Deep Dish- Juliana Hatfield Three — Spin the Bottle [Single] (Review)
1993 was a huge year for Juliana Hatfield. Her album Become What You Are had a hit with its first single “My Sister” The track became a staple on alternative radio and make it to number 1 on the Modern Rock charts. The final single off the record, “Spin the Bottle”, would also see moderate success. “Spin the Bottle” made it to number 39 on the Mainstream Top 40 charts and was included on the made it on the soundtrack to the movie Reality Bites. This would only further solidify Juliana as one of the top acts in alternative rock at the time period. It appears that two variants of the single were released in 1994. I managed to get ahold of one of the copies of the single of “Spin the Bottle” from my local used record store and gave it a full listen. Let’s dive in.
“Spin the Bottle” mixes Juliana’s genius blend of alternative rock and pop together flawlessly. The song tells the story of a high profile guy she meets at a bar and then goes to party with. The entire time Juliana is hoping that this game of spin the bottle ends with her and this guy getting to spend their 7 minutes in Heaven together. It makes sense that it made it onto the Reality Bites soundtrack. It pairs well with the Ben Stiller/Wyona Rider love affair in the movie. A music video was shot for the track, however I have not been able to find a good quality version of it on Youtube. You can watch it here if you like:
The single contains three previously unreleased tracks. The first track is “My Darling”. This version is a very stripped down, almost demo-like, version of the track that would go on to be on her follow up album Only Everything. It is only an acoustic guitar and Juliana’s vocals. You can really hear her skill on the guitar here. Lyrically, nothing has changed from the track at all. The same goes for the guitar arrangement as well. It is an interesting look an an early version of the track. “Nirvana” is a live track recorded at Live at Triple J. It’s a bit grittier and heavier than the version on her first solo release Hey Babe. The guitar and bass really angst to the track. “Ruthless” is a short track, coming in at just under two minutes. The track almost feels like a pun off the character in the song “Ruthie”, who Juliana is enamored with. She’s such a fan of this cool girl that that’s become a rock star. It’s a fun track.
Juliana’s next album, Only Everything, would see her pushing into a more heavier sound while still maintaining her pop prowess. Although the record was not as successful as Become What You Are, it received overall positive reviews (such as a 7 out of 10 from Spin magazine). Juliana is some of the alt scenes best. She’s more than “a girl with a guitar”, she’s a clever artists with the chops to prove it. This single does a great job of highlighting some of her best. My top picks from this single:
- “Spin the Bottle”
- “My Darling”
My overall rating: 7 out of 10 minutes in the closet with you…
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