Drops of Jupiter

Drops of Jupiter is the second studio album by American pop rock band Train, released on March 27, 2001. The album's title is derived from "Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)", its lead single, which was a hit internationally and won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Song.

The album contains elements of rock, country and indie rock. Besides "Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)", two other singles were released from this album: "She's on Fire" and "Something More", both of which also achieved some success on the Adult Top 40 chart.

Debuting at #6 in the United States upon its release, it has since been certified 3× platinum by the RIAA in the United States and 2× platinum by the CRIA in Canada. It is the band's best-selling album to date.

A 20th-anniversary edition was released on March 26, 2021.^[2]

Critical reception

The album received mixed reviews. AllMusic writer Mark Morgenstein said that "There is nothing cutting edge about Train's Sophomore Effort". He also stated that "Train is a classic rock wannabe band in the mold of Counting Crows, although that's not always a bad thing".^[3] Another mixed review appeared in Billboard, which wrote that "The music fails to gain any momentum until track seven, and by then, Train's lucky the listener's still spinning the CD...Let's hope that if Train's given the chance to make a third album, it'll finally fill it with clearly discernable songs."^[4]

Rolling Stone Writer Aidin Vaziri had this to say about the album: "Drops of Jupiter, conjuring vivid memories of Recovering The Satellites. The anthemic song is the centerpiece here, showcasing the singer's yearning voice and band's swooping, string-laden melodies, but Train has more to offer. The brooding "Mississippi" presents an intoxicating mix of acoustic guitars and dreamy horns, while "Let It Roll" mixes mournful slide guitars and loose-limbed rhythms in the perfect meeting of blustery earnestness and unapologetic commerciality."^[5]

Accolades

Personnel

Personnel taken from Drops of Jupiter liner notes.^[6]

Train

• Pat Monahan – vocals, trumpet, saxophone, vibraphone, percussion
• Jimmy Stafford – guitar, backing vocals, mandolin
• Rob Hotchkiss - guitar, bass, backing vocals, harmonica
• Charlie Colin - bass, guitar, backing vocals
• Scott Underwood - drums, keyboards, programming, percussion

Additional musicians

• Brendan O'Brien - keyboards
• Paul Buckmaster - conductor, string arrangements, and orchestral arrangements on "Drops of Jupiter"
• Suzie Katayama – cello, and contractor on "Drops of Jupiter"
• Michael Markman - violin on "Drops of Jupiter"
• Evan Wilson – viola on "Drops of Jupiter"
• Dan Smith – cello on "Drops of Jupiter"
• Chuck Leavell – piano on "Drops of Jupiter"
• David Campbell – string arrangements on "Something More"
• Carl Gorodetzky – violin, concertmaster, and contractor on "Something More"
• Kris Wilkinson – viola on "Something More"
• Bob Mason – cello on "Something More"
• Fleming McWilliams – backing vocals on “Mississippi"

Production

• Brendan O'Brien – producer, mixing
• Nick DiDia – recording
• Steve Churchyard – orchestral engineer on "Drops of Jupiter"
• Ryan Williams – second engineer
• David Bryant – second engineer on "Something More"
• Karl Egsieker – assistant engineer
• Steve Genewick – assistant orchestral engineer on "Drops of Jupiter"
• Erin Haley – production management
• Cheryl Mondello – production management
• Bob Ludwig – mastering
• Joel Zimmerman – art direction
• Stephen Saper – authoring
• Tony Hernandez – illustrations
• Ralf Strathmann – photography

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

References

1. ^ "All Music Archive". World Radio History. Archived from the original on 2023-02-07. Retrieved 2023-02-11.
2. ^ "Drops of Jupiter (20th Anniversary Edition)". a-tisket. Archived 2022-02-12 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2021-03-30.
3. ^ Morgenstein, Mark (2001-03-27). "Drops of Jupiter - Train : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2012-06-26.
4. ^ "Drops of Jupiter". Billboard. 2001. Archived 2001-04-05 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2018-02-11.
5. ^ "Drops of Jupiter Review". Rolling Stone. 2001-03-27. Archived from the original on 2009-02-02. Retrieved 2012-06-26.
6. ^ Drops of Jupiter (CD liner notes). 2001.
7. ^ "Eurochart Top 100 Albums - September 8, 2001". Music & Media. Vol. 19, no. 37. September 8, 2001. p. 06. Archived September 28, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
8. ^ "ARIA End of Year Albums Chart 2001". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived January 17, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 28, 2020.
9. ^ "Canada's Top 200 Albums of 2001 (based on sales)". Jam!. Archived December 12, 2003 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 26, 2022.
10. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Album 2001". dutchcharts.nl. Archived July 15, 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 28, 2020.
11. ^ "The Official UK Albums Chart 2001". UKChartsPlus. Archived May 25, 2010 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 28, 2020.
12. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2001". Billboard. Archived June 13, 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 28, 2020.
13. ^ "Top 50 Global Best Selling Albums for 2001". IFPI. Archived November 17, 2008 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
14. ^ "Canada's Top 200 Alternative albums of 2002". Jam!. Archived September 2, 2004 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
15. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2002". Billboard. Archived June 18, 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 28, 2020.

External links

• Train official site