Dysfunction (album)

Last updated
Dysfunction
Staind Dysfunction.jpg
Studio album by
Staind
ReleasedApril 13, 1999
RecordedAugust 1998 [1]
StudioStudio Litho (Seattle)
Genre
Length56:08
Label
Producer
Staind chronology
Tormented
(1996)		Dysfunction
(1999)		 Break the Cycle
(2001)
Singles from Dysfunction
  1. "Just Go"
    Released: May 1999
  2. "Mudshovel"
    Released: October 26, 1999
  3. "Home"
    Released: November 30, 1999
  4. "Suffocate"
    Released: 2000

Dysfunction is the second studio album by American rock band Staind, released on April 13, 1999, by Flip Records and Elektra Records. It is the band's first studio album released on a record label.

Contents

Staind self-released Tormented in 1996. On October 23, 1997, the band met Limp Bizkit vocalist Fred Durst. Durst was initially appalled by Tormented's graphic artwork, and refused to sign Staind, but changed his mind after being impressed with the band's performance. Durst signed the band to Flip/Elektra and helped the band record Dysfunction. Staind promoted Dysfunction through touring and sampler cassettes.

Continuing the dark alternative metal and nu metal sound displayed on Tormented, Dysfunction features singing and some occasional screaming along with angry or depressing lyrics inspired by singer Aaron Lewis' life, with a noticeable increase of melodic sections. Although still similar to Tormented, Dysfunction is more melodic, has an absence of lo-fi production, and, despite having occasional screaming, features more clean singing than Tormented. Critics compared Dysfunction to various bands, including Korn, Coal Chamber, Spineshank, Nothingface, Deftones, Tool, and Alice in Chains.

Dysfunction received mostly mixed reviews; some critics praising the vocals and the guitar riffs, while some criticized the album for being repetitive in terms of song structure. Despite little success upon release, the album grew into mainstream popularity at the end of 1999 with the success of the singles "Just Go", "Mudshovel" and "Home", eventually peaking at number 74 on the Billboard 200 chart in November of that year. After the release of Staind's next album Break the Cycle (2001), Dysfunction experienced a resurgence in popularity and reached number 1 on Billboard's Top Pop Catalog Albums chart. In February 2004, the album was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), signifying the shipment of two million copies in the United States.

Background and recording

Staind self-released its debut album Tormented in 1996. On October 23, 1997, Staind met Limp Bizkit vocalist Fred Durst at the Webster Theater in Hartford, Connecticut. Staind showed Durst a copy of Tormented and Durst was appalled by the album cover, which depicts a bloody Barbie doll on a crucifix with nails hanging from a plastic frame, a buried person with a rosary protruding from the person's nose, and a knife impaling a Bible. [2] Durst assumed the band were Theistic Satanists. [2]

Despite initially trying to remove Staind from opening for Limp Bizkit due to the album cover of Tormented, Fred Durst was impressed with Staind's performance and changed his mind. After hearing their four-song demo, Durst signed Staind to Flip/Elektra to record the band's album Dysfunction. Durst and Staind then traveled to Jacksonville, Florida, to begin developing and recording new songs, [3] and after a meeting with Flip, Staind recorded a three-track sampler in Los Angeles, California. By February 1998, they acquired a record contract and, after performing on the summer Warped Tour, began recording Dysfunction in August 1998. [4] Dysfunction was recorded at Studio Litho and mixed at Studio X in Seattle, Washington. [5] Durst introduced Staind to Terry Date. Date said that after hearing the singing voice of Staind lead singer Aaron Lewis, he instantly thought Lewis's "voice was pretty undeniable." [3] While Durst did most of Dysfunction's preproduction work, "Date said his only challenge was to capture the explosive live feel of the band and help bring out both their melodic and hard sensibilities." [3] After working with Durst in Jacksonville, Staind moved back to their hometown Springfield, Massachusetts, to write songs like "Me", "Just Go", "Home", and some other songs from Dysfunction. [6]

Music and lyrics

"My life, up to a point was shit. But I've come a long way. I grew up in a trailer park in Vermont. That was the shit I got out of me in Tormented and Dysfunction, and tailing into Break the Cycle . But the title, Break the Cycle, says it all."

Lewis on his early life and the inspiration for Dysfunction's lyrics. [7]

Staind's vocalist, Aaron Lewis, has stated he feels that, "Dysfunction was a huge step away from Tormented." [8] Guitarist Mike Mushok expressed frustration in how label personnel were in no way intrusive on the production of Dysfunction, but after it sold over a million copies, the band would be relentlessly hassled during the production of future albums. [9] Considered nu metal [10] [11] and alternative metal, [12] Dysfunction is known for featuring both singing and screaming. [12] [13] The album is also known for featuring songs with slow parts that then turn into aggressive parts with screaming. [13] The album's lyrics are noted for being either angry or depressing. [12] [13] Gil Kaufman of MTV wrote that the album "doesn't share the heavy hip-hop influence of the band's new pals. Staind's aggressive sound mixes the industrial crunch of Tool with the morose, heavy rock of Seattle grunge-rockers Alice in Chains." [3] CMJ New Music Report compared Dysfunction to Deftones' Adrenaline , Spineshank, Nothingface's Pacifier , Coal Chamber, and "Korn's non-hip-hop moments". [10] Lewis said of Dysfunction's lyrics: "All the lyrics are about me," Lewis said. "That's why it's called Dysfunction. It's just a list of all the fucked-up shit I've gone through in life." [3] Although Dysfunction features some screaming in some songs, the album features less screaming than Tormented, and is a lot more melodic than Tormented. Durst encouraged Lewis to use more melody in his voice after being impressed by Lewis' singing voice. [6] After describing Tormented as "one long rush of hardcore brat-rage, a 900mph scream of a man smashing his head against a wall in frustration", Tommy Udo wrote in his book Brave Nu World: "1999's Dysfunction is the sound of a band trying to get to grips wuth all the anger and shape something else that will reach beyond the hard core of devotees; not 'selling out' or 'going commercial', just making it bearable." [14]

Promotion and touring

Staind released three singles for the album: "Just Go/Suffocate", "Mudshovel", and "Home". Elektra Records promoted Staind in 1998. Dane Venable of Elektra said: "Before we started with radio, we tried to develop a fan presence through a street-awareness campaign." In 1998, Elektra began "with 20,000 Staind sampler cassettes, stickers, and a letter from Fred Durst endorsing the band, and that letter went out to the entire Limp Bizkit fan club list." [15] To promote Dysfunction, Staind joined the Family Values Tour in 1999 [15] and also opened for Limp Bizkit. [3] The songs "Just Go", "Mudshovel", and "Home" received airplay on MTV and The Box. HBO's Reverb filmed Staind in 1999 for an episode that was scheduled to air in November 1999. [15] Staind joined Korn for Korn's Sick and Twisted Tour in 2000 and Staind also joined MTV's Return of the Rock tour. [16] Staind began to receive significantly more attention with the mainstream success of the song "Outside" in early 2001. An acoustic version of the song featuring Durst peaked at number 56 on the Billboard Hot 100 on March 10, 2001, remaining on the chart for 19 weeks. [17] In March, this version also peaked at number 1 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and stayed on the chart for 26 weeks [18] and peaked at number 2 on the Alternative Songs chart and remained on the chart for 25 weeks. [19]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [12]
Christgau's Consumer Guide Rating-Christgau-dud.svg [20]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [21]
NME 2/10 [22]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [23]

Critical reception

Dysfunction received mostly mixed reviews. CMJ New Music Report gave the album a positive review and wrote: "Generally, Lewis's plaintive, melodic and often beautiful crooning is pierced by spine-weakening guitar licks, making Staind a stand-out in the 'new metal' domain." [10] AllMusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote: "Other listeners, however, will likely find Dysfunction a little tedious, since there isn't a wide variety of songs on the record, nor is there anything catchy. That, of course, is a signature trait of alt-metal and helps make the record a sign of the times -- but that doesn't mean it's an easy record to enjoy for anyone outside of the cognoscenti." [12] NME panned the album and wrote "It wouldn't be so bad if his voice didn't bring to mind Eddie Vedder being fisted in jail." [22] Attrition.org gave the album a positive review, writing: "Dysfunction is definitely an album I would suggest to anyone who really gets into music. I suggest sitting down and listening to Aaron's amazing vocals along with the guitars of Dysfunction from beginning to the end." [24] Orlando Weekly described the album as "an impressive start" and acclaimed the album but criticized the song "Crawl" for the song's "annoying guitar riff", calling "Crawl" "the only short stick on the disc." [25]

