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Stranger Than Fiction (Bad Religion album)

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Stranger than Fiction
Studio album by
Bad Religion
ReleasedAugust 30, 1994 (1994-08-30)
RecordedApril–May 1994
StudioRumbo Recorders in Canoga Park, Los Angeles
Genre
Length38:28
42:19 (European version)
Label
ProducerAndy Wallace, Bad Religion
Bad Religion chronology
Recipe for Hate
(1993) 		Stranger than Fiction
(1994) 		All Ages
(1995)
Singles from Stranger Than Fiction
  1. "Stranger Than Fiction"
    Released: August 1994
  2. "21st Century (Digital Boy)"
    Released: September 1994
  3. "Infected"
    Released: January 6, 1995
  4. "Incomplete"
    Released: May 1995

Stranger than Fiction is the eighth full-length studio album and major label debut by American punk rock band Bad Religion, released in 1994. It was a major breakthrough for Bad Religion, being certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America and becoming the band's first album to chart on the Billboard 200, peaking at 87.

Release

Stranger Than Fiction was their first album released on the major label Atlantic Records (although that label re-released the previous album, Recipe for Hate). In the midst of touring, guitarist Brett Gurewitz left the band, citing personal conflicts in the band and a need to focus on Epitaph Records. Gurewitz's role was filled by Brian Baker, formerly of Minor Threat.[7]

With sales continuing 30 years after its release, Stranger Than Fiction is one of Bad Religion's most successful albums, featuring two of their well-known hit singles, "Infected" (released on January 6, 1995)[8] and the re-recorded version of "21st Century (Digital Boy)" (released September 1994),[9] which first appeared on Against the Grain. Both songs earned airplay on MTV and radio stations, such as KROQ. The album included another hit single, "Stranger Than Fiction" (released August 1994),[10] though the last one, "Incomplete" (released May 1995),[11] failed to make any national chart. The album also includes fan favorites, "Leave Mine To Me", "Tiny Voices", "The Handshake", and "Better Off Dead." As of today, Stranger Than Fiction remains the only Bad Religion record to obtain gold status in the United States and Canada. The album was re-released by Epitaph Records on September 15, 2008.

In 2009, Rhino Records released a colored vinyl to coincide with this album's 15th anniversary.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[12]
Chicago Sun-Times[13]
Chicago Tribune[2]
Entertainment WeeklyA−[14]
Los Angeles Times[15]
NME8/10[16]
Q[17]
Rolling Stone[18]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[1]
Spin Alternative Record Guide7/10[19]

Stranger Than Fiction was released on September 6, 1994, and became the first Bad Religion album distributed via Atlantic Records. On September 24 of that year, the album peaked at number 87 on the Billboard 200 album chart,[20] and on March 4, 1998, also became Bad Religion's first (and only) album to be certified gold in the United States.[21]

AllMusic's Jack Rabid praised this album as a "rare case of selling out in reverse" and songs such as "Leave Mine to Me", "Individual", "Tiny Voices" and "Marked", calling them "all uptempo barnburners, pulverizing in their rapid passion". He also criticizes "'Infected' and 'Television'" as "the two least effective songs of their 15 years, the former a third-rate 'Sanity'", referring to the seventh track on 1989's No Control. Author Dave Thompson, in his book Alternative Rock (2000), wrote that "while Recipe went for poppy, Fiction goes for polish," praising Wallace's production." He added: "Aggression and drama spar at mid-punk pace while the themes remain as acerbic as ever."[22]

In November 2011, Stranger Than Fiction was ranked number one on Guitar World magazine's top ten list of guitar albums of 1994, with The Offspring's Smash in second place and Weezer's Weezer in third place.[23] Loudwire placed Stranger Than Fiction at No. 9 on its "10 Best Hard Rock Albums of 1994" list.[24] In July 2014, Stranger Than Fiction was featured on Guitar World magazine's "Superunknown: 50 Iconic Albums That Defined 1994" list.[25]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Incomplete"Gurewitz2:28
2."Leave Mine to Me"Graffin2:07
3."Stranger than Fiction"Gurewitz2:20
4."Tiny Voices"Graffin2:36
5."The Handshake"Graffin2:50
6."Better Off Dead"Gurewitz2:39
7."Infected"Gurewitz4:08
8."Television" (featuring Tim Armstrong)Gurewitz, Johnette Napolitano2:03
9."Individual"Graffin1:58
10."Hooray for Me..."Gurewitz2:50
11."Slumber"Graffin2:39
12."Marked" (featuring Jim Lindberg)Gurewitz1:48
13."Inner Logic"Graffin2:58
14."What It Is"Graffin2:08
15."21st Century (Digital Boy)"Gurewitz2:47
Total length:38:28
European and Brazilian bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
16."News from the Front"
  • Gurewitz
  • Bentley
  • Schayer
2:22
17."Markovian Process"Graffin1:29
Total length:42:19
Japanese bonus tracks[26]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
16."News from the Front"
  • Gurewitz
  • Bentley
  • Schayer
2:22
17."Markovian Process"Graffin1:29
18."Leaders and Followers"Graffin2:40
Total length:44:59

