Follow the Leader (Korn album)

Follow the Leader
A child hop-scotching off a cliff and a gathering of kids waiting to follow.
Studio album by Korn
Released August 18, 1998
Recorded March - May 1998 at NRG Recording Studios in North Hollywood, California[1]
Genre Nu metal
Length 70:08
Label Immortal/Epic
Producer Steve Thompson, Toby Wright
Korn chronology
Life Is Peachy
(1996)		 Follow the Leader
(1998)		 Issues
(1999)
Singles from Follow the Leader
  1. "All in the Family"
    Released: 1998
  2. "Got the Life"
    Released: November 23, 1998
  3. "Freak on a Leash"
    Released: May 25, 1999
  4. "Children of the Korn"
    Released: 1999
  5. "B.B.K."
    Released: 1999

Follow the Leader is the third studio album by American nu metal band Korn. The album was released on August 18, 1998, through Immortal/Epic. The first 12 tracks on the CD, which are 5 seconds each, form a minute of silence for Justin, a boy who was dying of intestinal cancer. Justin's last wish was to meet the members of KoRn. This was also their first album not produced by Ross Robinson. Instead, it was produced by Steve Thompson and Toby Wright.

The album peaked at number one on four charts, including the Billboard 200. The album received a 5× Platinum certification in the United States, as well as a 3× Platinum certification in Australia and Canada. Its singles "Got the Life" and "Freak on a Leash," both charted on more than three charts, and their music videos are considered to be the first music videos retired from MTV.[2] The album generally received positive reviews by critics. Korn was praised by Allmusic saying the album is "an effective follow-up to their first to alt-metal landmarks."[3]

The Family Values Tour promoted the album, along with its five singles. The song "Freak on a Leash" was nominated for nine MTV Video Music Awards, and won for the Best Rock Video award, as well as the Best Editing award.[2] Follow the Leader sold over five million albums, making it one of Korn's most successful albums.[2]

Contents

Recording and production

By early 1998, Korn returned to the studio to record Follow the Leader. Even though Korn was impressed by the work Ross Robinson had done on their previous albums, they decided to work with Steve Thompson and Toby Wright. Korn was shown making the video on KornTV. The reason they exposed themselves making the album was because they wanted to let their fans see what they were doing in the studio and behind the scenes.[4]

Follow the Leader features numerous guest vocalists, including Ice Cube on "Children of the Korn", Tre Hardson of The Pharcyde on "Cameltosis" and Limp Bizkit's Fred Durst on "All in the Family".[5][6] Actor Cheech Marin provides vocals on "Earache My Eye", a cover of the song from the Cheech and Chong movie Up in Smoke, with the rest of the band trading instruments for the song.[5][6]

Photography and illustration

Artists Greg Capullo and Todd McFarlane designed the cover artwork for Follow the Leader, having designed the artwork for other albums such as Ten Thousand Fists by Disturbed.[7][8] They also drew the image which surfaced as the back cover of Follow the Leader. The cover art depicts a child hop-scotching off a cliff and a gathering of kids waiting to follow.[9] The album cover is featured in the "Freak on a Leash" music video.[10]

Promotion

Follow the Leader is recognized as Korn's mainstream breakthrough, and the album that ultimately ushered nu metal and re-ushered heavy metal into the mainstream.[3] Follow the Leader was released August 18, 1998,[11] and was awarded Five-times Multiple Platinum in the US on March 15, 2002, by the RIAA.[12] In fall of 1998, Korn started a Lollapalooza tour, entitled the Family Values Tour. It was called this because as bassist Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu says "because so many of their friends who were like family to us played in bands".[13] The toured started on September 22, 1998, to October 31, 1998. The tour featured a 27 track set-list, and grossed over 6.4 million (6,400,000). Korn maintained a generally low ticket price, usually no more than thirty dollars. Korn toured with the band Limp Bizkit, as well as Ice Cube, Orgy, Incubus, and Rammstein.[13] The tour was considered to be a major success, and promoted Follow the Leader to sales that were considered to have "skyrocketed".[14]

