Wiggle (album)
Encyclopedia
Wiggle is the fourth studio album by the American punk rock
band Screeching Weasel
. It was released in 1993 through Lookout! Records
. Their previous album, My Brain Hurts
, had seen a sharp rise in the band's popularity and a shift in sound towards mid-tempo pop songs. With Wiggle, the band shifted gears yet again. Though several tracks retained the catchy, pop-punk sound, many others saw the band venturing into experiments with New Wave
and some of the harder-edged sounds of the early albums. Another major change was the amount of collaboration in songwriting. Rather than Ben Weasel
being the sole author of the majority of the songs, Wiggle features a few credited to the entire band, one by guitarist Danny Vapid, and a couple with bassist (for only this album) Johnny Personality. In addition to this, there are three songs co-written by Joe King of The Queers
, which were also recorded by his band. The album received mixed reviews. Many expected a continuation of the previous album and were surprised by the experimentation and harder-edged production. Since its initial release, many of the songs have come to be regarded as the band's best. Others have not held up so well over time. The band has voiced some regrets about the recording of the album, which allowed each member a voice in the mixing of specific songs and resulted in a less cohesive sound. There have also been regrets about the songs chosen for the album in recent years. After a short time of being out of print, the album was remastered by producer Mass Giorgini
and re-released with one extra track on Asian Man Records
in 2005.
The bonus tracks of the original Lookout! CD release are "Teenage Slumber Party", "Danny Is a Wimp", and "Going Home". "Teenage Slumber Party" actually dates from 1989, before they disbanded for the first time."Danny Is a Wimp" is a lyrically re-worked version of a song by The Queers. The lyrics to "Going Home" were written by Aaron Cometbus
of Crimpshrine
, and the music by Weasel. The recording was taken from a demo for the album recorded by Steve Albini
.
The 2005 re-release of the album saw the inclusion of "Fuck the World", another song co-written by Joe King of The Queers. The band had recorded another version of the song entitled "Amy Saw Me Looking at Her Boobs" during the Wiggle sessions. The Queers released their version of the song on their album Love Songs for the Retarded
.
* Only available on CD release
** Only available on 2005 re-release
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...
band Screeching Weasel
Screeching Weasel
Screeching Weasel is an American punk rock band originally from Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1986 by Ben Weasel and John Jughead.Since their formation, Screeching Weasel have broken up and reformed numerous times with numerous line-up changes. Ben Weasel has been the only constant...
. It was released in 1993 through Lookout! Records
Lookout! Records
-History:Larry Livermore and David Hayes formed the label in 1987. From the start, Lookout released punk rock records, but over time expanded its scope to include various types of pop rock, reggae fusion, acoustic rock, pop punk, and indie rock...
. Their previous album, My Brain Hurts
My Brain Hurts
My Brain Hurts is the third studio album by the American punk rock band Screeching Weasel. It was released in 1991 through Lookout! Records. It was the band's first album released through Lookout! Records. The album marked a very distinct stylistic shift...
, had seen a sharp rise in the band's popularity and a shift in sound towards mid-tempo pop songs. With Wiggle, the band shifted gears yet again. Though several tracks retained the catchy, pop-punk sound, many others saw the band venturing into experiments with New Wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
and some of the harder-edged sounds of the early albums. Another major change was the amount of collaboration in songwriting. Rather than Ben Weasel
Ben Weasel
Ben Weasel is a punk rock musician, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of bands Screeching Weasel and The Riverdales...
being the sole author of the majority of the songs, Wiggle features a few credited to the entire band, one by guitarist Danny Vapid, and a couple with bassist (for only this album) Johnny Personality. In addition to this, there are three songs co-written by Joe King of The Queers
The Queers
The Queers are a punk band formed in 1981 by Portsmouth, New Hampshire native Joe King . The band originally broke up in 1984, but reformed with Joe Queer and a new line-up in 1986. In 1990, the band signed with Shakin' Street Records and released their first album Grow Up...
