Freeze Frame (The J. Geils Band album)

Last updated
Freeze-Frame
J. Geils Band - Freeze Frame.jpg
Studio album by
the J. Geils Band
ReleasedOctober 26, 1981 (1981-10-26)
Recorded1980–1981
Studio Long View Farm, North Brookfield, Massachusetts
Genre
Length40:55
Label EMI
Producer Seth Justman
The J. Geils Band chronology
Love Stinks
(1980)		Freeze-Frame
(1981)		 Showtime!
(1982)
Singles from Freeze-Frame
  1. "Centerfold/"Rage in the Cage"
    Released: September 13, 1981
  2. "Freeze-Frame/"Flamethrower"
    Released: January 14, 1982
  3. "Angel in Blue/"River Blindness"
    Released: May 26, 1982

Freeze-Frame is the tenth studio album by American rock band the J. Geils Band, and the last one to feature original vocalist Peter Wolf. The album was released on October 26, 1981, by EMI Records. It reached number one on the United States Billboard 200 album chart in February 1982, and remained at the top for four weeks. The album featured the hit singles "Centerfold" (No. 1 US; No. 3 UK) and "Freeze Frame" (No. 4 US). "Angel in Blue" also reached the US Top 40.

Contents

Keyboardist Seth Justman wrote or co-wrote all of the album as well as receiving credit as arranger and producer of the material.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [2]
Robert Christgau B+ [3]
Rock 82 (favorable) [4]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [5]

A 2013 Spin article called "Flamethrower" the band's funkiest song and said: "With three avant-gardish anomalies that flirted with harmolodic punk-jazz funk ("Rage in the Cage," "Insane, Insane Again," and "River Blindness") balancing out three slick Top 10 pop hits, 1981's Freeze Frame holds the rare if not impossible distinction of being simultaneously both the J. Geils Band's most blatantly pop and mostly blatantly experimental album." [6]

Track listing

All songs written by Seth Justman except where noted.

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Freeze-Frame"Justman, Peter Wolf 3:58
2."Rage in the Cage"Justman, Wolf4:56
3."Centerfold" 3:36
4."Do You Remember When"Justman, Wolf4:45
5."Insane, Insane Again" 4:43
Total length:21:58
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."Flamethrower" 4:58
7."River Blindness" 6:06
8."Angel in Blue" 4:51
9."Piss on the Wall"Justman, Wolf3:02
Total length:18:57

Personnel

The J. Geils Band

Additional musicians

Production

Charts

Singles

YearSingleChartPeak
position
1982"Angel in Blue" Billboard Hot 100 [20]
40
1982"Centerfold"/"Flamethrower"Club Play Singles [21]
12
1982"Centerfold"Mainstream Rock Tracks [22]
1
1982"Centerfold"Billboard Hot 100 [20]
1
1982"Flamethrower"/"Freeze Frame"Hot R&B/Hip Hop Singles & Tracks [23]
25
1982"Flamethrower"Mainstream Rock Tracks [22]
30
1982"Freeze-Frame"Mainstream Rock Tracks [22]
8
1982"Freeze-Frame"Billboard Hot 100 [20]
4

Certifications

OrganizationLevelDate
RIAA – USAPlatinum [24] January 11, 1982

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References

  1. 1 2 Breihan, Tom (May 27, 2020). "The Number Ones: The J. Geils Band's "Centerfold". Stereogum . Retrieved July 21, 2023. But on Freeze Frame, the band latched onto the twitchy, bleepy aesthetic of new-wave rockers like the Cars...
  2. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "J. Geils Band - Freeze Frame review". AllMusic . Retrieved 2015-07-07.
  3. ↑ Christgau, Robert. "Freeze-Frame". Robert Christgau.
  4. ↑ Vesić, Dušan. "Freeze Frame, The J. Geils Band". Rock 82 (in Serbian) (5). Belgrade: NIP Politika: 10.
  5. ↑ Fricke, David (21 January 1982). "Album Reviews: J. Geils Band - Freeze Frame". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on 4 November 2009. Retrieved 2015-07-07.
  6. ↑ "Inorganic at the Disco: 40 Rock Bands Who Beat Arcade Fire to the Dance Floor". Spin. October 25, 2013. p. 26. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
  7. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 122. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  8. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – The J. Geils Band – Freeze-Frame" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  9. ↑ "RPM Top 50 Albums - February 13, 1982" (PDF).
  10. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – The J. Geils Band – Freeze-Frame" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  11. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – The J. Geils Band – Freeze-Frame" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  12. ↑ "Charts.nz – The J. Geils Band – Freeze-Frame". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  13. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – The J. Geils Band – Freeze-Frame". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  14. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  15. ↑ "The J Geils Band Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  16. ↑ "RPM Top 100 82 - December 25, 1982" (PDF).
  17. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten – Album 1982". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
  18. ↑ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts". GfK Entertainment (in German). offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
  19. ↑ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1982". Billboard. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
  20. 1 2 3 "The J. Geils Band Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard . Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  21. ↑ "The J. Geils Band Chart History: Dance Club Songs". Billboard . Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  22. 1 2 3 "The J. Geils Band Chart History: Mainstream Rock". Billboard . Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  23. ↑ "The J. Geils Band Chart History: Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard . Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  24. ↑ "RIAA searchable certification database: freeze-frame". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved September 7, 2020.
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