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The Fundamental Elements of Southtown

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The Fundamental Elements of Southtown
Studio album by
P.O.D.
ReleasedAugust 24, 1999
RecordedFebruary – April 1999
Studio
Genre
Length57:40
LabelAtlantic
ProducerHoward Benson
P.O.D. chronology
The Warriors EP
(1998) 		The Fundamental Elements of Southtown
(1999) 		Satellite
(2001)
Alternative cover
Censored cover
Singles from The Fundamental Elements of Southtown
  1. "Southtown"
    Released: February 2000
  2. "Rock the Party (Off the Hook)"
    Released: August 2000
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Cross Rhythms[2]
HM[4]
Jesus Freak Hideout[5]
Q[6]

The Fundamental Elements of Southtown is the third studio album and major label debut of Christian nu metal band P.O.D., released through Atlantic Records on August 24, 1999. It went on to become the band's first platinum album, peaking at No. 51 on the Billboard 200 chart in April 2000.[7] It was the 143rd best-selling album of 2000 in the United States.[8] "Southtown" and "Rock the Party (Off the Hook)" became the album's singles, both of which were accompanied by music videos. The album also includes a cover of U2's 1987 single "Bullet the Blue Sky".

Recording

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The Fundamental Elements of Southtown was recorded at three studios in California. The album was mixed at Image Recordings in Los Angeles, California and The Gallery in Sherman Oaks.[9] According to bassist Traa Daniels during an interview in February 2000, the album was recorded in "about three months".[10]

Reception

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The Fundamental Elements of Southtown received positive reviews from critics. Cross Rhythms gave the album a perfect score, describing it as "a fine exponent of rap-core at it's finest, and the best album by P.O.D. thus far."[2]

The album was certified gold by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) on March 29, 2000, and later certified platinum on November 6, 2000.

Album cover artwork

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When The Fundamental Elements of Southtown was sold in Christian bookstores, a censored version of the artwork was used for the album's front cover. Retailers complained about the depiction of a cigar and argued that the artwork featured "pagan" imagery according to a Deseret News article from September 2002.[11][12]

Legacy

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In 2017, Loudwire ranked The Fundamental Elements of Southtown as the second best P.O.D. album, saying, "The band’s hunger is infectious on the album" and the "Southtown" single "still sounds impactful and exciting."[13]

In 2018, New Release Today called the album "a pivotal moment for P.O.D." and "simultaneously sludgy and tight in aesthetic from start to finish."[14]

On May 27, 2021, P.O.D. performed The Fundamental Elements of Southtown live in its entirety.[15][16][17]

Track listing

[edit]
No.TitleLyricsLength
1."Greetings" 1:29
2."Hollywood" 5:22
3."Southtown[a][b]" 4:08
4."Checkin' Levels" 1:05
5."Rock the Party (Off the Hook)[b]" (featuring Lisa Papineau) 3:24
6."Lie Down" 5:08
7."Set Your Eyes to Zion[b]" 4:06
8."Lo Siento" 0:33
9."Bullet the Blue Sky" (U2 cover) (featuring Lisa Papineau)Bono5:18
10."Psalm 150" 0:55
11."Image" 3:32
12."Shouts" 0:55
13."Tribal" 4:26
14."Freestyle" 3:57
15."Follow Me" 3:43
16."Outkast" (ends at 4:17, hidden instrumental track "Tambura" begins at 6:26) 9:32
Total length:57:40
a Song re-recorded from The Warriors EP (1998)
b Song appears on Greatest Hits: The Atlantic Years compilation (2006)

Awards

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2000 San Diego Music Awards

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  • Album of the Year
  • Song of the Year - "Rock the Party (Off the Hook)"

2001 GMA Dove Awards

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  • Short Form Music Video of the Year - "Rock the Party (Off the Hook)"

Personnel

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Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.[9]

P.O.D.

Additional musicians

  • Howard Benson – keyboards
  • Lisa Papineau – background vocals (5, 9)
  • Santos – percussion
  • Darren "DJ Circa" Tanzella – turntables

Production

Additional personnel

  • David Nathan Allen – band logo
  • Eric Altenburger – band photo retouching
  • Chapman Baehler – band photos
  • Jean Bastarache – paintings
  • John Rubeli – A&R
  • P.O.D. – art direction

Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[21] Platinum 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Limited Edition Bonus CD

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Limited Edition Bonus EP
EP by
P.O.D.
ReleasedAugust 24, 1999
Length18:51
LabelAtlantic
ProducerP.O.D.

