Willpower is the second studio album by the American band Today Is the Day, released in September 1994 by Amphetamine Reptile Records.[2] The album was recorded just a few months after Steve Austin's father, whom he had not seen for months at the time, died in a violent car crash. A remastered edition of the album was issued in 2007 through the then-newly formed SuperNova Records, which included the track "Execution Style", a rare extra from the Willpower sessions that was previously released on the compilation Dope-Guns-'N-Fucking in the Streets Volume Ten.
| Willpower | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 5, 1994 | |||
| Recorded | 1994 | |||
| Studio | White Room Studios, Detroit, Michigan | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 29:36 | |||
| Label | Amphetamine Reptile | |||
| Producer | Steve Austin | |||
| Today Is the Day chronology | ||||
| ||||
A live performance that was recorded during the tour to promote Willpower was released as a DVD via SuperNova, under the title of Willpower Live in 2007.
It is the only album of the band to have been recorded with the same lineup as the prior album.
Reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| Kerrang! |  [4] |
| Punk News | [5] |
| Last Rites | Positive[6] |
Patrick Kennedy of AllMusic awarded the album 4 and a half out of 5 stars, saying, "Though its time signatures are still tricky in a mathematical way, Willpower's greatest strength is its appeal to the human heart through whatever means necessary."[3]
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by Steve Austin
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Willpower" | 3:34 |
| 2. | "My First Knife" | 2:57 |
| 3. | "Nothing to Lose" | 3:41 |
| 4. | "Golden Calf" | 3:53 |
| 5. | "Sidewinder" | 5:33 |
| 6. | "Many Happy Returns" | 2:33 |
| 7. | "Simple Touch" | 3:30 |
| 8. | "Promised Land" (features an unlisted rendition of "Amazing Grace") | 4:42 |
- "Willpower" contains dialogue from the 1990 film Goodfellas.
- "Promised Land" contains dialogue from the 1955 film Rebel Without a Cause.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 10. | "Execution Style" | 2:22 |
| Total length: | 31:58 | |
Personnel
editAdapted from the Willpower liner notes.[7]
Today Is the Day
- Steve Austin – vocals, guitar, sampler, production, engineering, mastering
- Brad Elrod – drums
- Mike Herrell – bass guitar
Production
- Al Sutton – engineering
Release history
edit| Region | Date | Label | Format | Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 1994 | Amphetamine Reptile | CD, CS, LP | AMREP 033 |
| Germany | ARR 57/354 | |||
| United States | 2007 | SuperNova | CD | SNR 001 |
| 2010 | Relapse | LP | RR 7087 | |
| 2022 | Supernova | SNR 052 |
References
edit- ^ a b c Daley, Sloane (January 8, 2008). "Today Is the Day – Willpower [reissue]". Punknews. Retrieved November 4, 2017.
- ^ Sprague, David (2007). "Today Is the Day". Trouser Press. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
- ^ a b Kennedy, Patrick. "Willpower". AllMusic. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
- ^ Goldstein, Gordon (November 26, 1994). "Albumz". Kerrang!. No. 522. EMAP. pp. 44–45.
- ^ Daley, Sloane (8 January 2008). "Willpower Review". punknews.org. Punk News. Retrieved 2008-01-08.
- ^ Moore, Doug (January 2008). "Willpower Review". yourlastrites.com. Last Rites. Retrieved 2017-05-24.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Willpower (booklet). Today Is the Day. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Amphetamine Reptile Records. 1994.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)