A Fever You Can't Sweat Out
Encyclopedia
A Fever You Can't Sweat Out is the debut studio album
by American alternative rock
band Panic! at the Disco
. Recorded primarily at SOMD! Studios in College Park, Maryland with producer Matt Squire
, the album was released September 27, 2005 on Decaydance
and Fueled by Ramen Records.
Written and produced during and shortly after the band's graduation from high school, the album was recorded during a short time frame which left the young band exhausted. With lyrics written by former guitarist Ryan Ross
. the record covers social issues that the band points on through various songs, and topics such as sanctity of marriage
, adultery
, alcoholism
and prostitution
are woven throughout the album.
Bolstered to fame and success by the single "I Write Sins, Not Tragedies", as well as "The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide Is Press Coverage
", the album peaked at #13 on the US Billboard 200
, spending sixty-six weeks on the chart. The album received polarizing critical reviews, with many professional music critics appreciating the fun and catchy atmosphere, while other reviewers differed in their opinions toward the originality and sincerity of the record. The album has been certified RIAA certification double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA), and is by far Panic! at the Disco's most successful album. It has sold over 1.8 million copies in the US as of 2011 and over 2.2 million units worldwide since 2009.
, Las Vegas
, by childhood friends Ryan Ross
on guitar and Spencer Smith on drums. Both teens attended Bishop Gorman High School
, and the two began playing music together in ninth grade. They invited friend Brent Wilson from nearby Palo Verde High School
to join on bass, and Wilson invited classmate Brendon Urie
to try out on guitar. The quartet soon began rehearsing in Smith's grandmother's living room. Urie grew up in a Mormon family in Las Vegas and early on skipped rehearsals to go to church. Ross initially was the lead vocalist for the group, but upon hearing Urie singing back-up during an early rehearsal, they unanimously decided to move him to lead. The teens initially worked solely as a Blink-182
cover band.
The monotonous nature of local Las Vegas bands influenced the members of the band to be different and creative, and they soon began laying down experimental demos. The band had not even performed a single live show when they were signed. "We never went out and played shows before we got signed because the music scene in Las Vegas is so bad. There's not a lot going on," Smith said. "In our practice space, there were something like 30 bands, and every day we'd walk into that room and hear the exact same death-metal bands. So it kind of influenced us to be different. And to get out of Las Vegas." Urie began working at Tropical Smoothie Cafe
in Summerlin to afford rent for the band's new practice space. The four left their education behind to concentrate on music, with Ross falling out with his father for leaving college after his first year. Upon telling his parents of their intentions to quit high school in favor of being in a band, Urie was kicked out, forced to stay at friend's homes and eventually affording a one-bedroom apartment.
Ross and Urie soon began to commit to their laptops the demos they had been developing, and posted three early demos ("Time to Dance," "Nails for Breakfast, Tacks for Snacks" and "Camisado") on PureVolume
. On a whim, they sent a link to Fall Out Boy
bassist Pete Wentz via a LiveJournal
account. Wentz, who was in Los Angeles
at the time with the rest of Fall Out Boy working on their major-label debut, From Under the Cork Tree
, drove down to Las Vegas to meet with the young, unsigned band. Upon hearing "two to three" songs during band practice, Wentz was impressed and immediately wanted the band to sign to his Fueled by Ramen
imprint label Decaydance Records
, which made them the first on the new label. Around December 2004, the group signed to the label. As news broke that Wentz had signed Panic! (who had yet to perform a single live show), fans on the Internet began to bash the group. "Almost right away we knew what was going to happen," Ross explained in a 2006 interview. "We had two songs online and people were already making assumptions on what kind of band we were and what we were going to sound like."
Meanwhile, Wentz began to hype the band wherever possible: from wearing "Pete! at the Disco" T-shirts onstage to mentioning them in interviews. Wentz gave a quick shout-out to the band during a press junket on the day before the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards
: "I've got a couple of bands coming out soon on Decaydance, one being this band called Panic! at the Disco," Wentz said. "Their record is going to be your next favorite record. It's called A Fever You Can't Sweat Out — get it before your little brother does." At the time of their signing, all of the band members were still in high school (with the exception of Ross, who was forced to quit UNLV
).
, Counting Crows
, Arcade Fire, and The Decemberists
during rehearsals, but were also influenced by Danny Elfman
and Jon Brion
film scores.
