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My Private Nation is San Francisco-based rock band Train's third studio album, which was released June 3, 2003. Charting at #6 on the Billboard 200, it, along with their 2001 release Drops of Jupiter, is their joint highest-charting album in the U.S. to date. The album was reissued February 8, 2005, as a CD+DVD dual disc set. The album is now certified Platinum in the US.

Singles

Three singles were released from this album. The first, "Calling All Angels," was a top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #19, and was a huge success on the Adult Contemporary and Adult Top 40 charts. Second single "When I Look to the Sky" also hit the Top 100 and was successful in Adult Top 40 and the Adult Contemporary chart as well. Third single "Get to Me" was also a successful song on the Adult Top 40 chart, and the album as a whole has been certified platinum by the RIAA.

"I'm About to Come Alive" was covered in 2008 by country music artist David Nail, who released it as a single from his debut album of the same name.^[1]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	^[2]
Blender	^[3]
Entertainment Weekly	(B+)^[4]
Chicago Sun-Times	^[5]
The Hartford Courant	(mixed)^[6]
Los Angeles Times	^[7]
Newsday	(B)^[8]
Q	^[3]
Rolling Stone	^[9]
The Washington Post	(favorable)^[10]

My Private Nation received positive reviews from most music critics.^[3] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 61, based on 6 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews".^[3] Allmusic editor Thom Jurek praised the band's existential lyrics and producer Brendan O'Brien's contribution to the album, stating "O'Brien's gorgeous multi-layered production [...] chromatic shadings and the textures of contemporary psychedelia are rooted in the heart of an ambitious garage band [...] he gets the sound of how big Train actually is in a context that is as aurally beautiful musically as it is emotionally and lyrically poignant".^[2] Entertainment Weekly's Ken Tucker dubbed it Train's "finest effort yet", complimenting the band's "amusingly self-deprecating lyrics" and the songs' "surface attractiveness".^[4] Sean Daly of The Washington Post noted layers of "featherweight joy" and "Hallmark-deep, guitar-driven pop", and noted lead singer Pat Monahan's performance, "[he] throws his body into every lyric and sounds like a showoff cross between Live's Ed Kowalczyk and Journey's Steve Perry".^[10] E! Online commented that the band "sound[s] like a better Counting Crows (with a dreamier frontman) and less-challenging Wallflowers".^[3] Despite writing that "Pat Monahan's vocals can be a bit grating and Train's material sometimes strays into Black Crowes Lite range", Chicago Sun-Times writer Jeff Wisser called the album "a greatsounding collection of slight but irresistible little poprock confections", noting "a sure sense of songcraft and a well-honed pop sensibility" in the songwriting.^[5]

Q gave the album three out of five stars and stated "[Train] continues to adhere firmly to the rootsy rock of fellow travellers Matchbox Twenty and Counting Crows, while their earnest musicianship and hard work will delight fans of that sort of thing".^[3] Jeff Puma of The Hartford Courant commended Train for their "sincere attempt at a positive message", but wrote "The effect, unfortunately, is schmaltz, and Train comes off as a poor man's Counting Crows".^[6] Rolling Stone writer Gavin Edwards called the band "radio-ready, professional and utterly dull", commenting that "The up-tempo songs are worse than the ballads, and the attempts at lyrical sass are even worse than the sentimental cliches".^[9] Glenn Gamboa of Newsday found the band's "sorta rock" style "painfully predictable" on most songs, but stated "The last three songs - the Oasis-ish 'Your Favorite Color', the '80s power-ballad throwback 'Lincoln Avenue' and the gorgeous 'I'm About to Come Alive' - finally fulfill the promise hinted at in the previous seven songs and most of the previous two albums, for that matter".^[8] Despite calling them "still essentially Matchbox Twenty Jr.", Los Angeles Times writer Steve Hochman commented that the band "expands its menu beyond vanilla, with some playfulness in words and music, and producer Brendan O'Brien helping bring some imagination to the arrangements".^[7]

Track listing

U.S. Edition

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Calling All Angels"	Charlie Colin, Patrick Monahan, Jimmy Stafford, Scott Underwood	3:49
2.	"All American Girl"	Monahan, Brendan O'Brien	3:17
3.	"When I Look to the Sky"	Colin, Monahan, Stafford, Underwood	4:04
4.	"Save The Day"	Monahan, O'Brien	4:05
5.	"My Private Nation"	Monahan, O'Brien	3:22
6.	"Get to Me"	Train	4:05
7.	"Counting Airplanes"	Train	4:21
8.	"Following Rita"	Train	3:44
9.	"Your Every Color"	Train	4:26
10.	"Lincoln Avenue"	Train	3:36
11.	"I'm About to Come Alive"	Colin, Rob Hotchkiss, Monahan, Stafford, Underwood, Clint Bennett	4:05
12.	"When I Look to the Sky" (Radio Version) "Appearing as a non-listed hidden track and only on the U.S. Edition release."	Colin, Monahan, Stafford, Underwood	3:59

Bonus tracks

European edition
No.	Title	Length
12.	"Better Off Alive"	3:15

Japanese edition
No.	Title	Length
12.	"Out Here In The Open"	3:44

"Fascinated" - Available on the "Calling All Angels" single.
"For You" - Available on the "Calling All Angels" single.
"Landmine" - Available on the "Calling All Angels" single.

DVD

Entire album in 5.1 Surround Sound and enhanced LPCM Stereo
Documentary film 21 Days With Train
"I'm About To Come Alive" music video
"My Private Nation" live version music video
Exclusive footage of a rare instore performance
Karaoke surprise appearance footage
Band member profiles
Discography

Charts

Album

Year	Chart	Position
2003	The Billboard 200	6

Single

Year	Single	Chart	Position
2003	"Calling All Angels"	Billboard Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks	1
2003	"Calling All Angels"	Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks	1
2003	"Calling All Angels"	Billboard Hot 100	19
2003	"When I Look to the Sky"	Billboard Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks	9
2004	"When I Look to the Sky"	Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks	24
2004	"When I Look to the Sky"	Billboard Hot 100	74
2005	"Get to Me"	Billboard Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks	6

Certifications

Organization	Level	Date
RIAA – USA	Platinum	March 6, 2004

Personnel

Charlie Colin – bass
Patrick Monahan – lead vocals, percussion
Jimmy Stafford – guitars, backing vocals, mandolin
Scott Underwood – drums, keyboards, piano, programming, percussion
Rob Hotchkiss – guitars, piano

Additional personnel

Brendan O'Brien – keyboards, piano, organ, guitars, marxophone, percussion, backing vocals
Soozie Tyrell – violin on 10
Jane Scarpantoni – cello on 10
Greg Leisz - pedal steel guitar on Calling All Angels

References

^ Malec, Jim (2008-04-22). "David Nail - "I'm About to Come Alive"". The 9513. Retrieved 2008-07-07.
^ ^a ^b Jurek, Thom (2005). Review: My Private Nation. Allmusic. Retrieved on 2011-02-13.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f My Private Nation Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More. Metacritic. Retrieved on 2011-02-13.
^ ^a ^b Tucker, Ken (June 6, 2003). Review: My Private Nation. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved on 2011-02-13.
^ ^a ^b Wisser, Jeff (June 22, 2003). Review: My Private Nation. Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved on 2011-02-13.
^ ^a ^b Puma, Jeff (June 5, 2003). Review: My Private Nation. The Hartford Courant. Retrieved on 2011-02-13.
^ ^a ^b Hochman, Steve (June 1, 2003). Review: My Private Nation. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved on 2011-02-13.
^ ^a ^b Gamboa, Glenn (June 3, 2003). Review: My Private Nation. Newsday. Retrieved on 2011-02-13.
^ ^a ^b Edwards, Gavin (June 26, 2003). Review: My Private Nation. Rolling Stone. Retrieved on 2011-02-13.
^ ^a ^b Daly, Sean (June 4, 2003). Review: My Private Nation. The Washington Post. Retrieved on 2011-02-13.

External links

My Private Nation at Discogs
My Private Nation at Metacritic

[1] Malec, Jim (2008-04-22). "David Nail - "I'm About to Come Alive"". The 9513. Retrieved 2008-07-07.

[Jurek-2] Jurek, Thom (2005). Review: My Private Nation. Allmusic. Retrieved on 2011-02-13.

[Metacritic-3] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f My Private Nation Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More. Metacritic. Retrieved on 2011-02-13.

[Tucker-4] Tucker, Ken (June 6, 2003). Review: My Private Nation. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved on 2011-02-13.

[Wisser-5] Wisser, Jeff (June 22, 2003). Review: My Private Nation. Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved on 2011-02-13.

[Puma-6] Puma, Jeff (June 5, 2003). Review: My Private Nation. The Hartford Courant. Retrieved on 2011-02-13.

[Hochman-7] Hochman, Steve (June 1, 2003). Review: My Private Nation. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved on 2011-02-13.

[Gamboa-8] Gamboa, Glenn (June 3, 2003). Review: My Private Nation. Newsday. Retrieved on 2011-02-13.

[Edwards-9] Edwards, Gavin (June 26, 2003). Review: My Private Nation. Rolling Stone. Retrieved on 2011-02-13.

[Daly-10] Daly, Sean (June 4, 2003). Review: My Private Nation. The Washington Post. Retrieved on 2011-02-13.

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[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

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@@ Line 32: / Line 32: @@
 "I'm About to Come Alive" was covered in 2008 by [[country music]] artist [[David Nail]], who released it as a single from his debut album of the [[I'm About to Come Alive|same name]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.the9513.com/david-nail-im-about-to-come-alive/ |title=David Nail - "I'm About to Come Alive" |accessdate=2008-07-07 |last=Malec |first=Jim |date=2008-04-22 |work=The 9513}}</ref>
+== Reception ==
+{{Album ratings
+| rev1 = [[Allmusic]]
+| rev1Score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref name="Jurek"/>
+| rev2 = ''[[Blender (magazine)|Blender]]''
+| rev2Score = {{Rating|2|5}}<ref name="Metacritic"/>
+| rev3 = ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''
+| rev3Score = (B+)<ref name="Tucker"/>
+| rev4 = ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]''
+| rev4Score = {{Rating|3|4}}<ref name="Wisser"/>
+| rev5 = ''[[The Hartford Courant]]''
+| rev5Score = (mixed)<ref name="Puma"/>
+| rev6 = ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''
+| rev6Score = {{Rating|2.5|4}}<ref name="Hochman"/>
+| rev7 = ''[[Newsday]]''
+| rev7Score = (B)<ref name="Gamboa"/>
+| rev8 = ''[[Q (magazine)|Q]]''
+| rev8Score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref name="Metacritic"/>
+| rev9 = ''[[Rolling Stone]]''
+| rev9Score = {{Rating|1|5}}<ref name="Edwards"/>
+| rev10 = ''[[The Washington Post]]''
+| rev10Score = (favorable)<ref name="Daly"/>
+}}
+''My Private Nation'' received positive reviews from most [[music critics]].<ref name="Metacritic"/> At [[Metacritic]], which assigns a [[Standard score|normalized]] rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an [[weighted mean|average]] score of 61, based on 6 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews".<ref name="Metacritic">[http://www.metacritic.com/music/my-private-nation ''My Private Nation'' Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More]. [[Metacritic]]. Retrieved on 2011-02-13.</ref> [[Allmusic]] editor Thom Jurek praised the band's existential lyrics and producer [[Brendan O'Brien (music producer)|Brendan O'Brien]]'s contribution to the album, stating "O'Brien's gorgeous multi-layered production [...] chromatic shadings and the textures of contemporary psychedelia are rooted in the heart of an ambitious garage band [...] he gets the sound of how big Train actually is in a context that is as aurally beautiful musically as it is emotionally and lyrically poignant".<ref name="Jurek">Jurek, Thom (2005). [http://www.allmusic.com/album/r641704/review Review: ''My Private Nation'']. [[Allmusic]]. Retrieved on 2011-02-13.</ref> ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''{{'}}s Ken Tucker dubbed it Train's "finest effort yet", complimenting the band's "amusingly self-deprecating lyrics" and the songs' "surface attractiveness".<ref name="Tucker">Tucker, Ken (June 6, 2003). [http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,455409~4~0~myprivatenation,00.html Review: ''My Private Nation'']. ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''. Retrieved on 2011-02-13.</ref> Sean Daly of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' noted layers of "featherweight joy" and "[[Hallmark Cards|Hallmark]]-deep, guitar-driven pop", and noted lead singer [[Pat Monahan]]'s performance, "[he] throws his body into every lyric and sounds like a showoff cross between [[Live (band)|Live]]'s [[Ed Kowalczyk]] and [[Journey (band)|Journey]]'s [[Steve Perry (musician)|Steve Perry]]".