Life Is Peachy
Encyclopedia
Life Is Peachy is the second studio album by the American nu metal
band Korn
, released on October 15, 1996 through Immortal
/Epic Records
. Following the success of their 1994 self-titled debut
, Korn earned a second double platinum
album in the United States, certified by the Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA). The album debuted and peaked at number three on the Billboard 200
and peaked at number one in New Zealand
.
The album has fifteen tracks, including the hidden track
after "Kill You". Korn released three singles from the album and each charted on the UK Singles Chart
. For the first time, Korn released covers of the songs "Lowrider
" by War
and "Wicked
" by Ice Cube
. The album features such themes as social encounters
and revenge
. The album cover
was designed by Martin Riedl and its name is credited to Korn's bassist
Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu
. It generally received mixed reviews from critics. Life Is Peachy has sold over 4 million copies worldwide.
Munky
described the writing process as, "we didn't write nothin' for two years then we had creativity build up, like blue balls of creativity." Doug Small, author of The Story of Korn, said that "the band's songwriting method — a sort of collective building process wherein four instrumentalists, with the input of Jonathan [Davis
], develop each other's ideas until they've created a monster — is truly a group effort." The album's lyrics — for the most part — were primarily written by lead singer Jonathan Davis. Drummer
David Silveria
told Modern Drummer
, "somebody will start playing something and the rest of us will work around it and see where it goes."
After playing at a few gigs with Deftones
in California
, United States, Korn went back to the studio to start recording Life Is Peachy in April 1996. Korn asked Ross Robinson
to produce, and wanted to begin recording at Indigo Ranch, mostly because their first album had been recorded there and was a success. The quick process was accompanied by drinking
and party
ing. When Davis recorded, he preferred several other people be in the recording studio
with him.
Jason Arnopp, author of Slipknot: Inside the Sickness, Behind the Masks, along with Doug Small, insisted the album was rushed when it was put together. Silveria explained, "We went in really fresh, and we wanted to get it done quickly to capture that moment. So it was probably about sixty percent knowing what I was going to play and forty percent just playng whatever came to mind at that moment, It ended up really good, and it has a kind of energy I probably wouldn't have gotten if I'd worked everything out beforehand." Korn's bassist Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu
said, "We wanted that same energy and inspiration we found up in the Malibu Hills."
. Fieldy often put "Life Is" in front of the brand name, which would humor him. Fieldy said, "I used to doodle all over it [the file folder]. I drew long hair on the character and put guitars in their hands. I used to sketch stuff all the time. I eventually knew my scribbles might someday pay off. I thought that visual would make a really cool album cover." Korn contacted the Pee Chee file folder company and asked for permission to use the file folder's image for an album cover, offering twenty thousand dollars ($
20,000), resulting in the company turning the offer down. The name Life Is Peachy was agreed by band members to be a "great" name for the album, and kept the name but didn't add Fieldy's file folder cover.
The front cover of Life Is Peachy depicts a boy looking in the mirror, seeing a much larger person behind him. The photo was taken by Martin Riedl. The design and concept were by Scott Leberacht. Other pictures in the booklet were taken by Stephen Stickler. Doug Small said that it "continued the threatened child theme as depicted on Korn
s artwork." The cover is mostly black and white, with a little boy, hair combed, straightening his tie in a guilt mirror; behind him looms a larger, shadowed presence." Life Is Peachy is, to date, the only album by Korn to feature their name spelled in a different font
.
The booklet, along with every other album by Korn, does not feature printed lyrics to the songs. The band has explained that the reason the booklets do not feature this is because he believes fans should not rely on printed lyrics because it limits the experience in listening to the music. As Davis told MTV
's Serena Altschul, "I think music is something that every individual has their own meaning to the song. They can come up with whatever the hell I'm saying and that's the beauty of it and that's what I wanna keep there."
, beginning on January 21, 1995, and ending in March 1995. Following the Sick of It All Tour, Korn joined the Danzig 4 Tour, including Danzig
and Marilyn Manson
. The tour lasted 3 months and was preceded with the group touring with Megadeth
, where they played to crowds of thirty-five-hundred to five thousand. They toured with Megadeth, Fear Factory
, and Flotsam and Jetsam
. All of this happened in the summer of 1995. Lead vocalist Jonathan Davis
introduced the bagpipes
while performing live (however many people there did not like this).