Recording was stressful for all of the young band members, all fresh out of high school. "We were in the studio for 14 hours a day for five weeks; we might have started losing our minds a little bit," Ross recalled humorously in a 2006 interview. The band lived in a one-bedroom apartment during the production, with all four band members sleeping in bunk beds. "Everyone got on everybody's nerves," said Ross. "Someone would write a new part for a song and someone else would say they didn't like it just because you ate their cereal that morning."
By the end of production, the band had not yet had a day off and were exhausted. After its completion, "we had two weeks to come home and learn how to be a band," Ross said.
s and drum machine
s and tracks 9 through 13 using traditional instruments such as the accordion
and organ
. Track 8 (Intermission) serves as a link between the two halves, beginning with techno-style dance beats before switching to the piano interlude. On the vinyl record version of the album, side A holds songs 1-8 while side B holds songs 9-13, further highlighting the stylistic split in the album.
Several tracks on the album reference novels by Chuck Palahniuk
:
gave the album a negative review, awarding the record a poor 1.5/10.0 rating, stating "there's no sincerity, creativity, or originality." Allmusic shared some of Pitchfork's views, and gave it a modest two out of five stars. Kerrang!
was positive, awarding the record four out five stars. Rolling Stone
also gave a positive review, with a three and a half stars out of five. Webzines like Gigwise and Sputnikmusic
also gave positive reviews.
The hit single "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" received massive airplay, and Panic! at the Disco
's success came to a high-point when they won "Video of the Year" on the annual MTV Video Music Awards
in 2006, beating fellow nominees like Madonna
, Christina Aguilera
, Shakira
and Red Hot Chili Peppers
. In September 2011, "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" won MTV's Best Music Video for the 2000s, based on online voting.
Additional musicians
Production
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by American alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band Panic! at the Disco
Panic! at the Disco
Panic! at the Disco is an American alternative rock duo, formed in Las Vegas, Nevada in 2005. Since its split, the band's line-up includes Brendon Urie and Spencer Smith . Former members Ryan Ross and Jon Walker left the group in 2009...
. Recorded primarily at SOMD! Studios in College Park, Maryland with producer Matt Squire
Matt Squire
Matt Squire is an American multi-platinum music producer and writer. He has produced, engineered, or written tracks for One Direction, 3OH!3, Good Charlotte, New Boyz, Selena Gomez, David Archuleta, Taking Back Sunday, HIM, The Used, All Time Low, Panic! at the Disco, Boys Like Girls, The Cab,...
, the album was released September 27, 2005 on Decaydance
Decaydance Records
Decaydance Records is a record label based in New York City. Originally founded as an imprint of Fueled by Ramen, it is now an independent record label owned by Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy and partners. The first band Wentz signed to the label was Panic! at the Disco...
and Fueled by Ramen Records.
Written and produced during and shortly after the band's graduation from high school, the album was recorded during a short time frame which left the young band exhausted. With lyrics written by former guitarist Ryan Ross
Ryan Ross
George Ryan Ross III is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter most known for his work as the lead guitarist, backup vocalist and main songwriter for the band Panic! at the Disco, before his departure from the band in 2009...
. the record covers social issues that the band points on through various songs, and topics such as sanctity of marriage
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
, adultery
Adultery
Adultery is sexual infidelity to one's spouse, and is a form of extramarital sex. It originally referred only to sex between a woman who was married and a person other than her spouse. Even in cases of separation from one's spouse, an extramarital affair is still considered adultery.Adultery is...
, alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
and prostitution
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
are woven throughout the album.
Bolstered to fame and success by the single "I Write Sins, Not Tragedies", as well as "The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide Is Press Coverage
The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide Is Press Coverage
"The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide Is Press Coverage", shortened to "The Only Difference" for radio and convenience, is a single from Panic! at the Disco's debut album A Fever You Can't Sweat Out . It achieved some commercial success and exposed the new band to an audience,...
", the album peaked at #13 on the US Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, spending sixty-six weeks on the chart. The album received polarizing critical reviews, with many professional music critics appreciating the fun and catchy atmosphere, while other reviewers differed in their opinions toward the originality and sincerity of the record. The album has been certified RIAA certification double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
(RIAA), and is by far Panic! at the Disco's most successful album. It has sold over 1.8 million copies in the US as of 2011 and over 2.2 million units worldwide since 2009.
