American Water (album)

Infobox Album |
Name = American Water
Type = Album
Artist = Silver Jews


Released = October 20, 1998
Recorded = Rare Book Room, Brooklyn
Genre = Indie rock
Length = 47:53
Label = Drag City
Producer = Nicolas Vernhes & Silver Jews
Reviews =
* Allmusic Rating|4.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:hl67mp9g9fco~T00 link]
* "NME" (7/10) [http://www.nme.com/reviews/silver-jews/318 link]
* Pitchfork (9.9/10) [http://pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/21715/Silver_Jews_American_Water link]
* "Rolling Stone" Rating|3.5|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/silverjews/albums/album/96930/rid/5941881/ 10/20/98]
Last album = "The Natural Bridge" (1996)
This album = "American Water" (1998)
Next album = "Bright Flight" (2001)

"American Water" is the third full-length studio album by indie rock group Silver Jews. Released in 1998 as an LP and CD on Drag City (DC149) in America and Domino (WIG56) in Europe, "American Water" was recorded at The Rare Book Room in Brooklyn and mastered at Abbey Road Studios. The album features musicians Tim Barnes, David Berman, Michael Fellows, Stephen Malkmus, Chris Stroffolino, and artwork by Chris Kysor.

According to a 1998 article in online zine Addicted To Noise, the working title for this album was "The Late, Great Silver Jews" -- a reference to the similarly titled 1972 album by Townes Van Zandt. Among the songs recorded for the album, but left off of the final product, were "Self-Ignition" (released as a B-side on the Send In The Clouds single) and "Police Conversation, 1783," which was never released. [http://www.weeblackskelf.co.uk/cordsuit/writing/articles/a_great.php]

Track listing

All tracks composed by David Berman; except where indicated

# "Random Rules" – 4:00
# "Smith & Jones Forever" – 3:20
# "Night Society" – 2:19
# "Federal Dust" (Berman/Stephen Malkmus) – 4:03
# "People" – 4:45
# "Blue Arrangements" (Berman/Stephen Malkmus) – 4:40
# "We Are Real" – 4:24
# "Send in the Clouds" – 5:26
# "Like Like the the the Death" – 4:00
# "Buckingham Rabbit" – 4:58
# "Honk If You're Lonely" (Berman/Gate Pratt) – 2:49
# "The Wild Kindness" – 3:54