''Stick Around for Joy'' is the third and final studio album by

Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its ...

alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from mainstream or commercial ...

band

the Sugarcubes The Sugarcubes ( Icelandic: Sykurmolarnir) were an Icelandic alternative rock band from Reykjavík formed in 1986 and disbanded in 1992. For most of their career, the band consisted of Björk Guðmundsdóttir (vocals, keyboards), Einar Örn Bene ...

. It was released in 1992 by Elektra. The album was supported by four singles: "

Hit Hit means to strike someone or something. Hit or HIT may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities * Hit, a fictional character from '' Dragon Ball Super'' * Homicide International Trust, or HIT, a fictional organization ...

", which reached number one on the

Modern Rock Tracks Alternative Airplay (formerly known as Modern Rock Tracks (1988–2009) and Alternative Songs (2009–2020)) is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in ''Billboard'' magazine since September 10, 1988. It ranks the 40 most-playe ...

chart in the US and number 17 on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

, "Walkabout", "Vitamin" and "

Leash Called Love "Leash Called Love" is a song written and recorded by the Icelandic band the Sugarcubes for their 1992 album ''Stick Around for Joy'', and their follow up to their number one ''Billboard'' Modern Rock Tracks single "Hit". The track dealt with the ...

", which went to number one on the

US Dance chart Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as th ...

. The album peaked at number 95 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and reached number 16 on the

UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...

, marking the band's lowest charting positions on both charts.

Production

The band recorded the album in the United States, with producer Paul Fox.

Critical reception

Trouser Press ''Trouser Press'' was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow fan of the Who Dave Schulps and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" (a reference ...

'' wrote that "Björk’s singing is shapely, passionate and willfully bizarre; she carries the album pretty much on her own." '' MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide'' deemed ''Stick Around for Joy'' the band's "most accessible and, true to its name, happiest sounding album, packed end to end with lively and tuneful dance pop." ''

The Rolling Stone Album Guide ''The Rolling Stone Album Guide'', previously known as ''The Rolling Stone Record Guide'', is a book that contains professional music reviews written and edited by staff members from ''Rolling Stone'' magazine. Its first edition was published in 1 ...

'' thought that "it's the churning interplay of guitarist Thor Eldon and the rhythm section that ultimately carries the album." The ''

Orlando Sentinel The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is the primary newspaper of Orlando, Florida, and the Central Florida region. It was founded in 1876 and is currently owned by Tribune Publishing Company. The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is owned by parent company, '' Tribune P ...

'' wrote that "bassist Bragi Olafsson and drummer Siggi Baldursson don't do much to dispel the notion that funk just isn't a Nordic thing." The ''

Spin Alternative Record Guide The ''Spin Alternative Record Guide'' is a music reference book compiled by the American music magazine '' Spin'' and published in 1995 by Vintage Books. It was edited by rock critic Eric Weisbard and Craig Marks, who was the magazine's editor-i ...

'' wrote that by ''Stick Around for Joy'' the Sugarcubes had "already degenerated into mind-numbing mediocrity."

Music videos

*"Hit", directed by

Óskar Jónasson Óskar Jónasson (born 30 June 1963) is an Icelandic film director and screenwriter. His film ''Remote Control'' was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival. His most recent film ''Reykjavík-Rotterdam'' won f ...

. Another version was directed by Pedro Romhanyi *"Walkabout", directed by Óskar Jónasson *"Vitamin"

Track listing

Personnel

The Sugarcubes *The Sugarcubes – mixing, lyrics and music *

Björk Guðmundsdóttir Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct three-octave vocal range and eccentric persona, she has d ...

– vocals *

Einar Örn Benediktsson Einar Örn Benediktsson (born 29 October 1962), often billed as Einar Örn, is an Icelandic popular music singer and trumpet player. He was a member of the Sugarcubes. He served as a member of the Reykjavík City Council between 2010 and 2014. ...

– vocals, trumpet *Þór Eldon Jónsson – guitar *Margrét Örnólfsdóttir – keyboards *

Bragi Ólafsson Bragi Ólafsson (born 11 August 1962 in Reykjavík, Iceland) is an Icelandic musician and a writer. Internationally he is best known for his work as a bassist in The Sugarcubes, the avant-garde pop band from Iceland that brought fame to Bjö ...

– bass *

Sigtryggur Baldursson Sigtryggur Baldursson (born 2 October 1962) is an Icelandic drummer and singer. Sigtryggur was born in Norway to Icelandic parents. He was a founding member of the Sugarcubes and has been a longtime fixture on the Icelandic punk and alternati ...

– Drums and percussion Additional personnel * John McGeoch – guitar (track 1) * Paul Fox – producer, mixing *Ed Thacker – engineer, mixing *Chris Laidlow – assistant engineer *Stephen Marcussen – mastering *Me Company – cover design

Charts

References

{{Authority control The Sugarcubes albums 1992 albums Albums produced by Paul Fox (record producer) Elektra Records albums