Brushfire Fairytales Explained

Brushfire Fairytales
Type:	studio
Artist:	Jack Johnson
Cover:	BrushfireFairytales.jpg
Released:	February 1, 2001^[1]
Recorded:	December 2000
Genre:	Folk rock
Length:	45:53
Label:	Everloving, Columbia
Producer:	JP Plunier
Next Title:	On and On
Next Year:	2003

Brushfire Fairytales is the debut album by singer-songwriter Jack Johnson. It was released in 2001 through Enjoy Records, a label that was later renamed Everloving Recordings.^[2]

The album's primary musicians are Johnson (vocals/guitars/piano), Adam Topol (drums/percussion) and Merlo Podlewski (bass). It was produced by J. P. Plunier, recorded and mixed by Todd Burke, with assistant engineers Andrew Alekel & Chad Essig. It was recorded near Hollywood and Vine just north of 6400 Sunset at 1520 N Cahuenga in Los Angeles at Grandmaster Recorders (formerly Bijou Studios in Hollywood), King Sound, and mastered by Dave Collins.^[3] Guests include Tommy Jordan (steel drums on "Flake") and Ben Harper (slide guitar on "Flake").^[4] The single "Flake" was Jack Johnson's first.^[4]

In a retrospective review by The Quietus, reviewer David Bennun credits Brushfire Fairytales with helping to popularize a strain of "sensitive [and] authentic... indie-folk" that would later lead to artists such as Ed Sheeran, Passenger, and Mumford & Sons.^[5]

Track listing

All songs written by Jack Johnson.

1. "Inaudible Melodies" – 3:35
2. "Middle Man" – 3:14
3. "Posters" – 3:13
4. "Sexy Plexi" – 2:07
5. "Flake" – 4:40
6. "Bubble Toes" – 3:56
7. "Fortunate Fool" – 3:48
8. "The News" – 2:26
9. "Drink the Water" – 3:21
10. "Mudfootball" (for Moe Lerner) – 3:03
11. "F-Stop Blues" – 3:10
12. "Losing Hope" – 3:52
13. "It's All Understood" – 5:28

Japan bonus track

14. "Inaudible Melodies" (live)^[6] – 3:27

UK bonus tracks

14. "Flake" (live) – 4:29
15. "Inaudible Melodies" (live) – 3:27

Personnel

• Jack Johnson – vocals, guitars, piano on "It's All Understood"
• Adam Topol – drums, percussion
• Merlo Podlewski – bass guitar

Additional musicians

• Sam Beam – backing vocals on "It's All Understood" (uncredited on album)
• Ben Harper – slide guitar on "Flake"
• Tommy Jordan – steel drums on "Flake"
• Christopher Yeoh – mandolin

Charts

Year-end charts

Chart (2002)	Position
Australian Albums (ARIA)^[8]	78
Canadian Alternative Albums (Nielsen SoundScan)^[9]	85
US Billboard 200^[10]	92
Chart (2003)	Position
Australian Albums (ARIA)^[11]	41
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)^[12]	7

External links

• Jack Johnson's official site
• Official Jack Johnson Fansite
• Everloving Records official site

Notes and References

1. Web site: Jack Johnson Brushfire Fairytales . . July 2, 2020.
2. Web site: Release 'Brushfire Fairytales' by "Jack Johnson" (cover art). MusicBrainz. September 30, 2016.
3. Web site: Dave Collins (credits) . AllMusic . June 14, 2017.
4. Orshoski . Wes . Reviews & Previews; Rock: Jack Johnson "Flake" (4:38) . . March 23, 2002 . 23 . June 14, 2017.
5. Web site: Bennun. David. How Jack Johnson Burned A Path For Some Of The World's Worst Artists. February 2, 2021. December 14, 2021.
6. Web site: Jack Johnson – Brushfire Fairytales. discogs. September 30, 2016.
7. Web site: Jack Johnson full Official Chart History . . July 2, 2020.
8. Web site: ARIA Top 100 Albums for 2002. Australian Recording Industry Association. January 16, 2021.
9. Web site: https://web.archive.org/web/20031204012816/http://jamshowbiz.com/JamMusicCharts/2002_alt.html. December 4, 2003. Canada's Top 200 Alternative albums of 2002. Jam!. March 26, 2022.
10. Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2002. Billboard. January 16, 2021.
11. Web site: ARIA Top 100 Albums for 2003. Australian Recording Industry Association. January 16, 2021.
12. Web site: Top Selling Albums of 2003. Recorded Music NZ. January 16, 2021.