While often considered simply a side-project of Stone's, Brad had a sound all their own, due to the wide variety of influences brought to the band by its members. The distinctive vocals of Shawn Smith are a major factor in this sound.
Shawn Smith contributed on the title-track for the Belgian group Arsenal on their album Lotuk. He spent his 2008 summer touring along with the band.
Origin Seattle, Washington, USA
Genre(s) Alternative rock, neo-psychedelia
Years active 1992–present
Label(s) Epic, Redline
Associated acts Malfunkshun, Pearl Jam, Satchel, Pigeonhed
Website www.bradcorporation.com
Members
Stone Gossard
Regan Hagar
Shawn Smith
Jeremy Toback
Mike Berg
* History
Brad formed officially in 1992, although the band members had been playing together for a long time before that. The band's line-up was composed of vocalist Shawn Smith, guitarist Stone Gossard, bassist Jeremy Toback, and drummer Regan Hagar. The band originally wanted to go by the name Shame, however the band found that the name was already taken by a band featuring musician Brad Wilson.[1] Instead, the band took the name Brad and decided to name its debut album Shame. Shame, released on April 27, 1993, was recorded in roughly 20 days, with many tracks taken from in-studio jam sessions. Shame, featuring a raw sound and an eclectic mix of styles, was released to mixed reviews and moderate sales.[2] The track "20th Century" was a minor hit in the UK.
The band's follow-up album, Interiors, released on June 24, 1997, was much more polished. Interiors was met with poor sales, however the band saw its cult audience expand.[2] The single from Interiors, "The Day Brings", features Mike McCready from Pearl Jam on lead guitar. The album was accompanied by a tour in the United States that same year, as well as a small tour in Australia and New Zealand in 1998.
A third album, Welcome to Discovery Park, was released on August 13, 2002. The recording of Welcome to Discovery Park saw contributions from Mike Berg, who had taken over as the touring bassist for Toback.[2] The album mixes the rawness of Shame and the polished, produced sound of Interiors. In July 2005, the band released an album of unreleased and incomplete Brad and Satchel tracks called Brad vs Satchel.
As of January 2006, the band's fourth studio album, tentatively titled Best Friends, had been recorded and was being pared down to a 13-track release.[3] As of September 2007, the album was still awaiting release as the band reunited for a small series of live performances, starting in October 2007, with Kevin Wood (of Malfunkshun) joining the band as an additional guitarist. To date, there has been no indication as to whether this is a permanent personnel move or just a temporary addition. Songs from the forthcoming Best Friends album were played at the 2007 and 2008 performances, but there was no announcement as to when the album would be released.
Shawn Smith unfortunately passed away on April 3rd, 2019.
Current members
* Stone Gossard – guitar
* Regan Hagar – drums
* Shawn Smith – keyboard, vocals
* Jeremy Toback – bass guitar
* Mike Berg – bass guitar (1997–present)
Additional personnel
* James Hall – guitar, keyboard (1997)
* Matt Brown – guitar, keyboard (1997)
* Elizabeth Pupo-Walker – percussion (2001–2002)
* Thaddeus Turner – guitars, bass (2001–2002)
* Kevin Wood – guitar (2007–present)
Studio albums
Year Album details
1993 Shame
* Released: April 27, 1993
* Label: Epic
* Format: CD, cassette (CS)
1997 Interiors
* Released: June 24, 1997
* Label: Epic
* Format: CD, CS
2002 Welcome to Discovery Park
* Released: August 13, 2002
* Label: Redline
* Format: CD
Compilations
Year Album details
2005 Brad vs Satchel
* Released: July 26, 2005
* Label: The Establishment Store
* Format: CD
Singles
Year Single UK peak
chart position
[4] Album
1993 "Screen"/"Buttercup" — Shame
"20th Century" 64
1997 "The Day Brings" — Interiors
"Secret Girl" —
2003 "La, La, La" — Welcome to Discovery Park
"Shinin'" —
"Revolution" —
"—" denotes singles that did not chart.
Notes and references
1. ^ Gumbuoy. "Hang Out In Discovery Park With Brad". fasterlouder.com.au. September 27, 2005.
2. ^ a b c Erlewine, Stephen Thomas and Torreano, Bradley. "Brad". Allmusic. Retrieved on January 31, 2009.
3. ^ Prato, Greg. "Brad Finishing Up Fourth Album". Billboard. January 18, 2006.
