''Big White Lies'' is the second album by the American musician

Chris Von Sneidern Chris Von Sneidern (born in Syracuse, New York) is an American singer-songwriter. He earned a cult following with a string of indie releases during the 1990s and 2000s. Career Von Sneidern played in a local band called the U-Turns in the earl ...

, released in 1994. He supported the album with a North American tour.

Production

The album was produced by Von Sneidern. "

Everything I Own "Everything I Own" is a song written by American singer-songwriter David Gates. It was originally recorded by Gates's soft rock band Bread for their 1972 album ''Baby I'm-a Want You.'' The original reached No. 5 on the American ''Billboard'' H ...

" is a cover of the

Bread Bread is a staple food prepared from a dough of flour (usually wheat) and water, usually by baking. Throughout recorded history and around the world, it has been an important part of many cultures' diet. It is one of the oldest human-made f ...

song. ''Big White Lies'' was among the first albums to include CD-ROM liner notes and interactive features;

Heyday Records Heyday Records is an independent record label founded in 1988 by Pat Thomas. ''Rolling Stone'' has called Heyday "one of the ten most adventurous small labels in the world." The label, later run by Ron Gompertz and Robert Rankin Walker, has rel ...

considered the costs to be a better investment than producing a music video.

Critical reception

Trouser Press ''Trouser Press'' was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow fan of the Who Dave Schulps and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" (a reference to ...

'' deemed the album "an essential pop treasure from one of the most talented auteurs to come along in ages." The ''

San Francisco Chronicle The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and M. H. de Young, Michael H. de ...

'' called the songs "a wealth of lovely melodies, hook-laden harmonies and chiming 12-string guitars." The ''

Gavin Report The ''Gavin Report'' was a San Francisco-based radio industry trade publication. The publication was founded by radio performer Bill Gavin in 1958. Its Top 40 listings were used for many years by programmers to decide content of programs. The pu ...

'' stated that the "instantly accessible power pop appeals to ... ears in the same way Big Star or the Beatles do." ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' labeled the album "fun," and wrote that "among the better tracks are 'Mindreader', 'On My Hands', 'Dream Away' and the title track."

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

wrote: "Not quite powerful enough to fall cleanly into the 'power pop' camp, the songs lean more to the spectrum's lush, highbrow end, with elegant guitar lines, soaring harmonies, and occasional use of organ, strings, and French horn." In 2003, ''

PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...

'' noted that, "to this day, many cite his hook- and harmony-filled 1994 release ''Big White Lies'' as the quintessential power pop album." John Borack, in 2007's ''Shake Some Action – The Ultimate Guide to Power Pop'', listed ''Big White Lies'' as the sixth best power pop album of all time.

Track listing

References

{{authority control Chris Von Sneidern albums 1994 albums