Symptoms of a Leveling Spirit

Last updated
Symptoms of a Leveling Spirit
Good Riddance - Symptoms of a Leveling Spirit cover.jpg
Studio album by
Good Riddance
ReleasedJuly 10, 2001 (2001-07-10)
RecordedFebruary–March 2001 at The Blasting Room, Fort Collins, Colorado
Genre Punk rock, melodic hardcore, hardcore punk
Length32:11
Label Fat Wreck Chords (FAT 625)
Producer Bill Stevenson, Stephen Egerton, Jason Livermore
Good Riddance chronology
The Phenomenon of Craving
(2000)		Symptoms of a Leveling Spirit
(2001)		 Good Riddance / Kill Your Idols
(2001)

Symptoms of a Leveling Spirit is the fifth album by the Santa Cruz, California-based hardcore punk band Good Riddance, released July 10, 2001 through Fat Wreck Chords. It was their only release ever to chart, reaching #32 on Billboard's Independent Albums chart. [1] It marked the debut of drummer Dave Wagenschutz with the band; their longtime drummer Sean Sellers had left in early 1999, and Lagwagon drummer Dave Raun had filled in on the 2000 EP The Phenomenon of Craving and on several tours until Wagenschutz, formerly of Kid Dynamite, joined Good Riddance full-time. [2]

Contents

Background

Like The Phenomenon of Craving and their previous album Operation Phoenix , Symptoms of a Leveling Spirit was recorded at The Blasting Room in Fort Collins, Colorado with the production team of Bill Stevenson, Stephen Egerton, and Jason Livermore. Singer Russ Rankin later reflected on the album as a high point for the band:

Symptoms of a Leveling Spirit, I think, was our...I think it was the pinnacle, it was definitely the pinnacle for us as far as our career if you just want to go by numbers. Like, the year that that came out, we were in every weekly, all of our shows were bumped up to the bigger rooms, we sold out our whole European tour, and that was about as good as it ever got for us and that was pretty cool for that to happen. Like that record was...I just have a lot of really good memories about that year personally and band-wise...everything just went really really well for us and we had a really successful year, and I still think that record, and to a lesser extent the E.P. that came before it, were where I finally kind of like, found my stride as a song-writer. [3]

Guitarist Luke Pabich stated that the album's title was inspired by a quote from U.S. President James Madison, wherein Madison used the phrase "symptoms of a leveling spirit" to express concerns over the idea of power and equitable wealth distribution benefiting "non-elite citizens" of the U.S. [4]

Rankin, a dedicated fan of the Psychedelic Furs, convinced the rest of the band members to cover one of their songs. Therefore, the album features a cover of "In My Head" by The Psychedelic Furs, a track originally from the 1991 album World Outside, as a hidden track after "Spit You Out". [4]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [5]
Kerrang! Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [6]
Punknews.orgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [7]

Reception to Symptoms of a Leveling Spirit was positive. Chris Moran of Punknews.org gave it four stars out of five, calling it "without question, the definitive GR album ... this is not the same 1,000-beats-a-minute GR you've listened to for the last several years." [7] Jo-Ann Greene of Allmusic gave the album four and a half stars out of five, saying that it "finds Good Riddance huddling ever closer to the melodic punk sound they've been moving towards over the few preceding years ... However, the increased tunefulness takes none of the bite out of Good Riddance's lyrics. And whether attacking individual imperfections or greater societal ills, the group's songwriting remains savagely on point. Always threatening greatness, the group have now produced a true classic." [5]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Russ Rankin, except where noted

No.TitleLength
1."Fire Engine Red" (lyrics: Rankin; music: Luke Pabich)2:09
2."Enter the Unapproachables" (lyrics: Rankin; music: Pabich)1:35
3."Yesterday's Headlines"2:26
4."Great Leap Forward"1:35
5."Cheyenne"2:19
6."Libertine"1:54
7."Trial of the Century"2:25
8."Nobody Likes a Cynic"2:52
9."Year of the Rat" (contains a dialogue excerpt from the film The Hunt for Red October )2:16
10."Pisces/Almost Home"2:08
11."Defusing the Popular Struggle"2:18
12."All the Joy You've Ever Known" (lyrics: Rankin; music: Chuck Platt)0:42
13."Blue Black Eyes"2:13
14."Spit You Out" (lyrics: Rankin; music: Pabich)
"In My Head" (hidden track; written and originally performed by The Psychedelic Furs)		5:19
Total length:32:11

