Congratulations I'm Sorry

Congratulations I'm Sorry
Studio album by Gin Blossoms
Released	February 13, 1996
Recorded	Ardent Studios, Memphis, Tennessee; Vintage Recorders, Phoenix, Arizona
Genre	Rock, pop rock
Length	44:29
Label	A&M
Producer	Gin Blossoms, John Hampton
Gin Blossoms chronology
New Miserable Experience (1992) Congratulations I'm Sorry (1996) Major Lodge Victory (2006)

Congratulations I'm Sorry (typeset as Congratulations...I'm Sorry) is the third studio album by American pop rock band Gin Blossoms, and the follow-up album to the successful 1992 release New Miserable Experience, released in 1996 by A&M records. The album was named in reference to the success of 1992's New Miserable Experience, followed so closely by the suicide of former band member Doug Hopkins in 1993.

Reaction to Congratulations I'm Sorry was mixed, with some critics feeling that the music lay too close to the sound of the previous album. One common complaint was that the album lacked the successful 1995 single "Til I Hear It From You" from the Empire Records soundtrack, however some editions of the album did contain the track. The album's title, according to lead singer Robin Wilson, came from the response band members usually received from people who both wanted to congratulate the band for the success of New Miserable Experience, while then offering apologies for friend and former band member Doug Hopkins, who committed suicide in 1993. The album eventually reached platinum status.

Track listing

1. "Day Job" (Johnson, Leen, Rhodes, Valenzuela, Wilson) – 3:51
2. "Highwire" (Wilson) – 2:24
3. "Follow You Down" (Johnson, Leen, Rhodes, Valenzuela, Wilson) – 4:30
4. "Not Only Numb" (Rhodes, Wilson) – 3:06
5. "As Long as It Matters" (Rhodes, Valenzuela, Wilson) – 4:31
6. "Perfectly Still" (Johnson, Leen) – 4:05
7. "7th Inning Stretch" – 0:14
8. "My Car" (Valenzuela) – 4:17
9. "Virginia" (Valenzuela) – 4:02
10. "Whitewash" (Leen, Wilson) – 3:19
11. "I Can't Figure You Out" (Valenzuela) – 3:18
12. "Memphis Time" (Johnson, Valenzuela) – 3:14
13. "Competition Smile" (Rhodes, Wilson) – 4:47
14. "Til I Hear It from You" (Valenzuela, Wilson, Marshall Crenshaw) – 3:47

There is also a hidden track following the last song.

Excluded songs

Among tracks excluded from the album are "Seeing Stars," a song written by lead singer Robin Wilson about the band's ex-lead guitarist Doug Hopkins, and 1995's hit "Til I Hear It from You" The latter was released as a single (although it is included on the international edition of the album), and the former was included as a B-side on the "Follow You Down" single, along with Wilson's "Idiot Summer" from the soundtrack of Wayne's World 2.

Response

Critical

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]

People magazine called the album "a quick fix for any dark mood," continuing, "the songs are so upbeat they almost conjure sunny summer afternoons."^[2]

Chart performance

Album - Billboard (North America)

Year	Chart	Position
1996	The Billboard 200	10

Singles - Billboard (North America)

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1996	"Follow You Down"	Adult Contemporary	22
1996	"Follow You Down"	Adult Top 40	3
1996	"Follow You Down"	Mainstream Rock Tracks	6
1996	"Follow You Down"	The Billboard Hot 100	9
1996	"Follow You Down"	Top 40 Adult Recurrents	1
1996	"Follow You Down"	Top 40 Mainstream	5
1996	"Day Job"	Mainstream Rock Tracks	29
1996	"Day Job"	Modern Rock Tracks	21
1996	"As Long as It Matters"	Adult Top 40	30
1996	"As Long as It Matters"	The Billboard Hot 100	75
1996	"As Long as It Matters"	Top 40 Mainstream	40

Personnel

Gin Blossoms

• Scott Johnson - guitar, background vocals
• Bill Leen - bass, background vocals
• Phillip Rhodes - percussion, drums, background vocals
• Jesse Valenzuela - guitar, vocals
• Robin Wilson - acoustic guitar, vocals

Additional personnel

• Art Neville - Hammond organ
• Rick Steff - accordion
• Robby Turner - pedal steel guitar

Production

• Producers: Gin Blossoms, John Hampton
• Engineers: Erik Flettrich, John Hampton, Billy Siegle
• Assistant engineer: Billy Moss
• Mixing: John Hampton
• Mastering: Dave Collins
• Pre-production: Billy Siegle
• Direction: Bill Graham
• Art direction: Robin Wilson
• Design: Karen Walker, Robin Wilson
• Photography: Danny Clinch, Robin Wilson
• Cover photo: Robin Wilson

References

1. ^ Allmusic review
2. ^ Tomashoff, Craig (1996-02-26), "Congratulations I'm Sorry". People. 45 (8):23