Heavy Petting Zoo
Encyclopedia
Heavy Petting Zoo is the sixth studio album by the American punk rock
band NOFX
. It was released on January 31, 1996 through Epitaph Records
.
s introduced in White Trash, Two Heebs and a Bean
s "Liza and Louise". The third installment of this tale can be found on Pump up the Valuum
("Louise"), having originally appeared on the Louise and Liza
7".
The song "August 8th" is about the day that Jerry Garcia
died in 1995. After the album was released, it was brought to Fat Mike's attention that Garcia died on August 9, not on the 8th as the song mistakenly suggests. Ironically, however, the song "Bleeding Heart Disease" borrows a melody from Garcia's band, Grateful Dead
. The intro melody and the part that begins with "...which brings us back to 'doh'[do do-do, do do do-do]" [minute 1:05] is stolen directly from the Dead's "Sugar Magnolia
," on the album American Beauty
.
The cover art for Heavy Petting Zoo, by illustrator Mark DeSalvo, depicts a man sexually touching a sheep. The title itself is a play on words, with the phrases heavy petting and petting zoo
combined to reference bestiality. The alternate vinyl title, Eating Lamb, suggests both regular eating
and the slang use that means performing oral sex
, and the cover art shows a human "eating [a] lamb
" in the latter sense.
Interestingly, Peter Singer
, the famous Princeton University
ethicist, wrote a philosophy article entitled "Heavy Petting" about the topic of bestiality. Singer is the author of Animal Liberation, a well-known work about animal rights that is referenced by NOFX's album Liberal Animation
.
The album was somewhat a departure from the typical NOFX sound, possibly due to the influence of alternative music in America in the mid 90s. Fat Mike was to say about the album:
"We recorded this with Ryan Greene up in San Francisco at Razors Edge. A total dive. It was actually just an apartment with a studio in the garage, but it was cool. Weird record. I thought it was the coolest record when we finished it, but a few months later I wasn't so sure. Some of those songs are kinda weird. I like the cover a lot though. I think it sold well in Belgium."
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band NOFX
NOFX
NOFX is an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California .The band was formed in 1983 by vocalist/bassist Fat Mike and guitarist Eric Melvin. Drummer Erik Sandin joined NOFX shortly after. In 1991 El Hefe joined to play lead guitar and trumpet, rounding out the current line-up...
. It was released on January 31, 1996 through Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records is a Hollywood, California based independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. The label was originally "just a logo and a P.O. box" created in the 1980s for the purpose of selling Bad Religion records, but has evolved into a large independent record...
.
Overview
The album was recorded at Razor's Edge Studio in San Francisco. The track "Liza" continues the story of the two lesbianLesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
s introduced in White Trash, Two Heebs and a Bean
White Trash, Two Heebs and a Bean
White Trash, Two Heebs and a Bean is the fourth studio album by the American punk rock band NOFX. It was released on November 5, 1992 through Epitaph Records. It is the first NOFX album to feature El Hefe on guitar, replacing Steve Kidwiller, who left the band in 1991...
s "Liza and Louise". The third installment of this tale can be found on Pump up the Valuum
Pump Up the Valuum
-Personnel:* Fat Mike - vocals, bass* Eric Melvin - guitar, accordion* El Hefe - guitar* Erik Sandin - drums* Spike Slawson - additional vocals* Bill Hansson - accordion* Ryan Greene, Fat Mike - producers* Ryan Greene - mixing, recording...
("Louise"), having originally appeared on the Louise and Liza
Louise and Liza
"Louise and Liza" is a 7" single by NOFX. The songs are sequels of sorts to "Liza and Louise" from White Trash, Two Heebs and a Bean with the lyrics "Louise" being about the lesbian characters engaging in sado-masochistic activity...
7".
The song "August 8th" is about the day that Jerry Garcia
Jerry Garcia
Jerome John "Jerry" Garcia was an American musician best known for his lead guitar work, singing and songwriting with the band the Grateful Dead...
died in 1995. After the album was released, it was brought to Fat Mike's attention that Garcia died on August 9, not on the 8th as the song mistakenly suggests. Ironically, however, the song "Bleeding Heart Disease" borrows a melody from Garcia's band, Grateful Dead
Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
. The intro melody and the part that begins with "...which brings us back to 'doh'[do do-do, do do do-do]" [minute 1:05] is stolen directly from the Dead's "Sugar Magnolia
Sugar Magnolia
"Sugar Magnolia" is a song by the Grateful Dead. Written by Robert Hunter and Bob Weir, it is one of the most well-known songs by the band, alongside such hits as "Truckin'," "Casey Jones," "Uncle John's Band," and "Touch of Grey."...
