Among the slew of quirk-rock bands which achieved Billboard success during the absurdist invasion of the '90s, Crash Test Dummies were perhaps the least likely.
Their 1993 breakthrough single, "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm," cracked the usually straitlaced adult contemporary scene by concealing its affable oddness in an irresistibly lilting fairytale hook.
But having accomplished the improbable transition from obscure Canadian folk band to ubiquitous pop phenomenon, the task of producing a convincing follow-up somehow proved an insurmountable challenge.
Released in 1996, A Worm's Life finds singer-songwriter Brad Roberts rummaging through his repetroire in a futile search for a new idea.
His glossy pop hooks seem to run over and over again into tunes he's already written.
When Roberts isn't doing that routine, he's trying in vain to fit wordy lyrics into memorable melodies.
The uninspired guitar-driven production (which has now left the band's folk roots behind altogether) doesn't help matters.
Fortunately, even on a bad day, Roberts' amusingly eccentric lyrics are more interesting than those of most of his fellow quirk-rockers.
The album ages well upon repeated listens, largely thanks to his odd, XTC-esque observations on everyday mundanities and philosophical problems.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | OverachieversBrad Roberts | Crash Test Dummies | Play | 03:43 | 8 MB | 24 MB |
| 2 | He Liked to Feel ItBrad Roberts | Crash Test Dummies | Play | 03:55 | 8 MB | 25 MB |
| 3 | A Worm S LifeBrad Roberts | Crash Test Dummies | Play | 02:56 | 6 MB | 19 MB |
| 4 | Our Driver GesturesBrad Roberts | Crash Test Dummies | Play | 03:36 | 8 MB | 24 MB |
| 5 | My EnemiesBrad Roberts | Crash Test Dummies | Play | 03:14 | 7 MB | 22 MB |
| 6 | There Are Many DangersBrad Roberts | Crash Test Dummies | Play | 03:46 | 8 MB | 21 MB |
| 7 | All of This UglyBrad Roberts | Crash Test Dummies | Play | 03:19 | 7 MB | 20 MB |
| 8 | An Old ScabBrad Roberts | Crash Test Dummies | Play | 03:50 | 8 MB | 21 MB |
| 9 | My Own SunriseBrad Roberts | Crash Test Dummies | Play | 03:34 | 8 MB | 20 MB |
| 10 | I'm a DogBrad Roberts | Crash Test Dummies | Play | 03:47 | 8 MB | 24 MB |
| 11 | Swatting FliesBrad Roberts | Crash Test Dummies | Play | 02:51 | 6 MB | 14 MB |
| 12 | I'm Outlived By That Thing | Crash Test Dummies | Play | 03:13 | 7 MB | 21 MB |
| 41 mins | 95 MB | |||||
| 41 mins | 261 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mike Beedell | Photography |
| 2 | Osie Bowe | Assistant Engineer |
| 3 | Crash Test Dummies | Primary Artist |
| 4 | Benjamin Darvill | Harmonica, Melodica, Theremin |
| 5 | Mitch Dorge | Digital Instruments, Drums, Percussion, Producer |
| 6 | Simon Franglen | Horn Arrangements, String Arrangements |
| 7 | Paul James | Digital Editing, Programming |
| 8 | Terry Manning | Engineer |
| 9 | Kevin Mutch | Art Direction, Design |
| 10 | Frank Ockenfels | Photography |
| 11 | Diyah Pera | Photography |
| 12 | Murray Pulver | Guitar (Electric) |
| 13 | Ellen Reid | Keyboards, Vocals (Background) |
| 14 | Brad Roberts | Composer, Guitar, Producer, Vocals |
| 15 | Dan Roberts | Bass, Producer |
| 16 | Ed Thacker | Mixing |
Crash Test Dummies
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |