Complete List Of Tonic Albums And Songs

Feature Photo: Ontheroad111, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

This Complete List Of Tonic Albums And Songs presents the band’s four studio albums along with its live release, career compilation, and acoustic re-recording of Lemon Parade. Tonic formed in Los Angeles in the 1990s and built its sound around Emerson Hart, Jeff Russo, and the musicians who joined them through the band’s early years. The group’s catalog includes the platinum debut Lemon Parade, the follow-up Sugar, the Grammy-nominated Head on Straight, and the 2010 self-titled reunion album. The discography also includes the 1999 Live & Enhanced release, the 2009 compilation A Casual Affair: The Best of Tonic, and 2016’s Lemon Parade Revisited. Each release below includes its track listing in chronological order within its category.

TONIC STUDIO ALBUMS

Lemon Parade (1996)

Released July 16, 1996

Lemon Parade was Tonic’s debut studio album and the record that introduced the band to a national audience. Released by Polydor, it was produced, recorded, and mixed by Jack Joseph Puig. The sessions took place at several Los Angeles-area studios, including Ocean Way Recording, Devonshire Studios, Sound City, and Andora Studios. Emerson Hart, Jeff Russo, Dan Rothchild, and Kevin Shepard formed the core lineup on the album. “If You Could Only See” became the band’s signature hit, while “Open Up Your Eyes,” “Casual Affair,” and the title track helped establish Tonic’s mix of alternative rock, roots rock, and post-grunge.

CD Track Listing:

“Open Up Your Eyes” – 3:40
“Casual Affair” – 3:33
“If You Could Only See” – 4:21
“Soldier’s Daughter” – 5:03
“Lemon Parade” – 3:42
“Mountain” – 4:38
“Thick” – 4:21
“Wicked Soldier” – 4:31
“Mr. Golden Deal” – 4:55
“Bigot Sunshine” – 2:53
“Celtic Aggression” – 3:26
“My Old Man” – 5:52

Sugar (1999)

Released November 9, 1999

Tonic’s second studio album, Sugar, expanded the band’s sound without losing the emotional directness of its debut. The album was released by Universal Records and was primarily produced by Tonic, with Mark Endert credited as producer on “You Wanted More.” Recording took place at several studios, including Sound City, Andora, Sunset Sound, House of Blues Studios, and Kingsway Studio. Dan Lavery had joined Emerson Hart and Jeff Russo by this period and became an important part of the band’s core lineup. The record gave Tonic a broader and more polished second chapter. “You Wanted More,” first heard on the American Pie soundtrack, and “Knock Down Walls” became the album’s best-known singles.

CD Track Listing:

“Future Says Run” – 3:46
“You Wanted More” – 3:50
“Knock Down Walls” – 3:43
“Mean to Me” – 4:11
“Sugar” – 3:29
“Jump Jimmy (Stronger Than Mine)” – 3:39
“Queen” – 4:34
“Waiting for the Light to Change” – 4:32
“Waltz with Me” – 3:45
“Sunflower” – 3:20
“Drag Me Down” – 2:46
“Top Falls Down” – 4:17
“Love a Diamond” – 3:52

Head on Straight (2002)

Released September 24, 2002

Head on Straight was Tonic’s third studio album and one of the most critically recognized releases of the band’s career. Bob Rock produced the album, with recording work taking place at Henson Recording Studios in Hollywood and Plantation Mixing and Recording in Maui. Emerson Hart, Jeff Russo, and Dan Lavery carried the band’s core sound, with Joey Waronker on drums and Lenny Castro contributing percussion. “Take Me as I Am” earned a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. The album itself was also nominated for Best Rock Album.

