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Wikipedia / Freak Magnet

Freak Magnet is the eighth studio album by Violent Femmes, released in 2000. It contains the single "Sleepwalkin'."

Originally planned for a 1998 release on Interscope Records, Freak Magnet was pulled when the band was dropped from the label. A reissue with live bonus tracks were released via Shout! Factory in 2005.

Critical reception

The Washington Post called the album "stuck in the Reagan decade," writing that "the Femmes still play punky hootenanny-rock with occasional potty-mouthed lyrics to assure frat-boy appeal." Exclaim! wrote that the Violent Femmes "tend to sound like an average band dabbling in a goofy brand of punk, save for Gordon Gano's voice, which anyone could spot a mile away." Pastes Andrew Lisle wrote: "With sarcastic, solid originals like 'Happiness Is' and 'Hollywood Is High', the boys try to achieve former glory on Freak Magnet, falling just short of success." Trouser Press called it "a strong return to form," writing that "the Femmes hang their music in thick, hard-rocking sheets of sound rather than on a skeletal acoustic frame."

Track listing

Personnel

Violent Femmes

Technical personnel

  • Violent Femmes – co-producer

  • Warren Bruleigh – co-producer, mixing, additional recording

  • Pierre Henry – co-producer, additional recording

  • Tom Grimley – co-producer, additional recording

  • Martin Brass – recording, mixing

  • David Vartanian – mixing, cover design

  • Howie Weinberg – mastering

  • Roger Lian – mastering

  • Bill Emmons – additional recording

  • Mark Mason – assistant engineer

  • Ken Feldman – assistant engineer

  • Rich Tapper – assistant engineer

  • Nicola Stemmer – assistant engineer

References