Korn began touring in Europe during September 1995. One of Korn's first concert dates was in Nottingham
. After the performance, there was conflict between Korn's bassist Fieldy and someone from "tech," resulting in the airport
prohibiting them from boarding the plane. From 1995 to 1997, Korn toured with Ozzy Osbourne
, Sugar Ray
, Cradle of Thorns, Incubus
, Life of Agony
, Metallica
, and others. Korn released a promotional disc in 1997 called Life Is Peachy Tour Sampler, with Incubus and The Urge
. The album featured 3 tracks, "Chi" (live) by Korn, "All Washed Up" (live) by The Urge, and "Hilikus" (live) by Incubus. The promo was released after Life Is Peachy, and lasts for twelve minutes and seventeen seconds. Korn toured solo in 1997, and headlined at often sold out shows. Limp Bizkit
also toured with Korn to promote Life Is Peachy. In 1997, Korn toured in the Lollapalooza summer tour
. They toured with Tool
, Snoop Dogg
, Jane's Addiction
, Prodigy
, and others.
On July 18, not even a month into the tour, the band played their final gig for Lollapalooza. Guitarist James Shaffer
was diagnosed with a life-threatening illness called viral meningitis
. Jonathan Davis issued a written statement about Shaffer's illness saying, "We love our fans. This is the last thing we want to do, but it's the only decision to make at this time. It just doesn't feel right without [Shaffer]." The statement also acknowledged fans that "there is no suitable replacement for [Shaffer] during his recuperation."
Aside from touring, Korn also released three singles
following the album's release. "No Place to Hide
" was the album's first single. The single features the song "Proud", a song that was previously unreleased. Other versions include both original and remixed versions of songs featured on Korn
. The song "A.D.I.D.A.S.
" was released as a single on March 4, 1997. The song's music video was directed by Joseph Kahn
. Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu said that "It was one of the hardest videos we ever made because we all had to lie still on cold metal slabs for hours, pretending to be dead. We wore dirty blue contacts in our eyes that made us partially blind while they were in."
, or vocal improvisation
with random vocables and nonsense syllable
s or without words at all. Doug Small described the singing as "spitting out the twisted rantings of a madman," and said that it was fit for the album's introduction. An a cappella
version of "Twist" is included as a hidden track
after "Kill You". "K@#Ø%!"'s concept was explained by bassist
Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu
, "when you were a kid and you heard the f-word in a song, you'd rewind it a hundred times just to hear them say it. So we just said 'Let's put as many cuss words in one song as we could possibly do,' and I guarantee little kids that are fuckin' ten years old are freaking out about that song. They're freaking out." "A.D.I.D.A.S." is an Acronym
for "All Day I Dream About Sex".
The album spans several genres, including nu metal
, rap metal
, and alternative metal
. Sputnikmusic said that the band takes "take the sound they established on their self titled debut and push it in a darker and, on occasion, more humorous direction." Tower Records
said that the album was "full of shrilly, distorted guitar squeals, bass-heavy darkness and laryngitis-inducing growls," while considering the album to mix the genres thrash metal
, hip-hop, punk rock
, funk
, and humor.
Q Magazine said that the album was both harsh and hard, and Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic said that the album's rhythms were "straight out of underground black metal," while also noting that it "enhanced their metallic influences." With the same band-line up as their previous album, Korn, the band created an album cosidered to be darker than their debut album. Entertainment Weekly considered the album to be of interest to "mental-health professionals." Jon Pareles stated that the album's themes characterize Korn being "Mad at Everybody, Including Themselves," and considered his feelings for Korn were mutual. iTunes
said Life Is Peachy was "a barrage of throttling, detuned guitar aggression that erupts from the bottom like molten lava."
commented that "Regardless of the musical textures, Life Is Peachy is unified in its focus." Entertainment Weekly
said that the album left the "impression that frontman Jonathan Davis is turning his well-publicized childhood traumas into a cheap marketing device". They gave it a C- and said that it "may be of interest to mental-health professionals."
"No Place to Hide
" earned the band a second Grammy
nomination in the Best Metal Performance
category in 1998. The single peaked at number twenty-six on the UK Singles Chart
. The album's second single, "A.D.I.D.A.S.
," peaked at number twenty-two on the UK Singles Chart, while also making an appearance at number forty-five in Australia. "Good God", the album's third and final single, peaked at number twenty-five on UK Singles Chart, and number eighty-one on the ARIA Charts.
The album peaked at number one in New Zealand. The album also peaked at number three on the Billboard 200
, and number thirty-two on the UK Albums Chart
. Herzebeth from Metal Storm Webzine
said that Life Is Peachy is Korn's best album.
of "Twist" in a capella form, which serves as an outro, lasting about one minute.