The album was also promoted through Concrete Marketing's Concrete Corner program. The promotion saw 100,000 copies of a compilation CD featuring tracks of breakthrough artists approved by Korn, as well as a previously unreleased Korn track, being shrink-wrapped to the album at participating stores and given away for free with each purchase of the album. Baby band artists (at the time) featured on this CD included Kid Rock, Orgy, Powerman 5000 and Limp Bizkit.[15]

The album has had five singles issued, "All in the Family," "Got the Life," "Freak on a Leash," "Children of the Korn," and "B.B.K."[16]

Composition

Follow the Leader is seventy minutes and eight seconds long. Allmusic said, "They write songs, but those wind up not being nearly as memorable as their lurching metallic hip-hop grind."[3] Entertainment Weekly commented that Follow the Leader was Korn's "gimmick," while saying the album had "steely riffs" and "stomping beats".[17] Tower Records said the album "combines streamlined metal with ominous industrial touches and an undercurrent of hip-hop rhythm," and also said it was an "urban nightmare".[1] The album is considered to be nu metal, but spans other genres such as alternative metal and heavy metal.[3][18]

The album features 25 tracks, 12 of which last five seconds of silence, making the first 60 seconds of the album all silent.[1] Follow the Leader follows the lyrical style that vocalist Jonathan Davis, who was established on their demo album Neidermeyer's Mind.[19] Journal Now said that Korn "shaped rap, metal and punk into a sonic maelstrom that is brutal, aggressive - and reasonably musical".[20] The Daily News said that "the band shovels chunky beats into an already complex sound..."[21] Michael Mehle of Rocky Mountain News said, "For the uninitiated, the classic Korn sound comes rumbling out of the speakers on the first cut: It's On! grinds fuzzy guitars, thunderous beats and shouts of gut-wrenching rage into an anthem for the alienated", and gave other positive remarks.[22] Charlotte Observer said the album was dark, but humble.[23] A Zeeland high school assistant principal said in an interview for a Michigan newspaper that the music is "indecent, vulgar, obscene and intends to be insulting". She said this after giving a student a one-day suspension for wearing a shirt with Korn on it.[9]

Critical reception

 Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic 4/5 stars[3]
Billboard (favorable)[24]
Robert Christgau (C)[25]
Entertainment Weekly (B-)[17]
The New York Times (mixed)[26]
Rolling Stone 4/5 stars[27]
Spin (7/10)[28]
Yahoo! Music (favorable)[29]

Follow the Leader received generally positive reviews. Stephan Thomas Erlewine from Allmusic gave the album four out of five stars, saying that it "is an effective follow-up to their first to alt-metal landmarks." Erlewine also said that the songs were "vehicles for the metal grind".[3] Entertainment Weekly gave the album a B–. Reviewer Jim Farber said that the lyrics "provide a new blend of metal and remnants of alt-rock."[17] Jon Pareles from The New York Times said the album was "choppy," and also said than lead singer Jonathan Davis was "wrestling with self-hatred, violent impulses, parental execration, and a confused sexual identity..."[26] Robert Christgau gave Follow the Leader a C, saying that despite the band's denials they fit the definition of "metal", and criticizing the lyrical themes.[25] Rolling Stone gave the album four out of five stars, while saying that Korn "have an ideal record for those long, black days when all you can do is say 'What the Fuck! What the Fuck! What the Fuck!' at bloody murder volume".[27] The album is featured in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[30]

The album peaked at number one on four charts, including the Billboard 200.[31][32] Follow the Leader peaked number at five in the United Kingdom.[33] The album received a 5× Platinum certification in the United States,[34] as well as a triple platinum in Australia and Canada.[35][36] Follow the Leader also received a gold in the NVPI.[37] The album's single "Got the Life," released November 23, 1998, peaked at number fifteen on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart,[38] and received a gold in Austalia.[35] The album's third single, "Freak on a Leash," released May 25, 1999, peaked number at six on the Modern Rock Tracks chart, as well as 106 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100,[31] and like "Got the Life," received a gold certification in Australia.[35] Both "Freak on a Leash" and "Got the Life" were both listed on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 singles.[39] "Freak on a Leash" was nominated for nine MTV Video Music Awards, and won for the Best Rock Video award, as well as the Best Editing award.[2]

Track listing

All songs credited to Korn.

