More Betterness! Explained

More Betterness!
Type:	Album
Artist:	No Use for a Name
Cover:	No Use for a Name - More Betterness! cover.jpg
Released:	October 5, 1999
Recorded:	June 1999
Genre:	Punk rock
Length:	44:15
Label:	Fat Wreck Chords^[1]
Producer:	Ryan Greene No Use for a Name
Prev Title:	Making Friends
Prev Year:	1997
Next Title:	Hard Rock Bottom
Next Year:	2002

More Betterness! is the fifth studio album by punk rock band No Use for a Name, released in 1999.^[2]

"Fairytale of New York" is a cover of The Pogues' original, which features guest vocals from Cinder Block of the band Tilt.

Release

More Betterness! was released in October 1999. No Use for a Name co-headlined the Fat Tour, with the Mad Caddies, in February and March 2000.^[3] They embarked on a tour of Australia in June 2000.^[4] In November 2001, the band toured Arizona and California with Zero Down, HBA, and Diesel Boy.^[5]

Critical reception

Exclaim! wrote that the album "has the requisite guitar harmonics and occasional thrashing drum part, but mostly it is a pop record along the lines of Blink 182."^[6] The Los Angeles Times called More Betterness! "the band’s best-regarded full-length."^[7] CMJ New Music Report called it "intelligent punk rock" and a "refreshing change of pace."^[8] The Washington Post called the album "energetic," but noted that all the songs "tend to sound the same."^[9]

Track listing

All songs written by Tony Sly, except where noted.

1. "Not Your Savior" – 3:45
2. "Life Size Mirror" – 3:10
3. "Chasing Rainbows" – 2:49
4. "Lies Can't Pretend" – 2:48
5. "Why Doesn't Anybody Like Me?" – 3:09
6. "Sleeping In" – 3:06
7. "Fairytale of New York" (Jem Finer, Shane MacGowan) – 4:04
8. "Pride" – 3:06
9. "Always Carrie" – 2:46
10. "Let It Slide" – 2:15
11. "Six Degrees from Misty" – 2:39
12. "Coming Too Close" – 3:18
13. "Saddest Song" – 4:00
14. "Room 19" – 3:20

Personnel

No Use for a Name

• Tony Sly - vocals and guitar
• Chris Shiflett – guitar
• Matt Riddle – bass
• Rory Koff – drums

Additional musicians

• Cinder Block - backing vocals on "Fairytale of New York"

Notes and References

1. Web site: More Betterness. Fat Wreck Chords.
2. Web site: No Use for a Name | Biography & History. AllMusic.
3. Web site: Fat Canadians. Punknews.org. Paul, Aubin. January 24, 2000. February 7, 2021.
4. Web site: No Use for Koalas. Punknews.org. Paul, Aubin. March 29, 2000. February 7, 2021.
5. Web site: No Use for a national tour, apparently…. Punknews.org. Heisel, Scott. October 17, 2001. February 11, 2021.
6. Web site: No Use For A Name More Betterness. exclaim.ca.
7. Web site: No Use for a Name's Tony Sly dies at 41. August 1, 2012. Los Angeles Times.
8. Web site: Reviews. CMJ New Music Report. October 18, 1999. CMJ Network, Inc.. Google Books.
9. Web site: DANCE HALL CRASHERS. Mark. Jenkins. October 1, 1999. www.washingtonpost.com.