Emotion Is Dead

Emotion Is Dead is the second studio album by American rock band The Juliana Theory, released on August 29, 2000, on Tooth & Nail Records.

Emotion Is Dead
Studio album by
The Juliana Theory
ReleasedAugust 29, 2000 (2000-08-29)
RecordedFebruary 8 – March 23, 2000
Studio
  • Poynter's Palace, Little Rock, Arkansas
  • The Detar House
  • The Poynter's spare bedroom and living room
GenreAlternative rock, emo
Length51:21
LabelTooth & Nail
Producer
The Juliana Theory chronology
Three-Way Split
(2000)		 Emotion Is Dead
(2000)		 Music from Another Room
(2001)
Alternative cover
Red variation of the vinyl cover

Background

The Juliana Theory released their debut album Understand This Is a Dream in March 1999 through independent Christian label Tooth & Nail Records.[1] While writing new material for their next album, the band listened to a lot classic rock acts. They aimed to move away from the punk rock-esque nature of their debut, the songs on which vocalist/guitar Brett Detar felt were too similar, by writing with keyboards.[2] Despite the group not being a Christian act, Tooth & Nail offered them a bigger recording budget for their next album if the band let them sell the release in Christian book stores. Detar's response: "Yeah we’re gonna take the smaller budget."[3]

Composition

Overview

Emotion Is Dead is an alternative rock[4] and emo release,[5] which saw the group incorporate vocal harmonies and influences from pop music, this in turn helped set them apart from their peers in the emo scene.[6] It combined the alternative rock stylings of the Smashing Pumpkins, alongside guitar harmonies in the vein of Iron Maiden and Radiohead-indebted experimentation.[4] The band combined alternative drumming patterns with pop-esque punk rock, soft ballads[7] and touches of new wave.[8] Its usage of drum machines – spurred on by listening to albums by DJ Shadow and Dr. Dre – and hooks earned it a comparison to Clarity (1999) by Jimmy Eat World.[3]

Though some of the record is based in pop rock, it featured some heavier tracks, namely "To the Tune of 5,000 Screaming Children" and "Is Patience Still Waiting?".[6] The majority of the songs follow the structure of quiet verses and loud choruses;[9] Detar utilizes screaming on a few tracks.[7] Discussing the album's title, Detar explained: "There's not a lot of feeling in popular music right now. Everybody's buying into music that's completely created in a factory."[2] Lyrical, it tackles the topics of alienation, loss, love and isolation,[9] as well as some Christian themes.[10]

Tracks

The first two tracks, "Into the Dark" and "Don't Push Love Away", start with verse sections in a minor key that later give way to anthemic power chords.[6] "To the Tune of 5,000 Screaming Children" is about giving the middle finger to the group's critics.[7] "We're at the Top of the World (To the Simple Two)" talks about the state of euphoria a person is in after spending time with a girl he admires.[11] Its chorus section consists of "sha la la",[6] and ends with a string section.[10] The track, along with "If I Told You This Was Killing Me, Would You Stop?", were compared to Our Lady Peace and Silverchair.[9] "Is Patience Still Waiting?" is a slower song[7] that was suggested to be about a friend waiting for Jesus Christ.[11] It is followed by part one of a two-part instrumental, "Emotion Is Dead Pt.I",[7] which was attempting to emulate DJ Shadow and Unkle, according to Detar.[12]

The upbeat number "If I Told You This Was Killing Me, Would You Stop?" discusses a backstabbing friend.[11] Slower song "We're Nothing Without You"[10] is followed by the emo pop track "Something Isn't Right Here".[7] "Understand the Dream Is Over" was reminiscent of the sound of the group's debut. "This Is Your Life" initially begins slowly before picking up speed during its first quarter.[10] The penultimate track "You Always Say Goodnight, Goodnight" is a piano-centred ballad[6] that lasts for nine-and-a-half minutes. It features acoustic guitar work and electronic drum beats which crescendos into more guitar parts[11] and female backing vocalists.[2] Detar felt it was their attempt at making something Pink Floyd-esque.[12] It leads into the final track, the second instrumental "Emotion Is Dead Pt.II".[7]

