Foma
Studio album by
ReleasedMay 23, 1995
RecordedOne and One and Devonshire Studios, N. Hollywood, CA
GenreAlternative rock, hard rock
LabelMCA[1]
ProducerMark Dodson, The Nixons
The Nixons chronology
Halo
(1994)
Foma
(1995)
The Nixons
(1997)

Foma is the second album by the American band the Nixons, released in 1995.[2][3] Its title was inspired by the 1963 novel Cat's Cradle, by Kurt Vonnegut. "Foma" is defined in the album's liner notes as "harmless untruths intended to comfort simple souls; lies."[4] Foma has sold more than 500,000 copies.[5]

The Nixons supported the album by touring with Gravity Kills.[6] "Sister" was a hit on alternative rock radio.[7]

Production

Recorded in Hollywood, the album was produced by Mark Dodson and the band.[8][9] Seven of the tracks are rerecorded songs from the band's debut; of the remaining six, only three were written specifically for Foma.[10][11]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[12]

AllMusic staff writer Erik Crawford wrote "Foma opens with a scream and then delivers a hard rock romp that will delight fans of the heavy alternative genre".[12] The St. Petersburg Times praised the "aggressively hard-rockin' yet intelligent borderline metal sound."[13] The Dallas Morning News labeled Foma "old-fashioned big-statement rock with big-statement chords."[14]

The Dallas Observer called the album "enervating musically and downright silly and infuriating lyrically ... Which means, in short, they ain't no damn good any way you slice it."[15] The Santa Fe New Mexican concluded that "with the exception of 'Sister', none of the 13 cuts on Foma stand out either musically or lyrically; they are not particularly distinguishable from the general din that is modern rock radio."[16] The Philadelphia Inquirer deemed the band "pleasantly derivative."[17]

Track listing

All songs by The Nixons/Lyrics by Zac Maloy except where indicated.

  1. "Foma" – 3:13
  2. "Head" – 4:05
  3. "Sweet Beyond" – 3:32
  4. "Sister" – 4:28
  5. "Smile" – 4:07
  6. "JLM" (Jesus Loves Me) (William Batchelder Bradbury/ Anna Bartlett Warner) – 0:24
  7. "Fellowship" – 4:12
  8. "Wire" – 5:15
  9. "Trampoline" – 4:44
  10. "Drink the Fear" – 4:36
  11. "Blind" – 5:56
  12. "Passion" – 4:28
  13. "Happy Song" – 6:18

Personnel

Additional personnel

  • C.J. DeVillar – engineer
  • Mark Dodson – engineer, producer
  • Willie Dowling – string arrangements
  • Eric Fischer – mixing assistant
  • Kelle Musgrave – production coordination
  • Eddy Schreyer – mastering
  • Michele Sepe – angel's voice
  • Mike Stock – engineer
  • Glenn Tipton – guitar solo on "Drink the Fear"
  • Toby Wright – mixing

Charts

Album - Billboard (United States)

Year Chart Position
1996 The Billboard 200[18] 77

Singles - Billboard (United States)

Year Single Chart Position
1996 "Sister" Alternative Songs 11

References

  1. Carman, Becky. "How do The Nixons hold up 20 years later?". The Oklahoman.
  2. "The Nixons Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
  3. Bessman, Jim (Apr 8, 1995). "MCA nominates The Nixons for cross-format success". Billboard. Vol. 107, no. 14. p. 14.
  4. Foma (CD booklet). The Nixons. MCA. 1995.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  5. Wolgamott, L Kent (13 Sep 1996). "Edgefest". Lincoln Journal Star. p. D1.
  6. Findlay, Prentiss (13 June 1996). "Life on the road is rough for the roadie". The Post and Courier. p. E8.
  7. Terlesky, John (7 Apr 1996). "IT HASN'T BEEN AN EASY CAMPAIGN FOR RECOGNITION FOR THE NIXONS". The Morning Call. p. F3.
  8. Nichols, Natalie (June 9, 1995). "Norman's Nixons Profit From Radio Saturation". Entertainment. Tulsa World. p. 4.
  9. Flick, Larry (Mar 23, 1996). "Sister". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 12. p. 76.
  10. Pensinger, Matt (16 Feb 1996). "Road trips fuel the Nixons". Colorado Springs Gazette-Telegraph. p. AA15.
  11. Ferman, Dave (June 15, 1995). "Nothing tricky about the nixons". LIFE & ARTS. Fort Worth Star-Telegram. p. 3.
  12. 1 2 Crawford, Erik. Foma at AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-06-19.
  13. Boyko, Ron (4 Aug 1995). "The Nixons: Foma". Weekend. St. Petersburg Times. p. 13.
  14. Gubbins, Teresa (June 11, 1995). "The Nixons Foma". The Dallas Morning News. p. 6C.
  15. Wilonsky, Robert. "Jesus, this is really bad". Dallas Observer.
  16. Koster, Michael (7 June 1996). "EDGEFEST 2: IT'S THE ONLY BIG GIG AROUND". PASATIEMPO. The Santa Fe New Mexican. p. 33.
  17. Sherr, Sara (13 Sep 1996). "THE NIXONS/IMPERIAL DRAG". FEATURES WEEKEND. The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 19.
  18. "The Billboard 200". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 23. Jun 8, 1996. p. 118.
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