The Great Milenko
The Great Milenko | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | June 24, 1997 (recalled pressings)[1] August 12, 1997 (reissue)[2] | |||
Recorded | 1996–1997 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 67:37 | |||
Label | Hollywood | |||
Producer | Mike E. Clark ICP | |||
Insane Clown Posse chronology | ||||
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Singles from The Great Milenko | ||||
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The Great Milenko is the fourth studio album by American
The album was recorded and initially released by the Disney-owned record label Hollywood Records.[4] The album was taken off shelves by Hollywood hours after its release, in response to criticism from the Southern Baptist Church of decisions that the church believed did not reflect Disney's family-friendly image, although Disney claimed that the album was released due to an oversight by its review board.[4] After Hollywood terminated the group's contract, Insane Clown Posse signed a new contract with Island Records (whose parent at the time, PolyGram, distributed Hollywood releases in North America), which agreed to release the album as it was originally intended. Island then re-released the album on August 12, 1997.
The music of The Great Milenko features a
Conception
Background
Following the 1994 release of the album
The expansion of the Juggalo fanbase into its own culture inspired Insane Clown Posse to write the songs "What Is a Juggalo?" and "Down with the Clown" for this album.[8]
Recording
The group started recording The Great Milenko in 1996, and Violent J began thinking of a title for the album shortly after. Bruce later came up with the title The Great Milenko.[9] Bruce also admitted that he had always liked the ring name of professional wrestler Dean Simon ("Dean Malenko"), because he felt that the name Malenko had a "carnival" sound to it.[9] Believing that he had created the name himself, Bruce later realized that he had unwittingly used the nickname of Dean's father, Boris "The Great" Malenko.[9]
The band wanted to include famous rock stars on the album.
After the recording sessions were finished, executives at Hollywood Records—and the label's parent company, Disney—expressed dissatisfaction with several tracks.[15] Disney requested that the tracks "The Neden Game", "Under the Moon", and "Boogie Woogie Wu" be removed because of lyrics referencing abuse of women, rape and murder, and the slaughter of children, respectively.[15] Disney also asked that the lyrics of "Piggy Pie" be changed, due to lyrics about murdering police officers. Disney threatened not to release the album if their requests were not met.[15][16] Begrudgingly, Bruce and Utsler complied with Disney's requests.[15] The uncensored version of "Piggy Pie" was later released on Forgotten Freshness Volumes 1 & 2.[17] After recording was finalized, the duo planned to go on a national tour with House of Krazees and Myzery as its opening acts.[15] Several songs were recorded with the intention of releasing them on The Great Milenko. One such song, "House of Wonders", was recorded but was later released on Mutilation Mix (1997) and Forgotten Freshness Volumes 1 & 2 (1998).[17]
Joker's Cards
The Great Milenko is the fourth Joker's Card in Insane Clown Posse's Dark Carnival concept album series.[18] The Dark Carnival is a concept of the afterlife in which souls are sent to a form of limbo while waiting to be sent to heaven or hell based on their individual actions. These concepts are related by Insane Clown Posse in a series of albums called the six Joker's Cards. Each of the six Joker's Cards relate to a specific character—an entity of the Dark Carnival—that tries to "save the human soul" by showing the wickedness inside of one's self.[19][20]
This Joker's Card is a
Music
Style
The Great Milenko featured more rock influences than previous Insane Clown Posse albums, including an introduction performed by Alice Cooper and guitar tracks performed by Steve Jones (on "Piggy Pie"), and Slash (on "Halls of Illusions").[21] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic wrote, in his review of The Amazing Jeckel Brothers (1999) that, "The Great Milenko [...] was targeted at white-boy, adolescent metalheads -- really, how could any album that contained guest spots from Alice Cooper, Slash, Steve Jones and Legs Diamond be anything else?"[23]
Insane Clown Posse hired renowned Detroit
Lyricism
From deep within the Nethervoids of shadow walkers comes yet another exhibit of the Dark Carnival. He is the master of the art of using magic without magic. He is a Necromaster – the craft of using magic through the dead. Dead meaning both physically and mentally. This spectacle shall be witnessed only by those who are meant to see it. Look deep inside of your soul and ask yourself... Together you and he are the Great Milenko.
Liner notes[21]
According to the group's mythology, The Great Milenko is a
The album's themes mostly revolve around those of
Singles
Two singles were released from the album: "
Promotion and release
"We spent all that time recording the album, and it was out for half a day, then yanked out of stores. Our tour was cancelled, our in-store tour was cancelled, everything we had was cancelled."
—Violent J[15]
Initially, Hollywood Records shipped 100,000 copies of The Great Milenko to various record stores.