," on the album American Beauty
American Beauty (album)
American Beauty is the fifth album by the Grateful Dead. It was recorded between August and September 1970 and originally released in November 1970 by Warner Bros. Records...
.
Artwork
Heavy Petting Zoo is the name of the album in its CD and cassette formats; the vinyl format of the same album is called Eating Lamb, and features different cover art.The cover art for Heavy Petting Zoo, by illustrator Mark DeSalvo, depicts a man sexually touching a sheep. The title itself is a play on words, with the phrases heavy petting and petting zoo
Petting zoo
A petting zoo features a combination of domestic animals and some wild species that are docile enough to touch and feed. In addition to independent petting zoos, also called children's farms or petting farms, many general zoos contain a petting zoo...
combined to reference bestiality. The alternate vinyl title, Eating Lamb, suggests both regular eating
Eating
Eating is the ingestion of food to provide for all organisms their nutritional needs, particularly for energy and growth. Animals and other heterotrophs must eat in order to survive: carnivores eat other animals, herbivores eat plants, omnivores consume a mixture of both plant and animal matter,...
and the slang use that means performing oral sex
Oral sex
Oral sex is sexual activity involving the stimulation of the genitalia of a sex partner by the use of the mouth, tongue, teeth or throat. Cunnilingus refers to oral sex performed on females while fellatio refer to oral sex performed on males. Anilingus refers to oral stimulation of a person's anus...
, and the cover art shows a human "eating [a] lamb
Domestic sheep
Sheep are quadrupedal, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Like all ruminants, sheep are members of the order Artiodactyla, the even-toed ungulates. Although the name "sheep" applies to many species in the genus Ovis, in everyday usage it almost always refers to Ovis aries...
" in the latter sense.
Interestingly, Peter Singer
Peter Singer
Peter Albert David Singer is an Australian philosopher who is the Ira W. DeCamp Professor of Bioethics at Princeton University and Laureate Professor at the Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics at the University of Melbourne...
, the famous Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
ethicist, wrote a philosophy article entitled "Heavy Petting" about the topic of bestiality. Singer is the author of Animal Liberation, a well-known work about animal rights that is referenced by NOFX's album Liberal Animation
Liberal Animation
Liberal Animation is the debut album by the American punk rock band NOFX. It was originally released in 1988 through Wassail Records. It was re-released through Epitaph Records in 1991. The title is a play on the phrase "animal liberation" and the cover artwork is a reflection of that. The track...
.
The album was somewhat a departure from the typical NOFX sound, possibly due to the influence of alternative music in America in the mid 90s. Fat Mike was to say about the album:
"We recorded this with Ryan Greene up in San Francisco at Razors Edge. A total dive. It was actually just an apartment with a studio in the garage, but it was cool. Weird record. I thought it was the coolest record when we finished it, but a few months later I wasn't so sure. Some of those songs are kinda weird. I like the cover a lot though. I think it sold well in Belgium."
Track listing
All tracks written by Fat Mike.- "Hobophobic (Scared of Bums)" – 0:48
- "Philthy Phil Philanthropist" – 3:10
- "Freedom Lika Shopping Cart" – 3:43
- "Bleeding Heart Disease" – 3:36
- "Hot Dog in a Hallway" – 2:50
- "Release the Hostages" – 2:29
- "Liza" – 2:55
- "What's the Matter with Kids Today?" – 1:13
- "Love Story" – 2:37
- "The Black and White" – 3:36
- "Whatever Didi Wants" – 3:00
- "August 8th" – 1:35
- "Drop the World" – 3:22
Personnel
- Fat Mike - vocals, bass
- Eric MelvinEric MelvinEric Scott Melvin is an American musician and the rhythm guitarist in the California punk band NOFX. He has been in the band from its beginnings in the early 1980s to the present day. Eric has been known for his dreadlocks that vary in color each time NOFX performs...
- guitar - El Hefe - guitar, trumpet
- Erik SandinErik SandinErik Sandin , is an American musician and the drummer of the popular California punk band, NOFX. He was a founding member of the band when they formed in Hollywood, California, in 1983, but moved to Santa Barbara two years later, leaving the band.In just one year without Sandin, the band had...
- drums
- Ryan Greene, NOFX - producers
- Ryan Greene - mixing, engineer