Main track list
No. Title Length
13. "It's On!"   4:28
14. "Freak on a Leash"   4:15
15. "Got the Life"   3:45
16. "Dead Bodies Everywhere"   4:44
17. "Children of the Korn" (feat. Ice Cube) 3:52
18. "B.B.K."   3:56
19. "Pretty"   4:12
20. "All in the Family" (feat. Fred Durst) 4:48
21. "Reclaim My Place"   4:32
22. "Justin"   4:17
23. "Seed"   5:54
24. "Cameltosis" (feat. Tré Hardson) 4:38
25. "My Gift to You" (Includes hidden track, "Earache My Eye") 15:40
Total length:
 70:08

Credits

Korn Additional Musicians Production Ref
  • Fred Durst – vocals
  • Tré Hardson – vocals
  • Ice Cube – vocals
  • Thomas Kornacker – performer
  • Todd McFarlane – artwork
  • Greg Capullo – artwork
  • Joseph Cultice – photography
  • Tommy D. – programming
  • John Ewing, Jr. – engineer, assistant engineer
  • Stephen Marcussen – mastering
  • Brendan O'Brien – mixing
  • Steve Thompson – producer
  • Don C. Tyler – digital editing
  • Justin Z. Walden – drums, programming
  • Toby Wright – producer, engineer
[5]

Charts

Album
Chart Peak Position
US Billboard 200[31] 1
Australian ARIA Charts[40] 1
Austrian Albums Chart[41] 7
Canadian Albums Chart[32] 1
Finland charts[42] 4
French SNEP[43] 5
German Media Control Charts[44] 12
Dutch MegaCharts[45] 7
Norwegian VG-lista[46] 5
New ZealandRIANZ[47] 1
Swedish Sverigetopplistan[48] 24
UK Albums Chart[33] 5
Singles
Year Single US

[31]

 US
Main.

[38]

 US
Alt.

[31]

 AUS

[49]

 GER

[50]

 NLD

[51]

 UK

[33]
1998 "Got the Life" — 15 17 26 — — 22
1999 "Freak on a Leash" 106 10 6 22 58 23 24