Background
The band was formed in 2004 in the suburban area of SummerlinSummerlin, Nevada
Summerlin is an affluent master-planned community under development by The Howard Hughes Corporation in the Las Vegas metropolitan area of Nevada near the Spring Mountains and Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. It lies partially within the city limits of Las Vegas, Nevada, and in...
, Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, by childhood friends Ryan Ross
Ryan Ross
George Ryan Ross III is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter most known for his work as the lead guitarist, backup vocalist and main songwriter for the band Panic! at the Disco, before his departure from the band in 2009...
on guitar and Spencer Smith on drums. Both teens attended Bishop Gorman High School
Bishop Gorman High School
Bishop Gorman High School is a Roman Catholic private preparatory school located in Summerlin, in Clark County, Nevada, United States serving the Las Vegas area for over 50 years. The school is administered by the Diocese of Las Vegas...
, and the two began playing music together in ninth grade. They invited friend Brent Wilson from nearby Palo Verde High School
Palo Verde High School
Palo Verde High School is a high school in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States.The school was built in 1996 with an adjacent 10 portable classrooms located in Summerlin, a rapidly growing suburban middle class to affluent community in the western portion of the City of Las Vegas and unincorporated...
to join on bass, and Wilson invited classmate Brendon Urie
Brendon Urie
Brendon Boyd Urie is an American musician and the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, pianist and singer-songwriter of Panic! at the Disco. He also plays drums, bass guitar, accordion, organ, cello, violin, and trumpet.-Early life:...
to try out on guitar. The quartet soon began rehearsing in Smith's grandmother's living room. Urie grew up in a Mormon family in Las Vegas and early on skipped rehearsals to go to church. Ross initially was the lead vocalist for the group, but upon hearing Urie singing back-up during an early rehearsal, they unanimously decided to move him to lead. The teens initially worked solely as a Blink-182
Blink-182
Blink-182 is an American rock band consisting of vocalist and bass guitarist Mark Hoppus, vocalist and guitarist Tom DeLonge, and drummer Travis Barker. They have sold over 27 million albums worldwide since forming in Poway, California in 1992...
cover band.
The monotonous nature of local Las Vegas bands influenced the members of the band to be different and creative, and they soon began laying down experimental demos. The band had not even performed a single live show when they were signed. "We never went out and played shows before we got signed because the music scene in Las Vegas is so bad. There's not a lot going on," Smith said. "In our practice space, there were something like 30 bands, and every day we'd walk into that room and hear the exact same death-metal bands. So it kind of influenced us to be different. And to get out of Las Vegas." Urie began working at Tropical Smoothie Cafe
Tropical Smoothie Cafe
Tropical Smoothie Cafe, sometimes referred to as simply Tropical Smoothie, is a restaurant franchise in the U.S.A. and India. In addition to smoothies the company is a full Cafe that offers sandwiches, wraps, salads, and introduced flat breads to their food line in 2009.-History:Tropical Smoothie...
in Summerlin to afford rent for the band's new practice space. The four left their education behind to concentrate on music, with Ross falling out with his father for leaving college after his first year. Upon telling his parents of their intentions to quit high school in favor of being in a band, Urie was kicked out, forced to stay at friend's homes and eventually affording a one-bedroom apartment.
Ross and Urie soon began to commit to their laptops the demos they had been developing, and posted three early demos ("Time to Dance," "Nails for Breakfast, Tacks for Snacks" and "Camisado") on PureVolume
PureVolume
PureVolume was the first independently run website of its type, allowing for the upload and stream of music files. It was created in 2003 by Jennifer Welch , in conjunction with the Unborn Media team; Brett Woitunski, Nate Hudson, and Mitchell Pavao; all from the University of...
. On a whim, they sent a link to Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy is an American rock band from Wilmette, Illinois, formed in 2001. The band consists of vocalist, guitarist and composer Patrick Stump, bassist and lyricist Pete Wentz, guitarist Joe Trohman, and drummer Andy Hurley. The band released five studio albums from 2003–2008...
bassist Pete Wentz via a LiveJournal
LiveJournal
LiveJournal is a virtual community where Internet users can keep a blog, journal or diary. LiveJournal is also the name of the free and open source server software that was designed to run the LiveJournal virtual community....
account. Wentz, who was in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
at the time with the rest of Fall Out Boy working on their major-label debut, From Under the Cork Tree
From Under the Cork Tree
From Under the Cork Tree is the third studio album by American rock band Fall Out Boy. It was released on May 3, 2005, through Island Records as the band's major label debut...
