Menace to Sobriety
Menace to Sobriety is the second studio album from the American rock band Ugly Kid Joe, released in June 1995 on Mercury Records. The title nods to the film Menace II Society. It follows America's Least Wanted and the EP that came before it, and it marks the arrival of drummer Shannon Larkin, formerly of Wrathchild America and Souls at Zero.
The record leans heavier than its predecessors and carries darker lyrics, though the band's sense of humour is still part of the mix. "Milkman's Son", "Tomorrow's World" and the power ballad "Cloudy Skies" all came out as singles with videos. It reached No. 25 on the UK Albums Chart and drew critical praise, but it stalled at 178 on the Billboard 200 in the United States. Mercury dropped the band later that year, which makes this their last album for the label.
Menace to Sobriety: tracklist, credits and charts
13 tracks · 44:20Tracklist
- 1IntroCrane, Crockett, Eichstadt, Fortman, Larkin1:50
- 2GodCrane, Eichstadt, Fortman2:52
- 3Tomorrow's WorldEichstadt, Fortman, Crane, Larkin4:17
- 4CloverCrane, Eichstadt, Fortman3:34
- 5C.U.S.T.Dave Fortman and Whitfield Crane2:59
- 6Milkman's SonDave Fortman and Whitfield Crane3:51
- 7SuckerpathCrane, Crockett, Eichstadt, Fortman, Larkin4:53
- 8Cloudy SkiesDave Fortman and Whitfield Crane4:25
- 9Jesus Rode a HarleyDave Fortman and Whitfield Crane3:14
- 1010/10Crane, Crockett, Eichstadt, Fortman, Larkin3:36
- 11V.I.P.Crane, Crockett, Eichstadt, Fortman, Larkin3:46
- 12OompaCrane, Crockett, Eichstadt, Fortman, Larkin2:04
- 13Candle SongCrane, Crockett, Eichstadt, Fortman, Larkin2:58
- Produced by
- Garth Richardson, Ugly Kid Joe, GGGarth
- Mixed by
- Bill Kennedy, Garth Richardson, Krish Sharma
- Recorded
- 1994–1995
- Labels
- Mercury Records, Mercury
- Length
- 44:20
Line-up
- Cordell Crockett · bass guitar
- Klaus Eichstadt · guitar
- Dave Fortman · guitar
- Shannon Larkin · drums (drum set), percussion
- Whitfield Crane · lead vocals
Peak chart positions
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart · 1995 | 25 |
| US Billboard 200 · 1995 | 178 |
| Australian Albums (ARIA) · 1995 | 19 |
| Swiss Albums · 1995 | 22 |
| Austrian Albums · 1995 | 24 |
| Finnish Albums · 1995 | 26 |
| Belgian Albums (Wallonia) · 1995 | 28 |
| German Albums · 1995 | 29 |
| Dutch Albums · 1995 | 86 |
From MusicBrainz and Wikipedia. Only what the sources record is shown.
Released the same week
Also released on 13 June
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Releases and pressings
How we know the release date wikipedia 1995-06-13 vs 1995-06-05 (musicbrainz)
| Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | 5 June 1995 | |
| Wikipedia infobox | 13 June 1995 | |
| Wikidata | 1995 | |
| US release | 13 June 1995 | earliest US date |
| UK / Europe release | 5 June 1995 | earliest UK or European date |
4 editions
| Date | Country | Label | Barcode | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | JP | Mercury Records | 4988011345937 | other |
| 5 June 1995 | XE | Mercury Records | 731452828224 | original |
| 13 June 1995 | CA | Mercury Records | other | |
| 13 June 1995 | US | Mercury Records | 731452699725 | other |
Cover art sources
coverartarchive · upscaled: major: best source 1403x1386, upscaled to 1500 (x1.08)
| Source | Size | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| coverartarchive ✓ | 1403×1386 | upscaled: major: best source 1403x1386, upscaled to 1500 (x1.08) |
| deezer | 1200×1200 | upscaled |
| fanarttv | 1000×1000 | upscaled |