Freak Magnet

Freak Magnet is a studio album by Violent Femmes, released in 2000.[4][5] It contains the single "Sleepwalkin'".[6]

Freak Magnet
Studio album by
Violent Femmes
ReleasedFebruary 22, 2000 (2000-02-22)
StudioBig House, Soundtrack, Odin, Son/Re, DV's Perversion Room, Milwaukee, WI, Nine Lives
GenreRock
Length44:49
LabelBeyond[1]
ProducerWarren Bruleigh, Violent Femmes, Pierre Henry, Tom Grimley
Violent Femmes chronology
Viva Wisconsin
(1999)		 Freak Magnet
(2000)		 Something's Wrong
(2001)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
The Austin Chronicle[3]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[1]

Originally scheduled for a 1998 release on Interscope Records, Freak Magnet was pulled when the band was dropped from the label.[7] A reissue with live bonus tracks were released via Shout! Factory in 2005.[8]

Critical reception

The Washington Post called the album "stuck in the Reagan decade," writing that "the Femmes still play punky hootenanny-rock with occasional potty-mouthed lyrics to assure frat-boy appeal."[9] Exclaim! wrote that the Violent Femmes "tend to sound like an average band dabbling in a goofy brand of punk, save for Gordon Gano's voice, which anyone could spot a mile away."[10] Paste's Andrew Lisle wrote: "With sarcastic, solid originals like 'Happiness Is' and 'Hollywood Is High', the boys try to achieve former glory on Freak Magnet, falling just short of success."[11] Trouser Press called it "a strong return to form," writing that "the Femmes hang their music in thick, hard-rocking sheets of sound rather than on a skeletal acoustic frame."[12]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Gordon Gano, except where noted

2000 Cooking Vinyl album track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Hollywood Is High" 2:22
2."Freak Magnet" 2:35
3."Sleepwalkin'" 2:21
4."All I Want" 3:32
5."New Generation"Rose Marie McCoy, Albert Ayler, Mary Parks2:38
6."In the Dark" 3:50
7."Rejoice and Be Happy" 2:11
8."Mosh Pit"Gano, Brian Ritchie2:13
9."Forbidden"William Carlos Williams, Gano2:59
10."When You Died" 2:34
11."At Your Feet" 2:51
12."I Danced"Max Dunn, Gano2:43
13."I'm Bad" 2:42
14."Happiness Is" 4:18
15."A Story"Gano, Ritchie5:00
2005 Shout! Factory reissue bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
16."Rejoice And Be Happy" (live) 2:24
17."Freak Magnet" (live) 2:34
18."Positively 4th Street" (live)Bob Dylan3:56
1998 Interscope promo CD track listing
No.TitleLength
1."I'm Bad"2:42
2."Freak Magnet"2:37
3."All I Want"4:09
4."Rejoice and Be Happy"2:11
5."I Wanna See You Again"2:43
6."I'm Nothing"2:24
7."Positively 4th Street" (Bob Dylan)2:52
8."A Story" (featuring Pierre Henry) (Gano, Brian Ritchie)4:58
9."Happiness Is"4:20
10."Forbidden" (William Carlos Williams, Gano)2:55
11."Mosh Pit" (Gano, Ritchie)2:13
12."Yes Oh Yes"3:22
13."When You Died"2:34
14."Requiem"3:48
15."Reckless Stones" (Special bonus composition featuring Pierre Henry)4:41

Personnel

Violent Femmes

Technical personnel
  • Violent Femmes – co-producer
  • Warren Bruleigh – co-producer, mixing, additional recording
  • Pierre Henry – co-producer, additional recording
  • Tom Grimley – co-producer, additional recording
  • Martin Brass – recording, mixing
  • David Vartanian – mixing, cover design
  • Howie Weinberg – mastering
  • Roger Lian – mastering
  • Bill Emmons – additional recording
  • Mark Mason – assistant engineer
  • Ken Feldman – assistant engineer
  • Rich Tapper – assistant engineer
  • Nicola Stemmer – assistant engineer

References
  1. Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 8. MUZE. p. 445.
  2. "Freak Magnet - Violent Femmes | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
  3. Lieck, Ken (March 31, 2000). "Review: Freak Magnet". Nick Barbaro. Retrieved 19 June 2009.
  4. "Violent Femmes | Biography & History". AllMusic.
  5. "Reviews". CMJ New Music Report. CMJ Network, Inc. February 7, 2000 – via Google Books.
  6. VanHorn, Teri (January 3, 2000). "Violent Femmes To Take Freak Magnet On Road". MTV News.
  7. Murray, Nick (March 4, 2015). "Hear Violent Femmes' First New Song in 15 Years". Rolling Stone.
  8. "Freak Magnet [Bonus Tracks] - Violent Femmes | Release Info". Allmusic.
  9. Jenkins, Mark (April 14, 2000). "VIOLENT FEMMES". The Washington Post.
  10. Wilyman, Scott (May 1, 2000). "Violent Femmes Freak Magnet". Exclaim!.
  11. Lisle, Andrew (June 30, 2008). "Violent Femmes (reissues)". Paste.
  12. Robbins, Ira. "Violent Femmes". Trouser Press. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
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