Issues (Korn album)

Issues
Studio album by Korn
Released November 16, 1999
Recorded July–September 1999 at A&M Studios in West Hollywood, California & Atlanta, Georgia
Genre Nu metal,[1][2] alternative metal[3]
Length 53:16
Label Immortal, Epic
Producer Brendan O'Brien
Korn chronology

Follow the Leader
(1998)
Issues
(1999)
Untouchables
(2002)
Singles from Issues
  1. "Falling Away from Me"
    Released: December 6, 1999
  2. "Make Me Bad"
    Released: February 2000
  3. "Somebody Someone"
    Released: July 3, 2000
2nd Place Cover Design
3rd Place Cover Design
4th Place Cover Design

Issues is the fourth studio album by American nu metal band Korn, released on November 16, 1999 through Immortal Records. Since its release, the album has sold over 13 million copies worldwide. The album was promoted throughout 2000 by the band's highly successful Sick and Twisted Tour.

Recording and production

During one of the band's recording sessions, journalist Chris Connelly asked about how the recording was coming along, to which drummer David Silveria responded that it "Sounds like the music is a little more simplified and heavier. Kind of heavier grooves, more than the last couple. So kind of more similar to the beginning, except Jon is a much better singer now, so it's all coming together."[4]

In October 1999, Korn posted "Falling Away from Me" on their website as a free MP3 download, although it was against the advice of its attorneys. A statement on the band's site relates: "We're so psyched about [the new album] that we wanted to give all you guys, the true Korn fans — a gift from us. "Korn Offers Free MP3 Of New Single". MTV. Also at this time, the band attempted to start an online chain email, by posting the letter online and asking fans to email the letter to 10 other people and to then sign the "I Downloaded the Korn Single For Free" guestbook on the band's site. For each person who signed, Korn donated 25 cents to the charities Childhelp USA and Children Of The Night. It raised over $250,000.[5]

On November 15, 1999, Korn played at the Apollo Theater in New York City where they played Issues in its entirety. They performed with a choir as well as the pipes and drums of the New York City Police Department. The crowd was mainly radio contest winners. The band claimed that there was a limited number of tickets sold for the concert.[6]

The album featured four different covers each designed by Korn fans as part of an MTV contest (the winning cover was designed by Alfredo Carlos; another album cover for special limited edition of the album features a cartoonish half-caricature for the band). There was also a fifth cover selected for the limited tour edition of the album.[7]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
AllMusic [3]
Billboard (positive)[8]
CDNOW [9]
Entertainment Weekly (C)[10]
Robert Christgau [11]
Kerrang!
New York Daily News (positive)[12]
The New York Times (mixed)[13]
NME [14]
PopMatters [15]
Rolling Stone [16]
Yahoo! Music (favorable)[17]

Although the album received mixed reviews upon release, it became a commercial success. According to the band in the booklet that comes with Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 album, they did not want to be part of a popular trend and wanted to do their own thing. Thus the hip hop elements of Follow the Leader were removed, moving the band to an alternative metal sound rather than nu metal. The band admits that with Brendan O'Brien working alongside them, he kept them more focused during recording so far as to not letting them just fool around and party, and that there was a lot less drinking this time around.

Commercial performance

Issues was a commercial success debuting at the top spot on the Billboard 200, with 575,000 units sold in its first week of release.[18] On December 22, 1999 Issues was certified 3x Platinum in the U.S. with 3,450,000 copies sold.[19] The album has sold over 5,500,000 copies in the US according to Nielsen SoundScan as of January 4, 2013 and has sold over 13 million copies worldwide, making it Korn's second-best selling album to date.

Track listing

No. Title Length
1. "Dead"   1:12
2. "Falling Away from Me"   4:29
3. "Trash"   3:27
4. "4 U"   1:42
5. "Beg for Me"   3:53
6. "Make Me Bad"   3:55
7. "It's Gonna Go Away"   1:29
8. "Wake Up"   4:07
9. "Am I Going Crazy"   1:00
10. "Hey Daddy"   3:44
11. "Somebody Someone"   3:47
12. "No Way"   4:07
13. "Let's Get This Party Started"   3:41
14. "Wish You Could Be Me"   1:07
15. "Counting"   3:37
16. "Dirty"   7:50
Total length:
53:16

All Mixed Up (EP)

All Mixed Up
EP by Korn
Genre Nu metal, alternative metal
Length 21:38
Label Immortal/Epic
Korn chronology

Issues
(1999)
All Mixed Up
(2001)
Untouchables
(2002)
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
AllMusic [20]

All Mixed Up is a Korn EP released as a bonus disc alongside the album Issues featuring previously unreleased mixes and a previously unreleased song. This EP was made available for purchase separately in 2001.