Personnel

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephen Egerton (guitarist)</span> American guitarist and music producer

Stephen Patrick O'Reilly, known professionally as Stephen Egerton, is an American guitarist, producer, mixer, and engineer, who is best known for his work playing in Descendents and All.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Good Riddance (band)</span> American punk rock band

Good Riddance is an American punk rock band from Santa Cruz, California. They released seven full-length studio albums on Fat Wreck Chords, then disbanded after releasing a live recording of their farewell concert in 2007. They reformed in 2012 and released an eighth studio album, Peace in Our Time, in 2015. The band released Thoughts and Prayers, their ninth full length album, on July 19, 2019. Led by vocalist Russ Rankin, the band's longtime lineup includes guitarist Luke Pabich, bassist Chuck Platt, and drummer Sean "SC" Sellers. Their sound is influenced by the hardcore punk scene and the band was known for their combination of fast punk with catchy melodies. Lyrical themes vary from political protests and critical analyses of American society to personal struggles and alienation.

<i>For God and Country</i> (Good Riddance album) 1995 studio album by Good Riddance

For God and Country is the debut album by the Santa Cruz, California-based hardcore punk band Good Riddance, released February 7, 1995 through Fat Wreck Chords.

<i>A Comprehensive Guide to Moderne Rebellion</i> 1996 studio album by Good Riddance

A Comprehensive Guide to Moderne Rebellion is the second album by the Santa Cruz, California-based hardcore punk band Good Riddance, released June 4, 1996, through Fat Wreck Chords. It was the band's first album with drummer Sean Sellers, replacing Rich McDermott who had left the group. The album includes two cover songs, of The Kinks' "Come Dancing" and Government Issue's "Hall of Fame", the latter included as a hidden track. "Last Believer" was titled after an episode of the 1991 PBS documentary series on President Lyndon B. Johnson; the song had previously been released on the band's debut EP Gidget in 1993 and was re-recorded for A Comprehensive Guide to Moderne Rebellion.

<i>Ballads from the Revolution</i> 1998 studio album by Good Riddance

Ballads from the Revolution is the third album by the Santa Cruz, California-based hardcore punk band Good Riddance, released February 10, 1998 through Fat Wreck Chords.

<i>Operation Phoenix</i> (album) 1999 studio album by Good Riddance

Operation Phoenix is the fourth album by the Santa Cruz, California-based hardcore punk band Good Riddance, released May 4, 1999 through Fat Wreck Chords. It marked a change in recording location and production team for the band: their previous three albums had been recorded in San Francisco with producer and recording engineer Ryan Greene, but for Operation Phoenix the band traveled to Fort Collins, Colorado to record at The Blasting Room with Jason Livermore and Descendents/All members Bill Stevenson and Stephen Egerton. This marked the beginning of a long-term working relationship: Good Riddance would record all of their studio material at The Blasting Room using the same production team until 2003, when the band slipped into inactivity and singer Russ Rankin started Only Crime with Stevenson. Stevenson and Livermore would return to record and produce Good Riddance's final studio album My Republic in 2006, which was recorded in San Francisco. Rankin later commented that working with The Blasting Room team was a major turning point in recording for the band:

We did our first three albums with Ryan Greene and Ryan Greene is a great engineer and a really great guy and we learned a lot about being prepared to record ... his studio know-how was top-notch, his demeanor was top-notch, and we learned a lot, but when we decided we wanted a change, and we went to the Blasting Room, it was like...so different ... they knew what we were trying to do ... Also, the way they recorded...it was completely out of the ordinary...we'd been through the culture where you'd lay down the drums first, then you lay down the bass, then you lay down the guitars, and then you do the vocals...and we get to the Blasting Room and once the drums were done it was like, all bets are off, Chuck [Platt, bassist] would go in for a couple hours, then I would go in, then Luke [Pabich, guitarist] would go in, and we'd just be chipping away at these songs ... it was definitely a new approach for us anyway, we'd never done anything like that before...so I think that those guys really brought out the best in us, they challenged us, but they also, I think, had a really innate sense of knowing what we were trying to get done.

