Around the Fur

Around the Fur is the second studio album by American alternative metal band Deftones, released on October 28, 1997 by Maverick Records. The songs "My Own Summer (Shove It)" and "Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)" were released as singles with accompanying music videos.

Around the Fur
Studio album by
Deftones
ReleasedOctober 28, 1997
RecordedApril–June 1997
StudioStudio Litho, Seattle, Washington
Genre
Length
  • 73:56 (CD)
  • 42:22 (LP)
LabelMaverick
Producer
Deftones chronology
Adrenaline
(1995)		 Around the Fur
(1997)		 Live
(1998)
Singles from Around the Fur
  1. "My Own Summer (Shove It)"
    Released: December 22, 1997
  2. "Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)"
    Released: March 9, 1998

The album was certified gold by the RIAA in June 1999, and was eventually certified platinum in 2011.[1]

Background, music and lyrics

Around the Fur has been described as nu metal[2] and alternative metal.[3] Some have considered it a departure from the nu metal sound of 1995's Adrenaline, however, guitarist Stephen Carpenter has since reflected, "We didn’t really pay much attention to that. I remember when these subgenre names didn’t exist. It was just metal. So I don’t think we made a decision to step away from it – we’ve never paid attention to what anyone else was doing. We just did what we thought was right, and tried to make a killer album."[4] Producer Terry Date stated that the band wanted to become "more sophisticated" with Around the Fur.[4]

It was the second album to feature Frank Delgado under additional personnel; he eventually joined the band officially in 1999. The song "Headup" featured additional vocals by Max Cavalera of Soulfly. It was written by Cavalera and Deftones singer Chino Moreno as a way of venting some of their pain over the loss of Dana Wells, Cavalera's stepson and Chino's friend. The band name "Soulfly" was taken from a portmanteau invented for the song. While the album's lyrics were included in the booklet, not every single word was printed. A good example is the song "Lhabia": In the verses, Moreno whispers statements that are hard to decipher. There is also one verse missing from the song "Headup".

The album cover was shot by photographer Rick Kosick during a late-night party in Seattle where the band was recording. Upon seeing the candid photo of a woman, the band decided that they wanted to use it as the album cover. Kosick was unsure who the woman was, so the band had to find and track her down to obtain permission to use the photo, which she eventually granted.[5] The woman appearing on the cover is Washington resident Lisa M. Hughes, a friend of Stephen Carpenter.[6] Hughes spoke publicly about the cover for the first time during the album's 20th anniversary in 2017.[7] Moreno has since expressed his dislike of the cover, calling it "horrible".[8]

"When we went in to make this record, we really didn't have a set idea of what we wanted to come out with," said Moreno in a 1998 interview with Chart magazine. However, he felt that the album "fell into place" once the band had settled into the studio.[9] The band expanded its sound, spending more time with producer Terry Date, and giving more thought to the album's production. Abe Cunningham varied his drum sound and experimented by using different types of snare drums on almost every track.[10] The album was praised for its loud-soft dynamics, the flow of the tracks, Moreno's unusual vocals, and the strong rhythm section grooves created by Cunningham and bassist Chi Cheng.[9][11][12]

Release

The album was highly anticipated, and propelled the band to fame in the alternative metal scene on the strength of radio and MTV airplay for the singles "My Own Summer (Shove It)" (released December 22, 1997) and "Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)" (released March 9, 1998).[13] The album's title track was also released as a promotional single. Around the Fur sold 43,000 copies in its first week of release, and entered the Billboard 200 at No. 29 (its peak position), remaining on the charts for 17 weeks.[12][14] Around the Fur went on to reach RIAA gold status on June 24, 1999, and platinum status on June 7, 2011.[1]

When the album was released on Spotify, it contained an alternate version of "Headup" running a full minute longer than the original release.[15]

