The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek (often shortened to Anatomy) is the second full-length album released by Christian rock band Relient K. It was released on August 28, 2001, and peaked at No. 158 on the Billboard 200. On June 26, 2006, the album was certified Gold by the RIAA for sales in excess of 500,000 units in the United States. The cover of the original release is similar to that of the 1999 Ramones release Hey Ho! Let's Go: The Anthology.
Background and release
The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek was produced and recorded by Mark Lee Townsend. The album was mixed by J.R. McNeely at the Castle in Nashville, while Ted Jensen mastered the album at Sterling Sound in New York City.
On the same day the group released the album, they released The Creepy EP, featuring two songs from the album and four exclusive tracks. "Less is More" was released as the album's lead single in 2001. It was followed up by the album's second single "Pressing On" released that same year. The group released the deluxe single "For The Moments I Feel Faint / Those Words Are Not Enough" in 2002. Gotee Records released a "Gold Edition" of the album on October 31, 2006, along with the release of a "Gold Edition" of Two Lefts Don't Make a Right...but Three Do on the same day. The Gold Edition of this album has remixed and remastered in a style similar to Mmhmm (the album was remixed by the same people who mixed Mmhmm) and it has a music video for the song "Pressing On".
The group toured in support of the album, playing nearly 200 shows in North America towards the end of 2001.
Composition and lyrics
The album continues the band's liberal use of pop culture references as metaphors for Biblical principles (such as the song "I'm Lion-O," which is about the popular TV series Thundercats). Song themes range from pop culture to Christian themes—growth in faith ("Pressing On"), backsliding ("What Have You Been Doing Lately?"), worship ("Those Words Are Not Enough," "For the Moments I Feel Faint," and "Less Is More")
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The album was met with positive reviews from music critics. Ashleight Kittle of AllMusic stated, "the pop culture references in tracks including 'Sadie Hawkins Dance' and 'Maybe Its Maybeline' are quickly identifiable and immediately grasp the listener's attention. Definite highlights include the acoustic 'For the Moments I Feel Faint' and 'The Rest Is up to You'."
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| title19 = Jefferson Airplane (Demo)
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| title20 = Pressing On (Back Porch Acoustic)
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- Track 2 & 7, and all "First Three Gears" bonus tracks, originally from The Creepy EP.
Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from album's liner notes.
Relient K
- Matt Thiessen – lead vocals, guitars, acoustic piano
- Matt Hoopes – guitars, backing vocals
- Brian Pittman – bass
- Dave Douglas – drums, backing vocals, additional vocals (16)
Additional personnel
- Rob Roy Fingerhead – nylon guitar, slide guitar
- Madalena Burle Marx – cello
- Ann Smith – viola
- Cory Smith – violin
- Heather Walker – violin
- Crystal Brezovsky – French horn
- Scott Cannon – gang vocals
- Kyle Hudson – gang vocals
- Kevan Peden – gang vocals
Production
- Joey Elwood – executive producer
- Toby McKeehan – executive producer
- Mark Lee Townsend – producer, recording
- F. Reid Shippen – mixing at The Castle (Nashville, Tennessee)
- Dan Shike – mix assistant
- Randy LeRoy – editing and assembling at Final Stage (Nashville, Tennessee)
- Ted Jensen – mastering at Sterling Sound (New York City, New York)
- Mike McGlaflin – A&R
- Aaron Marrs – creative design
- John Falls – photography
- Alabaster Arts – management
Charts
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|+Chart performance for The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek
! scope="col"| Chart (2001)
! scope="col"| Peak<br />position
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