Psalm 69: The Way to Succeed and the Way to Suck Eggs

Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates {{safesubst:#invoke:Unsubst-infobox||$params=italic_title,name,type,longtype,artist,cover,border,alt,caption,released,recorded,venue,studio,genre,length,language,label,director,producer,compiler,chronology,prev_title,prev_year,year,next_title,next_year,misc|$extra=italic_title,longtype,border,caption,language,director,compiler,chronology,year,misc|$aliases=italic title>italic_title,Italic title>italic_title,Name>name,Type>type,image>cover,Cover>cover,Border>border,Alt>alt,Caption>caption,Longtype>longtype,Artist>artist,Released>released,Recorded>recorded,Venue>venue,Studio>studio,Genre>genre,Length>length,Language>language,Label>label,Director>director,Producer>producer,Compiler>compiler,Chronology>chronology,Misc>misc|$flags=override|$B={{#ifeq:{{#invoke:Is infobox in lead|main|[Ii]nfobox [Aa]lbum}}|true|{{#if:Template:Has short description | |Template:Short description|noreplace}}}}{{#invoke:Infobox|infobox}}Template:Template other Template:Category handler Template:Main other{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:Infobox album with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y|italic_title |type |name |image |cover |border |alt |caption |longtype |artist |released |recorded |venue |studio |genre |length |language |label |director |producer |compiler |prev_title|prev_year|next_title|next_year|chronology|year|misc}}{{#if:{{#invoke:String|match|error_category=Music infoboxes with Module:String errors|A|1=In Case You Didn't Feel Like Showing Up1990Filth Pig1996studioΚΕΦΑΛΗΞΘMinistry-Psalm69.jpgA silhouette of an angel surrounded by clocks and other miscellaneous objects as border icons.MinistryJuly 14, 19921991–1992Template:Ubl Industrial metal, thrash metal44:41Sire Template:Flatlistx|2=</?t[drh][ >]|nomatch=}}|Template:Main other}}Template:Main other}} ΚΕΦΑΛΗΞΘ (commonly known as Psalm 69: The Way to Succeed and the Way to Suck Eggs or simply Psalm 69) is the fifth studio album by American industrial metal band Ministry, released on July 14, 1992, by Sire Records. It was produced by frontman Al Jourgensen and bassist Paul Barker, and was recorded from March 1991 to May 1992 in Chicago, Illinois and Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. The album's title, initially intended to be The Tapes of Wrath, ended up being derived from Aleister Crowley's The Book of Lies.

Psalm 69 features elements of speed metal, rockabilly, and psychobilly, with lyrics exploring social, political, and religious topics. With much anticipation following the success of Ministry's previous album The Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Taste (1989), pressures on the band were said to be high, in addition to the growing substance abuse of several members and worsening relationships between them. It was also the first time Mike Scaccia had been significantly involved in a Ministry album, after appearing on tours in support of The Mind....

Preceded by lead single "Jesus Built My Hotrod", Psalm 69 was a critical and commercial success upon its release, peaking at number 27 on the US Billboard 200 and number 33 on the UK Albums Chart. It was supported by two more singles: "N.W.O." and "Just One Fix", with accompanying music videos directed by Peter Christopherson. Psalm 69 is considered to be Ministry's most successful album, having been certified gold in Canada and Australia, and platinum in the US. Following its release, Ministry joined the second annual Lollapalooza tour before commencing a tour through Europe and the US; "N.W.O.", "Just One Fix", and the title track have become permanent features of the band's live setlist. "N.W.O." was nominated for the Best Metal Performance at the 35th Annual Grammy Awards.

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Background and recordingEdit

Template:See also In March 1991, following the conclusion of the year-long tour in support of Revolting Cocks album Beers, Steers, and Queers, Al Jourgensen returned with his bandmates at Chicago Trax! studios, to work on Ministry's next major release.<ref name="ME CA Nov. 1992">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite interview</ref>Template:Sfn Jourgensen claimed that the record company Warner Bros. Records (to which Ministry were signed via their subsidiary, Sire Records) initially gave the band an enormous budgetTemplate:Efn expecting a follow-up to The Mind... to become a big hit compared with Michael Jackson's album Thriller; actually, Jourgensen, as he claimed in 2013, with his then wife Patty (née Marsh) and guitarist Mike Scaccia spent most of the budget on drugs, paying $1,000 per day.<ref name="Al_SongFacts_Interview"/>Template:Sfn<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Meanwhile, the first Lollapalooza tour had arrived in Chicago in early August 1991. Jourgensen went backstage attending a show by the band Butthole Surfers. After the gig, he had invited Butthole Surfers' singer Gibby Haynes to Chicago Trax! to record what became the vocals and spoken word parts for the song "Jesus Built My Hotrod".<ref name=Pulse92/>Template:Rp<ref name="ME CA Nov. 1992"/>Template:Sfn<ref name="Al_SongFacts_Interview">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>Template:Sfn While finishing "Jesus Built My Hotrod", Jourgensen was contacted by Sire/Warner Bros. executives, who asked if he had any completed material. Jourgensen sent them "Jesus Built My Hotrod" since it was the only song recorded by this time. While the label was not happy with just having "Jesus Built My Hotrod", Jourgensen told them either to give another advance for further work or sign the band off. The label was doubtful if the band would record anything else, but decided to release "Jesus Built My Hotrod"; following its success, they gave the band necessary budget, with the condition that the band would eventually finish the record.<ref name="Al_SongFacts_Interview"/>Template:Sfn