, drove down to Las Vegas to meet with the young, unsigned band. Upon hearing "two to three" songs during band practice, Wentz was impressed and immediately wanted the band to sign to his Fueled by Ramen
Fueled by Ramen
Fueled by Ramen is an American record label which operates as a subsidiary of Warner Music Group, and is distributed by Atlantic Records. The label, founded in Gainesville, Florida, is based in New York City...
imprint label Decaydance Records
Decaydance Records
Decaydance Records is a record label based in New York City. Originally founded as an imprint of Fueled by Ramen, it is now an independent record label owned by Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy and partners. The first band Wentz signed to the label was Panic! at the Disco...
, which made them the first on the new label. Around December 2004, the group signed to the label. As news broke that Wentz had signed Panic! (who had yet to perform a single live show), fans on the Internet began to bash the group. "Almost right away we knew what was going to happen," Ross explained in a 2006 interview. "We had two songs online and people were already making assumptions on what kind of band we were and what we were going to sound like."
Meanwhile, Wentz began to hype the band wherever possible: from wearing "Pete! at the Disco" T-shirts onstage to mentioning them in interviews. Wentz gave a quick shout-out to the band during a press junket on the day before the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards
2005 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2005 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on August 28, 2005, honoring the best music videos from July 1, 2004 to June 30, 2005. The show was hosted by Diddy at the AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami, Florida...
: "I've got a couple of bands coming out soon on Decaydance, one being this band called Panic! at the Disco," Wentz said. "Their record is going to be your next favorite record. It's called A Fever You Can't Sweat Out — get it before your little brother does." At the time of their signing, all of the band members were still in high school (with the exception of Ross, who was forced to quit UNLV
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
University of Nevada-Las Vegas is a public, coeducational university located in the Las Vegas suburb of Paradise, Nevada, USA. The campus is located approximately east of the Las Vegas Strip. The institution includes a Shadow Lane Campus, located just east of the University Medical Center of...
).
Recording and production
The band relocated to College Park, Maryland, to record their debut album beginning in June 2005. The label (Fueled by Ramen) wanted the band to head to the studio in March 2005, but Ross was attending college at UNLV and the rest of the band was still in high school. Urie graduated in May 2005 and the band pushed recording back to June; Smith and Wilson completed school online during production. The band had "half of the songs" completed by the time they entered SOMD! Studios at the beginning of summer, the rest were already written and came together in the sessions. The band was heavily inspired by music groups Third Eye BlindThird Eye Blind
Third Eye Blind is an American alternative rock band formed in the early 1990s in San Francisco. The songwriting duo of Kevin Cadogan and Stephan Jenkins signed the band's first major label recording contract with Elektra records in 1996 resulting in two multi platinum albums. The band's lineup...
, Counting Crows
Counting Crows
Counting Crows is an American rock band originating from Berkeley, California. Formed in 1991, the group gained popularity following the release of its debut album in 1993, August and Everything After, which featured the hit single "Mr. Jones"...
, Arcade Fire, and The Decemberists
The Decemberists
The Decemberists are an indie folk rock band from Portland, Oregon, United States, fronted by singer/songwriter Colin Meloy. The other members of the band are Chris Funk , Jenny Conlee , Nate Query , and John Moen .The band's...
during rehearsals, but were also influenced by Danny Elfman
Danny Elfman
Daniel Robert "Danny" Elfman is an American composer, best known for scoring music for television and film. Up until 1995, he was the lead singer and songwriter in the rock band Oingo Boingo, a group he formed in 1976...
and Jon Brion
Jon Brion
Jon Brion is an American rock and pop multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, composer and record producer.-Early life:...
film scores.
Recording was stressful for all of the young band members, all fresh out of high school. "We were in the studio for 14 hours a day for five weeks; we might have started losing our minds a little bit," Ross recalled humorously in a 2006 interview. The band lived in a one-bedroom apartment during the production, with all four band members sleeping in bunk beds. "Everyone got on everybody's nerves," said Ross. "Someone would write a new part for a song and someone else would say they didn't like it just because you ate their cereal that morning."