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Follow The Leader (CD)". Tower Records. http://www.tower.com/follow-leader-korn-cd/wapi/106695853. Retrieved 2010-03-19. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Arvizu 2009, p. 118
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas "allmusic ((( Follow the Leader > Review)))" Allmusic. Retrieved 2010-04-13
  4. ↑ Arvizu 2009, p. 112
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Follow the Leader credits" Allmusic. Retrieved 2010-03-13
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Arvizu 2009, p. 113
  7. ↑ "Greg Capullo > Credits" Allmusic. Retieved 2010-03-20
  8. ↑ "Todd McFarlane > Credits" Allmusic. Retieved 2010-03-20
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Ross, Mike (98-09-17) "Kids like their Korn" Canoe. Retrieved 2010-03-20
  10. ↑ (99-02-04) "Korn 'Freak' Video To Debut On Friday" MTV. Retrieved 2010-03-20
  11. ↑ "Follow the Leader (Explicit Lyrics)" Amazon.com Retrieved 2010-03-18
  12. ↑ "RIAA Gold & Platinum" RIAA. Retrieved 2010-03-12
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Arvizu 2009, p. 119
  14. ↑ Arvizu 2009, p. 121
  15. ↑ http://books.google.com/books?id=tQ0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA88&dq=bob+chiappardi#v=onepage&q=bob%20chiappardi&f=false
  16. ↑ "Follow the Leader Discography" The Reeper.com. Retrieved 2010-04-05
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 F"ollow the Leader | Music | EW.com" Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2010-04-13
  18. ↑ "Korn - Follow The Leader Review - sputnikmusic" Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 2010-03-19
  19. ↑ Arvizu 2009, p. 62
  20. ↑ "KORN'S FOLLOW THE LEADER RIDES THE MAELSTROM" Journal Now. Retrieved 2010-03-20
  21. ↑ (98-11-02) "Korn puts on dancing shoes in new album" Daily News. Retrieved 2010-03-20
  22. ↑ (98-11-04) "Follow the Leader Sticks To the Korn Recipe" The Rocky Mountain News.
  23. ↑ "Korn's Dark But Humble Says Guitarist" Newsbank.com Retrieved 2010-04-13
  24. ↑ "Follow the Leader Album Reviews" Billboard.com. Retrieved 2010-04-13
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 Robert Christgau "Korn" Retrieved 2010-04-13
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 "Follow the Leader - NY Times.com" The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-04-13
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 "Follow the Leader review by Rolling Stone" Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2010-04-13 Archived March 4, 2008 at the Wayback Machine.
  28. ↑ Smith, RJ (October 1998). "Reviews". Spin (SPIN Media LLC) 14 (10): 135. ISSN 0886-3032. http://books.google.ca/books?id=FD4jKFVQOhMC&pg=PT3. 
  29. ↑ "Yahoo! Music - Follow the Leader" Yahoo! Retrieved 2010-04-13
  30. ↑ "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die" Rocklist.net. Retrieved 2010-03-17
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 31.2 31.3 31.4 "American chart". Billboard charts. http://www.billboard.com/#/artist/korn/chart-history/121196. Retrieved 2010-03-17. 
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 "Canadian chart". Billboard charts. http://www.billboard.com/#/artist/korn/chart-history/121196. Retrieved 2010-03-17. 
  33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 33.2 "British chart". Zobbel.de. http://www.zobbel.de/cluk/CLUK_K.HTM. Retrieved 2010-03-17. 
  34. ↑ "RIAA certifications". Recording Industry Association of America. http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH. Retrieved 2010-03-17. 
  35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 35.2 "ARIA certifications". Australian Recording Industry Association. http://www.aria.com.au/pages/aria-charts-accreditations.htm. Retrieved 2010-03-17. 
  36. ↑ "CRIA certifications". Canadian Recording Industry Association. http://www.cria.ca/cert_db_search.php. Retrieved 2010-03-17. 
  37. ↑ "NVPI certifications". The Dutch Association of Producers and Importers of image- and sound-bearers. http://www.nvpi.nl/nvpi/pagina.asp?pagkey=60461. Retrieved 2010-03-17. 
  38. ↑ 38.0 38.1 "Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks" Allmusic
  39. ↑ "Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles" Billboard. Retrieved 2010-03-16
  40. ↑ "Australian albums chart". australian-charts.com. http://australian-charts.com/search.asp?search=Korn&cat=a. Retrieved 2010-03-17. 
  41. ↑ "Austrian albums chart". austriancharts.at. http://austriancharts.at/search.asp?search=Korn&cat=a. Retrieved 2010-03-18. 
  42. ↑ "Finnish albums chart". finnishcharts.com. http://finnishcharts.com/search.asp?search=Korn&cat=a. Retrieved 2010-03-18. 
  43. ↑ "French albums chart". lescharts.com. http://lescharts.com/search.asp?search=Korn&cat=a. Retrieved 2010-03-18. 
  44. ↑ "German albums chart". musicline.de. http://www.musicline.de/de/chartverfolgung_summary/artist/Korn/?type=longplay. Retrieved 2010-03-18. 
  45. ↑ "Dutch albums chart". dutchcharts.nl. http://dutchcharts.nl/search.asp?search=Korn&cat=a. Retrieved 2010-03-18. 
  46. ↑ "Norwegian albums chart". norwegiancharts.com. http://norwegiancharts.com/search.asp?search=Korn&cat=a. Retrieved 2010-03-18. 
  47. ↑ "New Zealand albums chart". charts.org.nz. http://charts.org.nz/search.asp?search=Korn&cat=a. Retrieved 2010-03-17. 
  48. ↑ "Swedish albums chart". swedishcharts.com. http://swedishcharts.com/search.asp?search=Korn&cat=a. Retrieved 2010-03-18. 
  49. ↑ "Australian singles chart". australian-charts.com. http://australian-charts.com/search.asp?search=Korn&cat=s. Retrieved 2008-04-22. 
  50. ↑ "German singles chart". musicline.de. http://www.musicline.de/de/chartverfolgung_summary/artist/Korn/single. Retrieved 2008-04-22. 
  51. ↑ "Dutch singles chart". dutchcharts.nl. http://dutchcharts.nl/search.asp?search=Korn&cat=s. Retrieved 2008-04-22. 

