Fear of Pop: Volume 1


Volume 1 is the name of the first album by the experimental band Fear of Pop. The album was a project of Ben Folds, John Mark Painter, Fleming McWilliams, and others. It was released on November 17, 1998 on 550 Records.
At some stores, a limited edition 12" vinyl single for "In Love" was bundled for free with Volume 1. It featured a remix of the song by Thievery Corporation, as well as a couple of cuts off of the album.
Although Folds, Painter and Caleb Southern were the primary contributors to the album, a large cast of other musicians were included as well. William Shatner provided vocals on "In Love". Painter's wife, Fleming McWilliams, sang on several tracks. Frally Hynes, Folds' Australian then-girlfriend performed frantic lead vocals on "Root to This". Folds sang on a number of songs as well.
The track "Rubber Sled" is a humorous reference to Ben Folds Five bass player Robert Sledge. A clip of Brick by Ben Folds Five is playing in the background at the beginning of this song, though played at twice its normal speed, and a sample of Folds yelling "Robert Sledge on the bass guitar!" can be heard approximately halfway through the song. "I Paid My Money" was at least almost a decade old at the time it was recorded in 1998. The original 1990 demo version featured Folds singing over an African-American choir.

Cover

The album cover displays the silhouettes of a running man and two lasso-throwing cowboys in pursuit on horseback. The back of the album case shows the silhouette of a boy in a cowboy outfit sitting on a park bench with what appears to be an erect penis in his hands. The inner cover depicts a woman being violently attacked on a television seen in a city apartment. All the images are from David Bethell's "Just Your Average Second on This Planet" 1997-1998.

Personnel

Production