Rubbing Doesn't Help
Rubbing Doesn't Help is the third album by Magnapop, released in 1996.
| Rubbing Doesn't Help | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 21, 1996 | |||
| Recorded | November–December 1995, City Lab Studios, Los Angeles, California, United States | |||
| Genre | Pop punk, pop rock, power pop | |||
| Length | 41:30 | |||
| Language | English | |||
| Label | Play It Again Sam/Priority | |||
| Producer | Geza X | |||
| Magnapop chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Rubbing Doesn't Help | ||||
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Recording
The sessions for Rubbing Doesn't Help were produced by Geza X at City Lab Studios in Hollywood, California in late 1995.[1] Drummer David McNair left the group prior to recording, so they hired session musician Josh Freese to fill in on drums. This would be the band's final album for almost a decade; their record label folded while promoting Rubbing Doesn't Help and they were contractually barred from recording under that name. The band (along with Freese) also went to Plus Four Recordings Studios, in Sherman Oaks, California with engineers Sandy Solomon and Bernie Zwass in June 1995 to record their cover of Tom Waits' "Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis" for the compilation album Step Right Up: The Songs of Tom Waits. The title of the album comes from a Ben-Gay slogan.[2]
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | [3] |
| Blender | favorable[4] |
| Boston Phoenix | favorable[2] |
| Robert Christgau | [5] |
| College Music Journal | favorable[6] |
| L.A. Times | [7] |
| LAUNCH Media | [8] |
| Melody Maker | favorable[9] |
| Ray Gun | favorable[10] |
| Washington Post | favorable[11] |
The album received mostly positive reviews, with some mixed responses. Positive critics noted the album's emotionally powerful lyrics[2] in addition to its aggressive instrumentation—particularly the guitar.[9] Ambivalent reviewers criticized the lack of variety between this album and Magnapop's previous efforts,[7] as well as a lack of focus in the production.[3]
Track listing
All songs written by Linda Hopper and Ruthie Morris, except where noted.
- "This Family" – 3:28
- "I Don't Care" – 2:40
- "Open the Door" – 3:37
- "Come on Inside" – 2:43
- "Down on Me" – 3:24
- "An Apology" – 3:04
- "My Best Friend" – 3:26
- "Juicy Fruit" – 2:18
- "Firebrand" – 2:29
- "Cherry Bomb" – 2:15
- "Radio Waves" – 2:32
- "Snake" (Hopper, Morris, and Shannon Mulvaney) – 5:00
- "Dead Letter" – 3:32
- Also includes the hidden track "Suck It Up"
- Japanese edition bonus tracks
- "Hold You Down" (New Mix) – 2:43
- "Voice Without a Sound" – 2:41
The Dutch edition of the album has a slightly different track listing, with "Hold You Down" (3:29) as the fourth track and omitting "Cherry Bomb".
Tracks from Rubbing Doesn't Help
A promotional EP entitled Tracks from Rubbing Doesn't Help was released by Play It Again Sam in the United States in 1996 (catalogue number PROMOBIAS 033 CD) with the following track listing:
- "This Family" – 3:28
- "An Apology" – 3:04
- "Open the Door" – 3:37
- "My Best Friend" – 3:26
- "Juicy Fruit" – 2:18
- "Snake" – 5:00
Personnel
- Magnapop
- Linda Hopper – lead vocals, art direction, photography
- Ruthie Morris – lead guitar, backing vocals, lead vocals on "Hold You Down" and "Suck It Up", dobro on "Dead Letter", art direction, photography
- Shannon Mulvaney – bass guitar
- Additional personnel
- Jerry Finn – mixing on "Come on Inside"
- Sherry Rae Etheredge – photography
- Josh Freese – drums
- Geza X – production, engineering
- Maggie Magarian – design
- Nancy Ogami – lettering
- Eddie Shryer of Future Disc – mastering
- Art Shoji – design
- Steve Snow – sound design on "Come On Inside"
- Thom Wilson – mixing
Release history
The album was initially released on Priority Records in the United States and Play It Again Sam in Europe, with the Japanese edition published by King.
| Region | Date | Label | Format | Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | March 21, 1996 | Priority | Compact Disc | P2 53992 |
| cassette tape | P4 53992 | |||
| Europe | Play It Again Sam | Compact Disc | 450.0321.20 - BIAS 321 CD | |
| LP (red vinyl) | 450.0321.10 - BIAS 321 LP | |||
| Australia | 1996 | Cortex | Compact Disc | CTX058CD |
| Japan | 1996 | King | Compact Disc | KICP 507† |
| The Netherlands | 1996 | Play It Again Sam | Compact Disc | 450.0321.26 - BIAS 321 CDX |
†Special edition with bonus tracks
Sales chart performance
| Chart (1996) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Top Heatseekers | 22[12] |
References
- ^ "Production Credits". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 4. United States: Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 1996-01-27. p. 40. ISSN 0006-2510.
- ^ a b c Taylor, Charles (June 1996). . Boston Phoenix. Boston, Massachusetts, United States: Phoenix Media/Communications Group. Archived from the original on 2008-08-28. Retrieved 2009-06-20.
- ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Magnapop > Rubbing Doesn't Help". Allmusic. Retrieved 2009-06-17.
- ^ Blender Pop Culture Magazine CD ROM, volume 2.5, review by Dan Cataiano
- ^ Christgau, Robert. "Robert Christgau: CG: Magnapop". Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ College Music Journal, issue 34 (June 1996), p. 40, The Guide to New Music, review by M. Tye Comer
- ^ a b Boehm, Mike (1996-07-27). "Well-Traveled Territory Revisited". L.A. Times. Retrieved 2009-06-29.
- ^ Launch Magazine, issue 8, review by Chuck Crisafulli
- ^ a b Melody Maker, May 18, 1996, review by Jennifer Nine
- ^ Ray Gun, June/July 1996, review by Allison Stewart
- ^ "Tuneful Magnapop" by Mark Jenkins (June 28, 1996); Page N15
- ^ "Magnapop > Charts & Awards > Albums". Allmusic. Retrieved 2009-06-16.
External links
- Official site
- Rubbing Doesn't Help at AllMusic
- Rubbing Doesn't Help at MusicBrainz
- Rubbing Doesn't Help at MusicBrainz (Dutch edition)
- Rubbing Doesn't Help at Discogs
- Tracks from Rubbing Doesn't Help at Discogs