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Rubbing Doesn't Help
A black background with yellow vertical stripes on the lower half of the image has the word "magnapop" written at the top in purple with a white border and "rubbing doesn't help" written in black with a white border in the center. The Magnapop logo—a capital "M" written in a star inscribed in a circle—is drawn in black in the bottom right corner.
Studio album by
Magnapop
ReleasedMay 21, 1996 (1996-05-21)
RecordedNovember–December 1995, City Lab Studios, Los Angeles, California, United States
GenrePop punk, pop rock, power pop
Length41:30
LanguageEnglish
LabelPlay It Again Sam/Priority
ProducerGeza X
Magnapop chronology
Fire All Your Guns at Once
(1996) 		Rubbing Doesn't Help
(1996) 		Mouthfeel
(2005)
Singles from Rubbing Doesn't Help
  1. "Open the Door"
    Released: April 15, 1996
  2. "This Family"
    Released: 1996

Rubbing Doesn't Help is the third album by Magnapop, released in 1996.

Recording

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The sessions for Rubbing Doesn't Help were produced by Geza X at City Lab Studios in Hollywood, California in late 1995.[1] Drummer David McNair left the group prior to recording, so they hired session musician Josh Freese to fill in on drums. This would be the band's final album for almost a decade; their record label folded while promoting Rubbing Doesn't Help and they were contractually barred from recording under that name. The band (along with Freese) also went to Plus Four Recordings Studios, in Sherman Oaks, California with engineers Sandy Solomon and Bernie Zwass in June 1995 to record their cover of Tom Waits' "Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis" for the compilation album Step Right Up: The Songs of Tom Waits. The title of the album comes from a Ben-Gay slogan.[2]

Reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
Blenderfavorable[4]
Boston Phoenixfavorable[2]
Robert Christgau(neither)[5]
College Music Journalfavorable[6]
Los Angeles Times[7]
Launch Magazine[8]
Melody Makerfavorable[9]
Ray Gunfavorable[10]
The Washington Postfavorable[11]

The album received mostly positive reviews, with some mixed responses. Positive critics noted the album's emotionally powerful lyrics[2] in addition to its aggressive instrumentation—particularly the guitar.[9] Ambivalent reviewers criticized the lack of variety between this album and Magnapop's previous efforts,[7] as well as a lack of focus in the production.[3]

Track listing

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All songs written by Linda Hopper and Ruthie Morris, except where noted.

  1. "This Family" – 3:28
  2. "I Don't Care" – 2:40
  3. "Open the Door" – 3:37
  4. "Come on Inside" – 2:43
  5. "Down on Me" – 3:24
  6. "An Apology" – 3:04
  7. "My Best Friend" – 3:26
  8. "Juicy Fruit" – 2:18
  9. "Firebrand" – 2:29
  10. "Cherry Bomb" – 2:15
  11. "Radio Waves" – 2:32
  12. "Snake" (Hopper, Morris, and Shannon Mulvaney) – 5:00
  13. "Dead Letter" – 3:32
Also includes the hidden track "Suck It Up"
Japanese edition bonus tracks
  2. "Hold You Down" (New Mix) – 2:43
  3. "Voice Without a Sound" – 2:41

The Dutch edition of the album has a slightly different track listing, with "Hold You Down" (3:29) as the fourth track and omitting "Cherry Bomb".

Tracks from Rubbing Doesn't Help

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A promotional EP entitled Tracks from Rubbing Doesn't Help was released by Play It Again Sam in the United States in 1996 (catalogue number PROMOBIAS 033 CD) with the following track listing:

  1. "This Family" – 3:28
  2. "An Apology" – 3:04
  3. "Open the Door" – 3:37
  4. "My Best Friend" – 3:26
  5. "Juicy Fruit" – 2:18
  6. "Snake" – 5:00

Personnel

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Magnapop
Additional personnel

Release history

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The album was initially released on Priority Records in the United States and Play It Again Sam in Europe, with the Japanese edition published by King.

Region Date Label Format Catalog
United States March 21, 1996 Priority Compact Disc P2 53992
cassette tape P4 53992
Europe Play It Again Sam Compact Disc 450.0321.20 - BIAS 321 CD
LP (red vinyl) 450.0321.10 - BIAS 321 LP
Australia 1996 Cortex Compact Disc CTX058CD
Japan 1996 King Compact Disc KICP 507†
The Netherlands 1996 Play It Again Sam Compact Disc 450.0321.26 - BIAS 321 CDX

†Special edition with bonus tracks

Sales chart performance

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Chart (1996) Peak position
US Top Heatseekers 22[12]

References

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  1. ^ "Production Credits". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 4. United States: Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 1996-01-27. p. 40. ISSN 0006-2510.
  2. ^ a b c Taylor, Charles (June 1996). "Risky Business: Georgia's Magnapop Make Party Music with a Difference". Boston Phoenix. Boston, Massachusetts, United States: Phoenix Media/Communications Group. Archived from the original on 2008-08-28. Retrieved 2009-06-20.
  3. ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Magnapop > Rubbing Doesn't Help". AllMusic. Retrieved 2009-06-17.
  4. ^ Blender Pop Culture Magazine CD ROM, volume 2.5, review by Dan Cataiano
  5. ^ Christgau, Robert. "Robert Christgau: CG: Magnapop". Retrieved 2010-03-23.
  6. ^ College Music Journal, issue 34 (June 1996), p. 40, The Guide to New Music, review by M. Tye Comer
  7. ^ a b Boehm, Mike (1996-07-27). "Well-Traveled Territory Revisited". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2009-06-29.
  8. ^ Launch Magazine, issue 8, review by Chuck Crisafulli
  9. ^ a b Melody Maker, May 18, 1996, review by Jennifer Nine
  10. ^ Ray Gun, June/July 1996, review by Allison Stewart
  11. ^ "Tuneful Magnapop" by Mark Jenkins (June 28, 1996); Page N15
  12. ^ "Magnapop > Charts & Awards > Albums". Allmusic. Retrieved 2009-06-16.
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