Singles
Production and other credits
Production continued
Nu metal
Nu metal is a subgenre of heavy metal. It is a fusion genre which combines elements of heavy metal with other genres, including grunge and hip hop...
band Korn
Korn
Korn is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, formed in 1993. The current band line up includes four members: Jonathan Davis, James "Munky" Shaffer, Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu, and Ray Luzier. The band was formed as an expansion of L.A.P.D.The band released their first demo album,...
, released on October 15, 1996 through Immortal
Immortal Records
Immortal Records is an independent record label out of Los Angeles, California. Founded by Happy Walters in 1994, the label had helped launched the careers of such influential acts as Korn, 30 Seconds to Mars, and Incubus over the years. The label had also released soundtracks, including Judgment...
/Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
. Following the success of their 1994 self-titled debut
Korn (album)
Korn is the self-titled debut album by American nu metal band Korn, released on October 4, 1994, through Immortal/Epic Records. Before recording the album, the band played several gigs in an attempt to promote themselves. They were approached by Immortal/Epic Records after a performance at...
, Korn earned a second double platinum
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
album in the United States, certified 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). The album debuted and peaked at number three on the 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...
and peaked at number one in New Zealand
Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand...
.
The album has fifteen tracks, including the hidden track
Hidden track
In the field of recorded music, a hidden track is a piece of music that has been placed on a CD, audio cassette, vinyl record or other recorded medium in such a way as to avoid detection by the casual listener...
after "Kill You". Korn released three singles from the album and each charted on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. For the first time, Korn released covers of the songs "Lowrider
Low Rider
"Low Rider" is a song written by the band War and appearing on their 1975 album Why Can't We Be Friends?. It reached number one on the Billboard R&B charts and peaked at number seven on the Pop Singles chart....
" by War
War (band)
War is an American funk band from California, known for the hit songs "Low Rider", "Spill the Wine", "The Cisco Kid" and "Why Can't We Be Friends?". Formed in 1969, War was a musical crossover band which fused elements of rock, funk, jazz, Latin, rhythm and blues, and reggae...
and "Wicked
Wicked (song)
Wicked is the first single from rapper Ice Cube's third studio album The Predator. The song's music video was directed by Marcus Raboy and features the band Red Hot Chili Peppers.The song was covered by Korn for their 1996 album Life Is Peachy...
" by Ice Cube
Ice Cube
O'Shea Jackson , better known by his stage name Ice Cube, is an American rapper and actor. He began his career as a member of the hip-hop group C.I.A. and later joined the rap group N.W.A. After leaving N.W.A in December 1989, he built a successful solo career in music, and also as a writer,...
. The album features such themes as social encounters
Social
The term social refers to a characteristic of living organisms...
and revenge
Revenge
Revenge is a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance, be it real or perceived. It is also called payback, retribution, retaliation or vengeance; it may be characterized, justly or unjustly, as a form of justice.-Function in society:Some societies believe that the...
. The album cover
Album cover
An album cover is the front of the packaging of a commercially released audio recording product, or album. The term can refer to either the printed cardboard covers typically used to package sets of 10" and 12" 78 rpm records, single and sets of 12" LPs, sets of 45 rpm records , or the front-facing...
was designed by Martin Riedl and its name is credited to Korn's bassist
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu
Reginald Arvizu
Reginald Quincy "Fieldy" Arvizu is the bassist for the nu metal band Korn, and guitarist for the hard rock band StillWell.-Musical career:...
. It generally received mixed reviews from critics. Life Is Peachy has sold over 4 million copies worldwide.
Writing and recording
Writing for the band's second album started immediately after touring their self-titled debut. GuitaristElectric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
Munky
James Shaffer
James Christian 'Munky' Shaffer is the guitarist for the nu metal band Korn . According to Korn's video "Who Then Now?", The nickname 'Munky' is a reference to his feet which resemble monkey's hands when spread...
described the writing process as, "we didn't write nothin' for two years then we had creativity build up, like blue balls of creativity." Doug Small, author of The Story of Korn, said that "the band's songwriting method — a sort of collective building process wherein four instrumentalists, with the input of Jonathan [Davis
Jonathan Davis
Jonathan Houseman Davis is the lead vocalist and frontman for the nu metal band Korn. Davis was ranked 16th on Hit Parader 's list of "Heavy Metal's All-Time Top 100 Vocalists".-Early life:...
], develop each other's ideas until they've created a monster — is truly a group effort." The album's lyrics — for the most part — were primarily written by lead singer Jonathan Davis. Drummer
Drum kit
A 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 ....