By the end of production, the band had not yet had a day off and were exhausted. After its completion, "we had two weeks to come home and learn how to be a band," Ross said.
Track listing
Structure
The album is split in two stylistically, with tracks 1 through 7 featuring electronic instruments such as synthesizerSynthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
s and drum machine
Drum machine
A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums or other percussion instruments. They are used in a variety of musical genres, not just purely electronic music...
s and tracks 9 through 13 using traditional instruments such as the accordion
Accordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
and organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
. Track 8 (Intermission) serves as a link between the two halves, beginning with techno-style dance beats before switching to the piano interlude. On the vinyl record version of the album, side A holds songs 1-8 while side B holds songs 9-13, further highlighting the stylistic split in the album.
Pop culture references
- The first track, "Introduction", contains a sample of what appears to be a radio broadcast in PolishPolish languagePolish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
. The speaker is saying "...spotkało się z szerokim rozgłosem", which means "...gained significant popularity". - The title of "London Beckoned Songs About Money Written by Machines" is part of a line from Shampoo PlanetShampoo PlanetShampoo Planet is Douglas Coupland's second novel, published by Pocket Books in 1992. It is a thematic followup to Coupland’s first novel, Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture. The novel deals with Tyler, a Global Teen, who shares many characteristics of the character Tyler from...
by Douglas CouplandDouglas CouplandDouglas Coupland is a Canadian novelist. His fiction is complemented by recognized works in design and visual art arising from his early formal training. His first novel, the 1991 international bestseller Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture, popularized terms such as McJob and...
: "extremely torrid tunage from London beckoned songs about money written by machines". - "Intermission" includes a sample from Orson WellesOrson WellesGeorge Orson Welles , best known as Orson Welles, was an American film director, actor, theatre director, screenwriter, and producer, who worked extensively in film, theatre, television and radio...
' famous radio adaptation of the classic novel The War of the Worlds: "Due to circumstances beyond our control..." - The titles of the songs "Lying Is the Most Fun a Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off" and "But It's Better If You Do" come from a line said by Alice Ayers (portrayed by Natalie PortmanNatalie PortmanNatalie Hershlag , better known by her stage name Natalie Portman, is an actress with dual American and Israeli citizenship. Her first role was as an orphan taken in by a hitman in the 1994 French action film Léon, but major success came when she was cast as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel...
) in the movie CloserCloser (film)Closer is a 2004 romantic drama film written by Patrick Marber, based on his award-winning 1997 play of the same name. It was produced and directed by Mike Nichols and stars Natalie Portman, Julia Roberts, Jude Law and Clive Owen...
: "Lying is the most fun a girl can have without taking her clothes off... but it's better if you do." - The title of "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" was inspired by a line from Shampoo Planet by Douglas Coupland: "What I write are not sins, I write tragedies."
- The song "I Constantly Thank God for Esteban" is a direct reference to the 20042004 in filmThe year 2004 in film involved some significant events. Major releases of sequels took place. It included blockbuster films like Shrek 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Passion of the Christ, Meet the Fockers, Blade: Trinity, Spider-Man 2, Alien vs. Predator, Kill Bill Vol...
Wes AndersonWes AndersonWesley Wales Anderson is an American film director, screenwriter, actor, and producer of features, short films and commercials....
film The Life Aquatic with Steve ZissouThe Life Aquatic with Steve ZissouThe Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou is an American comedy-drama film directed, written, and co-produced by Wes Anderson. It is Anderson's fourth feature length film, released in the U.S. on December 25, 2004...
, which starred Bill Murray. - The bridge melody of "Build God, Then We'll Talk" is derivative from the chorus of "My Favorite ThingsMy Favorite Things (song)"My Favorite Things" is a show tune from the 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The Sound of Music.-The Sound of Music version:The song was first introduced by Mary Martin in the original Broadway production, and sung by Julie Andrews in the 1965 film.In the musical, the lyrics to the song are a...
". - "Nails for Breakfast, Tacks for Snacks" is a quote from Ryan Ross' father.
Several tracks on the album reference novels by Chuck Palahniuk
Chuck Palahniuk
Charles Michael "Chuck" Palahniuk is an American transgressional fiction novelist and freelance journalist. He is best known for the award-winning novel Fight Club, which was later made into a film directed by David Fincher and starring Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, and Helena Bonham Carter...
