.google.co.kr/books?id=9w0EAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PP1&lr&rview=1&pg=RA1-PA4#v=onepage&q&f=false. Retrieved October 15, 2010. 

Preceded by Breathless by Kenny G

Australian ARIA Albums Chart number-one album June 6–19, 1993

Succeeded by janet. by Janet Jackson