After the termination of the Hollywood Records contract, labels such as
Critical reception
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [35] |
Entertainment Weekly | C−[3] |
The Great Rock Discography | 5/10[36] |
Kerrang! | [37] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [38] |
Entertainment Weekly music critic David Browne gave the record a C-minus rating: "[With] its puerile humor and intentionally ugly metal-rap tunes, the album feels oddly dated."[3] AllMusic reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine said that The Great Milenko is "the sort of record you wish they would take off the stereo at excruciating frat parties."[35] In The Great Rock Discography, Martin Charles Strong gave the album five out of ten stars.[36] The album received two out of five stars in The New Rolling Stone Album Guide, in which Ben Sisario identified it as the album in which "the group came into its own".[39]
Although the reviews were mostly negative, some critics complimented the album's improved sound over its precursors. Stephen Thomas Erlewine said that the album was "a better record than [its] predecessors, boasting a tougher sound and some actual hooks, without losing the juvenile vulgarity that pleased their following", and added that "it is better than the rest of ICP's work".[35] David Browne said that "Milenko is better produced than the duo's earlier output (Slash grinds out metal chords on Halls of Illusions), and Pass Me By is a genuinely melodic song."[3] In 2009, Fangoria named The Great Milenko an iconic horrorcore album.[40]
Track listing
All tracks are written by
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Black Blizzard" (featuring Cheap Trick) | 3:38 |
2. | "Hokus Pokus" (Headhunta'z Mix) | 3:54 |
3. | "What Is a Juggalo?" (Alternate Mix) | 4:49 |
4. | "Piggy Pie" (Old School) | 4:23 |
5. | "Mr. Johnson's Head" (Remix) | 6:06 |
6. | "$85 an Hour" (featuring Twiztid) | 3:15 |
7. | "Boogie Woogie Wu/The Neden Game Mashup" | 6:31 |
8. | "Mental Warp" | 4:27 |
9. | "Rare Milenko Phone Skit" | 0:55 |
10. | "Confessions" | 3:57 |
11. | "House of Wonders" | 3:05 |
12. | "Witching Hour" (featuring Myzery) | 5:30 |
13. | "Hellalujah" (Early Mix) | 3:58 |
14. | "Pumpkin Carver" (featuring Kottonmouth Kings and Twiztid) | 4:38 |
15. | "Gone" | 7:11 |
16. | "Down with the Clown" (Alternate Mix) | 4:40 |
Personnel
Band members and production[21]
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Other personnel[21]
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Charts and certifications
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
Certifications
|
Singles
Year | Song | Peak positions |
---|---|---|
UK
[25] | ||
1997 | "Halls of Illusions" | 56 |
1998 | " Hokus Pokus "
|
53 |
References
- ^ "Disney Silences Insane Clown Posse". MTV.
- ^ "Insane Clowns Happy with Their New Home". MTV.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Browne, David (July 25, 1997). "Review of The Great Milenko". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 8, 2008.
- ^ a b c Carlozo, Lou (June 27, 1997). "Disney Pulls Racy Rappers Off The Shelf". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved July 17, 2014.
- ^ a b Bruce (2003), p. 231–237.
- ^ a b Bruce (2003), p. 552.
- ^ "Insane Clowns Point The Finger At Disney". MTV. July 3, 2004. Retrieved May 4, 2008.
- ^ Rabin, Nathan (August 12, 2011). "Violent J of Insane Clown Posse | Music | Set List". The A.V. Club. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
- ^ a b c Evan Ginzburg and Dr. Mike Lano (hosts) (August 4, 2010). "08/04/10 Ramana Viera, Violent J, John Gray". Legends Radio. 1:37:50 minutes in. Legends Radio.
- ^ a b Bruce (2003), p. 294.
- ^ Bruce (2003), p. 299.
- ^ Bruce (2003), p. 301.
- ^ Bruce (2003), p. 302.
- ^ Bruce (2003), p. 303.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Bruce (2003), p. 306–314.
- ^ a b "Insane Clowns Land on Island Records". MTV. July 17, 1997. Retrieved May 4, 2008.
- ^ ASIN B000009QXK. 314-524 554-2.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) at musicbrainz.org - ISBN 0-7119-9209-6.
- ISBN 0-9741846-0-8.
- ^ Friedman, David (November 2009). "Juggalos". Murder Dog. pp. 192–198.
- ^ a b c d e f Insane Clown Posse (1997). The Great Milenko. Liner notes. Island Records/Psychopathic Records.
- ^ a b Phoebus Apollo (January 22, 2004). "An Intelligent Look at the Insane Clown Posse". phoebus apollo. Retrieved November 25, 2009.
- ^ a b c Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "The Amazing Jeckel Brothers". AllMusic. Retrieved May 8, 2008.
- ^ The Great Milenko (liner). Insane Clown Posse. New York City/Farmington Hills, Michigan: Island/Psychopathic. 1997. 524 442-2.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ a b c "UK Singles - 1952-2010". Polyhex. Retrieved April 29, 2010.
- ^ "Insane Clown Posse Angry At Disney's Decision". MTV. July 4, 1997. Retrieved May 4, 2008.
- ^ a b "Insane Clown Posse Album Recalled". MTV. June 27, 1997. Retrieved May 4, 2008.
- ^ "Disney Silences Insane Clown Posse". MTV. June 27, 1997. Retrieved May 4, 2008.
- ^ a b c "Insane Clown Posse Mulling Over Options". MTV. June 30, 1997. Retrieved May 4, 2008.
- ^ Bruce (2003), p. 330–335.
- ^ a b Bruce (2003), p. 556–557.
- EAN 0756504220092.
- ^ a b c d "Certification for Insane Clown Posse". RIAA Gold and Platinum Certification Database. Archived from the original on July 8, 2012. Retrieved May 5, 2008.
- ^ a b Martens, Todd (April 2, 2007). "Insane Clown Posse prosper even as album sales wane". Reuters. Retrieved September 23, 2010.
- ^ a b c Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "allmusic ((( The Great Milenko > Overview )))". AllMusic. Retrieved September 21, 2010.
- ^ ISBN 1-84195-615-5.
- ^ Peake, Mike (October 25, 1997). "Albums". Kerrang!. No. 671. UK: EMAP. p. 44.
- ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
- ^ Brackett (2004), pp. 405–6.
- ^ Molgaard, Matt. "Rapped and Tagged: Horrorcore's Iconic Albums". Fangoria.
- ^ "Insane Clown Posse Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
- ^ "Insane Clown Posse Chart History (Top Catalog Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
- ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1998". Billboard. January 2, 2013. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
Bibliography
- Brackett, Nathan (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
- Bruce, Joseph (2003). ICP: Behind the Paint. Psychopathic Records. ISBN 0-9741846-0-8.