INFINITY ON HIGH

'''Infinity on High''' is Fall Out Boy's fourth studio album. It is the follow up to their 2005 album ''From Under the Cork Tree''. Originally planned for release at the end of the 2006, it was changed to early 2007. ''Infinity on High'' debuted at number-one on the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200.Katie Hasty, "Fall Out Boy Hits 'High' Note With No. 1 Debut", Billboard.com, February 14, 2007.
The album name came from a letter Vincent van Gogh wrote that describes his renewed health and the vigor it had instilled in this painting. The line that inspired the title is, "Be clearly aware of the stars and infinity on high. Then life seems almost enchanted after all."^[1]
The album mixes the already known Fall Out Boy's emocore/pop punk style with a little R&B and hip-hop. Some magazines describe the album as "post-emo".
All of the photography on the album was done by Pamela Littky. The sets on the album artwork were designed by Todd Fjelsted. All of the artwork for the album was designed by Chuck Anderson of NoPattern. Anderson previously designed all of the artwork for the From Autumn to Ashes album, ''Abandon Your Friends'', and Less Than Jake's 2006 release, ''In with the Out Crowd''.

Contents

Track listing

Versions

Song meanings and trivia

Credits

References

Release history

External links

Track listing

# "Thriller" – 3:29
# ""The Take Over, the Breaks Over"" – 3:33
# "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race" – 3:32
# "I'm Like a Lawyer with the Way I'm Always Trying to Get You Off (Me + You)" – 3:31
# "Hum Hallelujah" – 3:50
# "Golden" – 2:32
# "Thnks fr th Mmrs" – 3:23
# "Don't You Know Who I Think I Am?" – 2:51
# "The (After) Life of the Party" – 3:21
# "The Carpal Tunnel of Love" – 3:23
# "Bang the Doldrums" – 3:31
# "Fame < Infamy" – 3:06
# "You're Crashing, But You're No Wave" – 3:42
# "I've Got All This Ringing In My Ears and None on My Fingers" – 4:06
'Bonus tracks:'

15. "G.I.N.A.S.F.S."(UK/NZ/AU/Japan/Best Buy Bonus track)
    
16. "It's Hard To Say 'I Do', When I Don't" [Exclusive Wal-Mart Bonus track] – 3:23
    
17. "Dance, Dance" (Brazil/Mexico Bonus track) - 3:00
    

'New Zealand 'Platinum Edition' Extra Track Listing'

18. "Dance, Dance" (Live from London)
    
19. "Golden" (Live from London)
    
20. "This Ain't A Scene, It's An Arms Race" (Live from London)
    
21. "Our Lawyer Made Us Change The Name Of This Song So We Didn't Get Sued" (Live from London)
    
22. "Thriller" (Live from London)
    

'DVD':
# "This Ain't A Scene, It's An Arms Race" Live on AOL
# "The Take Over, The Break's Over" Live on AOL
# "Thriller" Live on AOL
# "Sugar, We're Goin' Down" Live on AOL
# "This Ain't A Scene, It's An Arms Race" Music Video
# "Thnks Fr Th Mmrs" Music Video
# "The Take Over, The Break's Over" Music Video
'Original track listing':
# "Car Crash Hearts" (now "Thriller")
# "Satisfaction" (now ""The Take Over, the Breaks Over"")
# "You Can't Spell Star Without A&R" (now "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race")
# "Me and You" (now "I'm Like a Lawyer with the Way I'm Always Trying to Get You Off (Me + You)")
# "Hum Hallelujah"
# "How Cruel" (now "Golden")
# "Thanks for the Memories" (now "Thnks fr th Mmrs")
# "Stitch Away" (now "The (After) Life of the Party")
# "Carpal Tunnel of Love" (now "The Carpal Tunnel of Love")
# "Yellow Checkered Cars" (now "Bang the Doldrums")
# "Better with a Pen" (now "Fame < Infamy")
# "Law and Order" (now "You're Crashing, But You're No Wave")
# "Truth Hurts Worse" (now "I've Got All This Ringing in my Ears and None on my Fingers")
Tracks 8-13 on the original track listing became tracks 9-14 on the final track listing, because "Don't You Know Who I Think I Am?" did not originally make the cut for ''Infinity on High''. Many of the original titles were lines from the lyrics of the song unlike many songs that Fall Out Boy have released in the past.

Versions

The United States saw two different versions of the album, along with several pre-sale offers issued for certain store chains. Besides the regular edition, a limited edition "book"-style digipak version, containing tarot cards but no additional audio or video content, was released.
Bonus song "G.I.N.A.S.F.S." ("Gay is Not a Synonym for Shitty") can be found on the Irish, British, New Zealand, Australian and Japanese releases. The Japanese release also carries "It's Hard to Say 'I Do', When I Don't", a song titled by Colin Yip, through a contest for the band's fan club members, who were sent the lyrics and asked to come up with a title. The Brazilian and the Mexican release of the album has "Dance, Dance" as a bonus track, most likely due to the success of the song in those countries.
At the end of the last song on all versions of the album, a computer-synthesized voice is heard saying "now press repeat". The voice is also heard at the end of the Wal-Mart bonus track, "It's Hard to Say 'I Do', When I Don't".

Song meanings and trivia

★ The song "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race" is reportedly about lyricist/bassist Peter Wentz's frustration with the so-called "emo scene". As he told ''Rolling Stone'', "There may be other songs on the record that would be bigger radio hits, but this one had the right message." ^[2]

★ The song title for ""The Take Over, the Breaks Over"" is a reference to a line in the Jay-Z song "Takeover".