David Silveria
David Silveria
David Randall Silveria is a former-drummer, best known as the drummer for the band Korn from early 1993 until leaving the band in late 2006.-1993 to 2006: Korn:...
told Modern Drummer
Modern Drummer
Modern Drummer is a monthly publication targeting the interests of on drummers and percussionists. The magazine features interviews, equipment reviews, and columns offering advice on technique, as well as information for the general public...
, "somebody will start playing something and the rest of us will work around it and see where it goes."
After playing at a few gigs with Deftones
Deftones
Deftones are an American alternative metal band from Sacramento, California, founded in 1988. The band consists of Chino Moreno , Stephen Carpenter , Chi Cheng , Frank Delgado , and Abe Cunningham . Currently Sergio Vega is standing in on bass while Cheng recovers from a car accident...
in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, United States, Korn went back to the studio to start recording Life Is Peachy in April 1996. Korn asked Ross Robinson
Ross Robinson
Ross Robinson, son of Byron Katie, is an American multi-platinum music producer, who has discovered successful acts such as Korn, At the Drive-In, Glassjaw, Repeater, Slipknot and Limp Bizkit. Robinson has also worked with Machine Head, Vanilla Ice, The Cure, Sepultura and many others...
to produce, and wanted to begin recording at Indigo Ranch, mostly because their first album had been recorded there and was a success. The quick process was accompanied by drinking
Ethanol
Ethanol, also called ethyl alcohol, pure alcohol, grain alcohol, or drinking alcohol, is a volatile, flammable, colorless liquid. It is a psychoactive drug and one of the oldest recreational drugs. Best known as the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, it is also used in thermometers, as a...
and party
Party
A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, or recreation. A party will typically feature food and beverages, and often music and dancing as well....
ing. When Davis recorded, he preferred several other people be in the recording studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
with him.
Jason Arnopp, author of Slipknot: Inside the Sickness, Behind the Masks, along with Doug Small, insisted the album was rushed when it was put together. Silveria explained, "We went in really fresh, and we wanted to get it done quickly to capture that moment. So it was probably about sixty percent knowing what I was going to play and forty percent just playng whatever came to mind at that moment, It ended up really good, and it has a kind of energy I probably wouldn't have gotten if I'd worked everything out beforehand." Korn's bassist Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu
Reginald Arvizu
Reginald Quincy "Fieldy" Arvizu is the bassist for the nu metal band Korn, and guitarist for the hard rock band StillWell.-Musical career:...
said, "We wanted that same energy and inspiration we found up in the Malibu Hills."
Booklet
Korn's bassist Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu came up with the title Life Is Peachy. The name came from Fieldy's Pee Chee folderPee Chee folder
The yellow Pee Chee All Season Portfolio was a common American stationery item in the second half of the 20th century, commonly used by students for storing school papers. It was first produced in 1943 by the Western Tablet and Stationery Company of Kalamazoo, Michigan...
. Fieldy often put "Life Is" in front of the brand name, which would humor him. Fieldy said, "I used to doodle all over it [the file folder]. I drew long hair on the character and put guitars in their hands. I used to sketch stuff all the time. I eventually knew my scribbles might someday pay off. I thought that visual would make a really cool album cover." Korn contacted the Pee Chee file folder company and asked for permission to use the file folder's image for an album cover, offering twenty thousand dollars ($
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
20,000), resulting in the company turning the offer down. The name Life Is Peachy was agreed by band members to be a "great" name for the album, and kept the name but didn't add Fieldy's file folder cover.
The front cover of Life Is Peachy depicts a boy looking in the mirror, seeing a much larger person behind him. The photo was taken by Martin Riedl. The design and concept were by Scott Leberacht. Other pictures in the booklet were taken by Stephen Stickler. Doug Small said that it "continued the threatened child theme as depicted on Korn
Korn (album)
Korn is the self-titled debut album by American nu metal band Korn, released on October 4, 1994, through Immortal/Epic Records. Before recording the album, the band played several gigs in an attempt to promote themselves. They were approached by Immortal/Epic Records after a performance at...
s artwork." The cover is mostly black and white, with a little boy, hair combed, straightening his tie in a guilt mirror; behind him looms a larger, shadowed presence." Life Is Peachy is, to date, the only album by Korn to feature their name spelled in a different font
Font
In typography, a font is traditionally defined as a quantity of sorts composing a complete character set of a single size and style of a particular typeface...
.
