Inoculator
Encyclopedia
Inoculator is the debut EP
by the Chicago
-based pop punk
band the Smoking Popes
, released in 1991 through local label Radius Records. It is their only release on which original drummer Dave Martens recorded, before he was replaced by Mike Felumlee
.
The material for Inoculator was written for a previous incarnation of the Smoking Popes called Speedstick, which singer and guitarist Josh Caterer
describes as "a kind of Spinal Tap
-esque parody of a punk band. When we felt that the concept had played itself out and it was time to stop messing around, we took the five least ridiculous Speedstick songs and released them as our first EP, under the name Smoking Popes."
Inoculator was recorded in 1991 at Curved Air Studios in Crystal Lake, Illinois
with recording engineer Alan Purvy. The cover art was drawn by Lyle Zimmerman, while Pete Zelchenko provided the inserts. A sixth song, "Wanted Love", was recorded during the same session but left off of the EP; it was later released on the compilation album
s 1991–1998
and It's Been a Long Day
.
Caterer's inspiration for the song "Sandra" came when a man from his area was arrested for stalking
Olivia Newton-John
. "His mug shot
was on the front page of our local paper. It was a haunting photograph. You could see in his eyes that he was a total maniac. So I decided to write a song from the point of view of a stalker, which I found to be an almost alarmingly enjoyable experience." He chose Sandra Bernhard
as the song's subject "because she seemed like a less obvious candidate, and I felt there was something about her persona that heightened the twisted despair of the protagonist's obsession." In a review of 1991–1998, Ari Wiznitzer of Allmusic remarked that the song "shows the Popes at their most playful, with lead singer Josh Caterer lamenting his unrequited love for an older woman". Reviewing It's Been a Long Day, J. Allen noted that the "quirky" song and other early Smoking Popes tracks from Inoculator show Caterer and the rest of the band in a less polished mode than their later, more well-known material, particularly in Caterer's singing which later became characterized by his crooning
style.
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
by the Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
-based pop punk
Pop punk
Pop punk is a fusion music genre that combines elements of punk rock with pop music, to varying degrees. Allmusic describes the genre as a strand of alternative rock, which typically merges pop melodies with speedy punk tempos, chord changes and loud guitars...
band the Smoking Popes
Smoking Popes
The Smoking Popes are an American pop punk from the northwest suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, formed in 1991. They play punk-influenced pop music with crooning vocals...
, released in 1991 through local label Radius Records. It is their only release on which original drummer Dave Martens recorded, before he was replaced by Mike Felumlee
Mike Felumlee
Mike Felumlee, a native of Crystal Lake, Illinois , is chiefly known as the former drummer for the influential rock band The Alkaline Trio...
.
The material for Inoculator was written for a previous incarnation of the Smoking Popes called Speedstick, which singer and guitarist Josh Caterer
Josh Caterer
Josh Caterer is a Chicago-area musician and songwriter. With his brothers, Eli Caterer and Matt Caterer , he was a founding member in 1991 of The Smoking Popes, in which Josh plays lead guitar and sings. After his conversion to Christianity the Smoking Popes split up, and Caterer later founded...
describes as "a kind of Spinal Tap
Spinal Tap (band)
Spinal Tap is a parody heavy metal band that first appeared on a failed 1979 ABC TV sketch comedy pilot called "The T.V. Show", starring Rob Reiner...
-esque parody of a punk band. When we felt that the concept had played itself out and it was time to stop messing around, we took the five least ridiculous Speedstick songs and released them as our first EP, under the name Smoking Popes."
Inoculator was recorded in 1991 at Curved Air Studios in Crystal Lake, Illinois
Crystal Lake, Illinois
Crystal Lake is a city located in southeastern McHenry County in northeastern Illinois, in the Chicago suburbs. It is named after Crystal Lake, a lake located west-southwest of downtown. Crystal Lake is also a suburb of the city of Chicago. The population was 38,000 at the 2000 census, but as of...
with recording engineer Alan Purvy. The cover art was drawn by Lyle Zimmerman, while Pete Zelchenko provided the inserts. A sixth song, "Wanted Love", was recorded during the same session but left off of the EP; it was later released on the compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
s 1991–1998
1991–1998
1991–1998 is a compilation album by the Chicago-based pop punk band the Smoking Popes, released August 17, 1999 by Double Zero Records, a label founded by the band's former drummer Mike Felumlee...
and It's Been a Long Day
It's Been a Long Day
It's Been a Long Day is a compilation album by the Chicago-based pop punk band the Smoking Popes, released February 16, 2010 through Asian Man Records.- Track listing :- Band :*Josh Caterer – vocals, guitar*Matt Caterer – bass guitar...
.
Caterer's inspiration for the song "Sandra" came when a man from his area was arrested for stalking
Stalking
Stalking is a term commonly used to refer to unwanted and obsessive attention by an individual or group to another person. Stalking behaviors are related to harassment and intimidation and may include following the victim in person and/or monitoring them via the internet...
Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John AO, OBE is a singer and actress. She is a four-time Grammy award winner who has amassed five No. 1 and ten other Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 singles and two No. 1 Billboard 200 solo albums. Eleven of her singles and 14 of her albums have been certified gold by the RIAA...
. "His mug shot
Mug shot
A mug shot, mugshot or booking photograph, is a photographic portrait taken after one is arrested. The purpose of the mug shot is to allow law enforcement to have a photographic record of the arrested individual to allow for identification by victims and investigators. Most mug shots are two-part,...
was on the front page of our local paper. It was a haunting photograph. You could see in his eyes that he was a total maniac. So I decided to write a song from the point of view of a stalker, which I found to be an almost alarmingly enjoyable experience." He chose Sandra Bernhard
Sandra Bernhard
Sandra Bernhard is an American comedian, singer, actress and author. She first gained attention in the late 1970s with her stand-up comedy in which she often bitterly critiques celebrity culture and political figures. Bernhard is number 97 on Comedy Central's list of the 100 greatest standups of...
as the song's subject "because she seemed like a less obvious candidate, and I felt there was something about her persona that heightened the twisted despair of the protagonist's obsession." In a review of 1991–1998, Ari Wiznitzer of Allmusic remarked that the song "shows the Popes at their most playful, with lead singer Josh Caterer lamenting his unrequited love for an older woman". Reviewing It's Been a Long Day, J. Allen noted that the "quirky" song and other early Smoking Popes tracks from Inoculator show Caterer and the rest of the band in a less polished mode than their later, more well-known material, particularly in Caterer's singing which later became characterized by his crooning
Crooner
Crooner is an American epithet given to male singers of pop standards, mostly from the Great American Songbook, either backed by a full orchestra, a big band or by a piano. Originally it was an ironic term denoting an emphatically sentimental, often emotional singing style made possible by the use...
style.
Track listing
Band
- Josh CatererJosh CatererJosh Caterer is a Chicago-area musician and songwriter. With his brothers, Eli Caterer and Matt Caterer , he was a founding member in 1991 of The Smoking Popes, in which Josh plays lead guitar and sings. After his conversion to Christianity the Smoking Popes split up, and Caterer later founded...
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Matt Caterer – bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Dave Martens – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Production
- Alan Purvy – recording engineer, mix engineerMix engineerA mix engineer, also referred to as "mixing engineer", is a person who, once all instruments, voices, and sounds, etc., have been recorded, creates what is called the final version of a song, hence the term "mix engineer"...
- Lyle Zimmerman – cover art
- Pete Zelchenko – insert artwork