The Argument
Encyclopedia
The Argument was released by Dischord Records
on October 16, 2001, along with their EP, Furniture + 2
, almost 4 years after the release of End Hits
. The album was met with critical and commercial success entering the Billboard charts and selling 174,000 copies in its first week of release. Arion Berger of Rolling Stone
called it "bracing" and "intellectual" and Chris True of AllMusic referred to the album as "spine-tingling and ear-shattering all at once" stating that, "the band has raised the bar for themselves and others once again." He also noted that the album had "touched on strange new territory."
Overall critical response to The Argument was very positive. At Metacritic
, which assigns a normalized
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received an average
score of 87, based on 30 reviews.
, with her name and the date of her death; May 4, 1970 engraved upon it. When asked about the meaning of the cover in a 2001 interview, Picciotto offered the following; "You'll understand the meaning in time. It's like a chemical -- you put it out there and the reaction that it creates is what art is."
|-
|rowspan="3"| 2002 || "The Argument" || Best Rock Album ||
|-
Dischord Records
Dischord Records is a Washington, D.C.-based independent record label specializing in the independent punk music of the D.C.-area music scene. The label is co-owned by Ian MacKaye and Jeff Nelson, who founded Dischord in 1980 to release Minor Disturbance by The Teen Idles...
on October 16, 2001, along with their EP, Furniture + 2
Furniture + 2
Furniture + 2 is the most recent EP released by American post-hardcore band Fugazi. It was recorded in January and February 2001, the same time that the band was recording their last album, The Argument, and released in October 2001 on 7" and on CD....
, almost 4 years after the release of End Hits
End Hits
End Hits is the fifth studio album by the American post-hardcore band Fugazi. It was recorded at Inner Ear Studios from March 1997 to September 1997 and produced by Don Zientara & Fugazi. It was released on April 28, 1998 through Dischord Records. The album saw the band continuing with and...
. The album was met with critical and commercial success entering the Billboard charts and selling 174,000 copies in its first week of release. Arion Berger of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
called it "bracing" and "intellectual" and Chris True of AllMusic referred to the album as "spine-tingling and ear-shattering all at once" stating that, "the band has raised the bar for themselves and others once again." He also noted that the album had "touched on strange new territory."
Overall critical response to The Argument was very positive. At Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, which assigns a normalized
Standard score
In statistics, a standard score indicates how many standard deviations an observation or datum is above or below the mean. It is a dimensionless quantity derived by subtracting the population mean from an individual raw score and then dividing the difference by the population standard deviation...
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received an average
Weighted mean
The weighted mean is similar to an arithmetic mean , where instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others...
score of 87, based on 30 reviews.
Packaging
The album's cover features a cryptic computer-generated, engraved-style image of two extended arms of justice pictured anti-parallel, one with a torch in-hand and the other empty. The CD insert has two silver folds that open to reveal a booklet which includes a picture of a plaque memorializing Kent State shooting victim Sandra Lee ScheuerSandra Scheuer
Sandra Lee Scheuer was a student at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio, when she was killed by Ohio National Guardsmen in the Kent State shootings....
, with her name and the date of her death; May 4, 1970 engraved upon it. When asked about the meaning of the cover in a 2001 interview, Picciotto offered the following; "You'll understand the meaning in time. It's like a chemical -- you put it out there and the reaction that it creates is what art is."
Track listing
All songs written by Fugazi. (Lead vocals in parentheses).- "Untitled Intro" – 0:52
- "Cashout" – 4:24 (MacKaye)
- "Full Disclosure" – 3:53 (Picciotto)
- "Epic Problem" – 3:59 (MacKaye)
- "Life and Limb" – 3:09 (Picciotto)
- "The Kill" – 5:27 (Lally)
- "Strangelight" – 5:53 (Picciotto)
- "Oh" – 4:29 (Picciotto)
- "Ex-Spectator" – 4:18 (MacKaye)
- "Nightshop" – 4:02 (Picciotto)
- "Argument" – 4:27 (MacKaye)
Personnel
- Guy PicciottoGuy PicciottoGuy Picciotto is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, musician, and producer from Washington, DC.He is most widely known for his role as the guitarist and vocalist of Fugazi, as well as Rites of Spring.-Rites of Spring & Early Projects:...
– vocals, guitar - Ian MacKayeIan MacKayeIan Thomas Garner MacKaye is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, musician, label owner, and producer. Active since 1979, MacKaye is best known for being the frontman of the influential hardcore punk bands Minor Threat and The Teen Idles, the post-hardcore bands Embrace and Fugazi, as well...
– 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...
, 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...
, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal... - Joe LallyJoe LallyJoe Lally is a bass guitar player, vocalist and label owner, best known for his work with Fugazi.-Fugazi:...
– vocals, bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Brendan CantyBrendan CantyBrendan Canty is an American musician, composer, producer and film maker, best known as the drummer for the band Fugazi....
– 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 ....
, piano - Jerry BusherJerry BusherJerry Busher is an American drummer and multi-instrumentalist. Jerry played drums in Fidelity Jones from spring 1988 to spring 1990. Jerry played drums with the Washington, DC rock group Elevator in 1992, which also featured John Hammill and Malcolm Riviera...
– second drums, 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... - Bridget Cross – backing vocals
- Kathi WilcoxKathi WilcoxKathi Wilcox is an American musician. Currently the bass player in The Julie Ruin, she has previously been in bands such as Bikini Kill, The Casual Dots and The Frumpies.- Music :...
– backing vocals - Amy Domingues – celloCelloThe cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
Production
- Produced, Recorded, Engineered & Mixed By Fugazi & Don ZientaraDon ZientaraDon Zientara is an American record producer and musician. He owns and runs Inner Ear Studios in Arlington, Virginia, located just outside of Washington D.C., and is most widely known for his production work with Fugazi, Minor Threat and various other Dischord Records artists.-Production...
- CD Mastering By Chad Clark
- Vinyl Mastering By John Loder
- Jem CohenJem CohenJem Alan Cohen is an award-winning New York City-based filmmaker known for his observational portraits of urban landscapes, blending of media formats and collaborations with music artists. He is the recipient of the Independent Spirit Award and many first place awards for feature filmmaking...
– cover design, photography - David Bryant – photography
- Steven Skovensky – photography
Album
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | The Billboard 200 | 151 |
| 2001 | Independent Albums | 1 |
Awards
The Argument won the A2IM (American Association of Independent Music) award for Best Rock Album.|-
|rowspan="3"| 2002 || "The Argument" || Best Rock Album ||
|-