Slowly Going the Way of the Buffalo
{{Infobox album
| name = Slowly Going the Way of the Buffalo
| type = studio
| artist = MxPx
| cover = MxPx - Slowly Going the Way of the Buffalo cover.jpg
| alt =
| released = {{Start date|1998|6|16}}
| recorded = February 1998
| venue =
| studio = Robert Lang Studios, Seattle, Washington
| length = 40:29
| label = A&M, Tooth & Nail
| producer = Steve Kravac
| prev_title = Life in General
| prev_year = 1996
| next_title = Let It Happen
| next_year = 1998
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Slowly Going the Way of the Buffalo
| type = studio
| single1 = I'm OK, You're OK
| single1date = May 6, 1998
}}
}}
Slowly Going the Way of the Buffalo is the fourth studio album released by American punk rock band MxPx in 1998. The album title was taken from a letter that a fan had written to the band, complaining that the band was changing and was "slowly going the way of the buffalo".
Background
Due to the success of MxPx's "Chick Magnet", from their previous album, Life in General, the band signed a multi-album contract with A&M.Reece 1998, p. 18 A&M had previously signed a deal with Tooth & Nail to co-market Life in General. This market deal was "cobbled together in order to sign the band", according to A&M chairman Al Cafaro.
Composition and recording
Moving away from the sound of Life in General, the band "dirtied things up a little", according to vocalist and bassist Mike Herrera, for Slowly Going the Way of the Buffalo. The band refrained from making the album "sound like it was produced in a lab." Greg Hetson of Bad Religion has guest vocals on "The Downfall of Western Civilization".
Release
To generate hype, A&M picked 1,000 of the band's fans and, from April to June 1998, sent them a CD of songs from the album. Despite the band's sizable fan base, the label was not approaching the album with high expectations. The vice president of A&M estimated the album would easily achieve 100,000 in sales. On May 6, "I'm OK, You're OK" was sent to modern rock radio stations. The band supported Bad Religion on their tour of Europe in May. Slowly Going the Way of the Buffalo was released on June 16 through A&M. From June 30, for five weeks, the band played on the 1998 edition of Warped Tour. In August, the band supported Blink-182.
Reception
{{Album ratings
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev2 = HM Magazine
| rev2score = (favorable)McGovern 1998
| rev3 = The Phantom Tollbooth
| rev3score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite web|url=http://www.tollbooth.org/reviewm/mxpx98.html|title=MxPx review by The Phantom Tollbooth e'zine|work=tollbooth.org|access-date=August 2, 2015}}
| rev4 = Rock Hard
| rev4Score = 6/10{{cite web|url=https://www.rockhard.de/reviews/mxpx-slowly-going-the-way-of-the-buffalo_202279.html|title=MxPx Slowly Going the Way of the Buffalo|work=Rock Hard|author=Jaedike, Jan|date=August 2000|access-date=September 3, 2022|language=DE}}
}}
The album charted at number 99 on the Billboard 200 and at number 2 on the Top Contemporary Christian chart. It certified gold in January 2000 by the Recording Industry Association of America.
Track listing
{{Track listing
| all_writing = Mike Herrera, and arranged by MxPx
| total_length = 40:29
| title1 = Under Lock and Key
| length1 = 2:32
| title2 = Tomorrow's Another Day
| length2 = 2:47
| title3 = The Final Slowdance
| length3 = 1:59
| title4 = I'm OK, You're OK
| length4 = 2:39
| title5 = Cold and All Alone
| length5 = 2:07
| title6 = Party, My House, Be There
| length6 = 2:16
| title7 = The Downfall of Western Civilization
| length7 = 2:42
| title8 = Invitation to Understanding
| length8 = 2:33
| title9 = Fist vs Tact
| length9 = 1:11
| title10 = What's Mine Is Yours
| length10 = 3:44
| title11 = Self Serving with a Purpose
| length11 = 2:48
| title12 = For Always
| length12 = 3:12
| title13 = Set the Record Straight
| length13 = 2:57
| title14 = Get with It!
| length14 = 1:44
| title15 = Inches from Life
| length15 = 1:51
| title16 = The Theme Fiasco
| length16 = 3:10
}}
Personnel
{{col-start}}
{{col-2}}
MxPx
- Mike Herrera — vocals, bass
- Tom Wisniewski — guitars, backing vocals
- Yuri Ruley — drums
Additional musicians
- Ronnie King — keyboard
- Greg Hetson — lead guitar on "The Downfall of Western Civilization"
- Dale Yob — vocals on "I'm OK, You're OK"
- Jeff Bettger — screams on "Fist vs. Tact" and "The Theme Fiasco"
{{col-2}}
Production
- Steve Kravac — producer, mixing
- Aaron Warner — production assistant
- Al Lay — mixing assistant
- Brian "Big Bass" Gardner — mastering
Artwork
- Marina Chavez — photography
- Mitch Tobias — photography
- John Nissen — illustrations
- Luke W. Midkiff — illustrations/ video direction
{{col-end}}
Chart positions
{{col-start}}
{{col-2}}
;Album
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Chart (1998)
!Peak |
|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200{{cite web|url=http://www.billboard.com/artist/311971/mxpx/chart?f=305 |title=MxPx - Chart history (Billboard 200) |work=billboard.com|access-date=July 29, 2015}}
| style="text-align:center;"|99 |
| U.S. Billboard Top Contemporary Christian"Top Contemporary Christian" 1998, p. 37
| style="text-align:center;"|2 |
{{col-2}}
=Certifications=
References
{{Reflist}}
Bibliography
{{refbegin}}
- {{cite journal |last=McGovern |first=Brian Vincent |date=September–October 1998 |title=Album Reviews: MxPx Slowly Going the Way of the Buffalo |journal=HM |issue=73 |issn=1066-6923}}
- {{cite magazine|last1=Reece|first1=Doug|title=A&M Rounds Up Existing Fan Base For MxPx's 'Buffalo' Set|magazine=Billboard|date=May 23, 1998|volume=110|issue=21|publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc.|issn=0006-2510}}
- {{cite magazine|title=Top Contemporary Christian|magazine=Billboard|date=July 4, 1998|volume=110|issue=27|publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc.|issn=0006-2510}}
{{refend}}
{{MxPx}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Slowly Going the Way of the Buffalo}}