| Fontanelle | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 11, 1992 | |||
| Recorded | 1992 | |||
| Studio |
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| Genre | ||||
| Length | 37:09 | |||
| Label | Reprise | |||
| Producer | ||||
| Babes in Toyland chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Fontanelle | ||||
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Fontanelle is the second studio album by the American punk rock band Babes in Toyland, released on August 11, 1992, by Reprise Records. It was the band's first release on a major label, and their first recording to feature Maureen Herman on bass.
After extensive touring throughout 1991, the band entered the studio to record their major label follow-up to their debut album, Spanking Machine . Bassist Michelle Leon left the group in December 1991, shortly before the recording of Fontanelle began, due to the murder of Joe Cole, her then boyfriend. Maureen Herman was recruited as her replacement.
The album was co-produced by frontwoman and guitarist Kat Bjelland with Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth heading production. [2] Brian Paulson was also studio engineer and the final product was mixed by Dave Ogilvie. The cover photo — an image of a naked doll held up in front of a mirror — was taken for the album by photographer Cindy Sherman.
The band has explained the album's name as referring to the soft spot on the top of a baby's skull, as well as to a little fountain used by fairies. It is also the name of a magician consulted by Gilles de Rais, the real-life murderer who inspired the fairy tale "Bluebeard". [3]
The process of recording the album is described in the book Babes in Toyland: The Making and Selling of a Rock and Roll Band, by Neal Karlen. [4] Recording took place at Pachyderm Studio in Cannon Falls, Minnesota, and at Sorcerer Sound Recording Studios in New York City.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [5] |
| Chicago Tribune |  [6] |
| Entertainment Weekly | A− [7] |
| Los Angeles Times | [8] |
| NME | 9/10 [9] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [10] |
| Select | 5/5 [11] |
| Spin Alternative Record Guide | 7/10 [12] |
Fontanelle is Babes in Toyland's most critically and commercially successful album, selling 220,000 copies approximately in the United States alone. Reviews of the album were very positive, with Steve Huey from AllMusic noting:
Measured by any standard, Fontanelle is a frighteningly primal record, one whose sheer ferocity Babes in Toyland never quite captured this convincingly anywhere else. [5]
The album's success also prompted them to tour more and were eventually offered a place on the Lollapalooza tour in 1993, [13] playing alongside such acts as Tool, Primus, Alice in Chains, Dinosaur Jr. and Rage Against the Machine. During dates at Lollapalooza, the band released their third and final EP, Painkillers , in June 1993, which consisted of a re-recording of one of their most notable songs "He's My Thing", and outtakes from Fontanelle.
All tracks are written by Kat Bjelland unless otherwise noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Bruise Violet" | 2:52 | |
| 2. | "Right Now" | 2:19 | |
| 3. | "Bluebell" | 2:22 | |
| 4. | "Handsome and Gretel" | 1:50 | |
| 5. | "Blood" | 2:44 | |
| 6. | "Magick Flute" | Lori Barbero | 3:02 |
| 7. | "Won't Tell" | 2:27 | |
| 8. | "Quiet Room" | 2:59 | |
| 9. | "Spun" | Bjelland, Barbero | 3:03 |
| 10. | "Short Song" | 0:41 | |
| 11. | "Jungle Train" | Bjelland, Barbero | 2:15 |
| 12. | "Pearl" | Bjelland, Barbero, Michelle Leon | 1:56 |
| 13. | "Real Eyes" | 2:51 | |
| 14. | "Mother" | 3:13 | |
| 15. | "Gone" | 2:28 | |
| Total length: | 37:09 | ||
All personnel credits adapted from the album's liner notes. [14]
| Chart (1992) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart [15] | 24 |
Babes in Toyland was an American alternative rock band from Minneapolis, Minnesota, formed in 1987. The band was founded by vocalist and guitarist Kat Bjelland, along with drummer Lori Barbero and bassist Michelle Leon, who was later replaced by Maureen Herman in 1992.
Katherine Lynne Bjelland is a former American musician. She rose to prominence as the lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter of the alternative rock band Babes in Toyland, which she formed in 1987. She has been noted for her unusual vocal style alternately consisting of shrill screams, whispering, and speaking in tongues, as well as for her guitar playing style, which incorporates "jagged" tones with "psychotic rockabilly rhythms".
Crunt was an alternative rock band, active from 1993 to 1995. Formed when all three members were living in Seattle, the band included Kat Bjelland of Babes in Toyland and Stuart Gray, who were married during the band's career.
