fear (Toad the Wet Sprocket album)
Fear (commonly stylized as fear) is the third studio album by Toad the Wet Sprocket, their second album for Columbia Records, released on August 27, 1991. fear was the first commercially successful album for the band, selling over a million copies and was certified platinum three years after release, on September 1, 1994.[2] The album reached #49 on Billboard's Top 200 Albums in September 1992,[3] and two of the singles charted in the United States. "All I Want" and "Walk on the Ocean" peaked at #15 and #18 on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively.[4]
fear | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | August 27, 1991 | |||
Recorded | January 2–27, 1991 | |||
Studio | Granny's House in Reno, Nevada | |||
Genre | Alternative rock | |||
Length | 46:37 | |||
Label | Columbia | |||
Producer | Gavin MacKillop | |||
Toad the Wet Sprocket chronology | ||||
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Singles from fear | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic |
Background
Toad the Wet Sprocket's first album, Bread & Circus, was financed and recorded by the band in eight days for $650 in 1989.[5][6][7] The band sold copies of the album on cassette, eventually signing with Columbia Records after recording their second album, Pale. Despite an offer from Columbia to restart the sessions for Pale, the band decided to continue to record the album by themselves at a cost of $6,000, and re-release it with Columbia.[7]
Recording
The songs for the album were recorded at Granny's House, Reno, Nevada.[8][9] fear was produced, recorded and mixed by Gavin MacKillop,[9] a role he would reprise for the band's next two releases, 1994's Dulcinea and 1997's Coil.
Columbia financed the mixing of fourteen songs for the album, with twelve to be released. The two songs left off the album, "Good Intentions" and "All in All", were both released on the 1995 rarities collection In Light Syrup, along with several other tracks recorded during the fear sessions. The band members were in disagreement over "All in All" and "All I Want", and eventually "All I Want" was chosen to complete the record.[5]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Toad. However, the liner notes give first and second credits to various members track by track. These differences are noted.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Walk on the Ocean" | Glen Phillips, Todd Nichols, Dean Dinning, and Randy Guss | 3:00 |
2. | "Is It for Me?" | 3:24 | |
3. | "Butterflies" | 4:26 | |
4. | "Nightingale Song" | 2:03 | |
5. | "Hold Her Down" | 3:07 | |
6. | "Pray Your Gods" | 5:03 | |
7. | "Before You Were Born" | 3:44 | |
8. | "Something to Say" | 4:02 | |
9. | "In My Ear" | 3:10 | |
10. | "All I Want" | 3:17 | |
11. | "Stories I Tell" | 5:35 | |
12. | "I Will Not Take These Things for Granted" | 5:46 |
Personnel
Musicians
- Glen Phillips – lead vocals, guitars, mandolin
- Todd Nichols – guitars, mandolin
- Dean Dinning – bass, keyboards
- Randy Guss – drums, percussion
- Laurel Franklin – spoken word, additional vocals
Production
- Produced by Gavin MacKillop
- Engineered by Don Evans, Gavin MacKillop & Bjorn Thorsrud
- Mixed by Gavin MacKillop
Charts
Album –Billboard (North America)
Year | Chart | Position |
---|---|---|
1992 | Heatseekers | 1 |
Billboard 200 | 49 | |
Singles – Billboard (North America)
Year | Single | Chart | Position |
---|---|---|---|
1992 | "All I Want" | Adult Contemporary | 14 |
Mainstream Rock Tracks | 22 | ||
Modern Rock Tracks | 22 | ||
Billboard Hot 100 | 15 | ||
Top 40 Mainstream | 4 | ||
1993 | "Walk on the Ocean" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 27 |
Billboard Hot 100 | 18 | ||
Top 40 Mainstream | 10 | ||
References
- Allmusic review
- "Gold & Platinum – RIAA". Retrieved July 28, 2016.
- "Toad the Wet Sprocket – Chart history | Billboard". www.billboard.com. Retrieved July 26, 2016.
- "Toad the Wet Sprocket – Chart history | Billboard". www.billboard.com. Retrieved July 26, 2016.
- "TOAD the WET SPROCKET". www.frightanic.com. Retrieved July 26, 2016.
- "Interview: Toad the Wet Sprocket Conquer Their "Fear"". owl and bear. July 5, 2016. Retrieved July 26, 2016.
- "MidwesTIX – Toad the Wet Sprocket". prod1.agileticketing.net. Retrieved July 26, 2016.
- Kyle, Joseph (June 1, 2015). "I Will Not Take These Things For Granted: The Making of Toad The Wet Sprocket's Fear". The Recoup.
- "Toad The Wet Sprocket – Fear". Discogs. Retrieved July 26, 2016.