Literature

Preceded by
Da Game Is to Be Sold Not to Be Told
by Snoop Dogg		 Billboard 200 number-one album
September 5–11, 1998		 Succeeded by
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
by Lauryn Hill
Preceded by
Left of the Middle by Natalie Imbruglia		 Australian ARIA Albums Chart number-one album
August 30 - September 5, 1998		 Succeeded by
Internationalist by Powderfinger
Korn
Jonathan Davis · James "Munky" Shaffer · Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu · Ray Luzier
Brian "Head" Welch · David Silveria
Studio albums
Korn · Life Is Peachy · Follow the Leader · Issues · Untouchables · Take a Look in the Mirror · See You on the Other Side · Untitled album · Korn III: Remember Who You Are
Live albums
Live & Rare · MTV Unplugged: Korn
Compilation albums
Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 · Korn Kovers (unreleased)
Extended plays
Neidermeyer's Mind · All Mixed Up · Korn Digital EP #1 · Korn Digital EP #2 · Korn Digital EP #3
Singles
"Christmas Song" · "Blind" · "Shoots and Ladders" · "Need To" · "Clown" · "No Place to Hide" · "A.D.I.D.A.S." · "Good God" · "All in the Family" · "Got the Life" · "Children of the Korn" · "Freak on a Leash" · "B.B.K." · " Falling Away from Me" · "Make Me Bad" · "Somebody Someone" · "Here to Stay" · "Thoughtless" · "Alone I Break" · "Did My Time" · "Right Now" · "Y'All Want a Single" · "Everything I've Known" · "Word Up!" · "Another Brick in the Wall" · "Twisted Transistor" · "Coming Undone" · "Coming Undone wit It" · "Politics"  · "Freak on a Leash" · "Evolution" · "Hold On" · "Kiss" · "Haze" · "Oildale (Leave Me Alone)" · "Let the Guilt Go"
Notable songs
"Alive" · "Daddy" · "Jingle Balls" · "A Song for Chi"
Video albums
Who Then Now? · Deuce · Korn Live · Live on the Other Side · Chopped, Screwed, Live and Unglued · Korn: Live in Montreux 2004 · Korn Live: The Encounter
Concert tours
Family Values Tour · Bitch We Have a Problem Tour · Escape from the Studio Tour  · Ballroom Blitz Tour  · Mayhem Festival 2010 · Music as a Weapon V Tour
Related bands
Jonathan Davis and the SFA · Fear and the Nervous System · StillWell · Sexart · L.A.P.D. · Videodrone
Signature instruments
Ibanez Apex · Ibanez K5 · Ibanez K7
Related books
Got the Life · Save Me from Myself · Washed by Blood
Related articles
Discography · "Korn's Groovy Pirate Ghost Mystery" · Members · Nightmare Revisited  · Project page · Queen of the Damned soundtrack · Solo projects
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