★ The song "You're Crashing, But You're No Wave" is based on the trial of Fred Hampton, Jr.. Many believe Hampton was unjustly found guilty for an arson case involving the firebombing of a Korean grocery store following the nationwide protests in 1992 after the acquittal of the LAPD officers who beat Rodney King.

★ The song "Don't You Know Who I Think I Am?" is yet another John Hughes reference repeating the concept from "A Little Less Sixteen Candles, a Little More 'Touch Me'" on ''From Under the Cork Tree''. In the movie ''The Breakfast Club'', the kids are instructed to write a one thousand word essay entitled, "Who I Think I Am".

★ The song "Thnks fr th Mmrs" is about two lovers who have broken up, but still have sex and question whether their relationship has really died, or if it's just for their needs. The line "It tastes like you, but sweeter" (as "he tastes like you, only sweeter") is spoken by Julia Roberts to Clive Owen in the 2004 film ''Closer''.

★ Despite what rumors say, "Don't You Know Who I Think I Am?" is not the same song as "I Liked You a Whole Lot Better Before You Became a Fucking MySpace Whore". The latter song has never been officially released and only played live.

★ The title for the song "The Carpal Tunnel of Love" is a reference to carpal tunnel syndrome, which is a medical condition that comes from repeating a certain action with the hand or fingers too many times. It combines carpal tunnel syndrome with the well-known tunnel of love ride. This may be a reference to the internet, as computer keyboards have been known to cause the condition.

★ The "hallelujah" choir part in the bridge of "Hum Hallelujah" is taken from the song "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen.

★ The first line in "G.I.N.A.S.F.S." ("I love everything about you that hurts, so...") is also another line taken from the 2004 film ''Closer''.

★ On the cover of the album, there is a sheep, which has been rumored to suggest that "followers" of the "emo scene" are all like sheep.

★ The deluxe version of ''Infinity on High'' doesn't carry the traditional plastic case and album sleeve. It contains a paperback/cardboard case, 5 "tarot" cards, and a different cover for the album sleeve (a crow perched on a pumpkin).[1]

★ Babyface plays mandolin on "Thnks fr th Mmrs" and B3 organ on "I'm Like a Lawyer with the Way I'm Always Trying to Get You Off (Me + You)".^[3]

★ Chad Gilbert (New Found Glory) and Ryan Ross (Panic! at the Disco) both play the guitar solo in ""The Take Over, the Breaks Over"".^[3]

★ Butch Walker is the guest vocalist in "You're Crashing, But You're No Wave"; crowd vocals on "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race", "Hum Hallelujah", and "Bang the Doldrums".^[3]

★ "It's Hard to Say, 'I Do', When I Don't" is actually a title chosen from a fan through a Fall Out Boy-conducted contest for the fans to take a shot at naming one of their songs. ^[3]

★ Anyone who purchased a physical copy of the CD and inserted it into their computer were able to receive a free download of an EP they recorded on January 29, 2007. The EP is a live EP titled ''Leaked in London''. The location of the recording was at London's Hammersmith Palais.^[7] It is no longer available, as it was only available for a week after the album's release.

Credits

★ Andy Hurley – drums

★ Joe Trohman – guitar, backing vocals

★ Patrick Stump – lead vocals, guitar, piano on "Golden"

★ Pete Wentz – bass, backing vocals

★ Jay-Z – intro and outro on "Thriller"

★ Chad Gilbert (of New Found Glory) – guitar solo in ""The Take Over, the Breaks Over""

★ Ryan Ross (of Panic! at the Disco) – Guitar solo in ""The Take Over, the Breaks Over""

★ Butch Walker– guest vocalist in "You're Crashing, But You're No Wave"; crowd vocals on "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race", "Hum Hallelujah", and "Bang the Doldrums"

★ Sofia Toufa - crowd vocals on "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race", "Hum Hallelujah", and "Bang the Doldrums"

★ Rahul Ramburn - crowd vocals on "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race", "Hum Hallelujah", and "Bang the Doldrums" + back-up on "Thnks Fr Th Mmrs"

★ Lindsey Blaufarb - crowd vocals on "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race", "Hum Hallelujah", and "Bang the Doldrums"

★ Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds - mandolin on "Thnks fr th Mmrs" and B3 organ on "I'm Like a Lawyer with the Way I'm Always Trying to Get You Off (Me + You)"

★ Ken Wiley - French horn

★ Nick Lane - bass trombone

★ Darrell Leonard - trombonium

★ Gay Bettison - pan flute

References

1. James Montgomery, "Fall Out Boy Exclusive: Pete Wentz Reveals LP Title, Details On Single", MTV News, November 14, 2006.
2. "Exclusive: Fall Out Boy Album Deets", Rollingstone.com, November 16, 2006.
3. http://hopelessly-hopeful.infinitealchemy.com/band/discography.htm
4. http://hopelessly-hopeful.infinitealchemy.com/band/discography.htm
5. http://hopelessly-hopeful.infinitealchemy.com/band/discography.htm
6. http://hopelessly-hopeful.infinitealchemy.com/band/discography.htm
7. [2]

Release history

''Infinity on High'' was released in various countries in February 2007.

Country	Date	Label	Format	Catalog numbers
Japan	February 5, 2007	Island	CD	UICL 1065
United Kingdom	February 5, 2007	Mercury	CD	1720575
United States	February 6, 2007	Island	CD	0008109

External links

★ Official Fall Out Boy website