Track listing

No. Title Length
1. "A.D.I.D.A.S." (Radio Mix) 2:34
2. "Good God" (Dub Pistols Mix) 6:20
3. "Got the Life" (Josh Abraham Mix) 4:01
4. "Twist"/"Chi" (Live at Woodstock 1999) 5:16
5. "Jingle Balls"   3:27
Total length:
21:38
Chart (2002) Peak
position
UK Albums (The Official Charts Company)[21] 99

Personnel

Production and other credits

Chart positions

Album
Chart (1999) Peak
position
The Billboard 200[22] 1
Australian Albums Chart[23] 1
Austrian Albums Chart[24] 13
Belgian Albums Chart (Flanders)[25] 28
Belgian Albums Chart (Wallonia)[26] 44
Canadian Albums Chart[22] 2
Dutch Albums Chart[27] 13
Finnish Albums Chart[28] 4
French Albums Chart[29] 12
German Albums Chart[30] 9
New Zealand Albums Chart[31] 2
Norwegian Albums Chart[32] 10
Swedish Albums Chart[33] 42
Swiss Albums Chart[34] 86
UK Albums Chart[35] 37

Singles
Year Song US
[36]
US
Alt.

[37]
US
Main.
[36]
BEL
(FLA)
[25]
DUT
[27]
GER
[38]
UK
[35]
1999 "Falling Away from Me" 99 7 7 17 77 86 24
2000 "Make Me Bad" 9 7 25
"Somebody Someone" 23 23

Preceded by
Breathe by Faith Hill
Billboard 200 number-one album
December 4–10, 1999
Succeeded by
All The Way... a Decade of Song
by Celine Dion
Preceded by
Affirmation by Savage Garden
Australian Albums Chart number-one album
November 22–28, 1999
Succeeded by
S&M by Metallica

See also


References

  1. Korn Revive Golden Age Of Nu-Metal At Mayhem Festival
  2. "Issues". Rolling Stone. January 20, 2000. he has channeled them into the band that established the new-metal sequel to grunge
  3. 3.0 3.1 http://www.allmusic.com/album/issues-mw0000252370
  4. Connelly, Chris. "MTV Bands - Archive - K". MTV. Retrieved 2011-04-12.
  5. Johnson, Tina (1999-10-29). "Korn Offers Free MP3 Of New Single". MTV.
  6. Mancini, Robert. (1999-11-05). "Korn Headed To The Apollo To Unveil 'Issues'". MTV.
  7. "Korn Issues - 5th Image Tour Edition USA CD ALBUM (515800)". Eil.com. 2010-08-02. Retrieved 2011-11-20.
  8. Billboard Review
  9. "CDNOW Review". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2011-11-20.
  10. Tom Sinclair (1999-12-03). "Entertainment Weekly review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2011-11-20.
  11. "Rober Christgau Review". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 2011-11-20.
  12. New York Daily News Review
  13. "NY Times Review". The New York Times. 1999-11-17. Retrieved 2011-11-20.
  14. "NME Review". NME. 1999-11-11. Retrieved 2011-11-20.
  15. Pace, Mike. "PopMatters Review". PopMatters. Retrieved 2011-11-20.
  16. Pareles, Jon (2000-01-20). "Rolling Stone Review". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2011-11-20.
  17. Yahoo! Music Review
  18. Korn Can't Kick Eminem From Top Of Billboard Chart
  19. http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?content_selector=gold-platinum-searchable-database
  20. "All Mixed Up - Korn". AllMusic.
  21. Zywietz, Tobias. "Chart Log UK: Alex K - Kyuss". Zobbel.
  22. 22.0 22.1 "Issues - Korn". Billboard.
  23. "Australian chart positions". australian-charts.com.
  24. "Austrian chart positions" (in German). austriancharts.at.
  25. 25.0 25.1 "Belgian (Flanders) chart positions" (in Dutch). ultratop.be.
  26. "Belgian (Wallonia) chart positions" (in French). ultratop.be.
  27. 27.0 27.1 "Dutch chart positions" (in Dutch). dutchcharts.nl.
  28. "Finnish chart positions". finnishcharts.com.
  29. "French chart positions" (in French). lescharts.com.
  30. "German chart positions" (in German). musicline.de.
  31. "New Zealand chart positions". charts.org.nz.
  32. "Norwegian chart positions". norwegiancharts.com.
  33. "Swedish chart positions". swedishcharts.com.
  34. "Swiss chart positions". hitparade.ch.
  35. 35.0 35.1 "Chart Log UK: Alex K - Kyuss". zobbel.de.
  36. 36.0 36.1 "Korn > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles". AllMusic. Macrovision.
  37. "Korn Album & Song Chart History". Billboard.
  38. "German chart positions" (in German). musicline.de.