Touring

In May 1997, while Around the Fur was in the process of being recorded, the band performed two concerts at Bojangles in Sacramento. These were their first shows since December 1996, with the band debuting several Around the Fur songs that were still in the demo stages. Their next performance was on September 11, 1997 at The Press Club in San Francisco. This concert saw the debut of live staples "Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)" and "My Own Summer (Shove It)".[16][17] Following the album's release in October 1997, Deftones toured North America/Europe with Sacramento bands Far and Will Haven.[18] The tour continued into early 1998.[18] Later in 1998, they made appearances at the Warped Tour (in the United States, New Zealand and Australia), Pinkpop Festival, Roskilde Festival and Ozzfest,[18] as well as releasing a live EP on April 10, 1998. In September 1998, Deftones toured with Red Hot Chili Peppers, who were playing their first shows in over 6 years with guitarist John Frusciante.[19]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
Pitchfork7.8/10[20]
Punknews.org[21]

The album generally received positive reviews from music critics. AllMusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote: "Deftones tap into the same alternative metal vibe as Korn and L7, and while they don't have catchy riffs or a fully developed sound, Around the Fur suggests they're about to come into their own".[3] James P. Wisdom of Pitchfork described the songs from the album as "intense, harsh tunes",[20] while Punknews.org thought that the album "showcased a band aware of their flaws, structure and lyrical approach, and thus achieved an overall great improvement in said areas".[21]

In 2015, critic Saby Reyes-Kulkarni of Diffuser stated that "[o]n their landmark second album, Deftones infused elements of new wave and shoegaze to define their future direction. Alt-metal would never be the same."[22] Reyes-Kulkarni observed that the album "captures the first full blossoming of the duality that has come to define the Sacramento quintet’s musical identity" and "set a new standard for ’90s alt-metal and opened doors to what’s possible when bands find the motivation to get heavy away from the brutish impulses that typically drive aggressive music."[23] He further noted that, while the album "sounds undeniably thicker and heavier" than the band's debut album Adrenaline, Chino Moreno's new wave and post-punk influences became increasingly evident: "On Around the Fur, Moreno’s love of new wave groups like Depeche Mode and The Cure began to rear its head in earnest."[23]

Louder Sound included it as one of the ten best albums released in 1997.[24] They also listed it as being one of the best metal albums released between 1996 and 1997.[25] When Consequence of Sound ranked the eight albums Deftones had released as of 2020, Around the Fur was placed at number four.[26]

Track listing

All songs written by Deftones, except "Headup" by Deftones and Max Cavalera.

No.TitleLength
1."My Own Summer (Shove It)"3:35
2."Lhabia"4:13
3."Mascara"3:45
4."Around the Fur"3:32
5."Rickets"2:44
6."Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)"4:59
7."Lotion"4:01
8."Dai the Flu"4:36
9."Headup"5:13
10."MX
  • "Bong Hit"
  • "Damone"
4:52/37:18
Total length:73:56
  • "MX" ends at 4:52 but is followed by two hidden tracks: "Bong Hit" (19:32–19:55) and "Damone" (32:36–37:18); neither hidden track was included on the vinyl release

Personnel

Adapted credits from the liner notes of Around the Fur.[27]

Band members

Additional personnel
  • Frank Delgado – audio effects (on "My Own Summer (Shove It)", "Around the Fur", "Dai the Flu", "Headup" and "MX")
  • Matt Bayles – assistant to Terry Date
  • Max Cavalera – additional vocals and guitar (on "Headup")
  • Annalynn Cunningham – additional vocals (on "MX")
  • Terry Date – production, mixing, recording
  • Steve Durkee – assistant to Ulrich Wild
  • Ted Jensen – mastering
  • Rick Kosick – photography
  • Kevin Reagan – art direction and design
  • Ulrich Wild – mixing, recording, digital editing

Chart positions

Certifications
Country Certification
Australia[34] Gold
United Kingdom[35] Gold
United States[1] Platinum

