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Infinity on High is Fall Out Boy's fourth studio album, released in 2007. It is the follow up to 2005's From Under the Cork Tree. Originally planned for release at the end of 2006, lead singer Patrick Stump said in an interview with Kerrang! that the album's European release date had been pushed back to February 5, 2007. Infinity on High debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200, selling 260,000 copies. It fell to number five in its second week, with 119,000 copies sold; it then rose again to number two in its third week on the chart, selling 79,000 copies.

The title is taken from an 1888 letter from Vincent van Gogh to his brother Theo. In the letter, van Gogh describes his renewed health and the vigor it has instilled in his painting. The line that inspired the title is "Be clearly aware of the stars and infinity on high. Then life seems almost enchanted after all."

Album history

On November 9, 2006, the first clip from the album surfaced, from the song "The Carpal Tunnel of Love", which was added as a stream on the Fall Out Boy artist profile at Absolutepunk.net. The song was given to the site by Fall Out Boy themselves, as part of their promise to the site to give them the first clip from the album. On December 12, 2006 the song "The Carpal Tunnel Of Love" was added on iTunes for download as a single. The song "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race" was later released as the album's official first single on January 12, 2007.

On January 19, 2007 the album was leaked to the internet. Pete Wentz announced at a live show in Atlanta that the band's label, Fueled by Ramen, might release the album a week earlier than planned, on January 30, due to the leak. Wentz eventually retracted this statement in an interview with MTV News International. However, in response to the album leak, Wentz announced that anyone who purchases a physical copy of the CD and inserts it into their computer will be able to freely download a live EP, Leaked in London, that the band recorded on January 29, 2007 at London's Hammersmith Palais.

Fall Out Boy performed "Thriller", "The Take Over, the Breaks Over," and "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race" on TRL on the American release date of the album, February 6th.

Track listing

1. "Thriller" – 3:29
2. "'The Take Over, the Breaks Over'" – 3:33
3. "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race" – 3:32
4. "I'm Like a Lawyer with the Way I'm Always Trying to Get You Off (Me + You)" – 3:31
5. "Hum Hallelujah" – 3:50
6. "Golden" – 2:32
7. "Thnks fr th Mmrs" – 3:23
8. "Don't You Know Who I Think I Am?" – 2:52
9. "The (After) Life of the Party" – 3:21
10. "The Carpal Tunnel of Love" – 3:23
11. "Bang the Doldrums" – 3:31
12. "Fame < Infamy" – 3:06
13. "You're Crashing, but You're No Wave" – 3:42
14. "I've Got All This Ringing in My Ears and None on My Fingers" – 4:06

Bonus tracks:

15. "G.I.N.A.S.F.S." – 3:17
16. "It's Hard to Say 'I Do', When I Don't" – 3:23

Japanese limited edition bonus DVD

The Japanese limited edition release of this CD contains a bonus DVD with the following videos.

1. "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race" (Music video)
2. "Sugar, We're Goin Down" (Music video)
3. "Sugar, We're Goin Down" (Tour version)
4. "Dance, Dance" (Music video)
5. "A Little Less Sixteen Candles, a Little More 'Touch Me'" (Music video)
6. "Dance, Dance" (The Making Of)
7. "A Little Less Sixteen Candles, a Little More 'Touch Me'" (Live at Summer Sonic '06)

Versions

The United States saw two different versions of the album, along with several pre-sale offers issued for certain store chains. Besides the regular edition, a limited edition "book"-style digipak version, containing tarot cards but no additional audio or video content, was released.

Pre-orders at Best Buy contained two free digital downloads for the bonus track "G.I.N.A.S.F.S." (an acronym for "Gay Is Not a Synonym for Shitty") and a remix of "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race", whereas Wal-Mart digital album orders received the exclusive bonus track "It's Hard to Say 'I Do' When I Don't" and different album cover art.

The bonus song "G.I.N.A.S.F.S." can be found on the American, British, New Zealand, Australian and Japanese releases. The Japanese release also carries "It's Hard to Say 'I Do', When I Don't", a song titled by Colin Yip, through a contest for the band's fan club members, who were sent the lyrics and asked to come up with a title. The Brazilian release of the album has "Dance, Dance" as a bonus track, most likely due to the success of the song in the country.

Singles

• "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race"
• "The Carpal Tunnel of Love"
• "Thnks fr th Mmrs"

Song meanings

• The song "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race" is reportedly about lyricist/bassist Peter Wentz's frustration with the ever growing "emo scene". As he told Rolling Stone, "There may be other songs on the record that would be bigger radio hits, but this one had the right message."
• The song title for "The Take Over, the Breaks Over" is a reference to a line in the Jay-Z song "Takeover".
• The song "Hum Halleujah" is reportedly about Peter Wentz's attempted suicide. The song "Halleujah" by Jeff Buckley was on the radio at the time.

Credits

• Andrew Hurley – Drums
• Joseph Trohman – Lead guitar/Backing vocalist
• Patrick Stump – Lead vocalist/Rhythm guitar
• Peter Wentz – Bass/Backing vocalist
• Jay-Z – Introduction and Closing on "Thriller"
• Chad Gilbert – Guitar solo in "The Take Over, the Breaks Over"
• Ryan Ross – Guitar solo in "The Take Over, the Breaks Over"
• Butch Walker – Guest vocalist in "You're Crashing, but You're No Wave"; Crowd vocals on "This Ain't A Scene, It's An Arms Race", "Hum Hallelujah", and "Bang The Doldrums"
• Sofia Toufa - Crowd vocals on "This Ain't A Scene, It's An Arms Race", "Hum Hallelujah", and "Bang The Doldrums"
• Lindsey Blaufarb - Crowd vocals on "This Ain't A Scene, It's An Arms Race", "Hum Hallelujah", and "Bang The Doldrums"
• Babyface - Mandolin on "Thnks fr th Mmrs" and B3 Organ on "I'm Like A Lawyer With The Way I'm Always Trying To Get You Off (Me & You)"
• Ken Wiley - French horn
• Nick Lane - Bass Trombone
• Darrell Leonard - Trombonium

Miscellanea

• All of the official artwork for the album was designed by Chuck Anderson of NoPattern. Anderson previously designed all of the artwork for the From Autumn to Ashes album, Abandon Your Friends and Less Than Jake's 2006 release, In With the Out Crowd.
• At the end of the last song on the album ("I've Got All This Ringing in My Ears and None on My Fingers" on the US release, "G.I.N.A.S.F.S." on the British, Australian and New Zealand releases, and "It's Hard To Say 'I Do' When 'I Don't'" on the Japanese and digital Wal-Mart releases), a computer voice is heard saying "now press repeat".

References

1. Katie Hasty, "Fall Out Boy Hits 'High' Note With No. 1 Debut", Billboard.com, February 14, 2007.
2. "Norah Rebounds To No. 1 In Post-Grammy Week", Billboard.com, February 21, 2007.
3. Katie Hasty, "Norah Stays Tight At No. 1 Amidst Slow Sales Week", Billboard.com, February 28, 2007.
4. MTV.com
5. Pete Wentz. Fall Out Boy official website.
6. Fall Out Boy respond to album leaking Pedigree Music. January 24, 2007
7. "Exclusive: Fall Out Boy Album Deets", Rollingstone.com, November 16, 2006.

Release history

Infinity on High was released in various countries in February 2007.

External links

• Official Fall Out Boy Website

• Pages with empty short description
• Fall Out Boy albums
• 2007 albums