A Fever You Can't Sweat Out

Untitled

A Fever You Can't Sweat Out is the debut album by rock band Panic! At the Disco, released on September 27 2005 by Fueled by Ramen.

The album is split in two stylisticly, with tracks 1 through 7 featuring electronic instruments such as synthesizers and drum machines and tracks 9 through 13 using traditional instruments such as the accordion and organ. Track 8 (Intermission) serves as a link between the two halves, beginning with techno-style dance beats before switching to the piano interlude. On the vinyl record version of the album, side A holds songs 1-8 while side B holds songs 9-13, further highlighting the stylistic split in the album.

25,000 collector's editions of the album were released November 14, 2006 containing photographs, lyric cards, a DVD of a concert, and many items reminiscent of vaudevillian shows. The collection shipped in a faux velvet-lined box with a purposefully aged appearance. Because of the limited release, second hand versions are selling for much higher than retail.

The album primarily deals with social issues that the band points on through various songs. Topics such as sanctity of marriage, adultery, alcoholism, prostitution, and religions are woven throughout the album. Guitarist Ryan Ross also relates two of the songs to living with an alcoholic father. The album has sold over 1.6 million copies in the US and 2.2 million worldwide.

Track listing

1. "Introduction" – 0:36
2. "The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide Is Press Coverage" – 2:54
3. "London Beckoned Songs About Money Written by Machines" – 3:23
4. "Nails for Breakfast, Tacks for Snacks" – 3:23
5. "Camisado" – 3:11
6. "Time to Dance" – 3:22
7. "Lying Is the Most Fun a Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off" – 3:20
8. "Intermission" – 2:35
9. "But It's Better If You Do" – 3:25
10. "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" – 3:06
11. "I Constantly Thank God for Esteban" – 3:30
12. "There's a Good Reason These Tables Are Numbered Honey, You Just Haven't Thought of It Yet" – 3:16
13. "Build God, Then We'll Talk" – 3:40
14. "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" (Live in Denver) – 3:46 (Japanese bonus track)

Credits

• Brendon Urie – vocals, guitar, keyboard, piano, accordion, organ
• Ryan Ross – guitar, lyrics, keyboard, piano, accordion, organ
• Spencer Smith – drums, and percussion
• Brent Wilson - bass (The other band members now deny that he performed on the album but his name is credited in the album's Notes and Thank Yous)

Additional instruments

• William Brousserd - trumpet on tracks 9,12
• Heather Stebbins - cello on tracks 8,10,12,13
• Samantha Bynes - violin on tracks 10,12

Trivia

• The album was recorded in College Park, Maryland.

Pop culture references

• The first track, "Introduction", contains a sample of what appears to be a radio broadcast in Polish. The speaker is saying "...spotkało się z szerokim rozgłosem", which means "...gained significant popularity".

• The title of "London Beckoned Songs About Money Written by Machines" is part of a line from "Shampoo Planet" by Douglas Coupland: "extremely torrid tunage from London beckoned-songs about money written by machines".

• "Camisado" was inspired by Ryan's father's battle with alcoholism.

• "Lying Is the Most Fun a Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off"'s title is the first half of a line from the film Closer: "Lying is the most fun a girl can have without taking her clothes off but it's better if you do."

• "Intermission" includes a sample from Orson Welles' famous radio adaptation of the classic novel The War of the Worlds: "Due to circumstances beyond our control..."

• "But It's Better If You Do"'s title is the last half of a line from the film Closer: "Lying is the most fun a girl can have without taking her clothes off but it's better if you do."

• The title of "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" was inspired by a line from "Shampoo Planet" by Douglas Coupland: "What I write are not sins, I write tragedies."

• The song "I Constantly Thank God for Esteban" is a direct reference to the 2004 Wes Anderson film, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, which starred Bill Murray.

• The bridge melody of "Build God, Then We'll Talk" is derivative from the chorus of "My Favorite Things".

Several tracks on the album reference novels by Chuck Palahniuk:

• The title of "The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide Is Press Coverage" is a line from Survivor.

• "London Beckoned Songs About Money Written by Machines"'s bridge, "Just for the record, the weather today is..." is a recurring phrase in Diary.

• "Camisado" contains several references to Fight Club.

• "Time to Dance" is entirely based on Invisible Monsters.

• The title of "Build God, Then We'll Talk" is a quote from Choke.

External links

• A Fever You Can't Sweat Out at MusicBrainz