CD Track Listing:

“Roses” – 3:27
“Take Me as I Am” – 3:36
“Count on Me (Somebody)” – 3:48
“Do You Know” – 3:47
“Head on Straight” – 3:45
“Liar” – 2:54
“On Your Feet Again” – 3:53
“Come Rest Your Head” – 4:27
“Ring Around Her Finger” – 4:21
“Believe Me” – 3:28
“Irish” – 5:07
“Let Me Go” – 5:54

Tonic (2010)

Released May 4, 2010

Tonic marked the band’s return with its fourth studio album after several years away from recording together. Released by 429 Records, the album was produced by Tonic and Nathaniel Kunkel. Emerson Hart, Jeff Russo, and Dan Lavery remained the three official members, with Pete Maloney playing drums on the record. The sessions took place primarily at Conway Studios in Hollywood, with additional work completed during the production process. “Release Me” led the album, while tracks including “Daffodil,” “Nothing Is Everything,” and “Feel It Now” showed that the band still had a strong feel for melodic rock.

CD Track Listing:

“Release Me” – 3:22
“Daffodil” – 3:21
“I Want It to Be” – 3:43
“Send a Message” – 3:28
“Bigger Than Both” – 4:10
“Nothing Is Everything” – 4:27
“Feel It Now” – 3:03
“Where Do I Fit” – 3:09
“Resolve” – 4:21
“Precious Little Bird” – 2:51
“Torn to Pieces” – 2:44
“She Goes Down” – 3:46

TONIC LIVE ALBUMS

Live & Enhanced (1999)

Released March 1, 1999

Live & Enhanced was a six-track release issued between Lemon Parade and Sugar. The enhanced CD was originally made available through the band’s website and combined live performances with alternate material. Live versions of “Open Up Your Eyes,” “Lemon Parade,” and “Casual Affair” appear alongside an acoustic “If You Could Only See” and a radio edit of “Soldier’s Daughter.” A second live performance of “If You Could Only See” closes the audio program. It remains Tonic’s dedicated live release from the band’s original era. The release captures Tonic during the period when the success of Lemon Parade was still carrying the band across the road.

Track Listing:

“Open Up Your Eyes” (Live) – 3:40
“Lemon Parade” (Live) – 3:44
“Casual Affair” (Live) – 3:47
“If You Could Only See” (Acoustic) – 4:17
“Soldier’s Daughter” (Radio Edit) – 3:57
“If You Could Only See” (Live) – 5:06

TONIC COMPILATION ALBUMS

A Casual Affair: The Best of Tonic (2009)

Released June 23, 2009

A Casual Affair: The Best of Tonic became the band’s first career-spanning compilation as Tonic returned to touring after its hiatus. The standard edition collects twelve songs from Lemon Parade, Sugar, and Head on Straight. It also adds three bonus recordings: an acoustic version of “You Wanted More” and live versions of “Sugar” and “Irish.” The collection arrived shortly before the band returned to the studio for its 2010 self-titled album. It also documents the transition from Tonic’s first recording era into the band’s reunion period. For listeners looking for the major songs from Tonic’s first era, the set provides a compact overview of that period.

CD Track Listing:

“You Wanted More” – 3:53
“Take Me as I Am” – 3:38
“If You Could Only See” – 4:24
“Knock Down Walls” – 3:46
“Count on Me (Somebody)” – 3:49
“Sugar” – 3:30
“Soldier’s Daughter” – 5:04
“Lemon Parade” – 3:42
“Mean to Me” – 4:13
“Open Up Your Eyes” – 3:43
“Casual Affair” – 3:35
“Irish” – 5:07
“You Wanted More” (Acoustic) – 3:52
“Sugar” (Live) – 4:04
“Irish” (Live) – 7:19

TONIC RE-RECORDED ALBUMS

Lemon Parade Revisited (2016)

Released July 22, 2016

Tonic celebrated the twentieth anniversary of Lemon Parade by returning to the entire album for Lemon Parade Revisited. The band re-recorded all twelve songs in acoustic arrangements that emphasized the melodies and songwriting. Emerson Hart, Jeff Russo, and Dan Lavery performed the album, which fans funded directly through a PledgeMusic campaign. Songs including “If You Could Only See,” “Open Up Your Eyes,” “Mountain,” and “Soldier’s Daughter” take on a more stripped-down character in these versions. The album both reworks Tonic’s debut and celebrates the record that launched the band’s career.