<i>The Phenomenon of Craving</i> 2000 EP by Good Riddance

The Phenomenon of Craving is an EP by the Santa Cruz, California-based hardcore punk band Good Riddance, released May 23, 2000 through Fat Wreck Chords. A portion of the proceeds from this album benefit the Homeless Garden Project in Santa Cruz, CA. Their drummer Sean Sellers had left the band in December 1999, so Dave Raun of Lagwagon drummed on the EP and on several tours with the band. A full-time replacement would be found in Kid Dynamite's Dave Wagenschutz, who joined the band for their fifth album Symptoms of a Leveling Spirit the following year.

<i>Bound by Ties of Blood and Affection</i> 2003 studio album by Good Riddance

Bound by Ties of Blood and Affection is the sixth studio album by the Santa Cruz, California-based hardcore punk band Good Riddance, released May 20, 2003 through Fat Wreck Chords. Like their previous two studio albums it was recorded at The Blasting Room in Fort Collins, Colorado with the production team of Bill Stevenson and Jason Livermore. It was their last album with drummer Dave Wagenschutz; following his departure the band slipped into a period of inactivity during which singer Russ Rankin formed Only Crime with Stevenson. Good Riddance would return in 2006 for My Republic with drummer Sean Sellers, who had previously been in the band from 1996 to 1999.

<i>My Republic</i> 2006 studio album by Good Riddance

My Republic is the seventh studio album by the Santa Cruz, California-based hardcore punk band Good Riddance, released June 27, 2006 through Fat Wreck Chords. It marked the band's return from an almost three-year period of inactivity, during which singer and primary songwriter Russ Rankin had been active in his new band Only Crime while guitarist Luke Pabich had started a side project called Outlie. It also marked the return of drummer Sean Sellers to Good Riddance, replacing Dave Wagenschutz who had played on the band's two previous albums Symptoms of a Leveling Spirit (2001) and Bound by Ties of Blood and Affection (2003). Sellers had previously been a member of Good Riddance from 1996 to 1999, playing on A Comprehensive Guide to Moderne Rebellion (1996), Ballads from the Revolution (1998), and Operation Phoenix (1999), and had played with Pabich in Outlie during Good Riddance's hiatus.

<i>Good Riddance / Kill Your Idols</i> 2001 EP by Good Riddance and Kill Your Idols

Good Riddance / Kill Your Idols is a split EP by the hardcore punk bands Good Riddance and Kill Your Idols, released on November 20, 2001, by Jade Tree.

<i>Cover Ups</i> 2002 compilation album by Good Riddance

Cover Ups is a compilation album by the Santa Cruz, California-based hardcore punk band Good Riddance, collecting all of the cover songs the band had previously released. It was released July 2, 2002 through Lorelei Records, a record label co-founded by the band's singer Russ Rankin.

<i>Remain in Memory: The Final Show</i> 2008 live album by Good Riddance

Remain in Memory: The Final Show is a live album by the hardcore punk band Good Riddance, recorded at their final performance May 27, 2007 in their hometown of Santa Cruz, California and released March 18, 2008 through Fat Wreck Chords.

<i>Capricorn One: Singles & Rarities</i> 2010 compilation album by Good Riddance

Capricorn One: Singles & Rarities is a compilation album by the Santa Cruz, California-based punk rock band Good Riddance, released through Fat Wreck Chords July 6, 2010, three years after the band's breakup. The tracks on the album span 1993 to 2006 and include songs from Good Riddance's Gidget and Decoy EPs and their split releases with Reliance, Ignite, Ill Repute, and Ensign, as well as three tracks from Fat Wreck Chords compilations and six previously unreleased demo tracks. All of the tracks were digitally remastered by Jason Livermore at The Blasting Room. The compilation is titled after the 1978 film Capricorn One, about a Mars landing hoax. The album's liner notes include Rankin's lyrics and comments on each song.

The discography of Good Riddance, a Santa Cruz, California-based hardcore punk band, consists of nine studio albums, one live album, two compilation albums, eight EPs, one video album, and five music videos.

