Content:
Jay and Brett were constantly writing songs during their tours and downtime. They had lots of ideas coming to fruition, and even though they didn’t have enough for a full album, they were still very productive. Brett would write songs in just 30 minutes during his breaks at the recording studio where he worked as an engineer. No Control was recorded in June 1989 and was a big step up for the band. Brett used a Compellor by Aphex on every track, but ended up hating the sound and tried to undo the compression in the mix. However, he now appreciates its aggressive and distinctive sound. Greg initially thought Brett had ruined the record, but upon listening to it again, he realized it was not ruined at all.
Songwriting & Recording:
Jay used a Hiwatt SA212 combo and an Electro-Voice EVM12L speaker mounted in a KK Audio closed back cabinet to record his bass tracks. This method was used on all albums from Suffer through No Substance, except Against The Grain. In 2010, he used the same gear on The Dissent Of Man.
Artwork:
The cover artwork for No Control was done by Norman Moore, who also did the artwork for Generator and Stranger Than Fiction.
Sales:
No Control was released on 11.2.1989. Initially, 12,000 copies were shipped, but to their surprise, they ended up selling 60,000 copies. By 1992, about 80,000 copies had been sold.
Opinions:
Bobby Schayer considers No Control his favorite album. He loves the pace, the songs, and the rawness of the record. It gives him the same excitement as when he heard the first Ramones album and makes him want to play music again.
Trivia:
There are some discrepancies in the track titles on the back sleeve, inlay, and print of the CD and LP. Track #4 is written as “Sometimes I Feel Like” on the back sleeve and inlay, but as “Sometimes It Feels Like” on the CD and LP. Similarly, track #15 is written as “The World Won’t Stop” on the back sleeve and booklet, but as “The World Won’t Stop Without You” on the CD and LP. Additionally, the cassette says “Bizzy,” but the cassette sleeve correctly prints it as “Billy.”
References:
1. Filter #41 (Fall 2010)
2. YouTube.com
This content was originally written by the badass contributors of thebrpage.net, the best superfan resource and website that exists for any band, let alone the best band in the whole entire world. I’ve been lurking on that site for over 20 years and if you’re into Bad Religion as much as I am, I’m sure you’re familiar. If you are not, go there right now and never come back to this site again. You should, and I totally understand.
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