Release

Emotion Is Dead was released on August 29, 2000 through Tooth & Nail Records.[13] In October, the group performed at the CMJ Music Marathon festival.[14] Between June and August 2001, the group performed on the Warped Tour.[15] It was released in Japan on March 6, 2002 through Howling Bull Entertainment, and included the bonus track "This Is the End of Your Life".[16] A live album, recorded in October 2001, was released in August 2003.[17]

Six of the album's tracks – namely, "If I Told You This Was Killing Me, Would You Stop?", "Into the Dark", "To the Tune of 5,000 Screaming Children", "Is Patience Still Waiting?", "We're at the Top of the World (To the Simple Two)" and "You Always Say Goodnight, Goodnight" – were released on the compilation album A Small Noise by Tooth & Nail after the group's break-up in 2006.[11] In 2010, the group reunited to play two celebratory 10th anniversary shows for the album.[18] To coincide with the band's 20th anniversary tour in 2017, Emotion Is Dead was re-pressed on vinyl.[3]

Reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[6]
CMJ New Music MonthlyFavorable[9]
Cross Rhythms[19]
Exclaim!Favorable[5]
Jesus Freak Hideout[10]
Punknews.org[20]
Ultimate Guitar10/10[21]

Prior to the release of Love in 2003, Emotion Is Dead had reportedly sold over 150,000 copies.[22]

Emotion Is Dead received generally positive reviews from music critics.

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Brett Detar, except where noted; all music is composed by The Juliana Theory.

No.TitleLength
1."Into the Dark"4:03
2."Don't Push Love Away"3:17
3."To the Tune of 5,000 Screaming Children"3:52
4."We're at the Top of the World (To the Simple Two)"3:17
5."Is Patience Still Waiting?"3:51
6."Emotion Is Dead Pt.I" (Instrumental)2:04
7."If I Told You This Was Killing Me, Would You Stop?"3:52
8."We're Nothing Without You"4:14
9."Something Isn't Right Here" (Detar, Joshua Kosker, Chad Alan)2:07
10."Understand the Dream Is Over"2:56
11."This Is Your Life" (Detar, Alan)3:35
12."You Always Say Goodnight, Goodnight"9:30
13."Emotion Is Dead Pt.II"4:45
Total length:51:21
Japanese bonus track
No.TitleLength
14."This Is the End of Your Life" 

Personnel
  • Chad Alan – electric bass guitars, backing vocals, additional percussion
  • Brett Detar – lead & backing vocals, lead & rhythm guitar, acoustic guitars, keyboards, key & drum programming & sequencing, sampling, additional percussion, additional bass guitar (track: 13), producer, recording (track: 13), recording pre-production demos
  • Brandon Ebel – executive producer
  • Joshua Fiedler – lead & rhythm guitars, acoustic guitars, backing vocals
  • Brian Gardner – mastering
  • Neil Hebrank – drum kit, ethnic percussion, various additional percussion, additional vocals
  • Rose Wind Jerome – cover girl photography
  • The Juliana Theory – performer
  • Jeff Jurciukonis – strings
  • Joshua Kosker – lead & rhythm guitars, acoustic guitars, backing vocals, additional percussion
  • Jason Magnusson – second engineer, mixing, sequencing (album order), tambourines, shakers, jingle bells, various assorted percussion, additional electronic drum programming (track: 12), recording (track: 9)
  • Teresa Paulson – A&R
  • Barry Poynter – producer, engineer, mixing, sequencing (album order)
  • Camilla Slertman – band photography
  • Brenda Tharp – supplementary vocals (track: 12)
  • Lopetz00 – opticals
Studios
  • Mastered at Bernie Grundman Mastering
  • Committed to various forms of digital and analog media and mixed to digital audio tape at Poynter's Palace, Little Rock, Arkansas
  • Recorded at The Detar House (track: 13)
  • Recorded at the Poynter's spare bedroom and living room (track: 9)
  • Pre-production demos recorded at the Detar house
  • Opticals crafted at Bureau Destruct, Bern, Switzerland

