| Follow the Leader | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | ||||
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| Singles from Follow the Leader | ||||
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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. This was 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, and is often credited with bringing nu metal to the mainstream. The album received a 5× Platinum certification in the United States[2] as well as a 3× Platinum in Australia and Canada.[3][4] 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.[5] The album generally received positive reviews by critics. Korn was praised by Allmusic saying the album is "an effective follow-up to their first two alt-metal landmarks."[6]
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.[5] Follow the Leader has sold over 14 million copies, making it Korn's most successful album.[5]
Contents |
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, although Robinson would work with Davis as a vocal coach for the album. 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.[7]
Follow the Leader features numerous guest vocalists, including Ice Cube on "Children of the Korn", Tré Hardson of The Pharcyde on "Cameltosis" and Limp Bizkit's Fred Durst on "All in the Family".[8][9] 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.[8][9]
Artists Greg Capullo and Todd McFarlane designed the cover artwork for Follow the Leader, who later designed the artwork for other albums such as Ten Thousand Fists by Disturbed.[10][11] They also drew the image which surfaced as the back cover of Follow the Leader. The cover art depicts a child hopscotching off a cliff and a gathering of kids waiting to follow.[12] The album cover is featured in the "Freak on a Leash" music video.[13]
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.[6] Follow the Leader was released August 18, 1998,[14] and was awarded multi-platinum certification for shipments in excess of five million copies, by the RIAA on March 15, 2002.[15] In fall of 1998, Korn started the Family Values Tour. It was called this because, as bassist Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu says, "so many of their friends who were like family to us played in bands".[16] The tour started on September 22, 1998, ending on October 31, 1998. The tour 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.[16] The tour was considered to be a major success, and promoted Follow the Leader to sales that were considered to have "skyrocketed".[17]
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.[18] The album had five singles issued: "All in the Family", "Got the Life", "Freak on a Leash", "Children of the Korn", and "B.B.K."[19]
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."[6] Entertainment Weekly commented that Follow the Leader was Korn's "gimmick", while saying the album had "steely riffs" and "stomping beats".[20] 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.[6][21]
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.[22] Journal Now said that Korn "shaped rap, metal and punk into a sonic maelstrom that is brutal, aggressive - and reasonably musical".[23] The Daily News said that "the band shovels chunky beats into an already complex sound..."[24] 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.[25] Charlotte Observer said the album was dark, but humble.[26] 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.[12]
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | [6] |
| Billboard | (favorable)[27] |
| Robert Christgau | (C)[28] |
| Entertainment Weekly | (B-)[20] |
| The New York Times | (mixed)[29] |
| Rolling Stone | [30] |
| Spin | (7/10)[31] |
| Yahoo! Music | (favorable)[32] |
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 two alt-metal landmarks." Erlewine also said that the songs were "vehicles for the metal grind".[6] 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."[20] Jon Pareles from The New York Times said the album was "choppy", and also said that lead singer Jonathan Davis was "wrestling with self-hatred, violent impulses, parental execration, and a confused sexual identity..."[29] 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.[28] 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".[30] The album is featured in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[33]
The album peaked at number one on four charts, including the Billboard 200.[34] Follow the Leader peaked at number five in the United Kingdom.[35] The album received a 5× Platinum certification in the United States,[2] as well as a triple platinum in Australia and Canada.[3][4] Follow the Leader also received a gold in the NVPI.[36] The album's first charting single, "Got the Life", released November 23, 1998, peaked at number fifteen on the Mainstream Rock Songs chart,[37] and received a gold certification in Australia.[38] The album's next charting single, "Freak on a Leash", released May 25, 1999, peaked at number six on the Alternative Songs chart, as well as number six on the Bubbling Under Hot 100,[34] and like "Got the Life", received a gold certification in Australia.[38] "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.[5]
All songs credited to Korn.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "It's On!" | 4:29 |
| 2. | "Freak on a Leash" | 4:15 |
| 3. | "Got the Life" | 3:45 |
| 4. | "Dead Bodies Everywhere" | 4:44 |
| 5. | "Children of the Korn" (feat. Ice Cube) | 3:52 |
| 6. | "B.B.K." | 3:56 |
| 7. | "Pretty" | 4:12 |
| 8. | "All in the Family" (feat. Fred Durst) | 4:48 |
| 9. | "Reclaim My Place" | 4:32 |
| 10. | "Justin" | 4:17 |
| 11. | "Seed" | 5:54 |
| 12. | "Cameltosis" (feat. Tre Hardson) | 4:38 |
| 13. | "My Gift to You" (Includes hidden track, "Earache My Eye", feat. Cheech Marin) | 15:40 |
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Total length:
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70:08 | |
| Korn | Additional musicians | Production | Ref | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Preceded by Da Game Is to Be Sold Not to Be Told by Snoop Dogg |
Billboard 200 number-one album September 5–12, 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 6, 1998 |
Succeeded by Internationalist by Powderfinger |
| Preceded by Amageddon (soundtrack) by various artists |
Canadian Albums Chart number-one album September 5–12, 1998 |
Succeeded by Armageddon (soundtrack) by various artists |
| Book: Follow the Leader | |
| Wikipedia books are collections of articles that can be downloaded or ordered in print. | |