Sponge - 'Wax Ecstatic'

Wax Ecstatic (To Sell Angelina)
Sponge
Wax Ecstatic


In our lives there are moments or periods of time that we associate memory with music. Everytime you hear a particular song, it takes you right back to relive an event in your past. For me, this is one of those songs.

Sponge emerged out of Detroit in the early 90s, breaking out with 1994's Rotting Pinata, which gained them radio play with such singles as 'Plowed' and 'Molly(16 candles).' The very underrated band basically got thrown into the cluster of grunge era bandwagoners, with many critics dismissing them as a ripoff of Stone Temple Pilots. But what separated Sponge was their sense of down-and-dirty Motor City rock n roll that defined acts like KISS, Nugent, Iggy Pop, MC5, etc, etc. On the band's '96 sophomore effort, Wax Ecstatic, the band decided to expand their sound away from grunge more. Having already achieved some moderate success with Rotting Pinata, they chose to focus more on honing their 1970s roots, mixing in handfuls of glam-rock and blues, with enough anthems to fill an arena. While somewhat experimental, the album had a definite edge, able to pack a punch. The title track, 'Wax Ecstatic(To Sell Angelina)', was released as a single, but didn't draw enough attention to keep the band on the charts, and they were dropped by their Columbia record label shortly thereafter. The band tried to bounce back by signing to a new label and releasing New Pop Sunday in 1999, but couldn't keep afloat. The band underwent severe lineup changes, but with frontman Vinnie Dombrowski at the helm, Sponge added new members and released For All the Drugs in the World in 2003 on a smaller label. A new album, Hard to Keep My Cool has been slated for a summer 2005 release for some time, but I haven't heard any more updates, or whether it is out already. While not achieving a lot of national attention lately, the band has maintained its position as one of the most well-received, hardest rocking bands in Detroit Rock City today.

The song 'Wax Ecstatic(To Sell Angelina)' has always held firm as one of the most defining songs of my youth. I was in 7th grade when the song came out, and instantly fell in love with it, buying the album as soon as I could find it. Fellow Lonely Note Contributor Ted and myself have been friends for almost a decade, and we both remember listening to 'Wax Ecstatic' the first time we hung out together. Those are the kinds of memories that stick with you, and often times explain our love for particular songs and albums. As just one of my personal favorite songs, I'll surely be posting on others in the future.

'Wax Ecstatic' opens with an infectious, squealing guitar hook that becomes the backbone for the song. Driving rhythms get your blood pumping while the guitars wail away. Dombrowski's roughened vocals are still capable of being glammy and melodic. Lyrically, the song is gritty, like a cracked-out infomercial, claiming to cure all of your problems with a tiny pill. It kind of reminds me of the infomercials in the film Requiem for Dream. The uptempo song chugs ahead, barely willing to compromise time for a guitar solo. The song ends by spastically spinning itself into fuzzy distortion, and repeatedly calling out its name as it fades away almost as quickly as it had gained momentum. Sponge's Detroit upbringing shows strong on 'Wax Ecstatic.'



When things just aren't going your way
Like a problem hair that you pluck or shave?
But shaving got to be such a bore
and you deserve so much more
and happiness is just a purchase away

Angelina, it'll fix your hunchback
Angelina, it'll help your time pass
Angelina, here's a forecast
Angelina, it's science we never laugh

Here's something that is automatic
It's Wax Ecstatic
When life is nothing less than tragic
It's Wax Ecstatic
When life has lost all it's magic
It's Wax Ecstatic
When life can't promise the fantastic
It's Wax Ecstatic

Throw all your troubles away
you've got nothing left that you want to save
With this circus you'll need nothing more
and all your troubles walk out the door
and it's all just a phone call away

Angelina, it'll fix your hunchback
Angelina, it'll help your time pass
Angelina, here's a forecast
Angelina, it's science we never laugh

Here's something that is automatic
It's Wax Ecstatic
When life is nothing less than tragic
It's Wax Ecstatic
When life has lost all it's magic
It's Wax Ecstatic
When life can't promise the fantastic
It's Wax Ecstatic