Commercial performance

Dysfunction achieved a limited amount of success at first, selling only 29,000 copies and debuting at number 173 on the Billboard 200. [26] The album then peaked at number 74 on the chart on November 6, 1999, and was on the chart for 56 weeks. [27] In July 1999, Elektra Records reported that Dysfunction had sold 75,000 copies. [3] Due to the album's rise in mainstream success, the album entered number 10 on and peaked at number 1 on the Heatseekers Albums chart on May 1, 1999, and October 9, 1999, respectively. Dysfunction stayed on the chart for 24 weeks. [28] Although Dysfunction failed to achieve immediate success, the album began to achieve success months after its release. The album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on November 5, 1999 [29] with sales of over 500,000 copies reported in January 2000. [30] Dysfunction was certified platinum by the RIAA on June 14, 2000 [29] with sales of 1,126,000 copies reported in June 2001. [31] Due to the mainstream success of Staind's third album Break the Cycle in 2001, Dysfunction peaked at number 1 on the Catalog Albums chart on May 5, 2001, being on the chart for 24 weeks. [32] Dysfunction was certified double platinum by the RIAA on February 26, 2004. [29] The singles for Dysfunction received a lot of radio play on rock radio. "Mudshovel" peaked at number 10 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and stayed there for 28 weeks whereas "Home" peaked at number 11 on the same chart and remained there for 26 weeks. [33] Dysfunction was ranked number 174 on Billboard 's 2000 year-end chart for Billboard 200 albums. [34]

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Aaron Lewis; all music is composed by Staind. [5]

No.TitleLength
1."Suffocate"3:16
2."Just Go"4:50
3."Me"4:36
4."Raw"4:09
5."Mudshovel"4:42
6."Home"4:06
7."A Flat"4:59
8."Crawl"4:29
9."Spleen"
  • "Excess Baggage"
21:01
Total length:56:08
Limited Edition bonus track
No.TitleLength
8."Bring the Noise" (Public Enemy cover; featuring Fred Durst and DJ Lethal)3:51
Total length:59:59

Personnel

Adapted from the album's liner notes. [5]

Staind

Production

Artwork

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [36] 2× Platinum2,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Other appearances

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Limp Bizkit</span> American nu metal band

Limp Bizkit is an American nu metal band from Jacksonville, Florida. Its lineup consists of lead vocalist Fred Durst, drummer John Otto, guitarist Wes Borland, turntablist DJ Lethal and bassist Sam Rivers. The band's music is marked by Durst's angry vocal delivery and Borland's sonic experimentation. Borland's elaborate visual appearance, which includes face and body paint, masks, and uniforms, also plays a large role in Limp Bizkit's live shows. The band has been nominated for three Grammy Awards, sold 40 million records worldwide, and won several other awards.

Nu metal is a subgenre of alternative metal that combines elements of heavy metal music with elements of other music genres such as hip hop, alternative rock, funk, industrial, and grunge. Nu metal rarely features guitar solos or other displays of musical technique; the genre is heavily syncopated and based on guitar riffs. Many nu metal guitarists use seven-string guitars that are down-tuned to produce a heavier sound. DJs are occasionally featured in nu metal to provide instrumentation such as sampling, turntable scratching and electronic background music. Vocal styles in nu metal include singing, rapping, screaming and growling. Nu metal is one of the key genres of the new wave of American heavy metal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Staind</span> American rock band

Staind is an American rock band from Springfield, Massachusetts, formed in 1995. The original lineup consisted of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Aaron Lewis, lead guitarist Mike Mushok, bassist and backing vocalist Johnny April, and drummer Jon Wysocki. The lineup has been stable outside of the 2011 departure of Wysocki, who was replaced by Sal Giancarelli. Staind has recorded and released eight studio albums: Tormented (1996), Dysfunction (1999), Break the Cycle (2001), 14 Shades of Grey (2003), Chapter V (2005), The Illusion of Progress (2008), Staind (2011), and Confessions of the Fallen (2023).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fred Durst</span> American musician

William Frederick Durst is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and director. He is the frontman and lyricist of the nu metal band Limp Bizkit, formed in 1994, with whom he has released six studio albums.

<i>Results May Vary</i> 2003 studio album by Limp Bizkit

Results May Vary is the fourth studio album by American nu metal band Limp Bizkit, released on September 23, 2003, through Flip and Interscope Records. It is the band's only release under the sole-leadership of vocalist Fred Durst after the temporary departure of guitarist Wes Borland, who left in 2001. Guitarist Mike Smith of Snot was brought in to replace Borland, although his time with the band was brief, and Durst along with a number of guests ended up handling the majority of the album's guitar work.

