Slowly Going the Way of the Buffalo
| Slowly Going the Way of the Buffalo | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 16, 1998 | |||
| Recorded | February 1998 | |||
| Studio | Robert Lang Studios, Seattle, Washington | |||
| Genre | Punk rock,[1] pop punk[1] | |||
| Length | 40:29 | |||
| Label | A&M, Tooth & Nail | |||
| Producer | Steve Kravac | |||
| MxPx chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Slowly Going the Way of the Buffalo | ||||
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Slowly Going the Way of the Buffalo is the fourth studio album released by American punk rock band MxPx in 1998. The album title was taken from a letter that a fan had written to the band, complaining that the band was changing and was "slowly going the way of the buffalo".
Background[edit]
Due to the success of MxPx's "Chick Magnet", from their previous album, Life in General, the band signed a multi-album contract with A&M.[2] A&M had previously signed a deal with Tooth & Nail to co-market Life in General.[2] This market deal was "cobbled together in order to sign the band", according to A&M chairman Al Cafaro.[2]
Composition and recording[edit]
Moving away from the sound of Life in General, the band "dirtied things up a little", according to vocalist and bassist Mike Herrera, for Slowly Going the Way of the Buffalo.[2] The band refrained from making the album "sound like it was produced in a lab."[2] Greg Hetson of Bad Religion has guest vocals on "The Downfall of Western Civilization".[2]
Release[edit]
To generate hype, A&M picked 1,000 of the band's fans and, from April to June 1998, sent them a CD of songs from the album.[2] Despite the band's sizable fan base, the label was not approaching the album with high expectations.[2] The vice president of A&M estimated the album would easily achieve 100,000 in sales.[2] On May 6, "I'm OK, You're OK" was sent to modern rock radio stations.[2] The band supported Bad Religion on their tour of Europe in May.[2] Slowly Going the Way of the Buffalo was released on June 16 through A&M.[2] From June 30, for five weeks, the band played on the 1998 edition of Warped Tour.[2] In August, the band supported Blink-182.[2]
Reception[edit]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| HM Magazine | (favorable)[3] |
| The Phantom Tollbooth | [4] |
| Rock Hard | 6/10[5] |
The album charted at number 99 on the Billboard 200[6] and at number 2 on the Top Contemporary Christian chart.[7] It certified gold in January 2000 by the Recording Industry Association of America.[8]
Track listing[edit]
All tracks are written by Mike Herrera, and arranged by MxPx
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Under Lock and Key" | 2:32 |
| 2. | "Tomorrow's Another Day" | 2:47 |
| 3. | "The Final Slowdance" | 1:59 |
| 4. | "I'm OK, You're OK" | 2:39 |
| 5. | "Cold and All Alone" | 2:07 |
| 6. | "Party, My House, Be There" | 2:16 |
| 7. | "The Downfall of Western Civilization" | 2:42 |
| 8. | "Invitation to Understanding" | 2:33 |
| 9. | "Fist vs Tact" | 1:11 |
| 10. | "What's Mine Is Yours" | 3:44 |
| 11. | "Self Serving with a Purpose" | 2:48 |
| 12. | "For Always" | 3:12 |
| 13. | "Set the Record Straight" | 2:57 |
| 14. | "Get with It!" | 1:44 |
| 15. | "Inches from Life" | 1:51 |
| 16. | "The Theme Fiasco" | 3:10 |
| Total length: | 40:29 | |
Personnel[edit]
|
MxPx
Additional musicians
|
Production
Artwork
|
Chart positions[edit]
|
Certifications[edit]
|
References[edit]
- ^ a b c Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Slowly Going the Way of the Buffalo - MxPx - Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Reece 1998, p. 18
- ^ McGovern 1998
- ^ "MxPx review by The Phantom Tollbooth e'zine". tollbooth.org. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
- ^ Jaedike, Jan (August 2000). "MxPx Slowly Going the Way of the Buffalo". Rock Hard (in German). Retrieved September 3, 2022.
- ^ a b "MxPx - Chart history (Billboard 200)". billboard.com. Retrieved July 29, 2015.
- ^ a b "Top Contemporary Christian" 1998, p. 37
- ^ a b "RIAA Database Search Results". Recording Industry Association of America.
Bibliography[edit]
- McGovern, Brian Vincent (September–October 1998). "Album Reviews: MxPx Slowly Going the Way of the Buffalo". HM (73). ISSN 1066-6923.
- Reece, Doug (May 23, 1998). "A&M Rounds Up Existing Fan Base For MxPx's 'Buffalo' Set". Billboard. 110 (21). Nielsen Business Media, Inc. ISSN 0006-2510.
- "Top Contemporary Christian". Billboard. 110 (27). Nielsen Business Media, Inc. July 4, 1998. ISSN 0006-2510.
