Steal This Album!

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This article is about the album by System of a Down. For the album by The Coup, see Steal This Album.
Steal This Album!
Steal This Album! cover
Studio album by System of a Down
Released November 26, 2002
Recorded 2002
Genre Alternative Metal
Length 43:31
Label American/Columbia
Producer(s) Rick Rubin, Daron Malakian
Professional reviews
System of a Down chronology
Toxicity
(2001)		 Steal This Album!
(2002)		 Mezmerize
(2005)


Steal This Album! is an album by System of a Down. Produced by Rick Rubin and Daron Malakian, Steal This Album! was recorded in mid-2002 and released on November 26, 2002 by American Recordings. The album reached No. 15 in the Billboard Top 200.

This album was released shortly after a collection of medium-quality MP3s found their way onto the Internet under the unofficial name Toxicity II, a year after the release of the group's multi-platinum record, Toxicity. The band issued a statement expressing their disappointment that their fans were hearing unfinished material, and released the finished versions of the leaked material. Most, but not all tracks from the original leak made it onto Steal This Album! (e.g. "Virginity"), and several new tracks such as "Roulette" were also added. Many song titles, lyrics, and melodies were changed, making the new album significantly different from the unfinished product.

Though often reported in the media as being a collection of B-sides and outtakes, the band insists that the Steal This Album! material is of the same quality as the tracks which made it onto Toxicity. Vocalist Serj Tankian has said that the songs were left out of Toxicity "because they didn't fit the overall continuity of the album." [1]

The album title is a reference to Abbie Hoffman's book Steal This Book, which is regarded by many as a classic example of counterculture literature. A similar title - Steal This Movie! - was used for a movie about Hoffman's life. A year prior to this album however, The Suicide Machines had already released an album titled Steal This Record. The Coup had also released a Steal This Album in 1998. The title of track 12, "Fuck The System", is probably also based off of the Abbie Hoffman book of the same name. It certainly could be argued that, like Hoffman, System of a Down have used some of their lyrics to discuss radical political opinions. The choice of album title could also be interpreted as being a reference to the Recording Industry Association of America's campaign against peer-to-peer MP3 file-sharing, which attracted significant mainstream media attention, both before and since the album's release. Given the aforementioned history of the album, such a view is given credence. It could also be interpreted as a message to those who leaked the unfinished, unmastered versions of the songs, on the Internet.

An Alternate version of "Streamline" was used in The Scorpion King soundtrack, which was released in early 2002.

The packaging for this album is unique. The album comes in a normal CD Jewel Case without a booklet, just the CD. On the CD and back of the case, it looks like it has been written on with a pen, thus imitating a bootleg CD.

Contents

[edit] Alternative covers

In the United Kingdom and United States releases of Steal This Album, for a limited time four alternative covers were available. Each were supposedly designed by a member of the band. One featured an entirely blue background with text swirling into the center. One was a drawing of crude stylized flames, accompanied by text. The third was black and gray, depicting a skull with writing in the mouth. The fourth, and perhaps most controversial featured two 'V' shapes, crossing over in the center to create a diamond. One 'V' was entirely blue, and the other red and white striped. It has been speculated that this shape suggests 'Uncle Sam' having sex with The Queen of England. These albums are very rare.

[edit] Track listing

[edit] Steal This Album!

All songs by Serj Tankian and Daron Malakian unless otherwise noted.

  1. "Chic 'N' Stu" – 2:23
  2. "Innervision" – 2:33
  3. "Bubbles" – 1:57
  4. "Boom!" – 2:15
  5. "Nüguns" – 2:31
  6. "A.D.D. (American Dream Denial)" – 3:18
  7. "Mr. Jack" – 4:11
  8. "I-E-A-I-A-I-O" (Tankian, Dolmayan, Odadjian, Malakian) – 3:08
  9. "36" – 0:46
  10. "Pictures" – 2:07
  11. "Highway Song" – 3:15
  12. "Fuck the System" (Written as "F**k the System" on the back of the album) – 2:15
  13. "Ego Brain" – 3:23
  14. "Thetawaves" – 2:39
  15. "Roulette" – 3:21
  16. "Streamline" – 3:35

[edit] Leaked Version ("Toxicity II")

All songs by Serj Tankian and Daron Malakian unless otherwise noted.

# Song Name STA! equivalent Song by
1 "Everytime" "Boom!"
2 "Streamline" "Streamline"
3 "Virginity" aka "Virgin Tea" or "Cherry"
4 "Census" aka "Waiting For You, Ver. 1" "Thetawaves"
5 "We Don't Give A" "A.D.D. (American Dream Denial)"
6 "Side Of The Freeway" "Mr. Jack"
7 "On My Mind" "Pictures"
8 "Want Me To Try" "Highway Song"
9 "K.I.T.T." aka "Why?" "I-E-A-I-A-I-O" Tankian, Dolmayan, Odadjian, Malakian
10 "Chupa Cabra/Power Struggle" "Bubbles"
11 "Therapy" "Chic 'N' Stu"
12 "Fortress" aka "Outer Space" or "Forever"
13 "Your Own Pace" "36"
14 "Defy You" "Nüguns" (same music but different lyrics)
15 "Census" (Rougher Version) aka "Waiting For You, Ver. 2" "Thetawaves"

[edit] Credits

[edit] Charting singles

Year Single Chart Position
2003 Innervision Mainstream Rock Tracks No. 14
2003 Innervision Modern Rock Tracks No. 12

[edit] See also

  • Strange loop, the technical name for the self-reference of this title
System of a Down
Serj Tankian | Daron Malakian | Shavo Odadjian | John Dolmayan
Andy Khachaturian
Discography
Albums/EPs: Sugar EP | System of a Down | Toxicity | Steal This Album! | Mezmerize | Hypnotize | Lonely Day EP
Demos: Untitled 1995 Demo Tape | Demo Tape 1 | Demo Tape 2 | Demo Tape 3
Singles: "Sugar" | "Spiders" | "War?" | "Prison Song" | "Chop Suey!" | "Toxicity" | "Aerials" | "Innervision" | "Boom!" | "I-E-A-I-A-I-O" | "B.Y.O.B." | "Cigaro" | "Question!" | "Radio/Video" | "Hypnotize" | "Lonely Day" | "Kill Rock 'N Roll"
Related articles
Axis of Justice | Cool Gardens | Vartan Malakian | Screamers | Category:System of a Down songs

Bands: Soil | Serart | Scars on Broadway | ACHOZEN   Labels: Serjical Strike Records | EatUrMusic
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