The Limited Edition Bonus CD is an EP released on Atlantic Records in 1999.[22] It was given away for free with the purchase of The Fundamental Elements of Southtown.[citation needed] It contains a new version of the song "Draw the Line" (from the 1994 album Snuff the Punk) and a demo recording of "Lie Down" (on The Fundamental Elements of Southtown). It also has the new track "It's About Time", the instrumental demo "Estrella", the intro "Warriors Come Out to Play...", and a track with "Messages for Your Answering Machine". Because of its limited release, the Limited Edition Bonus CD is now considered a collector's item.[citation needed]

Track listing

[edit]
No.TitleLength
1."Warriors Come Out to Play..."0:40
2."Draw the Line" (Fundamental version)3:16
3."It's About Time" (Demo)4:13
4."Lie Down" (Demo)4:23
5."Estrella" (Demo)4:33
6."Messages for Your Answering Machine"1:42
Total length:18:51

References

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  1. ^ a b "The Fundamental Elements of Southtown - P.O.D." Allmusic.
  2. ^ a b c Figgis, Alex (February 1, 2000). "P.O.D. - The Fundamental Elements of Southtown". Cross Rhythms.
  3. ^ Hobsonpublished, Rich (March 4, 2022). "Vote for the greatest nu metal album of all-time". loudersound. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
  4. ^ Van Pelt, Doug (September–October 1999). "Album Reviews: P.O.D. the fundamental elements of southtown". HM (79). ISSN 1066-6923.
  5. ^ Chamberlin, Kevin (2000). "P.O.D., 'The Fundamental Elements of Southtown' Review". Jesus Freak Hideout.
  6. ^ "POD - Fundamental Elements of Southtown CD Album". CD Universe. Retrieved January 16, 2013.
  7. ^ "The Fundamental Elements of Southtown - P.O.D. : Awards". AllMusic. August 17, 1999. Retrieved January 1, 2013.
  8. ^ "Billboard 200 Albums - 2000 Year End Charts: 141 - 160 | Billboard". Billboard. Retrieved January 3, 2013.
  9. ^ a b The Fundamental Elements of Southtown (liner notes). P.O.D. Atlantic. 1999. CD 83216.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  10. ^ RevolutionBegin (May 1, 2020). P.O.D. (Payable on Death) Interview, February 24th 2000, Columbus Ohio, Newport Music Hall. Retrieved January 29, 2025 – via YouTube.
  11. ^ "Artwork Controversy". www.crossrhythms.co.uk. December 17, 2003. Retrieved May 10, 2019.
  12. ^ "Christian bands trickle into mainstream". DeseretNews.com. September 14, 2002. Archived from the original on May 10, 2019. Retrieved May 10, 2019.
  13. ^ Hill, John (September 14, 2017). "P.O.D. Albums Ranked". loudwire.com. Retrieved January 29, 2025.
  14. ^ "Remembering P.O.D.'s 'The Fundamental Elements of Southtown'". newreleasetoday.com. August 14, 2018. Retrieved January 29, 2025.
  15. ^ "POD: Performing Live Streaming Series". heavensmetalmagazine.com. May 4, 2021. Retrieved January 29, 2025.
  16. ^ Butler, Sara (May 9, 2021). "P.O.D. returns to Petco Park for virtual concert series". sandiegouniontribune.com. Retrieved January 29, 2025.
  17. ^ Nikkel, Mary (May 6, 2021). "P.O.D. Announces Satellite Over Southdown Series of Livestream Events". rockonpurpose.com. Retrieved January 29, 2025.
  18. ^ "Charts.nz – P.O.D. – The Fundamental Elements of Southtown". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  19. ^ "P.O.D. Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  20. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2000". Billboard. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  21. ^ "American album certifications – P.O.D. – The Fundamental Elements of Southtown". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
  22. ^ "Limited Edition Bonus CD". Discogs. 1999.
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