Elva (album)
Encyclopedia
Elva is the fourth album by the San Diego-based rock
band Unwritten Law
, released in 2002 by Interscope Records
. With it the band moved away from their previously established punk rock
formula and towards a more accessible hard rock sound. The band found success with the song "Seein' Red
", which reached #1 on US modern rock charts.
Elva was the band's first album with bassist Pat "PK" Kim. It features guest appearances by Tony Kanal
of No Doubt
, Josh Freese
of The Vandals
, and Neville Staples
of The Specials
. The two "Raleigh Soliloquy" tracks are recordings of the rants of Raleigh Theodore Sakers. Previous recordings of his rants numbered soliloquies I-III had appeared on the Sublime
album Robbin' the Hood
. After the closing track "Evolution" there is a phone message to singer Scott Russo from Blink-182
singer/guitarist Tom DeLonge
, a close friend of the band who had grown up with them in their home town of Poway
.
Singles - Billboard (North America)
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band Unwritten Law
Unwritten Law
Unwritten Law is an American rock band formed in 1990 in Poway, California and currently recording for Suburban Noize Records. They have released seven full-length studio albums and have toured internationally, including performances on the Warped Tour...
, released in 2002 by Interscope Records
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:...
. With it the band moved away from their previously established punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
formula and towards a more accessible hard rock sound. The band found success with the song "Seein' Red
Seein' Red
"Seein' Red" is a song by the San Diego-based rock band Unwritten Law, released as the second single from the band's 2001 album, Elva. It was written by singer Scott Russo and produced by Michael "Miguel" Happoldt...
", which reached #1 on US modern rock charts.
Elva was the band's first album with bassist Pat "PK" Kim. It features guest appearances by Tony Kanal
Tony Kanal
Tony Kanal is an English musician, record producer and songwriter. Kanal is the bassist for the American rock band No Doubt...
of No Doubt
No Doubt
No Doubt is an American rock band from Anaheim, California that formed in 1986. The ska-pop sound of their first album No Doubt , failed to make an impact...
, Josh Freese
Josh Freese
Josh Freese is an American session drummer and songwriter. He is a permanent member of A Perfect Circle, The Vandals, and Devo, having formerly played drums for Nine Inch Nails from late 2005 until late 2008, and for Guns N' Roses from mid-1998 to 2001. Freese has appeared on close to 300 records....
of The Vandals
The Vandals
The Vandals are an American rock band established in 1980 in Huntington Beach, California. They have released ten full-length studio albums and two live albums and have toured the world extensively, including performances on the Vans Warped Tour...
, and Neville Staples
Neville Staples
Neville Eugenton Staple is a singer for the two-tone ska band, The Specials as well as his own combo, The Neville Staple Band. Along with Ranking Roger, he also sings in Special Beat.-Early life:...
of The Specials
The Specials
The Specials are an English 2 Tone ska revival band formed in 1977 in Coventry, England. Their music combines a "danceable ska and rocksteady beat with punk's energy and attitude", and had a "more focused and informed political and social stance" than other ska groups...
. The two "Raleigh Soliloquy" tracks are recordings of the rants of Raleigh Theodore Sakers. Previous recordings of his rants numbered soliloquies I-III had appeared on the Sublime
Sublime (band)
Sublime was an American ska punk band from Long Beach, California, formed in 1988. The band's line-up, unchanged until their breakup, consisted of Bradley Nowell , Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh . Michael "Miguel" Happoldt also contributed on a few Sublime songs, such as "New Thrash." Lou Dog, Nowell's...
album Robbin' the Hood
Robbin' the Hood
Robbin' the Hood is the second album by the Southern California ska punk band Sublime, which was released in 1994.- Context and production values :...
. After the closing track "Evolution" there is a phone message to singer Scott Russo from Blink-182
Blink-182
Blink-182 is an American rock band consisting of vocalist and bass guitarist Mark Hoppus, vocalist and guitarist Tom DeLonge, and drummer Travis Barker. They have sold over 27 million albums worldwide since forming in Poway, California in 1992...
singer/guitarist Tom DeLonge
Tom DeLonge
Thomas Matthew "Tom" DeLonge, Jr. is an American rock musician. He is the guitarist and one of the two lead vocalists for the American pop punk band Blink-182 as well as the guitarist and lead vocalist for the alternative band Angels & Airwaves...