The booklet, along with every other album by Korn, does not feature printed lyrics to the songs. The band has explained that the reason the booklets do not feature this is because he believes fans should not rely on printed lyrics because it limits the experience in listening to the music. As Davis told MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's Serena Altschul, "I think music is something that every individual has their own meaning to the song. They can come up with whatever the hell I'm saying and that's the beauty of it and that's what I wanna keep there."
Touring and promotion
Korn began touring in the Sick of It All TourSick of It All
Sick of It All is an American hardcore punk band from Queens, New York. Formed in 1986, the band consisted of brothers Lou Koller on vocals and Pete Koller on lead guitar, Rich Cipriano on bass, and Armand Majidi on drums. There have been only two member changes since their inception, with Max...
, beginning on January 21, 1995, and ending in March 1995. Following the Sick of It All Tour, Korn joined the Danzig 4 Tour, including Danzig
Danzig (band)
Danzig is an American heavy metal band, formed in 1987 in Lodi, New Jersey. The band serves as a musical outlet for the singer/songwriter Glenn Danzig. Danzig can be seen as the third stage in Glenn Danzig's musical career, preceded by the horror punk bands The Misfits and Samhain...
and Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson (band)
Marilyn Manson is an American metal band from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Formed in 1989 by Brian Warner and Scott Putesky, the group was originally named Marilyn Manson & the Spooky Kids with their uniquely theatrical performances gathering a local cult following in the early '90s. This attention...
. The tour lasted 3 months and was preceded with the group touring with Megadeth
Megadeth
Megadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California which was formed in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, bassist Dave Ellefson and guitarist Greg Handevidt, following Mustaine's expulsion from Metallica. The band has since released 13 studio albums, three live albums, two...
, where they played to crowds of thirty-five-hundred to five thousand. They toured with Megadeth, Fear Factory
Fear Factory
Fear Factory is an American industrial metal band. Formed in 1989, they have released seven full-length albums and a number of singles and remixes. Over the course of their career they have evolved from a succession of styles, as well as steadily pioneered a combination of the styles death metal,...
, and Flotsam and Jetsam
Flotsam and Jetsam (band)
Flotsam and Jetsam is a thrash metal band that formed in Phoenix, Arizona in 1982.-1981-1986: The beginning:The band's original name was "Paradox" founded by Drummer Kelly David-Smith and two other guitarists, until 1982 when bassist Jason Newsted joined. Jason had come to Phoenix with his band...
. All of this happened in the summer of 1995. Lead vocalist Jonathan Davis
Jonathan Davis
Jonathan Houseman Davis is the lead vocalist and frontman for the nu metal band Korn. Davis was ranked 16th on Hit Parader 's list of "Heavy Metal's All-Time Top 100 Vocalists".-Early life:...
introduced the bagpipes
Bagpipes
Bagpipes are a class of musical instrument, aerophones, using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. Though the Scottish Great Highland Bagpipe and Irish uilleann pipes have the greatest international visibility, bagpipes of many different types come from...
while performing live (however many people there did not like this).
Korn began touring in Europe during September 1995. One of Korn's first concert dates was in Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
. After the performance, there was conflict between Korn's bassist Fieldy and someone from "tech," resulting in the airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
prohibiting them from boarding the plane. From 1995 to 1997, Korn toured with Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
, Sugar Ray
Sugar Ray
Sugar Ray is a band from Orange County, California. The band, starting off more as an alternative metal band, first gained fame in 1997 with their release of the song "Fly". This song's success, coupled with its pop rock sound that was quite different from the rest of their material at the time,...
, Cradle of Thorns, Incubus
Incubus (band)
Incubus is an American rock band from Calabasas, California. The band was formed in 1991 by vocalist Brandon Boyd, lead guitarist Mike Einziger, and drummer Jose Pasillas while enrolled in high school and later expanded to include bassist Alex "Dirk Lance" Katunich, and Gavin "DJ Lyfe" Koppell;...
, Life of Agony
Life of Agony
-Formation and River Runs Red :The band was formed in the summer of 1989 by singer Keith Caputo, bassist Alan Robert and guitarist Joey Z. After playing with several drummers, they enlisted Type O Negative drummer Sal Abruscato before recording the debut album River Runs Red after they signed to...
, Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
, and others. Korn released a promotional disc in 1997 called Life Is Peachy Tour Sampler, with Incubus and The Urge
The Urge
The Urge is a St. Louis rock band formed in 1987 by drummer Jeff Herschel, bassist Karl Grable, guitarist Pat Malecek, and singer Steve Ewing...
. The album featured 3 tracks, "Chi" (live) by Korn, "All Washed Up" (live) by The Urge, and "Hilikus" (live) by Incubus. The promo was released after Life Is Peachy, and lasts for twelve minutes and seventeen seconds. Korn toured solo in 1997, and headlined at often sold out shows. Limp Bizkit
Limp Bizkit
Limp Bizkit is an American rock band from Jacksonville, Florida. Formed in 1995, the group's lineup consists of Fred Durst , Wes Borland , Sam Rivers , John Otto and DJ Lethal . The band achieved mainstream success with their second studio album Significant Other, released in 1999...
also toured with Korn to promote Life Is Peachy. In 1997, Korn toured in the Lollapalooza summer tour
Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza is an annual music festival featuring popular alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock and hip hop bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. It has also provided a platform for non-profit and political groups. The music festival hosts more than 160,000 people over a...
. They toured with Tool
Tool (band)
Tool is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1990, the group's line-up has included drummer Danny Carey, guitarist Adam Jones, and vocalist Maynard James Keenan. Since 1995, Justin Chancellor has been the band's bassist, replacing their original bassist Paul D'Amour...
, Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
, Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction is an American alternative rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985. The band's original line-up featured Perry Farrell , Dave Navarro , Eric Avery and Stephen Perkins . After breaking up in 1991, Jane's Addiction briefly reunited in 1997 and again in 2001, both times...
, Prodigy
Prodigy (rapper)
Lance Albert Johnson Banks, better known as Prodigy, is an American rapper and one half of the hip-hop and rap duo Mobb Deep....
, and others.
On July 18, not even a month into the tour, the band played their final gig for Lollapalooza. Guitarist James Shaffer
James Shaffer
James Christian 'Munky' Shaffer is the guitarist for the nu metal band Korn . According to Korn's video "Who Then Now?", The nickname 'Munky' is a reference to his feet which resemble monkey's hands when spread...
was diagnosed with a life-threatening illness called viral meningitis
Viral meningitis
Viral meningitis refers to meningitis caused by a viral infection. It is sometimes referred to as "aseptic meningitis" in contrast to meningitis caused by bacteria.An example is lymphocytic choriomeningitis....
. Jonathan Davis issued a written statement about Shaffer's illness saying, "We love our fans. This is the last thing we want to do, but it's the only decision to make at this time. It just doesn't feel right without [Shaffer]." The statement also acknowledged fans that "there is no suitable replacement for [Shaffer] during his recuperation."
Aside from touring, Korn also released three singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
following the album's release. "No Place to Hide
No Place to Hide
For other uses, see No Place to Hide "No Place to Hide" is a song written and recorded by American metal band Korn for their second studio album, Life Is Peachy. It was released as the album's first single in September 1996....
" was the album's first single. The single features the song "Proud", a song that was previously unreleased. Other versions include both original and remixed versions of songs featured on Korn
Korn (album)
Korn is the self-titled debut album by American nu metal band Korn, released on October 4, 1994, through Immortal/Epic Records. Before recording the album, the band played several gigs in an attempt to promote themselves. They were approached by Immortal/Epic Records after a performance at...
. The song "A.D.I.D.A.S.
A.D.I.D.A.S.
"All Day I Dream About Sex" redirects here. For the JC Chasez song, see All Day Long I Dream About Sex.For the clothing manufactuter, see Adidas...
" was released as a single on March 4, 1997. The song's music video was directed by Joseph Kahn
Joseph Kahn
Joseph Kahn is an American music video, advertising, and feature film director.-Early life:Kahn was born in Jersey Village, Texas, a suburb of Houston. He is of Korean ancestry. He spent part of his childhood growing up in Livorno, Italy until his family moved to Texas...
. Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu said that "It was one of the hardest videos we ever made because we all had to lie still on cold metal slabs for hours, pretending to be dead. We wore dirty blue contacts in our eyes that made us partially blind while they were in."
Music and lyrical themes
Life Is Peachy opens with the forty-nine second prelude "Twist". The track's vocal style is called ScatScat singing
In vocal jazz, scat singing is vocal improvisation with wordless vocables, nonsense syllables or without words at all. Scat singing gives singers the ability to sing improvised melodies and rhythms, to create the equivalent of an instrumental solo using their voice.- Structure and syllable choice...
