''Bleed American'' is the fourth studio album by the American
rock band
Jimmy Eat World
Jimmy Eat World is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Mesa, Arizona, in 1993. The band is composed of lead vocalist and lead guitarist Jim Adkins, rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist Tom Linton, bassist Rick Burch, and drummer Zach ...
, released on July 24, 2001, by
DreamWorks Records
DreamWorks Records (often referred in copyright notices as SKG Music, LLC) was an American record label founded in 1996 by David Geffen, Mo Ostin, his son Michael Ostin and Lenny Waronker as a subsidiary of DreamWorks Pictures. The label opera ...
. The album was re-released as ''Jimmy Eat World'' following the
September 11 attacks
The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...
; that name remained until 2008, when it was re-released with its original title returned.
Following the commercial failure and lack of recognition for their third studio album ''
Clarity
Clarity may refer to:
Music Albums
* ''Clarity'' (Jimmy Eat World album) or the title song, 1999
* ''Clarity'' (Sifow album) or the title song, 2006
* ''Clarity'' (Zedd album) or the title song (see below), 2012
* ''Clarity'' (mixtape), by K ...
'' (1999) from
Capitol Records
Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007), and simply known as Capitol, is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-base ...
, Jimmy Eat World were dropped by the label in late 1999. Aside from working odd jobs, the band toured to raise money for their next album. It was recorded with
Mark Trombino and the band served as producers in October and November 2000 at the
Cherokee
The Cherokee (; , or ) people are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, they were concentrated in their homelands, in towns along river valleys of what is now southwestern ...
and Harddrive studios in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
, respectively. The musical style was more direct and accessible than its predecessor, with simpler chord structures.
"
Bleed American" was released to radio on June 5, 2001, as the album's
lead single
A lead single (or first single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date.
A similar term, "debut ...
, coinciding with Jimmy Eat World's tours of Australia and Japan (the latter supporting
Eastern Youth
Eastern Youth is a Japanese punk rock trio formed in 1989 in Hokkaidō. Their sound blends many different styles, and is especially complex for a three-piece band. Their lyrics express the helplessness of Japanese youths. Their influences include ...
). After appearing on the East Coast dates of the
Warped Tour
The Warped Tour is a Concert tour, touring Rock music, rock music festival that toured the United States and Canada each summer from 1995 until 2019, and returned in 2025 for its 30th anniversary. By 2015, Warped was the largest traveling music ...
, the band supported
Blink-182
Blink-182 is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Poway, California, in 1992. Its current and best-known line-up consists of bassist and vocalist Mark Hoppus, guitarist and vocalist Tom DeLonge, and drummer Travis Barker. Though its so ...
and
Weezer
Weezer is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1992. Since 2001, the band has consisted of Rivers Cuomo (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Patrick Wilson (drums, backing vocals), Brian Bell (guitar, keyboards, backing ...
. "
The Middle" was released as a single on November 19, 2001. The band went on a headlining European tour in early 2002, followed by a Japanese tour, leading up to a two-month support slot for Blink-182 and
Green Day
Green Day is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Rodeo, California, in 1987 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong and bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, with drummer Tré Cool joining in 1990. In 1994, their majo ...
on their
Pop Disaster Tour. "
Sweetness
Sweetness is a basic taste most commonly perceived when eating foods rich in sugars. Sweet tastes are generally regarded as pleasurable. In addition to sugars like sucrose, many other chemical compounds are sweet, including aldehydes, ketones ...
" was released as the third single on June 3, 2002. The band supported
Incubus
An Incubus () is a demon, male demon in human form in folklore that seeks to have Sexuality in Christian demonology, sexual intercourse with sleeping women; the corresponding spirit in female form is called a succubus. Parallels exist in many c ...
in Australia, before embarking on headlining tours of the UK and the US. "
A Praise Chorus" was released as a promotional single during 2002.
Each single from ''Bleed American'' entered the top twenty of at least one US chart. The most successful was "The Middle", which reached number one on the ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
''
Modern Rock Tracks
Alternative Airplay (formerly known as Modern Rock Tracks between 1988 and 2009, and Alternative Songs between 2009 and 2020) is a music chart published in the American magazine ''Billboard'' since September 10, 1988. It ranks the 40 most-playe ...
chart and number five on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100. In August2002, ''Bleed American'' was
certified platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA) after its sales reached over one million copies. As of September2016, the album has sold over 1.6million copies in the US. ''Bleed American'' was well-received by critics and appeared on several publications' best-of-the-year album lists, by the likes of ''
CMJ New Music Report'' and ''
Q'', as well as all-time lists by publications such as ''
Consequence of Sound
''Consequence'' (previously ''Consequence of Sound'') is an independently owned New York-based online magazine featuring news, editorials, and reviews of music, movies, and television.
History
''Consequence of Sound'' was founded in Septem ...
'', ''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
'' and ''
Spin''.
Background
In February1999, Jimmy Eat World released their third studio album, ''
Clarity
Clarity may refer to:
Music Albums
* ''Clarity'' (Jimmy Eat World album) or the title song, 1999
* ''Clarity'' (Sifow album) or the title song, 2006
* ''Clarity'' (Zedd album) or the title song (see below), 2012
* ''Clarity'' (mixtape), by K ...
'', through
Capitol Records
Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007), and simply known as Capitol, is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-base ...
.
[ Frontman Jim Adkins recalled that the label was disorganized at the time, due to having a new president and new people in charge of each department. As a result, any trust the band had within the company had dissipated.] Capitol began to shelve the album until radio stations started playing the song " Lucky Denver Mint", which became its second track. The release of the album marked the end of their two-record deal with the label, which was made official in August1999. Drummer Zach Lind recalled that the label "really didn't believe in us. But in a way, that was sort of a good thing, because it let us take control of what we needed to do. We learned we had to do it ourselves, because no one else would do it for us."
Due to a lack of funds, the members had taken up odd jobs: Adkins sold art supplies; Tom Linton did construction work; Rick Burch sold auto parts; and Lind worked at a car dealership.[ In August2000, Jimmy Eat World released the ]compilation album
A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one Performing arts#Performers, performer or by several performers. If the recordings are from ...
'' Singles'' through the independent label Big Wheel Recreation, which included B-sides and unreleased songs from the band up to that point. They went on a five-week tour of Europe; they bought copies of their previous releases from Capitol at cost value to sell them directly in that territory.[ The band's management were against the idea of this tour as they lacked a foothold in the United States. They decided to break away with their management to work as ]free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...
s. The tour was ultimately considered a success by the band, with ''Clarity'' selling 500copies a week by that point.[ After this, they released a split EP with ]Jebediah
Jebediah are an Australian alternative rock band formed in 1994 in Perth, Western Australia. They were formed by Chris Daymond on lead guitar, Bob Evans (musician), Kevin Mitchell (aka Bob Evans) on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, and Vanessa T ...
in September2000.
Recording
''Bleed American'' was produced by Mark Trombino and Jimmy Eat World.[ Trombino had already produced two of the band's previous studio albums: '' Static Prevails'' (1996) and ''Clarity'' (1999).] He had struck up a brotherly relationship with the band; he reacted positively to the demos that Adkins had played him.[ The sales from ''Singles'' and the proceeds from Jimmy Eat World's European tour helped fund the album's recording sessions,] but the money budgeted for the record was insufficient. Trombino offered to work for free until after the album's production, confident he would be reimbursed by the album's predicted commercial success. Recording sessions took place in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
, California in October2000. Clark Robertson, who had been in a band that Linton saw live, rented equipment on the band's behalf.
The drums were recorded at Cherokee Studios in Los Angeles, which proved costly to the group. The band took a brief break to tour with Jebediah for two and a half weeks, including a performance at ''CMJ
CMJ Holdings Corp. is a music events, online media company and a distributor of up and coming music CDs, originally founded in 1978, which ran a website, hosted an annual festival in New York City, and published two magazines, ''CMJ New Music ...
'' New Music Marathon festival, before returning to Los Angeles.[ To save money, sessions moved to Harddrive in North Hollywood, where they did overdubs over the course of a month and a half from November2000.][ Partway through, at the suggestion of Trombino, the band uploaded demo versions of songs on the music platform ]Napster
Napster was an American proprietary peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing application primarily associated with digital audio file distribution. Founded by Shawn Fanning and Sean Parker, the platform originally launched on June 1, 1999. Audio shared ...
for fans to hear. By this point, artists and repertoire
Artists and repertoire (or A&R for short) is the division of a record label or music publishing company that is responsible for scouting, financing, and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists and songwriters. It also acts as a l ...
(A&R) people from various labels visited the band, often unannounced. As a result of this, they had to lock the doors to keep people out. The album was mixed at South Ecstasy Recording Studio, also in Los Angeles, in January2001. As Lind was writing a check to cover the cost of mixing, he was worried they were close to bankruptcy, and hoped it would not bounce.[
]
Lyrical themes and musical style
Overview
The material on ''Bleed American'' was more accessible and aggressive than its predecessor ''Clarity'', which had a more "layered, sprawling sound." In regard to the stylistic approach of the album, Adkins said, "Things still got pretty gnarly in the studio as far as experimentation, but it was always to an end that was to the song. We wanted to really make sure that we weren't doing things, like, just to put a wacky keyboard sound in. It had to be doing something constructive for the song." They intentionally strayed away from the complex writing of ''Clarity'' for simpler structures.[ "Hear You Me" and "My Sundown" were initially intended for Go Big Casino, Adkins' orchestral side project.][ Critics have described the genres of the album as ]alternative rock
Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...
, emo pop
Emo pop (alternatively typeset with a hyphen, also known as emo pop-punk and pop-emo) is a fusion genre combining emo with pop-punk, pop music, or both. Emo pop features a musical style with more concise composition and Hook (music), hook-filled ...
, pop-punk
Pop-punk (also punk-pop, alternatively spelled without the hyphen) is a rock music fusion genre that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop music, pop. It is defined by its fast-paced, energetic tempos, and emphasis on classic pop s ...
and power pop
Power pop (also typeset as powerpop) is a subgenre of rock music and form of pop rock based on the early music of bands such as the Who, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Byrds. It typically incorporates melodic hooks, vocal harmonies, ...
. According to Adkins, the band called the album ''Bleed American'' as it and the title track
A title track is a song that has the same name as the album
An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-t ...
dealt with "chang ngone's life for the better", and as such that theme "runs throughout the entire album". He also stated that people "all too often get caught up with things they don't really need. America just needs to be a strong bloodletting process".[
The lyrical composition in ''Bleed American'' also remained rather direct and straightforward in comparison to ''Clarity''. Mark Vanderhoff of ]AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
said that ''Bleed American'' didn't have any "16 minute songs," referencing "Goodbye Sky Harbor" from ''Clarity''. Rather, he called the music on ''Bleed American'' "just straight-ahead rock & roll, performed with punk
Punk or punks may refer to:
Genres, subculture, and related aspects
* Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres
* Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...
energy and alt-rock
Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...
smarts." Author Andy Greenwald said the album dealt with self-medication
Self-medication, sometime called do-it-yourself (DIY) medicine, is a human behavior in which an individual uses a substance or any exogenous influence to self-administer treatment for physical or psychological conditions, for example headaches or ...
, "more specifically the Jim Adkins Diet—where music, any music, equals salvation". He noted that the majority of the songs on the album are sung from a second-person perspective. Towards the end of touring in support of ''Clarity'', Adkins began having what he thought was a heart attack
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...
. It was later revealed to be a panic attack
Panic attacks are sudden periods of intense fear and Comfort, discomfort that may include palpitations, otherwise defined as a Tachycardia, rapid, Arrhythmia, irregular Heart rate, heartbeat, Hyperhidrosis, sweating, chest pain or discomfort, s ...
, for which he had to take medication; the incident inspired some of the lyrics throughout the album.[ Rachel Haden (of That Dog) lent her voice in "Hear You Me", "If You Don't, Don't", "Cautioners" and "My Sundown".]
Songs
Adkins said "Bleed American" is about how trivial things in a person's life can overtake more important things.[ The ]grunge
Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock Music genre, genre and subculture that emerged during the in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington, particularly in Seattle and Music of Olympia, Washington, O ...
-esque track has been compared to the work of Helmet
A helmet is a form of protective gear worn to protect the head. More specifically, a helmet complements the skull in protecting the human brain. Ceremonial or symbolic helmets (e.g., a policeman's helmet in the United Kingdom) without protecti ...
, At the Drive-In
At the Drive-In was an American post-hardcore band from El Paso, Texas, formed in 1994. The band's most recent line-up consisted of Cedric Bixler-Zavala (vocals), Omar Rodríguez-López (guitar, vocals), Paul Hinojos (bass), Tony Hajjar (drums ...
and Braid
A braid (also referred to as a plait; ) is a complex structure or pattern formed by interlacing three or more strands of flexible material such as textile yarns, wire, or hair.
The simplest and most common version is a flat, solid, three-strand ...
. Journalist Alex Rice felt that its loud-quiet structure and lyrics about the disillusionment of youth recalled "Thinking, That's All", the opening track from ''Static Prevails''. When writing " A Praise Chorus", the band were stuck on the bridge
A bridge is a structure built to Span (engineering), span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or railway) without blocking the path underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, whi ...
section; they sent it to Davey von Bohlen (of the Promise Ring
The Promise Ring was an American rock band from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, that is recognized as part of the second wave of emo. Among various other EPs and singles, the band released four studio albums during their initial run: '' 30° Every ...
) who wrote a bridge referencing various songs, including " Crimson and Clover" by Tommy James and the Shondells, " Our House" by Madness, " Kickstart My Heart" by Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe is an American Heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in Hollywood, California, in 1981 by bassist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, with guitarist Mick Mars and lead vocalist Vince Neil joining right after. The band has sol ...
and " Don't Let's Start" by They Might Be Giants
They Might Be Giants, often abbreviated as TMBG, is an American alternative rock and Children's music, children's band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years, Flansburgh and Linnell frequently performed as ...
. Throughout "A Praise Chorus", which deals with nostalgia, Adkins employs a vocal stutter. The new wave-esque " The Middle" includes a guitar solo that, according to Adkins, was a homage to Doug Gillard of Guided by Voices
Guided by Voices is an American indie rock band formed in 1983 in Dayton, Ohio. It has made frequent personnel changes but always maintained the presence of principal songwriter Robert Pollard. The most well-known lineup of the band consisted o ...
and their song "I Am a Tree". Its lyrics speak about "fitting in" and self-acceptance; Adkins wrote the song in response to an email from a fan who felt they were "not punk enough".[ Lind said his drums on the song were an attempt to emulate the ones heard in " You Wreck Me" by ]Tom Petty
Thomas Earl Petty (October 20, 1950October 2, 2017) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He was the leader and frontman of the Rock music, rock bands Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Mudcrutch and a member of the late 1980s sup ...
.
"Your House" details the pain of a break-up, cutting all communication with the person, and is reminiscent of the work of Versus. The drum parts were played in unison by Lind, Adkins and Trombino, as Lind wanted something similar to a marching band
A marching band is a group of instrumental musicians who play while marching. Historically they were used in armed forces and many marching bands remain military bands. Others are still associated with military units or emulate a military sty ...
. "Sweetness
Sweetness is a basic taste most commonly perceived when eating foods rich in sugars. Sweet tastes are generally regarded as pleasurable. In addition to sugars like sucrose, many other chemical compounds are sweet, including aldehydes, ketones ...