Besides drug problems, there was also growing animosity between the band's members, divided into two groups: while one group included Jourgensen and Scaccia, another—dubbed "the Book Club" by Jourgensen—included bassist Paul Barker, drummer Bill Rieflin and guest/live singer Chris Connelly.Template:Sfn Jourgensen claimed that he and Scaccia added their parts separately from Barker, Rieflin and Connelly; once Jourgensen and Scaccia would come in, they erased about 80 percent of what the Book Club associates did.Template:Sfn

The last songs included for the album, the instrumental tracks "Corrosion" and "Grace", were written mainly by Barker and recorded in February–March 1992;<ref name="Meddle in Metal">Template:Cite magazine</ref> the album's last session was held on May 7, 1992.<ref name="ME CA Nov. 1992"/> Over 15 months were spent on the recording, however, only nine of about 30 songs made its way onto the final cut, with the rest being distributed to side projects.<ref name=Pulse92/>Template:Rp Template:Sfn

EtymologyEdit

The title of the album is linked to chapter 69 of The Book of Lies, a written work of Aleister Crowley, where he uses the expression "The way to succeed and the way to suck eggs" as a pun for the 69 sex position ("suck seed" and "suck eggs"). Moreover, Crowley titled the chapter ΚΕΦΑΛΗΞΘ (which translates literally as "shrugged" and contains the sound ΛΗΞ "licks") but has a second meaning as a compound of Greek κεφαλη ("head") and Ξ Θ (an encoded alphabetic reference to "69") which both have slang meanings in English for sexual acts.

Subsequent to the album's release, Ministry put multiple references to the number 69 in future albums. For example, the albums Dark Side of the Spoon and Houses of the Molé both have hidden tracks at track #69. A further reference to the number was exhibited on Houses of the Molé with a hidden track at #23 titled "Psalm 23", one third of 69.

Cover artEdit

The cover art depicts a silhouette of an angel surrounded by clocks and other miscellaneous objects as border icons. It was designed by photographer Paul Elledge who conceived the layout after Jourgensen handed him a copy of Aleister Crowley's 1918 The Book of Lies. The final cover image was a triple exposure of three images on one piece of film. The angel was a model from Chicago's Art Institute, who was wearing angel wings crafted by the artist's wife at the time. It took Elledge a week to complete the cover art.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

ReceptionEdit

Template:Expand section Template:Album ratings Psalm 69 was ranked No. 80 on the Rolling Stone's "Top 100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time" list, with author Suzy Exposito concluding that "the result of the album was a manic drag race into a swampy hellmouth of thrash Americana – and it worked".<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The album was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.<ref>Template:Cite contribution</ref> In 2001, Q named it one of the "50 Heaviest Albums of All Time".<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

AccoladesEdit

"N.W.O." was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance at the Grammy Awards of 1993, but lost to Nine Inch Nails' "Wish".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

LegacyEdit

Video game composer Frank Klepacki cited Psalm 69 album as a primary influence in creating the soundtrack for the 1995 video game Command & Conquer.<ref>Template:Cite tweet</ref>

Track listingEdit

All songs credited to Ministry, except noted.<ref name="liner notes"/> Writing credits taken from ASCAP and BMI databases.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Tracklist

Charts and certificationsEdit

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AlbumEdit

Chart (1992)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)<ref>Template:Cite Ryan</ref>	54
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1\|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	69
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1\|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	24
UK Albums (OCC)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1\|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	33
US Billboard 200<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1\|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	27

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SinglesEdit

Song (1992)	US Alt. <ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	US Dance <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1\|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	UK <ref name="uk">{{#invoke:citation/CS1\|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
"Jesus Built My Hotrod"	19	34	—
"N.W.O."	11	—	49

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CertificationsEdit

Year	Country	Award	Copies sold
1992	Canada<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1\|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Gold	50,000
1993	United States<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1\|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Gold	500,000
1995	United States<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1\|citation	Platinum	1,000,000
2006	Australia<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1\|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Gold	35,000