:
- The title of "The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide Is Press Coverage" is a line from Survivor.
- "London Beckoned Songs About Money Written by Machines"'s bridge, "Just for the record, the weather today is..." is a recurring phrase in DiaryDiary (novel)Diary is a 2003 novel by Chuck Palahniuk. The book is written like a diary, its writer/narrator/main character is Misty Wilmot, a once-promising young artist currently working as a waitress in a hotel, although it never actually states who the narrarator is, it's safe to assume that it is Misty. ...
. - "Camisado" contains several references to Fight ClubFight Club (novel)Fight Club is a 1996 novel by Chuck Palahniuk. It follows the experiences of an unnamed protagonist struggling with insomnia. Inspired by his doctor's exasperated remark that insomnia is not suffering, he finds relief by impersonating a seriously ill person in several support groups...
. - "Time to Dance" is entirely based on Invisible MonstersInvisible MonstersInvisible Monsters is a novel by Chuck Palahniuk, published in 1999. It is his third novel to be published, though it was his second written novel . The novel was originally supposed to be Palahniuk's first novel to be published, but it was rejected by the publisher for being too disturbing...
.
Reception
A Fever You Can't Sweat Out received extremely mixed reviews upon its release. Pitchfork MediaPitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
gave the album a negative review, awarding the record a poor 1.5/10.0 rating, stating "there's no sincerity, creativity, or originality." Allmusic shared some of Pitchfork's views, and gave it a modest two out of five stars. Kerrang!
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
was positive, awarding the record four out five stars. Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
also gave a positive review, with a three and a half stars out of five. Webzines like Gigwise and Sputnikmusic
Sputnikmusic
Sputnikmusic, or simply Sputnik, is a music website offering music criticism and music news alongside features commonly associated with wiki-style websites...
also gave positive reviews.
The hit single "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" received massive airplay, and Panic! at the Disco
Panic! at the Disco
Panic! at the Disco is an American alternative rock duo, formed in Las Vegas, Nevada in 2005. Since its split, the band's line-up includes Brendon Urie and Spencer Smith . Former members Ryan Ross and Jon Walker left the group in 2009...
's success came to a high-point when they won "Video of the Year" on the annual MTV Video Music Awards
MTV Video Music Awards
An MTV Video Music Award , is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in music videos...
in 2006, beating fellow nominees like Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
, Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera is an American recording artist and actress. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994...
, Shakira
Shakira
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll , known professionally as Shakira , is a Colombian singer who emerged in the music scene of Colombia and Latin America in the early 1990s...
and Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
. In September 2011, "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" won MTV's Best Music Video for the 2000s, based on online voting.
Musicians
Panic! at the DiscoPanic! at the Disco
Panic! at the Disco is an American alternative rock duo, formed in Las Vegas, Nevada in 2005. Since its split, the band's line-up includes Brendon Urie and Spencer Smith . Former members Ryan Ross and Jon Walker left the group in 2009...
- Brendon UrieBrendon UrieBrendon Boyd Urie is an American musician and the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, pianist and singer-songwriter of Panic! at the Disco. He also plays drums, bass guitar, accordion, organ, cello, violin, and trumpet.-Early life:...
– lead vocals, synthesizers, programming, keyboards, rhythm guitar, piano - Ryan RossRyan RossGeorge Ryan Ross III is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter most known for his work as the lead guitarist, backup vocalist and main songwriter for the band Panic! at the Disco, before his departure from the band in 2009...
– lead guitar, keyboards, organ, piano, accordion, vocals - Brent Wilson – bass
- Spencer Smith – drums, percussion, vocals
Additional musicians
- Heather Stebbins – cello, double bass
- William Brousserd – trumpet
- Samantha Bynes – violin
Production
- Alan Ferguson – photography
- John Janick – A&R
- UE Nastasi – mastering
- Matt SquireMatt SquireMatt Squire is an American multi-platinum music producer and writer. He has produced, engineered, or written tracks for One Direction, 3OH!3, Good Charlotte, New Boyz, Selena Gomez, David Archuleta, Taking Back Sunday, HIM, The Used, All Time Low, Panic! at the Disco, Boys Like Girls, The Cab,...
– production, engineer, mixing, audio production - Pete Wentz – A&R