<i>Significant Other</i> (album) 1999 studio album by Limp Bizkit

Significant Other is the second studio album by American nu metal band Limp Bizkit. It was released on June 22, 1999, through Flip and Interscope Records. It saw the band expand their sound from that of their 1997 debut Three Dollar Bill, Y'all to incorporate further metal and hip hop influences, but with a more melodic and less hardcore punk-influenced sound.

<i>Three Dollar Bill, Yall</i> 1997 studio album by Limp Bizkit

Three Dollar Bill, Y'all is the debut studio album by American nu metal band Limp Bizkit, released on July 1, 1997, through Flip and Interscope Records. It established the band's trademark sound with the singles "Counterfeit", which was influenced by hip hop and heavy metal, and "Faith", a cover of the song of the same name by George Michael. Limp Bizkit's rearrangement of the song incorporated heavier guitar playing by Wes Borland and scratching by DJ Lethal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Mushok</span> American guitarist

Michael Mushok is an American musician best known as the lead guitarist for the nu metal band Staind. He is a member of supergroup Saint Asonia and played in the band Newsted.

<i>Tormented</i> (Staind album) 1996 studio album by Staind

Tormented is the debut studio album by the American rock band Staind, self-released in 1996. In 1993, Staind vocalist Aaron Lewis and Staind guitarist Mike Mushok met each other at a Christmas party in the New England area. Mushok brought drummer Jon Wysocki into the fold and Lewis had a connection with a bass guitarist who later left, starting the early lineup. Shortly after bassist Johnny April joined, Staind officially formed in Springfield, Massachusetts on November 24, 1995. Touring in the Northeast United States helped Staind achieve a cult following.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">My Generation (Limp Bizkit song)</span> 2000 single by Limp Bizkit

"My Generation" is a song by the American rap rock band Limp Bizkit from their third studio album, Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water (2000). It was released as the second and third single simultaneously, along with "Rollin'", on September 5, 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rollin' (Limp Bizkit song)</span> 2000 single by Limp Bizkit

"Rollin' (Air Raid Vehicle)" is a song by the American rap rock band Limp Bizkit from their album Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water. It was released as the second and third single simultaneously, along with "My Generation", on September 5, 2000. The song peaked at number 65 on the US Billboard Hot 100, giving the band their highest-charting single in the US, and remained on the chart for 17 weeks. Internationally, "Rollin'" topped the charts in Ireland and the United Kingdom and peaked within the top 10 of the charts in Austria, Finland, Germany, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Re-Arranged</span> 1999 single by Limp Bizkit

"Re-Arranged" is a song by American nu metal band Limp Bizkit. It was released on October 12, 1999, as the second single from their second album, Significant Other. It was the band's only number one single on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nookie (Limp Bizkit song)</span> 1999 single by Limp Bizkit

"Nookie" is a song by the American rap rock band Limp Bizkit, released as the first single from their second album Significant Other. It was released on June 15, 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outside (Staind song)</span> 2001 single by Staind

"Outside" is a song by the American rock band Staind. It was released in May 2001 as the second single from their second album Break the Cycle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">It's Been Awhile</span> 2001 single by Staind

"It's Been Awhile" is a song by American rock band Staind, released on March 27, 2001, as the lead single from their third studio album, Break the Cycle (2001).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Limp Bizkit discography</span>

The discography of Limp Bizkit, an American nu metal band, consists of six studio albums, three compilation albums, one remix album, one live album, one extended play, 26 singles, three promotional singles, 28 music videos and two video albums. Limp Bizkit formed in 1994 in Jacksonville, Florida. The band has sold an estimated 40 million albums worldwide.

"Fade" is a song by American rock band Staind. It was the third single from their album Break the Cycle. The song was a crossover success for the band, peaking at number 3 and 4 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock and Modern Rock song charts respectively, and at number 62 on the Billboard all-format Hot 100 chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mudshovel</span> 1999 single by Staind

"Mudshovel" is a song by the American rock band Staind. It was released in 1996 as the first single from Tormented and then released as the third single from their 1999 studio album Dysfunction. It reached number 14 on the US Modern Rock Charts and number 10 on the Mainstream Rock charts. It originally appeared in a heavier form as 'Mudshuvel' on their debut album Tormented.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Just Go (Staind song)</span> 1999 single by Staind

"Just Go" is a song by the American rock band Staind. It was released in May 1999 as the second single from the album Dysfunction, though it had previously been released as a double A-side with "Suffocate" in February 1999.

