The Dismemberment Plan Is Terrified

The Dismemberment Plan Is Terrified is the second studio album by American indie rock band The Dismemberment Plan. It was released on March 17, 1997 on DeSoto Records. Musically, the album is "less violent and less extravagant" than its predecessor, !. The album received positive reviews from critics, and got the band to sign with major record label Interscope.

The Dismemberment Plan Is Terrified
Studio album by
The Dismemberment Plan
ReleasedMarch 17, 1997
RecordedInner Ear Studios
GenrePost-hardcore[1]
Length44:52
LabelDeSoto
The Dismemberment Plan chronology
!
(1995)		 The Dismemberment Plan Is Terrified
(1997)		 Emergency & I
(1999)

Composition

Musically, the album can be described as a bridge between hardcore and noise rock. The track "That's When the Party Started" has a synthpop feel,[2] while the fourth track on the album, "Academy Award", is featured as a remix by Cex on the band's final album A People's History of the Dismemberment Plan. It is the only song from The Dismemberment Plan Is Terrified to be remixed for it.[3] "The Ice of Boston" was later released on an extended play of the same name, during their brief stint with Interscope Records.[4] The song is spoken-word and contains references to songwriter Jonathan Richman and singer-songwriter Gladys Knight's song "Midnight Train to Georgia".[5] Dismemberment Plan lead singer Travis Morrison described the album as "very confrontational", saying "it's the least melodic record we have, it's the most dedicated to hip-hop record we have".[6]

Reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Christgau's Consumer GuideA−[7]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[8]
Tiny Mix Tapes5/5[9]

The Dismemberment Plan Is Terrified received positive reviews from music critics. Brian Raftery of AllMusic commented that the album was not as good as The Dismemberment Plan's debut album, !, but nevertheless named "That's When the Party Started", "The Ice of Boston", and "Do the Standing Still" as standout tracks of the album.[2] Metroactive praised the album for being "wonderfully varied", also saying "no two tracks sound alike". The review concluded with the reviewer calling the album "a mess that's hard to resist."[5]

American music critic Robert Christgau called the album "surprisingly thoughtful for post-hardcore", stating that it sounds "sort of the way Primus might if Primus enjoyed a normal sex life."[7] And from the way the guitars and such come crashing down to break up a good party and set off a better one."[7] Joe Gardne of The A.V. Club published a positive review, saying "Odds are good that you'll find something you like right off the bat, and the rest will grow on you before you realize it."[10] Tiny Mix Tapes wrote that with The Dismemberment Plan Is Terrified, the band "completely annihilates the term sophomore slump".[9] Despite The Dismemberment Plan Is Terrified not being "radio friendly",[11] it led to major record label Interscope Records signing the band due to its strength.[2]

Track listing

All music is composed by The Dismemberment Plan.

No.TitleLength
1."Tonight We Mean It"2:55
2."That's When the Party Started"3:49
3."The Ice of Boston"4:55
4."Academy Award"2:26
5."Bra"3:06
6."Do the Standing Still"2:01
7."This Is the Life"4:06
8."One Too Many Blows to the Head"4:04
9."It's So You"2:17
10."Manipulate Me"2:38
11."Respect Is Due"12:35
12."The First Anniversary of Your Last Phone Call" (Japanese bonus track)4:43
13."Just Like You" (Japanese bonus track)4:39

Personnel

The following people were involved in the making of The Dismemberment Plan Is Terrified:

The Dismemberment Plan
Production

References
  1. Jeff Terich (August 22, 2008). "Album Review : The Dismemberment Plan – Emergency & I". Treble. Archived from the original on July 17, 2011. Retrieved March 13, 2011. Past albums ! and The Dismemberment Plan Is Terrified sufficiently established the band as post-hardcore and new wave-influenced iconoclasts, going spastic with Casio keyboards and funky rhythms
  2. Raftery, Brian. "The Dismemberment Plan Is Terrified – The Dismemberment Plan". AllMusic. Retrieved April 30, 2012.
  3. Joe Tangari (October 6, 2003). "The Dismemberment Plan: A People's History of the Dismemberment Plan". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved April 30, 2012.
  4. Brian Raftery. The Ice of Boston – The Dismemberment Plan at AllMusic. Retrieved April 30, 2012.
  5. Nicky Baxter. "Audiofile". Metroactive. Retrieved May 1, 2012.
  6. Ed Howard (September 1, 2003). "Dismemberment Plan – Interview". Stylus Magazine. Retrieved May 3, 2012.
  7. Christgau, Robert (2000). "The Dismemberment Plan: The Dismemberment Plan Is Terrified". Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s. St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0-312-24560-2. Retrieved April 30, 2012.
  8. Catucci, Nick (2004). "The Dismemberment Plan". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 243–44. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  9. Mr P. "The Dismemberment Plan – The Dismemberment Plan Is Terrified". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved April 30, 2012.
  10. Garden, Joe (April 19, 2002). "The Dismemberment Plan: ... Is Terrified". The A.V. Club. Retrieved April 30, 2012.
  11. McMahan, Tim. "After the Ice of Interscope". Lazy-i. Retrieved May 1, 2012.
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