, or vocal improvisation
Musical improvisation
Musical improvisation is the creative activity of immediate musical composition, which combines performance with communication of emotions and instrumental technique as well as spontaneous response to other musicians...
with random vocables and nonsense syllable
Nonsense syllable
In cognitive psychology, a nonsense syllable is a word-like string of letters that is not intended to have any established meaning; it is a special case of a non-lexical vocable...
s or without words at all. Doug Small described the singing as "spitting out the twisted rantings of a madman," and said that it was fit for the album's introduction. An a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
version of "Twist" is included as a hidden track
Hidden track
In the field of recorded music, a hidden track is a piece of music that has been placed on a CD, audio cassette, vinyl record or other recorded medium in such a way as to avoid detection by the casual listener...
after "Kill You". "K@#Ø%!"'s concept was explained by bassist
Electric Bass
Electric bass can mean:*Electric upright bass, the electric version of a double bass*Electric bass guitar*Bass synthesizer*Big Mouth Billy Bass, a battery-powered singing fish...
Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu
Reginald Arvizu
Reginald Quincy "Fieldy" Arvizu is the bassist for the nu metal band Korn, and guitarist for the hard rock band StillWell.-Musical career:...
, "when you were a kid and you heard the f-word in a song, you'd rewind it a hundred times just to hear them say it. So we just said 'Let's put as many cuss words in one song as we could possibly do,' and I guarantee little kids that are fuckin' ten years old are freaking out about that song. They're freaking out." "A.D.I.D.A.S." is an Acronym
Acronym and initialism
Acronyms and initialisms are abbreviations formed from the initial components in a phrase or a word. These components may be individual letters or parts of words . There is no universal agreement on the precise definition of the various terms , nor on written usage...
for "All Day I Dream About Sex".
The album spans several genres, including nu metal
Nu metal
Nu metal is a subgenre of heavy metal. It is a fusion genre which combines elements of heavy metal with other genres, including grunge and hip hop...
, rap metal
Rap metal
Rap metal is a subgenre of rap rock which fuses vocal and instrumental elements of hip hop music with heavy metal.-History:Rap metal originated from rap rock, a genre fusing vocal and instrumental elements of hip hop with rock...
, and alternative metal
Alternative metal
Alternative metal is a genre of alternative rock and heavy metal that gained popularity in the early 1990s. Most notably, alternative metal bands are characterized by heavy guitar riffs and experimental approaches to heavy music.-Origins:...
. Sputnikmusic said that the band takes "take the sound they established on their self titled debut and push it in a darker and, on occasion, more humorous direction." Tower Records
Tower Records
Tower Records was a retail music chain that was based in Sacramento, California. It currently exists as an international franchise and an online music store....
said that the album was "full of shrilly, distorted guitar squeals, bass-heavy darkness and laryngitis-inducing growls," while considering the album to mix the genres thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
, hip-hop, punk rock
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...
, funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
, and humor.
Q Magazine said that the album was both harsh and hard, and Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic said that the album's rhythms were "straight out of underground black metal," while also noting that it "enhanced their metallic influences." With the same band-line up as their previous album, Korn, the band created an album cosidered to be darker than their debut album. Entertainment Weekly considered the album to be of interest to "mental-health professionals." Jon Pareles stated that the album's themes characterize Korn being "Mad at Everybody, Including Themselves," and considered his feelings for Korn were mutual. iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
said Life Is Peachy was "a barrage of throttling, detuned guitar aggression that erupts from the bottom like molten lava."
Reception
Life Is Peachy received mixed reviews from critics. Q Magazine said the album is "Harsher and harder than their groundbreaking debut." Allmusic said "Korn add enough elements of alternative rock song structure to make the music accessible to the masses, and their songwriting has continued to improve." iTunesITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
commented that "Regardless of the musical textures, Life Is Peachy is unified in its focus." Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
said that the album left the "impression that frontman Jonathan Davis is turning his well-publicized childhood traumas into a cheap marketing device". They gave it a C- and said that it "may be of interest to mental-health professionals."
"No Place to Hide
No Place to Hide
For other uses, see No Place to Hide "No Place to Hide" is a song written and recorded by American metal band Korn for their second studio album, Life Is Peachy. It was released as the album's first single in September 1996....
" earned the band a second Grammy
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
nomination in the Best Metal Performance
Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance was an award presented at the Grammy Awards to recording artists for works containing quality performances in the heavy metal music genre...
category in 1998. The single peaked at number twenty-six on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. The album's second single, "A.D.I.D.A.S.
A.D.I.D.A.S.
"All Day I Dream About Sex" redirects here. For the JC Chasez song, see All Day Long I Dream About Sex.For the clothing manufactuter, see Adidas...
," peaked at number twenty-two on the UK Singles Chart, while also making an appearance at number forty-five in Australia. "Good God", the album's third and final single, peaked at number twenty-five on UK Singles Chart, and number eighty-one on the ARIA Charts.
The album peaked at number one in New Zealand. The album also peaked at number three on the 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...
, and number thirty-two on the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
. Herzebeth from Metal Storm Webzine
Metal Storm (webzine)
Metal Storm is a webzine specializing in various forms of heavy metal music. It is based in Tallinn, Estonia but caters to an international audience, symbolically recognized by the acquisition of an EU domain in 2008...
said that Life Is Peachy is Korn's best album.
Track listing
"Kill You"
The song "Kill You" ends at around 5:02. After almost two and a half minutes of silence, there is a brief reprisalReprise
Reprise is a fundamental device in the history of art. In literature, a reprise consists of the rewriting of another work; in music, a reprise is the repetition or reiteration of the opening material later in a composition as occurs in the recapitulation of sonata form, though—originally in the...
of "Twist" in a capella form, which serves as an outro, lasting about one minute.
Chart positions
| Chart (1996) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| 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... |
3 |
| Australian Albums Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
26 |
| Austrian Albums Chart Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann... |
21 |
| Belgian Albums Chart Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... (Flanders) |
36 |
| Belgian Albums Chart (Wallonia) | 25 |
| Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
32 |
| Finland Albums Chart | 24 |
| German Albums Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
85 |
| Dutch Albums Chart MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top... |
87 |
| New Zealand Charts | 1 |
| Norwegian Albums Chart VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... |
24 |
| Swedish Albums Chart Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
36 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
32 |
Singles
| Year | Song | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| AUS |
UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
||
| 1996 | "No Place to Hide" | — | 26 |
| 1997 | "A.D.I.D.A.S. A.D.I.D.A.S. "All Day I Dream About Sex" redirects here. For the JC Chasez song, see All Day Long I Dream About Sex.For the clothing manufactuter, see Adidas... " |
45 | 22 |
| "Good God" | 81 | 25 |
Personnel
Korn- Jonathan DavisJonathan DavisJonathan Houseman Davis is the lead vocalist and frontman for the nu metal band Korn. Davis was ranked 16th on Hit Parader 's list of "Heavy Metal's All-Time Top 100 Vocalists".-Early life:...
– 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...
, bagpipesBagpipesBagpipes are a class of musical instrument, aerophones, using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. Though the Scottish Great Highland Bagpipe and Irish uilleann pipes have the greatest international visibility, bagpipes of many different types come from... - HeadBrian WelchBrian Phillip Welch , better known as Head, is an American musician best known as the former guitarist and co-founder of the nu metal band Korn...
– guitar, vocals - MunkyJames ShafferJames Christian 'Munky' Shaffer is the guitarist for the nu metal band Korn . According to Korn's video "Who Then Now?", The nickname 'Munky' is a reference to his feet which resemble monkey's hands when spread...
– guitar - FieldyReginald ArvizuReginald Quincy "Fieldy" Arvizu is the bassist for the nu metal band Korn, and guitarist for the hard rock band StillWell.-Musical career:...
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - DavidDavid SilveriaDavid Randall Silveria is a former-drummer, best known as the drummer for the band Korn from early 1993 until leaving the band in late 2006.-1993 to 2006: Korn:...
– 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 and other credits
- Ross RobinsonRoss RobinsonRoss Robinson, son of Byron Katie, is an American multi-platinum music producer, who has discovered successful acts such as Korn, At the Drive-In, Glassjaw, Repeater, Slipknot and Limp Bizkit. Robinson has also worked with Machine Head, Vanilla Ice, The Cure, Sepultura and many others...
– productionRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music... - Chino MorenoChino MorenoChino Moreno is an American musician. He is best known as the lead singer and contributing guitarist of Deftones. He is also a member of the side-project bands Team Sleep and Crosses....
– vocals on "Wicked" - Chuck Johnson – cowbell on "Low Rider", mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
- Baby Nathan – additional vocals on "A.D.I.D.A.S."
Production continued
- Sugar & Earl – guest appearance on "Swallow"
- Tom Lord-AlgeTom Lord-AlgeTom Lord-Alge is a four-time Grammy Award–winning record producer and mixer. He is the youngest of Vivian Lord's five children, Mark Lord-Alge, Lisa Lord-Alge, Chris Lord-Alge, Jeff Lord-Alge and Tom Lord-Alge...
– mixing - Eddy Schreyer – masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
- Scott Leberecht – artworkCover artCover art is the illustration or photograph on the outside of a published product such as a book , magazine, comic book, video game , DVD, CD, videotape, or music album. The art has a primarily commercial function, i.e...
- Martin Riedl & Stephen Stickler – photographyPhotographyPhotography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...