| Gift | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by Taproot | ||||
| Released | June 27, 2000 | |||
| Recorded | January–March 2000 | |||
| Studio |
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| Genre | Nu metal | |||
| Length | 43:22 | |||
| Label |
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| Producer | Ulrich Wild David Benveniste | |||
| Taproot chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Gift | ||||
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Gift is the third studio album and major label debut by American alternative metal band Taproot. It was released on June 27, 2000. The singles "Again & Again" and "I" reached No. 39 and No. 34 on the Mainstream Rock chart. The album has sold over 250,000 copies.
Background, writing and recording
Taproot singer Stephen Richards told CMJ New Music Report that the songs on Gift were written in 1997, playing the songs for a few years. He claimed that "Dragged Down" and "Now" were the only songs written specifically for Gift. Taproot spent six weeks working on Gift.
Music and lyrics
Described as a nu metal album, the album's lyrical themes are primarily about topics such as depression and disliking life. Taproot's vocalist Stephen Richards' vocals on the album Gift have been compared to vocalists such as Chino Moreno, Trent Reznor, Jonathan Davis and Mike Patton. The album consists of vocal styles such as singing, rapping, growling and screaming.
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    |
| Alternative Press | |
| Blabbermouth | 8/10 |
| Drowned in Sound | 10/10 |
| Kerrang! | |
| Metal Hammer | 6/10 |
| PopMatters | (average) |
| Rolling Stone | |
AllMusic's Brian Musich stated "dropping in a time when rap-rock is all the rage, as it sells albums like mad, garners instant publicity from MTV, and packs stadiums in a new generation of concert festivals, Taproot is guaranteed media exposure and a large built-in fan base." He added, "If they had dropped Gift two years earlier, Taproot would be pioneers. Instead, they are adequate followers." In June 2000, CMJ New Music Monthly called the music "blistering melodic metal" and compared the vocals to Incubus and Faith No More. In her July 2000 review, CMJ New Music Report's Amy Sciarretto wrote that it "sounds like Faith No More engorged with programming or Incubus spiked with more guitar grit." In October 2000, Ben Raynor of Drowned in Sound gave the album a positive review, and praised the vocals of Stephen Richards, writing that, "Taproot are the perfect antidote to rap metal at a time when music needs them."
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Smile" | 3:34 |
| 2. | "Again & Again" | 3:55 |
| 3. | "Emotional Times" | 3:03 |
| 4. | "Now" | 3:21 |
| 5. | "1 Nite Stand" | 3:39 |
| 6. | "Believed" | 4:02 |
| 7. | "Mentobe" | 3:39 |
| 8. | "I" | 4:15 |
| 9. | "Mirror's Reflection" | 3:10 |
| 10. | "Dragged Down" | 3:30 |
| 11. | "Comeback" | 4:25 |
| 12. | "Impact" | 2:49 |
| Total length: | 43:22 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Day By Day" | 3:21 |
| Total length: | 46:43 | |
Notes
- Tracks 2, 6, 7, 9 and 11 are re-recordings of early songs the appeared on the demos, "...Something More Than Nothing" and "Upon Us". Both were released in 1998 and 1999.
- A b-side, "Day By Day", can be found on the Dracula 2000 soundtrack, CD single for "Again & Again" and the Japanese release of "Gift". It would later be released as a digital single in 2020 as part of the Warner Bros. Archive series.
- Other b-sides entitled "Thrift Whore", "Strive", and "Get Me" can be found through file-sharing networks. These recordings, along with "Day By Day", would later be officially released on the 2018 boxset Besides.
Credits
Taproot
- Stephen Richards - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
- Mike DeWolf - Lead Guitar
- Phil Lipscomb - Bass
- Jared Montague - Drums
Production
- Tom Baker - Digital editing, mastering
- Frank Gryner - Assistant engineer
- Scott Humphrey - Mixing
- Ted Reiger - Assistant engineer
- Stephen Richards - Programming, vocals
- Edward Smith - Photography
- Ulrich Wild - Engineer, mixing, producer
Charts
Album
| Chart (2000) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 | 160 |
| US Heatseekers | 6 |
Singles - Billboard (United States)
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | "Again & Again" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 39 |
| 2001 | "I" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 34 |
References
- "Taproot - Gift (Behind the Scenes)".
- ^ "Artist Spotlight: Taproot". CMJ New Music Report. Vol. 73, no. 6. CMJ Network, Inc. October 21, 2002. p. 23. ISSN 0890-0795.
- "Interview:Mike DeWolf of Taproot Cryptic Rock". Cryptic Rock.
- "The 50 best nu metal albums of all time". April 2022.
- ^ Allmusic review
- ^ Rolling Stone review
- ^ "Drowned in Sound review". Archived from the original on 2012-11-25. Retrieved 2012-11-19.
- Album reviews at CD Universe
- Borivoj Krgin. "CD Reviews - Gift Taproot". Blabbermouth.
- Strong, M.C. (2006). The Essential Rock Discography. Canongate. p. 421. ISBN 9781841958606. Retrieved 2014-10-05.
- Griffiths, Mark (August 5, 2000). "Albums". Kerrang! (813). EMAP: 46.
- Sadler, Darren (October 2000). "Under the Hammer". Metal Hammer (79). Future plc: 77. ISSN 0955-1190.
- PopMatters review
- CMJ New Music Report (PDF). June 19, 2000. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
- https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/CMJ/2000/CMJ-2000-07-10.pdf
- Wookubus (2018-10-26). "Taproot Detail Extensive 8 CD Rarities Set "Besides"". PRP. The PRP. Retrieved 2020-08-16.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Gift - Taproot - Credits. Allmusic. Retrieved March 19th, 2011
- ^ Gift - Taproot - Billboard Albums. Allmusic. Retrieved March 19, 2011
- ^ Gift - Taproot - Billboard Singles. Allmusic. Retrieved March 19, 2011
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| Related | |