4. ^ "UK Singles & Albums Chart Archive — Brad". http://www.chartstats.com/artistinfo.php?id=6825. Retrieved on 2007-12-08.
External links
* Brad's official website
* Brad at MySpace
* Brad at Allmusic
* Brad at Last.fm
Sweet Al George
Brad Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A circle of love and trust.
A golden, smokin', victory.
And who knew what the future would bring?
And now I'm at the end of the line,
Tryin' it all the time.
And you've got the baddest car;
Yes you know who you are,
So give it to me.
Come sweet emotion.
[Chorus]
Show us how to ride.
Give us a wink.
Hitch up the saddle.
Ridin' off with pride.
Shoot your gun.
There's no religion.
This is supposed to be fun.
Come sweet emotion,
Come sweet emotion.
A purple shootin' magazine.
Another gift to the lovin' Queen, and a
Yes ya got down cause ya felt like a that
Was the way the old river run.
And ya think ya got it all made out.
And a hot shot was checkin' it out, mama.
Yes, you've gone down to it once again,
And I said, my friends:
Come sweet emotion.
[Chorus]
The greatest thing about the blues
Is baby you got nothin' to lose.
Do you have to draw the line?
Come sweet emotion.
[Chorus]
The lyrics to Brad's song Sweet Al George may seem a bit abstract at first, but upon further analysis, it's clear that the song is about the passage of time and the evolution of society. The first stanza references "the land our forefathers was," suggesting a longing for a simpler time when there was more "love and trust." However, the lyrics then mention "what the future would bring," implying that progress and changes are inevitable. The singer is "at the end of the line" and struggling, while others have "the baddest car" and are more successful. Despite this, the singer calls for "sweet emotion" to unite them.
The chorus then delves into the theme of individuality and the ability to forge one's own path, regardless of societal norms or religious beliefs. The lyrics suggest that one should embrace their unique identity and "ride off with pride," shooting their gun and having fun. The line "there's no religion" suggests that the constraints of organized religion are irrelevant when it comes to experiencing life to the fullest.
The final stanza is perhaps the most uplifting, encouraging the listener to embrace the freedom of the blues genre and "draw the line" on their own terms. The song ends with a final call for "sweet emotion," urging the listener to remain true to themselves and let their emotions guide them.
Line by Line Meaning
The land our forefathers was
The land where our ancestors used to dwell
A circle of love and trust.
A community that was based on love and trust.
A golden, smokin', victory.
A glorious, triumphant moment.
And who knew what the future would bring?
No one had an idea of what the future would hold.
And now I'm at the end of the line,
I've reached the end of my journey.
Tryin' it all the time.
Endlessly striving to achieve my goals.
And you've got the baddest car;
You possess the most impressive car.
Yes you know who you are,
You're fully aware of your identity.
You know who you are.
You're absolutely sure of yourself.
So give it to me.
Share your confidence with me.
Come sweet emotion.
Let positive feelings take over.
[Chorus]
The refrain, repeated multiple times throughout the song.
Show us how to ride.
Teach us how to prosper.
Give us a wink.
Pass along some insider tips.
Hitch up the saddle.
Prepare us for the journey ahead.
Ridin' off with pride.
Confidently departing.
Shoot your gun.
Express your joy and excitement.
There's no religion.
This is not a serious matter.
This is supposed to be fun.
The purpose is to have a good time.
A purple shootin' magazine.
A magazine about firearms.
Another gift to the lovin' Queen, and a
A present given to a loved one.
Yes ya got down cause ya felt like a that
You enjoyed yourself because it made you feel good.
Was the way the old river run.
The river flowed in a certain way.
And ya think ya got it all made out.
You believe you have everything figured out.
And a hot shot was checkin' it out, mama.
An impressive person was assessing the situation.
Yes, you've gone down to it once again,
You've come back to this situation once more.
And I said, my friends:
I addressed my companions.
The greatest thing about the blues
The most significant aspect of the blues genre.
Is baby you got nothin' to lose.
You have nothing to lose, baby.
Do you have to draw the line?
Do you have to set boundaries?
Come sweet emotion.
Let positive feelings prevail.
[Chorus]
The refrain, repeated multiple times throughout the song.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JEREMY DAVID TOBACK, REGAN W HAGAR, SHAWN SMITH, STONE C GOSSARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind