Waiting for the Punchline
Waiting for the Punchline is Extreme's fourth album, released in January 1995 on A&M Records. Coming after the polished, big-production sound of the two records before it, it takes a deliberately rawer approach, with a noticeable nod to grunge. The lyrics lean heavily towards social themes, from religion to fame, which is why many fans treat it as a concept album.
It is also a record of endings. Mike Mangini is the only drummer to appear on an Extreme album other than the original line-up's, playing on three tracks here. After the tour, Nuno Bettencourt told the band he was leaving for a solo career, and Extreme went quiet for eleven years, from 1996 to 2007. Singer Gary Cherone joined Van Halen in 1996 and left three years later. For anyone who knows the band mainly through their glossier hits, this is the stripped-back side of them.
Waiting for the Punchline: tracklist, credits and charts
12 tracks · 1:06:09Tracklist
- 1There Is No GodBadger, Bettencourt, Cherone6:08
- 2CynicalNuno Bettencourt and Gary Cherone4:42
- 3Tell Me Something I Don't Know6:26
- 4Hip TodayNuno Bettencourt and Gary Cherone4:42
- 5Naked5:47
- 6Midnight Express3:59
- 7Leave Me Alone4:48
- 8No Respect3:52
- 9EvilangelistNuno Bettencourt and Gary Cherone4:49
- 10Shadow Boxing4:35
- 11Unconditionally5:05
- 12Fair-Weather Faith / Waiting for the PunchlineNuno Bettencourt and Gary Cherone11:16
- Produced by
- Nuno Bettencourt, Bob St. John
- Recorded at
- Criteria Studios (Miami, Florida), Sound Techniques (Boston, Massachusetts)
- Recorded
- 1994
- Labels
- A&M Records, A&M
- Length
- 1:06:09
Line-up
- Pat Badger · drums (drum set)
- Mike Mangini · drums (drum set) · guest
Peak chart positions
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart · 1995 | 10 |
| US Billboard 200 · 1995 | 40 |
| UK Rock & Metal Albums · 1995 | 1 |
| Japanese Albums (Oricon) · 1995 | 4 |
| French Albums (SNEP) · 1995 | 10 |
| Finnish Albums (The Official Finnish Charts) · 1995 | 13 |
| Scottish Albums · 1995 | 15 |
| Swiss Albums · 1995 | 24 |
| Swedish Albums · 1995 | 29 |
| Canadian Albums (RPM) · 1995 | 30 |
All 14 charts
| Austrian Albums · 1995 | 37 |
| German Albums · 1995 | 46 |
| Australian Albums (ARIA) · 1995 | 51 |
| Dutch Albums · 1995 | 65 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification |
|---|---|
| Japan · 1995 | Gold |
From MusicBrainz and Wikipedia. Only what the sources record is shown.
Also released on 19 January
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Releases and pressings
How we know the release date wikipedia 1995-01-19 vs 1995-01-25 (musicbrainz)
| Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | 25 January 1995 | |
| Wikipedia infobox | 19 January 1995 | |
| Wikidata | 1995 | |
| US release | 1995 | earliest US date |
| UK / Europe release | 30 January 1995 | earliest UK or European date |
8 editions
| Date | Country | Label | Barcode | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | JP | A&M Records | other | |
| 1995 | US | A&M Records | 020831118026 | other |
| 1995 | US | A&M Records | 020831118026 | other |
| 25 January 1995 | JP | A&M Records | 4988005156433 | original |
| 30 January 1995 | XE | A&M Records | 731454030526 | other |
| 30 January 1995 | AU | A&M Records | 731454030526 | other |
| 3 June 2008 | — | A&M Records | 00602517757813 | other |
| — | — | — | other |
Cover art sources
coverartarchive · upscaled: minor: best source 1414x1414, upscaled to 1500 (x1.06)
| Source | Size | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| coverartarchive ✓ | 1414×1414 | upscaled: minor: best source 1414x1414, upscaled to 1500 (x1.06) |
| deezer | 1200×1200 | upscaled |
| fanarttv | 1000×1000 | upscaled |