B-sides

  • "Mediocrity" (Graffin) – 2:45

Personnel

Charts

Singles - Billboard (North America)

Year Single Chart Position
1994 "21st Century (Digital Boy)" Modern Rock Tracks 11
"Stranger Than Fiction" Modern Rock Tracks 28
1995 "Infected" Mainstream Rock Tracks 33
Modern Rock Tracks 27

References

Citations

  1. ^ a b c Kot, Greg (2004). "Bad Religion". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 36–37. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  2. ^ a b Kot, Greg (September 29, 1994). "Bad Religion: Stranger Than Fiction (Atlantic)". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
  3. ^ "15 punk albums that set up 1994 to be a year of major change for the genre". Alternative Press Magazine. April 21, 2021.
  4. ^ "The 15 best punk albums of 2002, from Sleater-Kinney to the Used". Alternative Press Magazine. December 20, 2021.
  5. ^ "Bad Religion's 'Age of Unreason' fights ignorance with skate punk | Review". Riffmagazine.com. 2019-05-04. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
  6. ^ "How Bad Religion transcended the ages of American punk rock". Nashvillescene.com. 2013-03-14. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
  7. ^ Thompson 2000, p. 169
  8. ^ Alexander 1995, p. 68
  9. ^ Anon. 1994b, p. 1
  10. ^ Anon. 1994a, p. 1
  11. ^ Ross ed. 1995, p. 1
  12. ^ Rabid, Jack. "Stranger Than Fiction – Bad Religion". AllMusic. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  13. ^ "Bad Religion, 'Stranger Than Fiction' (Atlantic)". Chicago Sun-Times. October 9, 1994. Retrieved June 3, 2023.
  14. ^ Frost, Deborah (September 9, 1994). "Stranger than Fiction". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on August 21, 2017. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  15. ^ Masuo, Sandy (September 25, 1994). "Bad Religion, 'Stranger Than Fiction,' Atlantic". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  16. ^ "Bad Religion: Stranger Than Fiction". NME. October 15, 1994. p. 55.
  17. ^ "Bad Religion: Stranger Than Fiction". Q. No. 98. November 1994. p. 105.
  18. ^ Kot, Greg (November 3, 1994). "Bad Religion: Stranger Than Fiction". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on May 2, 2005. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  19. ^ Gold, Jonathan (1995). "Bad Religion". In Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig (eds.). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. pp. 24–25. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
  20. ^ "Stranger Than Fiction's entry at Billboard.com". Billboard.com. February 2016. Archived from the original on March 17, 2006. Retrieved 2007-10-26.
  21. ^ "RIAA Certification (type in "Bad Religion" in the artist box)". RIAA. Archived from the original on 2007-06-26. Retrieved 2007-10-26.
  22. ^ Thompson 2000, p. 170
  23. ^ Grassi, Tony. "Photo Gallery: The Top 10 Guitar Albums of 1994". GuitarWorld.com. Retrieved 2011-11-08.
  24. ^ "10 Best Hard Rock Albums of 1994". Loudwire. May 20, 2014. Retrieved May 21, 2014.
  25. ^ "Superunknown: 50 Iconic Albums That Defined 1994". GuitarWorld.com. July 14, 2014. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved July 14, 2014.
  26. ^ The Bad Religion Page Archived 2010-06-16 at the Wayback Machine
  27. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Bad Religion – Stranger Than Fiction" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
  28. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Bad Religion – Stranger Than Fiction" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
  29. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Bad Religion – Stranger Than Fiction". Hung Medien. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
  30. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Bad Religion – Stranger Than Fiction". Hung Medien. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
  31. ^ "Bad Religion Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
  32. ^ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts". GfK Entertainment (in German). offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved December 2, 2020.

Sources

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