Wax Ecstatic

Wax Ecstatic is the second studio album by American rock band Sponge. It was released on July 2, 1996 through Columbia Records. The album features a more '70s hard rock-influenced sound compared with the band's previous release. It is the band's first album with drummer Charlie Grover, and includes the hit singles "Wax Ecstatic (To Sell Angelina)" and "Have You Seen Mary".

Production

Wax Ectastic was originally intended to be a concept album revolving around the death of a drag queen; instead, only two songs on the album address the subject. The band decided against the idea of making a concept album, and instead would incorporate new instrumentation along with a more '70s hard rock-influenced sound compared to Rotting Piñata.

Release

Wax Ecstatic was released in July 1996 and peaked at number 60 on the Billboard 200. "Wax Ecstatic (To Sell Angelina)" and "Have You Seen Mary" were released as the first and second singles from the album, and both received significant airplay on radio and MTV. The songs "I Am Anastasia" and "Silence Is Their Drug" also received radio airplay, but were not officially released as singles. By 1998, the album had sold a quarter of a million copies.

Critical reception

Wax Ecstatic received mostly positive reviews. AllMusic staff writer Stephen Thomas Erlewine said "In order to grow, the group went back to their beginnings, touching on glam rock, arena rock, blues rock, and jangle pop. Although it reveals Rotting Piñata to be somewhat calculating in its approach, Wax Ecstatic, ironically, is a far superior album." Trouser Press wrote that the album "is markedly stripped down from the dense fury of Rotting Piñata, incorporating new instrumentation (piano, saxophone, cello) and working its way through such rootsy numbers as 'The Drag Queens of Memphis' and the album-closing 'Velveteen'."

At the 1997 Detroit Music Awards, Wax Ecstatic won the award for "Outstanding National Rock-Pop Album", and "Wax Ecstatic (To Sell Angelina)" was nominated for "Outstanding National Rock-Pop Single".

Track listing

All songs produced by Tim Patalan and Sponge.

• European Version contains "Slower Suicide"

Samplers and promos

All songs produced Tim Patalan and Sponge.

All songs produced by Tim Patalan and Sponge except where noted.

Personnel

• Vinnie Dombroski – vocals, drums, guitar
• Mike Cross – guitar, bass
• Tim Cross – bass
• Joey Mazzola – guitar, backing vocals
• Charlie Grover – drums

Additional personnel

• Tim Patalan – recording
• Andy Patalan & Matt Hanson – recording assistants
• Tim Palmer – mixing, additional production on "Silence Is Their Drug"
• Mark O'Donoughue – mix engineer
• Jamie Seyberth – additional engineering
• Lamont Hyde – engineering assistant
• Steve King – engineer
• Mike Corbett – post production edit
• Howie Weinberg – mastering
• Pablo Mathiason – A&R
• Susan Silver – management
• Stacy Fass – legal
• Gudvi, Chapnick & Oppenheim – business management
• John Jackson – international booking
• Mary Maurer – art direction
• SITE – design
• Melanie Nissen – photography

Additional musicians

• Richard Butler – additional vocals on "I Am Anastasia"
• Johnny Evans – tenor, alto and baritone sax
• Chris Codish – acoustic piano
• Mando Dorame – sax solo on "My Baby Said"
• Steve Baxter – trombone on "My Baby Said"
• Donald Hayes – saxophone on "My Baby Said"
• Anne King – trumpet on "My Baby Said"
• Tim Patalan – cello

Equipment

• Fender guitars and strings
• Naylor amps
• GHS strings
• Sabian cymbals
• Pearl drums
• Vic Firth sticks

Charts

Album

Singles

References