, a close friend of the band who had grown up with them in their home town of Poway
Poway, California
Poway is a city in San Diego County, California. Originally an unincorporated community in San Diego County, Poway officially became a city in December 1980. Even though Poway lies geographically in the middle of San Diego County, most consider its relative location as north county inland...
.
Track listing
Band
- Scott Russo - vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
- Steve Morris - guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
- Rob Brewer - guitar
- Pat "PK" Kim - bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Wade Youman - drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Additional musicians
- Josh FreeseJosh FreeseJosh Freese is an American session drummer and songwriter. He is a permanent member of A Perfect Circle, The Vandals, and Devo, having formerly played drums for Nine Inch Nails from late 2005 until late 2008, and for Guns N' Roses from mid-1998 to 2001. Freese has appeared on close to 300 records....
- drums on "Up All Night" - John ShanksJohn ShanksJohn Matthew Shanks is a modern rock writer and Grammy Award–winning producer.Born in New York City, Shanks moved to Los Angeles when he was 17....
- additional guitar on "Sound Siren," slide guitarSlide guitarSlide guitar or bottleneck guitar is a particular method or technique for playing the guitar. The term slide refers to the motion of the slide against the strings, while bottleneck refers to the original material of choice for such slides: the necks of glass bottles...
on "Actress, Model..." - Miguel - upbeat guitar on "How You Feel," lead guitar on "Seein' Red"
- Marshall Goodman - percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
on "Up All Night" and "Hellborn" - Michael Fisher - Indian percussion on "Babalon"
- The Allday Singers - group vocals on "Babalon"
- Tony KanalTony KanalTony Kanal is an English musician, record producer and songwriter. Kanal is the bassist for the American rock band No Doubt...
- bass guitar on "Rest of My Life" - Neville StaplesNeville StaplesNeville Eugenton Staple is a singer for the two-tone ska band, The Specials as well as his own combo, The Neville Staple Band. Along with Ranking Roger, he also sings in Special Beat.-Early life:...
- DJ vocal on "Evolution" - Raleigh Theodore Sakers - spoken vocals on tracks 12 & 14
Production
- John Shanks and MiguelMichael HappoldtMichael 'Miguel' Happoldt is an American musician who worked most notably with the US rock/reggae groups Sublime and Long Beach Dub Allstars, as well as co-founding the Skunk Records record label...
– producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
s - Josh AbrahamJosh AbrahamJosh Abraham is a Grammy-winning record producer and co-owner of Pulse Management and Check Your Pulse Publishing. He has produced songs and albums for many of the industry's most successful artists such as Velvet Revolver, 30 Seconds to Mars, Linkin Park, Kelly Clarkson and Courtney Love...
– producer and mixing of "Rest of My Life" - Mark DeSisto and Tobias Miller – engineers
- Dan Chase, Tal Herzberg, and Baraka – Pro ToolsPro ToolsPro Tools is a digital audio workstation platform for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X operating systems, developed and manufactured by Avid Technology. It is widely used by professionals throughout the audio industries for recording and editing in music production, film scoring, film, and television...
- Eddie Ashworth – additional engineering
- Mike McMullen and Jerry Moss – assistant engineers
- David J. Holman – mixing
- Brian Garder – masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
Artwork
- Steven R. Gilmore – sleeve design, layout, art direction, line drawings (based on original drawings by Wade Youman)
- Wade Youman and Marc B. – art direction
- Mark Baldswin – cover paintings
- Dean Karr – photography
Chart positions
Album - Billboard (North America)| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | The Billboard 200 | 69 |
Singles - Billboard (North America)
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | "Seein' Red" | Modern Rock Tracks | 1 |
| 2002 | "Up All Night" | Modern Rock Tracks | 14 |