<i>Good Riddance / Reliance</i> Extended play

Good Riddance / Reliance is a split EP by the Santa Cruz, California-based punk rock bands Good Riddance and Reliance, released in 1996 through the Austin, Texas label Little Deputy Records. Good Riddance's tracks were two of seven that had been demoed for their second album A Comprehensive Guide to Moderne Rebellion but had been left off the record; they were recorded in a separate session from the album, with Andy Ernst at Art of Ears, and used on split EPs with Reliance, Ignite, Ill Repute, and Ensign over the following year.

<i>Ignite / Good Riddance</i> 1996 EP by Ignite and Good Riddance

Ignite / Good Riddance is a split EP by the hardcore punk bands Ignite and Good Riddance, released in 1996 through Revelation Records. Good Riddance's tracks were two of seven that had been demoed for their second album A Comprehensive Guide to Moderne Rebellion but had been left off the record; they were recorded in a separate session from the album, with Andy Ernst at Art of Ears, and used on split EPs with Reliance, Ignite, Ill Repute, and Ensign over the following year.

<i>Good Riddance / Ill Repute</i> 1996 EP by Good Riddance and Ill Repute

Good Riddance / Ill Repute is a split EP by the hardcore punk bands Good Riddance and Ill Repute, released in 1996 through It's Alive Records. Good Riddance's tracks were two of seven that had been demoed for their second album A Comprehensive Guide to Moderne Rebellion but had been left off the record; they were recorded in a separate session from the album, with Andy Ernst at Art of Ears, and used on split EPs with Reliance, Ignite, Ill Repute, and Ensign over the following year.

<i>Good Riddance / Ensign</i> 1997 EP by Good Riddance and Ensign

Good Riddance / Ensign is a split EP by the hardcore punk bands Good Riddance and the Ensign, released in 1997 through Orphaned Records. Good Riddance's "What We Have" was one of seven songs that had been demoed for their second album A Comprehensive Guide to Moderne Rebellion but had been left off the record; they were recorded in a separate session from the album, with Andy Ernst at Art of Ears, and used on split EPs with Reliance, Ignite, Ill Repute, and Ensign over the following year. Their second track, "Salt", also appeared on their third album Ballads from the Revolution in 1998.

<i>Peace in Our Time</i> (Good Riddance album) 2015 studio album by Good Riddance

Peace in Our Time is the eighth studio album by the Santa Cruz, California-based hardcore punk band Good Riddance, released April 21, 2015 through Fat Wreck Chords. It is the band's first studio album since My Republic in 2006, and the first album they recorded and released following their temporary breakup, which lasted from 2007 to 2012.

<i>Thoughts and Prayers</i> (album) 2019 studio album by Good Riddance

Thoughts and Prayers is the ninth studio album by the Santa Cruz, California-based hardcore punk band Good Riddance, released July 19, 2019 through Fat Wreck Chords. It is the band's second studio album since their 2007 breakup and 2012 reunion. Unlike previous albums which featured some musical writing contribution from Luke Pabich and Chuck Platt, Thoughts and Prayers was solely written by frontman Russ Rankin.

References

  1. ↑ "Good Riddance Charts & Awards: Billboard Albums". Allmusic . Retrieved 2010-08-31.
  2. ↑ Cornelius, David. "Good Riddance Biography". Allmusic . Retrieved 2010-08-31.
  3. ↑ Jain, Sean (2010-06-17). "Interviews: Russ Rankin (Good Riddance, Only Crime)". Punknews.org. Retrieved 2010-09-02.
  4. 1 2 "Good Riddance Interview". Skrutt Magazine. 2001-06-19. Archived from the original on 2024-08-25. Retrieved 2024-08-25.
  5. 1 2 Greene, Jo-Ann. "Review: Symptoms of a Leveling Spirit". Allmusic . Retrieved 2010-09-02.
  6. ↑ Yates, Catherine (July 7, 2001). "Albums". Kerrang! . No. 860. UK: EMAP. p. 45.
  7. 1 2 Moran, Chris (2001-07-10). "Review: Symptoms of a Leveling Spirit". Punknews.org. Retrieved 2010-09-02.
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.