Maureen Herman is an American musician and writer. She rose to prominence as the second bassist of the alternative rock band Babes in Toyland, which she joined in 1992, replacing original bassist Michelle Leon. After Herman quit the band in 1996, she became a writer and remained out of the public light for several years. In 2015, she reunited with Babes in Toyland and embarked on an international tour before she was fired later that year.
Spanking Machine is the debut studio album by American punk rock band Babes in Toyland, released on April 16, 1990.
Nemesisters is the third and final studio album recorded by Babes in Toyland. It was produced by Tim Mac, and released May 9, 1995, by Reprise Records.
Katastrophy Wife was an American rock band formed by Kat Bjelland and her former husband Glen Mattson in 1998. Bjelland also fronted the punk rock band Babes in Toyland between 1987 and 2001. The band currently consists of Bjelland on lead vocals and guitar and her boyfriend, Adrian Johnson, on drums. The band released two albums, Amusia (2001) and All Kneel (2004). A third album was due for release in 2008, but was later cancelled. In May 2014, a 10th anniversary reissue of All Kneel was released as part of Record Store Day. In 2015 Kat Bjelland joined fellow Babes in Toyland band member Lori Barbero and new bass player, Clara Salyer in a reunion tour.
To Mother is the first EP by American punk band Babes in Toyland, released July 1, 1991 by Twin/Tone Records. It consists of outtakes from their previous release, Spanking Machine, which were re-recorded and produced by John Loder in London in 1990.
The BBC John Peel Sessions, 1990–1992 is an expanded version of the earlier release, The Peel Sessions by Babes in Toyland. It was produced by James Birt Whistle and released on 27 November 2001 by Cherry Red Records, which was also responsible for releasing Babes In Toyland's first live album, Minneapolism.
Painkillers is the second EP by American alternative rock band Babes in Toyland, released in June 1993. It consists of outtakes from their second studio album, Fontanelle (1992), as well as a 34-minute single-track live recording of the band's April 1992 performance at CBGB in New York City.
Dystopia is a compilation album consisting of earlier albums, Spanking Machine, To Mother, and the Handsome & Gretel single recorded by Babes in Toyland. It was released in 1994 by Insipid Records.
Lived is the first compilation of the trilogy released by Babes in Toyland. It was produced by Tim Mac, and released May 2000 by Almafame.
"Dust Cake Boy" is the first single by Babes in Toyland from their debut album, Spanking Machine. It was released on black 7" vinyl and features the final version of the song, along with an earlier version of the song "Spit to See the Shine" as a b-side, which was later released on the 1991 EP, To Mother.
"Bruise Violet" is the third single by American alternative rock band Babes in Toyland and the second single from their 1992 album Fontanelle. It was released on purple 7" vinyl and features early or not produced versions of the song.
"Sweet '69" is a song by Babes in Toyland, released in 1995. B-sides, "S.F.W." and "Swamp Pussy", are live recordings from the Danish Roskilde Festival in 1994 by Radiomafia. "Sweet '69" is the first single by Babes in Toyland to get a lot of radio airplay in the US, reaching #37 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart. The single also peaked at #173 on the UK's Official Singles Chart. The song is unique in its extensive use of melodic cowbells by drummer Lori Barbero. An accompanying video was also released.
Pagan Babies were an American rock band formed by Kat Bjelland and Courtney Love in 1985. Love had initially conceived the band in Portland, Oregon with Bjelland under the name Sugar Babydoll, and the group was joined by bassist Jennifer Finch upon their relocation to San Francisco. The group would go through several lineup and name changes before recording a four-track demo under the Pagan Babies name with drummer Deirdre Schletter and bassist Janis Tanaka.
The Best of Babes In Toyland and Kat Bjelland is a CD/DVD compilation featuring songs by Babes in Toyland and Kat Bjelland's other projects, including her work in Crunt, Katastrophy Wife, and Pagan Babies. It was released in 2004 by WEA International in the United Kingdom.
Babes in Toyland was an American punk rock band formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1987. The band was formed by Oregon native Kat Bjelland, with Lori Barbero (drums) and Michelle Leon (bass), who was later replaced by Maureen Herman in 1992. Courtney Love had a brief stint in the band in 1987 as a bass player before being kicked out and forming Hole in 1989.
"House" is the second single by American punk band Babes in Toyland. Released by Sub Pop Records and limited to 3,500 copies, 1,500 were released on black vinyl for the Sub Pop Singles Club, and the remaining 2,000 on special gold (yellow) vinyl. This is the band's first non-album single. It features the b-side "Arriba."
"Handsome and Gretel" is the third single by American punk band Babes in Toyland. It was released on 7" vinyl, and its songs later appeared on the band's second studio album, Fontanelle.
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