<ref name="Daly">Daly, Sean (June 4, 2003). [http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/access/343590491.html?dids=343590491:343590491&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jun+04%2C+2003&author=Sean+Daly&pub=The+Washington+Post&desc=A+Train+of+Afterthought%3B+The+San+Francisco+Band+Populates+Its+'Nation'+With+Power+Ballads%2C+Singalongs&pqatl=google Review: ''My Private Nation'']. ''[[The Washington Post]]''. Retrieved on 2011-02-13.</ref> [[E!|E! Online]] commented that the band "sound[s] like a better [[Counting Crows]] (with a dreamier frontman) and less-challenging [[The Wallflowers|Wallflowers]]".<ref name="Metacritic"/> Despite writing that "Pat Monahan's vocals can be a bit grating and Train's material sometimes strays into [[The Black Crowes|Black Crowes]] Lite range", ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' writer Jeff Wisser called the album "a greatsounding collection of slight but irresistible little poprock confections", noting "a sure sense of songcraft and a well-honed pop sensibility" in the songwriting.<ref name="Wisser">Wisser, Jeff (June 22, 2003). [http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=CSTB&p_theme=cstb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0FBE6A2F8577B5CB&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM Review: ''My Private Nation'']. ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]''. Retrieved on 2011-02-13.</ref>
+''[[Q (magazine)|Q]]'' gave the album three out of five stars and stated "[Train] continues to adhere firmly to the rootsy rock of fellow travellers [[Matchbox Twenty]] and Counting Crows, while their earnest musicianship and hard work will delight fans of that sort of thing".<ref name="Metacritic"/> Jeff Puma of ''[[The Hartford Courant]]'' commended Train for their "sincere attempt at a positive message", but wrote "The effect, unfortunately, is schmaltz, and Train comes off as a poor man's Counting Crows".<ref name="Puma">Puma, Jeff (June 5, 2003). [http://articles.courant.com/2003-06-05/entertainment/0306052083_1_private-nation-wind-fire-crows Review: ''My Private Nation'']. ''[[The Hartford Courant]]''. Retrieved on 2011-02-13.</ref> ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' writer Gavin Edwards called the band "radio-ready, professional and utterly dull", commenting that "The up-tempo songs are worse than the ballads, and the attempts at lyrical sass are even worse than the sentimental cliches".<ref name="Edwards">Edwards, Gavin (June 26, 2003). [http://web.archive.org/web/20071110210645/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/train/albums/album/265434/review/5940504/my_private_nation Review: ''My Private Nation'']. ''[[Rolling Stone]]''. Retrieved on 2011-02-13.</ref> Glenn Gamboa of ''[[Newsday]]'' found the band's "sorta rock" style "painfully predictable" on most songs, but stated "The last three songs - the [[Oasis (band)|Oasis]]-ish 'Your Favorite Color', the '80s power-ballad throwback 'Lincoln Avenue' and the gorgeous 'I'm About to Come Alive' - finally fulfill the promise hinted at in the previous seven songs and most of the previous two albums, for that matter".<ref name="Gamboa">Gamboa, Glenn (June 3, 2003). [http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/newsday/access/342994751.html?dids=342994751:342994751&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jun+03%2C+2003&author=GLENN+GAMBOA&pub=Newsday+(Combined+editions)&desc=The+Eels%2C+Slippery+as+Ever+%2F+'Shootenanny!'+reveals+the+light+and+dark+sides+of+E&pqatl=google Review: ''My Private Nation'']. ''[[Newsday]]''. Retrieved on 2011-02-13.</ref> Despite calling them "still essentially Matchbox Twenty Jr.", ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' writer Steve Hochman commented that the band "expands its menu beyond vanilla, with some playfulness in words and music, and producer Brendan O'Brien helping bring some imagination to the arrangements".<ref name="Hochman">Hochman, Steve (June 1, 2003). [http://articles.latimes.com/2003/jun/01/entertainment/ca-rack1/2 Review: ''My Private Nation'']. ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''. Retrieved on 2011-02-13.</ref>
 ==Track listing==
@@ Line 75: / Line 102: @@
 }}
+=== Bonus tracks ===
-;European Edition
 {{tracklist
+| collapsed        = yes
+| headline         = European edition