, which were also recorded by his band. The album received mixed reviews. Many expected a continuation of the previous album and were surprised by the experimentation and harder-edged production. Since its initial release, many of the songs have come to be regarded as the band's best. Others have not held up so well over time. The band has voiced some regrets about the recording of the album, which allowed each member a voice in the mixing of specific songs and resulted in a less cohesive sound. There have also been regrets about the songs chosen for the album in recent years. After a short time of being out of print, the album was remastered by producer Mass Giorgini
Mass Giorgini
Mass Giorgini is an Italian-American bassist and record producer, who rose to fame when several of the bands he produced experienced huge gains in popularity during the pop-punk boom on the mid-90's. Among these bands was Giorgini's own Squirtgun, which received minor MTV rotation and several...
and re-released with one extra track on Asian Man Records
Asian Man Records
Asian Man Records is a small, DIY record label run by Mike Park in Monte Sereno, California. Park started a record label and began releasing music in 1989 under the name Dill Records, with the Asian Man label established May 1996.-Artists:...
in 2005.
The bonus tracks of the original Lookout! CD release are "Teenage Slumber Party", "Danny Is a Wimp", and "Going Home". "Teenage Slumber Party" actually dates from 1989, before they disbanded for the first time."Danny Is a Wimp" is a lyrically re-worked version of a song by The Queers. The lyrics to "Going Home" were written by Aaron Cometbus
Aaron Cometbus
Aaron Elliott , better known as Aaron Cometbus, is an American drummer, lyricist, self-described "punk anthropologist," novelist, and author of punk rock zine Cometbus.-Personal life:...
of Crimpshrine
Crimpshrine
Crimpshrine was an American punk rock band from Berkeley, California. The group was formed in 1982 by Aaron Cometbus, founder of the seminal punk rock zine Cometbus, and a friend, Jeff Ott. Within D.I.Y...
, and the music by Weasel. The recording was taken from a demo for the album recorded by Steve Albini
Steve Albini
Steven Frank Albini is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, audio engineer and music journalist. He was a member of Big Black, Rapeman, and Flour, and is currently a member of Shellac...
.
The 2005 re-release of the album saw the inclusion of "Fuck the World", another song co-written by Joe King of The Queers. The band had recorded another version of the song entitled "Amy Saw Me Looking at Her Boobs" during the Wiggle sessions. The Queers released their version of the song on their album Love Songs for the Retarded
Love Songs for the Retarded
Love Songs for the Retarded is the second full length album by pop punk band The Queers. Released in 1993 by Lookout! Records, this would be a big step toward music structure from their last album Grow Up, making it sound more Pop Punk than raw Punk Rock....
.
Track listing
- "Hanging Around" (Screeching Weasel) – 3:31
- "I'm Not in Love" (Weasel) – 2:00
- "One Step Beyond" (Weasel) – 3:04
- "I Was a High School Psychopath" (Vapid) – 2:07
- "Crying in My Beer" (Weasel) – 3:51
- "Slomotion" (Personality/Weasel) – 1:20
- "Like a Parasite" (King/Weasel) – 3:20
- "Joanie Loves Johnny" (Weasel) – 1:58
- "Second Floor East" (Weasel) – 2:58
- "Automatic Rejector" (Screeching Weasel) – 1:49
- "Jeannie's Got a Problem With Her Uterus" (Weasel) – 2:04
- "Sad Little Girl" (Personality/Vapid/Weasel) – 2:57
- "Ain't Got No Sense" (Kerr/Lewis/Mahon/Stipanitz) – 3:46
- "It's All in My Head" (Weasel) – 3:11
- "Teenage Slumber Party" (Jughead/Weasel) – 2:24 *
- "Danny Is a Wimp" (King/Weasel) – 1:00 *
- "Going Home" (Cometbus/Weasel) – 2:42 *
- "Fuck the World" (King/Weasel) **
Personnel
- Ben WeaselBen WeaselBen Weasel is a punk rock musician, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of bands Screeching Weasel and The Riverdales...
- lead vocals - JugheadJohn Pierson (musician)John Pierson, commonly known by the stage name "John Jughead" or simply "Jughead", founded the pop-punk band Screeching Weasel in Chicago, Illinois with Ben Weasel in 1986. He played guitar for the band until its disbanding in 2001...
- guitar - Danny VapidDan VapidDan Schafer is a punk rock musician from Chicago, Illinois best known for his participation in Screeching Weasel, The Riverdales, The Methadones, and various other pop punk bands.-Generation Waste:...
- guitar, backing vocals - Johnny Personality - bass
- Dan PanicDan PanicDan Sullivan, also known as Dan Panic or Danny Panic, is a punk rock drummer from Chicago.-Career:Dan Sullivan began his musical career with Ivy League, a quartet from Chicago's western suburbs who released one 7" EP in 1990. He then joined Screeching Weasel in 1991 and remained with the band until...
- drums