Filter (band)
Filter is an
industrial rock group formed in
1993 by
Richard Patrick (former live guitarist for
Nine Inch Nails) and guitarist/programmer
Brian Liesegang. Filter's most distinguishing feature is Richard Patrick's voice, which can soar to quite a high scream - on just about all songs.
Short Bus
Their first album,
Short Bus, was released in
1995. The album was successful, and included the hit single "
Hey Man, Nice Shot". The song was somewhat controversial, as it was seen as capitalizing on the public suicide of
Budd Dwyer.
Kurt Cobain's suicide was widely rumored to have inspired the song, but the band refuted this. In need of a live band to tour the album, Patrick and Liesegang recruited
Geno Lenardo on guitar,
Frank Cavanaugh on bass, and
Matt Walker on drums. They would all later be featured in the video for the album's second single, "Dose".
Soundtracks and Remixes
In
1996, Filter recorded and filmed the video for the song "Jurassitol", for
The Crow: City of Angels soundtrack. They also released the home video Phenomenology in 1996, which showcased some of the band's live performances and music videos, as well as an interview with Richard Patrick and Brian Liesegang filmed in
New Mexico.
Liesegang left in
1997 shortly after recording the Filter/
Crystal Method collaboration "(Can't You) Trip Like I Do" for the
Spawn movie soundtrack, due to creative differences with Patrick. In
1998, for
The X-Files film soundtrack, Patrick decided to keep the Filter name and recorded a cover of
Three Dog Night's "One".
Title of Record
Patrick continued on with
1999's
Title of Record with returning members
Geno Lenardo and
Frank Cavanaugh, as well as
Steve Gillis on drums, filling in the gap left by
Matt Walker after he left to work with
The Smashing Pumpkins.
Title of Record moved away from industrial rock somewhat, and produced a modest hit with "
Take a Picture," along with other lesser-heard singles "Welcome to the Fold" and "The Best Things".
The Amalgamut
2002 saw the release of
The Amalgamut, featuring the single "Where Do We Go From Here" and scoring another radio hit with "American Cliche". "The Only Way (Is The Wrong Way)" was also featured in the first wave of
Hummer2 commercials that year.
Alan Bailey was recruited for live guitar when they set off to tour the album; however, the tour ended abruptly a few weeks in when Patrick decided he needed to go to rehab. He's since tattooed his date of sobriety,
September 28, 2002, on his forearm.
Future Works
Patrick has reported in his
official website that he has already put a great deal of work into an unnamed fourth Filter release, but has put that aside indefinitely in favor of his new project
Army of Anyone with former
Stone Temple Pilots members, Robert and Dean DeLeo.
*
Tales From The Crypt: Demon Knight (1995) - "
Hey Man, Nice Shot (Bill Kennedy Mix)"
*
The Cable Guy (1996) - "
Hey Man, Nice Shot (Bill Kennedy Mix)"
*
Songs In The Key Of X: Music From And Inspired By The X-Files (1996) - "Thanks Bro"
*
The Crow: City of Angels (1996) - "Jurassitol"
*
Spawn: The Album (1997) - "(Can't You) Trip Like I Do", with
Crystal Method*
The X-Files: The Album (1998) - "One"
*
The Crow: Salvation (2000) - "The Best Things (Exclusive Radio Remix)"
*
Little Nicky (2000) - "Take A Picture"
* Richard Patrick is the brother of actor
Robert Patrick, best known for appearing as the T-1000 in
Terminator 2: Judgment Day and
John Doggett on
The X-Files.
* The song
Captain Bligh was written about
Trent Reznor's notoriously anti-social habits by Richard Patrick after he left Nine Inch Nails. Vice-Admiral
William Bligh was also captain of the HMAV
Bounty, on which
Mutiny on the Bounty was based.
* The song
Take a Picture is about a dispute on an aircraft. Richard Patrick stripped down to his boxers to get comfortable enough to sleep, alarming the other passengers. Lyrics include: "I don't believe in privacy"; "I feel like a new-born"; and "Awake on my airplane." "Take a picture" is a popular expression to say when someone is caught staring, especially at someone who is naked or in his or her underwear ("Why don't you take a picture? It'll last longer.").
* The lyrics "Hey, Dad, what do you think about your son now?" in the song
Take a Picture refers to the fact that Patrick's father didn't believe he could make it in the recording business and tried to persuade him to pursue another direction.
* Richard Patrick was part of the
supergroup The Damning Well, which has only released one track on the
Underworld movie soundtrack in 2003, despite an entire album's worth of recording.
* Former Filter members
Brian Liesegang and
Matt Walker played guitar and drums (respectively) in
Billy Corgan's touring band in 2005 to promote his solo album.
* Richard Patrick started a new band, named "
Army Of Anyone," with Robert and Dean DeLeo of the former band
Stone Temple Pilots.
* They were referred to in the song 'Bonus Track #3' by
Anal Cunt.
*
1990s music groups*
List of alternative music artists*
List of industrial music artists*
List of number-one dance hits (United States)*
List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart*
Filter's official web site*
All Music Guide entry for Filter*
Unofficial Filter Discography*
Hit, With a Bullet: Filter's "Hey Man, Nice Shot"*
Filter The Band by P. Short.