This is the discography of Flip Records, an American record label founded in April 1994 by Jordan Schur. The discography of Flip Records consists of 23 studio albums, 3 greatest hits albums, two extended plays and one remix album. Schur negotiated split 50/50 agreements with a variety of major labels to distribute the label's artists, including Interscope, Geffen, A&M, Elektra, Atlantic, Roadrunner and Epic.

References

Citations

  1. ↑ "Staind - "Homegrown" Documentary, 2003". YouTube.com.
  2. 1 2 Brode, Rob (April 9, 2001). "Inside the "Outside" with Staind"s Aaron Lewis: Devil not included". The Michigan Daily . Retrieved September 8, 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Kaufman, Gil (July 21, 1999). "Staind Get Helping Hand From Limp Bizkit Singer". MTV . Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  4. ↑ "Staind Tour Dates". Eventful.com. Retrieved February 24, 2010.
  5. 1 2 3 Dysfunction (booklet). Staind. Elektra. 1999.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  6. 1 2 Kitts & Tolinski 2002, p. 14.
  7. ↑ "Staind". Starland Ballroom. Archived from the original on October 2, 2014. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
  8. ↑ Florino, Rick (August 25, 2008). "Interview - Staind (Aaron Lewis)". ArtistDirect.com. Archived from the original on July 1, 2017. Retrieved February 24, 2010.
  9. ↑ Grierson, Tim (August 20, 2008). "Staind Interview". About.com. Archived from the original on September 21, 2009. Retrieved February 24, 2010.
  10. 1 2 3 "Staind - Dysfunction". CMJ New Music Report. Vol. 57, no. 608. CMJ Network, Inc. March 8, 1999. p. 34. ISSN   0890-0795.
  11. ↑ "Heavy Metal Classifications: A History of Nu Metal". Metal Descent.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. Dysfunction at AllMusic. Retrieved July 17, 2011.
  13. 1 2 3 "Music Review: Staind - Dysfunction". Attrition.org.
  14. ↑ Udo 2002, pp. 89–90.
  15. 1 2 3 Hay, Carla (October 23, 1999). "Flip's Staind Stands Tall as Proof of Rock's Resurgence". Billboard. Vol. 111, no. 43. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. pp. 11, 103. ISSN   0006-2510 . Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  16. ↑ Udo 2002, p. 83.
  17. ↑ "Aaron Lewis Chart History (The Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  18. ↑ "Aaron Lewis Chart History (Mainstream Rock Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  19. ↑ "Aaron Lewis Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  20. ↑ Christgau, Robert (2000-10-15). "Staind". Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s . Macmillan Publishing. ISBN   9780312245603.
  21. ↑ Larkin, Colin, ed. (2006). "Staind". Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 7 (4th ed.). MUZE. p.  695. ISBN   978-0-19-531373-4 – via Internet Archive.
  22. 1 2 "Dysfunction". NME . September 12, 2005.
  23. ↑ Brackett, Nathan; Christian Hoard (2004). The Rolling Stone Album Guide . New York City, New York: Simon and Schuster. p.  775. ISBN   0-7432-0169-8.
  24. ↑ "Music Review: Staind - Dysfunction". Attrition.org. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  25. ↑ "Review - Dysfunction". Orlando Weekly . August 18, 1999. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  26. ↑ "Staind's 'Cycle' Makes Mark At No. 1". Billboard . May 30, 2001. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  27. 1 2 "Staind Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  28. 1 2 "Staind Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  29. 1 2 3 "American album certifications – Staind – Dysfunction". Recording Industry Association of America.
  30. ↑ McDonald, Sam (January 14, 2000). "Expect Rowdy Rock at Staind Show". Daily Press . Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  31. ↑ "Staind 'Breaks' Double-Platinum Barrier". Billboard . June 21, 2001. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  32. 1 2 "Staind Chart History (Catalog Albums)". Billboard . Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  33. ↑ "Staind Chart History (Mainstream Rock Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  34. ↑ "Year-End Charts (Billboard 200 Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  35. ↑ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2000". Billboard. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
  36. ↑ "American album certifications – Staind – Dysfunction". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  37. ↑ Booklet for Up the Dosage. Wonderdrug Records.
  38. ↑ Tognazzini, Anthony. "Tormented – Staind". AllMusic . Retrieved January 26, 2021.

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.