Wax Ecstatic
1996 studio album by Sponge
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Wax Ecstatic is the second studio album by American rock band Sponge. It was released on July 2, 1996, through Columbia Records.[1][2] The album features a more '70s hard rock-influenced sound compared with the band's previous release. It is the band's first album with drummer Charlie Grover, and includes the hit singles "Wax Ecstatic (To Sell Angelina)" and "Have You Seen Mary".
| Wax Ecstatic | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | July 2, 1996 | |||
| Recorded | 1996 | |||
| Studio | The Loft, Saline, Michigan | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 38:33 49:40 (Japan Bonus Tracks) 18:03 (5 Track Sampler Album) 16:05 (4 Track Promo) | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Producer | Tim Patalan and Sponge | |||
| Sponge chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Wax Ecstatic | ||||
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Production
Wax Ectastic was originally intended to be a concept album revolving around the death of a drag queen; instead, only two songs on the album address the subject.[3][4] The band decided against the idea of making a concept album, and instead would incorporate new instrumentation along with a more '70s hard rock-influenced sound compared to Rotting Piñata.
Release
Wax Ecstatic was released in July 1996 and peaked at number 60 on the Billboard 200. "Wax Ecstatic (To Sell Angelina)" and "Have You Seen Mary" were released as the first and second singles from the album, and both received significant airplay on radio and MTV. The songs "I Am Anastasia" and "Silence Is Their Drug" also received radio airplay, but were not officially released as singles. By 1998, the album had sold a quarter of a million copies.[5]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal | 8/10[6] |
| Detroit Free Press | [7] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [8] |
| Fort Worth Star-Telegram |  [9] |
| MusicHound Rock | [10] |
| Rolling Stone | [11] |
| USA Today | [12] |
| Vox | 4/10[13] |
| Wall of Sound | 79/100[14] |
Wax Ecstatic received mostly positive reviews. AllMusic staff writer Stephen Thomas Erlewine said "In order to grow, the group went back to their beginnings, touching on glam rock, arena rock, blues rock, and jangle pop. Although it reveals Rotting Piñata to be somewhat calculating in its approach, Wax Ecstatic, ironically, is a far superior album."[1] Trouser Press wrote that the album "is markedly stripped down from the dense fury of Rotting Piñata, incorporating new instrumentation (piano, saxophone, cello) and working its way through such rootsy numbers as 'The Drag Queens of Memphis' and the album-closing 'Velveteen'."[15]
At the 1997 Detroit Music Awards, Wax Ecstatic won the award for "Outstanding National Rock-Pop Album", and "Wax Ecstatic (To Sell Angelina)" was nominated for "Outstanding National Rock-Pop Single".[16][17]
Track listing
All songs produced by Tim Patalan and Sponge.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "My Purity" | Vinnie Dombroski, Mike Cross | 3:32 |
| 2. | "Got to Be a Bore" | Vinnie Dombroski | 3:24 |
| 3. | "Wax Ecstatic (To Sell Angelina)" | Vinnie Dombroski | 4:08 |
| 4. | "The Drag Queens of Memphis" | Vinnie Dombroski | 4:54 |
| 5. | "I Am Anastasia" | Vinnie Dombroski, Mike Cross, Joey Mazzola | 3:58 |
| 6. | "Silence Is Their Drug" | Vinnie Dombroski | 3:11 |
| 7. | "Have You Seen Mary" | Vinnie Dombroski, Mike Cross | 3:49 |
| 8. | "My Baby Said" | Vinnie Dombroski, Joey Mazzola | 3:05 |
| 9. | "The Death of a Drag Queen" | Vinnie Dombroski, Mike Cross, Joey Mazzola | 5:20 |
| 10. | "Velveteen" (Contains the hidden track "Imagine You") | Vinnie Dombroski | 7:32 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11. | "Imagine You" (Separate track) | Vinnie Dombroski | 3:45 |
| 12. | "Mekron Bomb" | Vinnie Dombroski, Joey Mazzola | 4:04 |
| 13. | "Imaginary Marriage" | Vinnie Dombroski | 3:18 |
- European Version contains "Slower Suicide"[18]
Samplers and promos
All songs produced Tim Patalan and Sponge.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Got to Be a Bore" | Vinnie Dombroski | 3:24 |
| 2. | "Wax Ecstatic (To Sell Angelina)" (Radio Edit) | Vinnie Dombroski | 3:47 |
| 3. | "I Am Anastasia" | Vinnie Dombroski, Mike Cross, Joey Mazzola | 3:58 |
| 4. | "My Baby Said" | Vinnie Dombroski, Joey Mazzola | 3:05 |
| 5. | "Have You Seen Mary" | Vinnie Dombroski, Mike Cross | 3:49 |
All songs produced by Tim Patalan and Sponge except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Wax Ecstatic (To Sell Angelina)" | Vinnie Dombroski | 4:08 | |
| 2. | "No Fun" (Live at CBGB's December 4, 1995) | Iggy Pop | 3:45 | |
| 3. | "Imaginary Marriage" | Vinnie Dombroski | 3:16 | |
| 4. | "Wax Ecstatic (Critter Full On Remix)" | Vinnie Dombroski | Tim Palmer, Critter | 4:56 |
Personnel
- Vinnie Dombroski – vocals, drums, guitar
- Mike Cross – guitar, bass
- Tim Cross – bass
- Joey Mazzola – guitar, backing vocals
- Charlie Grover – drums
Additional personnel
- Tim Patalan – recording
- Andy Patalan & Matt Hanson – recording assistants
- Tim Palmer – mixing, additional production on "Silence Is Their Drug"
- Mark O'Donoughue – mix engineer
- Jamie Seyberth – additional engineering
- Lamont Hyde – engineering assistant
- Steve King – engineer
- Mike Corbett – post production edit
- Howie Weinberg – mastering
- Pablo Mathiason – A&R
- Susan Silver – management
- Stacy Fass – legal
- Gudvi, Chapnick & Oppenheim – business management
- John Jackson – international booking
- Mary Maurer – art direction
- SITE – design
- Melanie Nissen – photography
Additional musicians
- Richard Butler – additional vocals on "I Am Anastasia"
- Johnny Evans – tenor, alto and baritone sax
- Chris Codish – acoustic piano
- Mando Dorame – sax solo on "My Baby Said"
- Steve Baxter – trombone on "My Baby Said"
- Donald Hayes – saxophone on "My Baby Said"
- Anne King – trumpet on "My Baby Said"
- Tim Patalan – cello
Equipment
- Fender guitars and strings
- Naylor amps
- GHS strings
- Sabian cymbals
- Pearl drums
- Vic Firth sticks
Charts
Album
| Chart (1996) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 | 60 |
Singles
| Year | Title | US Hot 100 | US Modern Rock | US Mainstream Rock |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Wax Ecstatic (To Sell Angelina) | 64 | 15[19] | 11[19] |
| Have You Seen Mary | - | - | 7 |