Freeze Frame (The J. Geils Band album)
Freeze-Frame | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | October 26, 1981 | |||
Recorded | 1980–1981 | |||
Studio | Long View Farm, North Brookfield, Massachusetts | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 40:55 | |||
Label | EMI | |||
Producer | Seth Justman | |||
The J. Geils Band chronology | ||||
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Singles from Freeze-Frame | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Robert Christgau | B+[3] |
Rolling Stone | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Rock 82 | (favorable)[5] |
Freeze-Frame is the tenth studio album by American rock band the J. Geils Band, and the last one to feature original vocalist Peter Wolf. The album was released on October 26, 1981, by EMI Records. It reached number one on the United States Billboard 200 album chart in February 1982, and remained at the top for four weeks. The album featured the hit singles "Centerfold" (No. 1 US; No. 3 UK) and "Freeze Frame" (No. 4 US). "Angel in Blue" also reached the US Top 40.
Keyboardist Seth Justman wrote or co-wrote all of the album as well as receiving credit as arranger and producer of the material.
A 2013 Spin article called "Flamethrower" the band's funkiest song and said: "With three avant-gardish anomalies that flirted with harmolodic punk-jazz funk ("Rage in the Cage," "Insane, Insane Again," and "River Blindness") balancing out three slick Top 10 pop hits, 1981's Freeze Frame holds the rare if not impossible distinction of being simultaneously both the J. Geils Band's most blatantly pop and mostly blatantly experimental album."[6]
Track listing
[edit]All songs written by Seth Justman except where noted.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Freeze-Frame" | Justman, Peter Wolf | 3:58 |
2. | "Rage in the Cage" | Justman, Wolf | 4:56 |
3. | "Centerfold" | 3:36 | |
4. | "Do You Remember When" | Justman, Wolf | 4:45 |
5. | "Insane, Insane Again" | 4:43 | |
Total length: | 21:58 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
6. | "Flamethrower" | 4:58 | |
7. | "River Blindness" | 6:06 | |
8. | "Angel in Blue" | 4:51 | |
9. | "Piss on the Wall" | Justman, Wolf | 3:02 |
Total length: | 18:57 |
Personnel
[edit]The J. Geils Band
[edit]- Peter Wolf – lead vocals
- Seth Justman – keyboards, vocals
- J. Geils – guitar
- Danny Klein – bass
- Magic Dick – harmonica, saxophone
- Stephen Jo Bladd – drums, vocals
Additional musicians
[edit]- Randy Brecker, Tom "Bones" Malone, Lou Marini, George Young, Ronnie Cuber, Alan Rubin – horns
- Tawatha Agee, Cissy Houston, Fonzi Thornton, Luther Vandross, Ken Williams – backing vocals
- Cengiz Yaltkaya – conductor
Production
[edit]- Seth Justman – producer, arrangements
- David Thoener – engineer, mixing at Record Plant, New York
- Jesse Henderson, Steve Marcantonio – assistant engineers
- Joe Brescio – mastering
Charts
[edit] Weekly charts[edit]
| Year-end charts[edit]
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Singles
[edit]Year | Single | Chart | Peak position |
---|---|---|---|
1982 | "Angel in Blue" | Billboard Hot 100[20] | 40 |
1982 | "Centerfold"/"Flamethrower" | Club Play Singles[21] | 12 |
1982 | "Centerfold" | Mainstream Rock Tracks[22] | 1 |
1982 | "Centerfold" | Billboard Hot 100[20] | 1 |
1982 | "Flamethrower"/"Freeze Frame" | Hot R&B/Hip Hop Singles & Tracks[23] | 25 |
1982 | "Flamethrower" | Mainstream Rock Tracks[22] | 30 |
1982 | "Freeze-Frame" | Mainstream Rock Tracks[22] | 8 |
1982 | "Freeze-Frame" | Billboard Hot 100[20] | 4 |
Certifications
[edit]Organization | Level | Date |
---|---|---|
RIAA – USA | Platinum[24] | January 11, 1982 |
References
[edit]- ^ a b Breihan, Tom (May 27, 2020). "The Number Ones: The J. Geils Band's "Centerfold". Stereogum. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
But on Freeze Frame, the band latched onto the twitchy, bleepy aesthetic of new-wave rockers like the Cars...
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "J. Geils Band - Freeze Frame review". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 2015-07-07.
- ^ Christgau, Robert. "Freeze-Frame". Robert Christgau.
- ^ Fricke, David (21 January 1982). "Album Reviews: J. Geils Band - Freeze Frame". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 4 November 2009. Retrieved 2015-07-07.
- ^ Vesić, Dušan. "Freeze Frame, The J. Geils Band". Rock 82 (in Serbian) (5). Belgrade: NIP Politika: 10.
- ^ "Inorganic at the Disco: 40 Rock Bands Who Beat Arcade Fire to the Dance Floor". Spin. October 25, 2013. p. 26. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 122. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – The J. Geils Band – Freeze-Frame" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ "RPM Top 50 Albums - February 13, 1982" (PDF).
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – The J. Geils Band – Freeze-Frame" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – The J. Geils Band – Freeze-Frame" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ "Charts.nz – The J. Geils Band – Freeze-Frame". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – The J. Geils Band – Freeze-Frame". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ "The J Geils Band Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ "RPM Top 100 82 - December 25, 1982" (PDF).
- ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Album 1982". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
- ^ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts". GfK Entertainment (in German). offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
- ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1982". Billboard. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
- ^ a b c "The J. Geils Band Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ "The J. Geils Band Chart History: Dance Club Songs". Billboard. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ a b c "The J. Geils Band Chart History: Mainstream Rock". Billboard. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ "The J. Geils Band Chart History: Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ "RIAA searchable certification database: freeze-frame". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved September 7, 2020.