Other media and cultural references

References
  1. "RIAA Gold and Platinum searchable database". Search for artist "Deftones". RIAA. Archived from the original on 2007-06-26. Retrieved 2011-06-27.
  2. Distefano, Alex (September 10, 2016). "The 10 Greatest Nu-Metal Albums". L.A. Weekly. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
  3. "Around the Fur - Deftones". AllMusic.
  4. https://www.loudersound.com/features/deftones-how-we-made-around-the-fur
  5. Bennet, J.Revolver. September 2007. Pg. 122
  6. "Woman On DEFTONES' Around The Fur Cover Interviewed 20 Years Later". 14 November 2017. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  7. https://www.kerrang.com/the-news/what-the-girl-from-the-cover-of-around-the-fur-looks-like-now/
  8. "Deftones Speak Of Past Struggles With Drugs, Clashes With Stef, Album Art & More | Theprp.com – Metal And Hardcore News Plus Reviews And More". Theprp.com. 23 March 2016. Retrieved 2016-04-12.
  9. Bromley, Adrian. Keeping It Simple, Chart, July, 1998.
  10. Peiken, Matt. Interview with Abe Cunningham, Modern Drummer, 1997.
  11. Smith, Matt. Deftones New Album Stays Heavy, Gaston Gazette, 1997.
  12. Glover, Adrian Gregory. Deftones: Running on Pure Passion, Circus, May, 1998.
  13. Prato, Greg. "Deftones". Allmusic. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
  14. "The Billboard 200 – Around the Fur". Billboard.com. June 13, 1998. Archived from the original on January 10, 2008. Retrieved 2007-12-17.
  15. "Headup - Deftones - Spotify". Retrieved August 22, 2016.
  16. "Deftones' first-ever live performance of "My Own Summer (Shove It)" surfaces online: Watch". Apr 22, 2019. Retrieved Jul 31, 2020.
  17. "Deftones' first-ever live performance of "Be Quiet and Drive" unearthed: Watch". Apr 5, 2019. Retrieved Jul 31, 2020.
  18. "Old Tour Dates (Archive)". Oct 6, 2011. Retrieved Jul 31, 2020.
  19. Kaufman, Gil. "Chili Peppers To Play Three Dates Before Recording Next LP". MTV News. Retrieved Jul 31, 2020.
  20. "Deftones: Around The Fur". Pitchfork Media. Archived from the original on June 18, 2003.
  21. "Deftones - Around the Fur". Punknews.org. Retrieved 2013-03-08.
  22. "Saby Reyes-Kulkarni". Diffuser.fm. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
  23. Reyes-Kulkarni, Saby. "18 Years Ago: Deftones Leave Nu Metal in the Dust with 'Around the Fur'". Diffuser.fm. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
  24. July 2020, Metal Hammer31. "The Top 10 best albums of 1997". Metal Hammer Magazine. Retrieved Jul 31, 2020.
  25. March 2020, Metal Hammer26. "The 100 best metal albums of the 90s". Metal Hammer Magazine. Retrieved Jul 31, 2020.
  26. "Deftones: Every Album Ranked From Worst To Best". Kerrang!. Retrieved Jul 31, 2020.
  27. Around the Fur (media notes). Deftones. Maverick. 1997. CDW 46810.CS1 maint: others (link)
  28. "Deftones - Around the Fur". Hung Medien.
  29. "Deftones - Around the Fur". Hung Medien.
  30. "Deftones - Around the Fur". Hung Medien.
  31. "Chartverfolgung / Deftones / Longplay" (in German). PhonoNet.
  32. Zywietz, Tobias. "Chart Log UK: Asher D – Dyverse". Zobbel.
  33. "Around the Fur - Deftones". Billboard.
  34. "Accreditations - 2006 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on 2010-02-04.
  35. "Certified Awards". British Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original on 2009-09-24.
  36. "Deftones – MuseWiki: Supermassive wiki for the band Muse". www.musewiki.org. Retrieved Jul 31, 2020.
  37. "muse : archives | microcuts.net | July 1999". Retrieved Jul 31, 2020.
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