References

Citations

  1. "Understand This Is a Dream - The Juliana Theory | Release Info". AllMusic. Archived from the original on July 23, 2020. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  2. Masley 2000, p. 52
  3. "The Juliana Theory Announces Reunion Tour, Singer Brett Detar Comes to Terms With Emo's Pop Masterpiece". Billboard. April 17, 2017. Archived from the original on April 18, 2017. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  4. Manley, Brendan. "Men in Motion: The Juliana Theory's Ongoing Evolution". Long Island Press. Archived from the original on September 18, 2004. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
  5. Edwards, Michael (December 1, 2000). "Juliana Theory Emotion Is Dead". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on July 22, 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  6. Losey, Steve. "Emotion Is Dead - The Juliana Theory | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  7. "Emotion Is Dead". The Phantom Tollbooth. September 6, 2000. Archived from the original on September 10, 2011. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  8. Masley, Ed (February 7, 2003). "Concert Preview: Greensburg's The Juliana Theory breaks out with Epic debut". Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on July 22, 2020. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  9. Cusick 2001, p. 61
  10. Chamberlin, Kevin (July 21, 2001). "The Juliana Theory, "Emotion Is Dead" Review". Jesus Freak Hideout. Archived from the original on July 22, 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  11. Brandon J. (August 20, 2006). "The Juliana Theory "A Small Noise"". Indie Vision Music. Archived from the original on July 23, 2020. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  12. Bayer, Jonah (May 11, 2017). "Rank Your Records: Brett Detar Rates The Juliana Theory's Four Divisive Albums". Noisey. Archived from the original on July 22, 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  13. "Emotion Is Dead - The Juliana Theory | Release Info". AllMusic. Archived from the original on July 23, 2020. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  14. "Ballroom Blitz!". NME. October 23, 2000. Archived from the original on July 22, 2020. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  15. Vanhorn, Teri (March 13, 2001). "Warped Tour Adds Rollins Band, Lists Dates, Cities". MTV. Archived from the original on February 26, 2018. Retrieved February 25, 2018.
  16. Emotion Is Dead (sleeve). The Juliana Theory. Howling Bull Entertainment. 2002. HWCY-1088.CS1 maint: others (link)
  17. Wippsson, Johan (June 13, 2003). "Live Album From Juliana Theory". Melodic. Archived from the original on July 24, 2020. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
  18. Paul, Aubin (December 15, 2009). "Juliana Theory To Reunite For Emotion Is Dead 10th Anniversary Shows". Punknews.org. Archived from the original on July 24, 2020. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  19. Stafford, James (May 1, 2001). "The Juliana Theory - Emotion Is Dead". Cross Rhythms. Archived from the original on July 22, 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  20. Scott (December 19, 2003). "The Juliana Theory - Emotion Is Dead". Punknews.org. Archived from the original on July 22, 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  21. UG Team (July 17, 2003). "Emotion Is Dead review by The Juliana Theory". Ultimate Guitar. Archived from the original on July 22, 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  22. Masley, Ed (February 7, 2003). "Concert Preview: Greensburg's The Juliana Theory breaks out with Epic debut". Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on July 22, 2020. Retrieved July 25, 2020.

Sources

  • Cusick, Tanner (January 2001). "Reviews". CMJ New Music Monthly. CMJ Network, Inc. (89). ISSN 1074-6978. Archived from the original on July 23, 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  • Masley, Ed (September 29, 2000). "Sweet Emotion". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. ISSN 1068-624X. Archived from the original on July 23, 2020. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
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