- On a Wire
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On A Wire Studio album by The Get Up Kids Released May 14, 2002 Recorded Nov 2001-Feb 2002
Tarquin Studios, Bridgeport, Connecticut
Z'Gwonth Studios, Lawrence, KansasGenre Emo
Indie rock[1][2][3]Length 43:28 Label Vagrant Producer Scott Litt Professional reviews The reviews parameter has been deprecated. Please move reviews into the “Reception” section of the article. See Moving reviews into article space.
- Allmusic link
- Rolling Stone link
- Pitchfork Media 3.3/10 link
- Entertainment Weekly "B" link
- AP Magazine link
- Star Pulse Music
The Get Up Kids chronology Eudora
(2001)On a Wire
(2002)Guilt Show
(2004)Singles from On a Wire - "Overdue"
- "Stay Gone"
On a Wire is a 2002 album released by The Get Up Kids on Vagrant Records. The album was also released in two record versions: black 180 gram vinyl and Limited Edition picture disc.
Contents
Recording
After touring extensively to support Something to Write Home About, the band was looking to depart from their high-energy powerpop style in lieu of a slower, more mellow sound. After recording several demos, they enlisted producer Scott Litt to produce the album. According to Matt Pryor, Litt was chosen because he would be less likely to push a sound that would sell albums, as opposed to what the band wanted to write. Pianist James Dewees stated in an interview with AP Magazine that Litt "knew how to make bands sound good, but he was taking a band that was used to playing four-chord rock songs. We didn't know what we were doing." The album was recorded from January–February 2002 at Tarquin Studios in Bridgeport, Connecticut except for the song "Campfire Kansas", which was recorded in November 2001 at Z'Gwoth Studios in Lawrence, Kansas.
Promotion
Before the release of the album, Vagrant Records released the first single off of the album, "Overdue", accompanied by an animated music video directed and animated by Travis Millard, who also did the artwork for the album, as well as the band's second album Something to Write Home About. When the single and the album were received poorly, the label drew back much of the support for promoting the album in North America, instead trying to recoup their investments in the overseas market. A second, Europe-only single for "Stay Gone" was released, along with a music video, which can only be found on Vagrant's compilation Another Year on the Streets: Vol. 3.
The band also toured to promote the album, although it was far less extensive than their three-year stint supporting their previous album, Something to Write Home About. In the summer of 2002, the band went on a tour of the United States, supported by indie band Superchunk.
Reception
While the album was received with mild praise from more mainstream publications like Rolling Stone, many smaller publications felt that the band had abandoned their roots as second-wave emo group. However, despite the criticism, the band still incorporated much of their musical growth into their follow-up Guilt Show, which was much better received.[4] However, many fans were upset with the concerts, since many of the songs on the album did not fit well with the band's usually energetic live show.
However, the poor reception of the album had a larger impact on the band's widespread popularity as a whole. In an interview with AP Magazine, lead singer Matt Pryor considered that the dramatic change in style for On a Wire seriously impacted the momentum the band had gained from Something to Write Home About, allowing later bands such as Dashboard Confessional to take much of the fan base that The Get Up Kids had previously earned.[5]
Years later, Pryor acknowledged the effect the shift between Something to Write Home About and On a Wire had on their fan base in an interview with New York Press: "I feel like the way that we rolled out On A Wire was kind of abrasive and confrontational. I think it was very polarizing to our fans. We were kind of like, ‘This is what we do, fuck you guys.’ But hindsight is 20/20; I learned from that experience."[6]
Track listing
All songs written and composed by The Get Up Kids.
On a Wire No. Title Length 1. "Overdue" 2:59 2. "Stay Gone" 3:04 3. "Let the Reigns Go Loose" 3:43 4. "Fall From Grace" 3:39 5. "Grunge Pig" 4:09 6. "High as the Moon" 3:27 7. "All That I Know" 3:21 8. "Walking on a Wire" 5:17 9. "Wish You Were Here" 3:32 10. "Campfire Kansas" 3:04 11. "The Worst Idea" 3:25 12. "Hannah Hold On" 3:48 Personnel
Band
- Matthew Pryor - guitar, vocals
- James Dewees - keyboards, vocals
- Jim Suptic - guitar, vocals
- Ryan Pope - drums
- Rob Pope - bass
Production
- Scott Litt - producer, mixing
- Peter Katis - engineer, additional mixing
- Jamie Duncan - mixing assistant
- Carl Nappa - digital editing
- Stephen Marcussen - mastering
- Ed Rose - additional creative input on "Overdue"
Design
- Travis Millard - artwork
- Joby J. Ford - art design
Album Position
Year Album Chart Position 2002 On a Wire The Billboard 200 57[7] 2002 On a Wire Independent Albums 3[8] References
- ^ http://www.allmusic.com/album/r587038
- ^ http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,249666,00.html
- ^ http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/getupkids/onawire?q=the%20get%20up%20kids
- ^ http://www.lawrence.com/news/2004/feb/27/guilty_pleasures/
- ^ Alternative Press Issue 204 "Say Goodnight, Mean Goodbye: The Oral History of The Get Up Kids"
- ^ Reiss, John (2011-03-02), Catching Up With The Get Up Kids' Matt Pryor, New York Press, http://www.nypress.com/blog-8392-catching-up-with-the-get-up-kids-matt-pryor.html, retrieved 2011-03-04
- ^ http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=305&cfgn=Albums&cfn=The+Billboard+200&ci=3045647&cdi=7861824&cid=06%2F01%2F2002
- ^ http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=326&cfgn=Albums&cfn=Top+Independent+Albums&ci=3046311&cdi=7885624&cid=08%2F03%2F2002
External links
- Fudge Factory Comics - Artist Travis Millard's website.
The Get Up Kids Matthew Pryor · Jim Suptic · Rob Pope · Ryan Pope · James Dewees
Nathan Shay · Thomas BeckerStudio albums Four Minute Mile · Something to Write Home About · On a Wire · Guilt Show · There Are RulesEPs Woodson · Red Letter Day · iTunes Session EP · Simple ScienceSplit 7" The Get Up Kids / Coalesce · Post Marked Stamps No. 4 · Split with The AnniversaryCompilation albums Live albums Singles "Shorty" · "A Newfound Interest in Massachusetts" · "Ten Minutes" · "Action & Action" · "Wouldn't Believe It"Labels Side projects Related articles Discography · Emo · Ed Rose · Black Lodge StudiosCategories:- The Get Up Kids albums
- 2002 albums
- Albums produced by Scott Litt
- Vagrant Records albums
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