 | writing_credits = no
 | title12          = Better Off Alive
@@ Line 83: / Line 112: @@
 }}
-;Japanese Edition
 {{tracklist
+| collapsed        = yes
+| headline         = Japanese edition
 | writing_credits = no
 | title12          = Out Here In The Open
@@ Line 90: / Line 120: @@
 | length12         = 3:44
 }}
-<br>
+*"Fascinated" - Available on the "Calling All Angels" single.
-===DVD===
+*"For You" - Available on the "Calling All Angels" single.
+*"Landmine" - Available on the "Calling All Angels" single.
+;DVD
 *Entire album in 5.1 Surround Sound and enhanced LPCM Stereo
 *Documentary film 21 Days With Train
@@ Line 101: / Line 135: @@
 *Discography
-===Bonus tracks===
+==Charts==
-*"Fascinated" - Available on the "Calling All Angels" single.
-*"For You" - Available on the "Calling All Angels" single.
-*"Landmine" - Available on the "Calling All Angels" single.
-==Reception==
-===Critical Reviews===
-{{Album ratings
-<!-- Reviewers -->
-| rev1 = [[Allmusic]]
-| rev1Score = {{Rating|4.5|5}} <ref>{{Allmusic|class=album|id=r641704/review|pure_url=yes}}</ref>
-| rev2 = [[Entertainment Weekly]]
-| rev2Score = (B+) <ref>http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,455409~4~0~myprivatenation,00.html</ref>
-| rev3 = [[Rolling Stone]]
-| rev3Score = {{Rating|3|5}} <ref>http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/train/albums/album/265434/review/5940504/my_private_nation</ref>
-| rev4 = music-critic.com
-| rev4Score = {{Rating|4|5}}  <ref>http://www.music-critic.com/rock/train_myprivatenation.htm</ref>
-| rev5 = ROCKZONE.COM
-| rev5Score = (A+) <ref>http://www.rockzone.com/reviews/train-myprivatenation.shtml</ref>
-}}
-<blockquote>
-"''The opening track, "Calling All Angels," which also serves as the first single, is the one song the Counting Crows wish they could still write. It's a huge rock song that signifies what the rest of the album elaborates on. Guitars, drums, backwards tracking of keyboards, and a huge chorus make it an anthem. But it's not so much how hooky and beautiful the tune is -- and is it ever -- as what it says: That in a time of great confusion, loss, and disorientation, one does not call for redemption, but asks for a sign of inspiration, for the courage to not surrender to despair. It's a tome about hope against the odds, acknowledging vulnerability, and accepting responsibility to remain focused and critical enough to win one's own redemption in everyday life, in order to become a better human being''"  -'''''Thom Jurek''''' AMG
-</blockquote>
-<blockquote>
-===Charts===
 '''Album'''
 {| class="wikitable" border="1" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2"
@@ Line 210: / Line 219: @@
 ==External links==
-*[http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/_/id/5935892/ ''Train's Private Nation''] interview at [[Rolling Stone]]
+* ''[http://www.discogs.com/Train-My-Private-Nation/master/148131 My Private Nation]'' at [[Discogs]]
+* ''[http://www.metacritic.com/music/my-private-nation My Private Nation]'' at [[Metacritic]]
 {{Train}}
-[[Category:Train (band) albums]]
 [[Category:2003 albums]]
 [[Category:Albums produced by Brendan O'Brien]]
 [[Category:Columbia Records albums]]
+[[Category:Train (band) albums]]
 [[es:My Private Nation]]

v t e Train
Pat Monahan Jerry Becker Hector Maldonado Matt Musty Taylor Locke Charlie Colin Johnny Colt
Studio albums	Train Drops of Jupiter My Private Nation For Me, It's You Save Me, San Francisco California 37 Bulletproof Picasso Christmas in Tahoe Train Does Led Zeppelin II A Girl, a Bottle, a Boat AM Gold
Live albums	Alive at Last
Compilation albums	Greatest Hits
Video releases	Midnight Moon
Concert tours	2011 Summer Tour Mermaids of Alcatraz Tour Play That Song Tour
Singles	"Meet Virginia" "Free" "I Am" "Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)" "Something More" "She's on Fire" "Calling All Angels" "When I Look to the Sky" "Get to Me" "Cab" "Hey, Soul Sister" "If It's Love" "Marry Me" "Shake Up Christmas" "Save Me, San Francisco" "Drive By" "50 Ways to Say Goodbye" "Bruises" "Mermaid" "Imagine" "Angel in Blue Jeans" "Cadillac, Cadillac" "Bulletproof Picasso" "Give It All" "Play That Song" "Drink Up" "Call Me Sir"
Related articles	Discography Band members Awards and nominations Last of Seven "The Truth"