" was one of the songs that Adkins had more doubts about because of its lyrical content: "I just had this melody in my head and I was demoing it and singing it and kind of having a hard time with it. I almost didn't bring it to the band because I was thinking to myself, 'I can't just say nothing. I can't just use all these sort of alyrical whoahs for this much of a song.'" The ''whoah'' vocalizations were intended as a placeholder for other lyrics, though as the members were unable to come up with anything else, the parts remained. The drum beat was done in the style of U2 drummer Larry Mullen Jr.; it incorporates influences from post-hardcore
Post-hardcore is a punk rock music genre that maintains the aggression and intensity of hardcore punk but emphasizes a greater degree of creative expression. Like the term " post-punk", the term "post-hardcore" has been applied to a broad conste ...
and second-wave emo.[ A demo version of the tune was recorded during the ''Clarity'' sessions, though Capitol Records did not think much of the track, so the band scrapped it.
"Hear You Me" is a tribute to Mykel and Carli Allan, two popular ]Weezer
Weezer is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1992. Since 2001, the band has consisted of Rivers Cuomo (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Patrick Wilson (drums, backing vocals), Brian Bell (guitar, keyboards, backing ...
fans, who died in a car accident while returning home after a concert. The guitarwork uses a countermelody
In music, a counter-melody (often countermelody) is a sequence of notes, perceived as a melody, written to be played simultaneously with a more prominent lead melody. In other words, it is a secondary melody played in counterpoint with the pri ...
against the vocals; it includes a piano, organ, horns and Haden's vocals.[ "If You Don't, Don't" tackles the theme of lost love; the guitars were initially much faster in the style of ]the Wedding Present
The Wedding Present are an English indie rock group formed in 1985 in Leeds, England, by members of The Lost Pandas. The band has been led by vocalist and guitarist David Gedge, the band's only constant member.
Closely linked to the C86 scene ...
, until Adkins slowed it down. "Get It Faster" opens with a minute of drum fills, which were programmed in the PlayStation
is a video gaming brand owned and produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), a division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. Its flagship products consists of a series of home video game consoles produced under the brand; it also consists ...
game '' MTV Music Generator''.[ "Cautioners" is a five-minute ]electropop
Electropop is a popular music fusion genre combining elements of the electronic and pop styles. It has been described as a variant of synth-pop with emphasis on a hard electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a rev ...
song that meshes electronica
Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that came to prominence in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mos ...
and rock.[ It channels the sound of ]the Cars
The Cars were an American Rock music, rock band formed in Boston in 1976. Emerging from the New wave music, new wave Subculture, scene in the late 1970s, they consisted of Ric Ocasek (rhythm guitar), Benjamin Orr (bass guitar), Elliot Easton (l ...
and recalls the quieter songs on ''Clarity''. An earlier version of the track, released on a split EP with Jebediah, was centered around guitar strums.[ The version on the album features heavy use of decay, which Adkins said sounded "computerized". The drums were made up of several loops that were made at Cherokee, done over the course of a few days. The title and lyrics of "The Authority Song" are a direct reference to " Authority Song" by John Cougar Mellencamp, and it also contains a reference to '']Automatic
Automatic may refer to:
Music Bands
* Automatic (Australian band), Australian rock band
* Automatic (American band), American rock band
* The Automatic, a Welsh alternative rock band
Albums
* ''Automatic'' (Jack Bruce album), a 1983 el ...
'', an album by the Jesus and Mary Chain
The Jesus and Mary Chain are a Scottish alternative rock band formed in East Kilbride in 1983. The band revolves around the songwriting partnership of brothers Jim and William Reid, who are the two founders and only consistent members of the ...
. It deals with being half-open with a person one is not too familiar with.[ The album concludes with the ballad "My Sundown".][
]
Release
DreamWorks Records
DreamWorks Records (often referred in copyright notices as SKG Music, LLC) was an American record label founded in 1996 by David Geffen, Mo Ostin, his son Michael Ostin and Lenny Waronker as a subsidiary of DreamWorks Pictures. The label opera ...
' A&R member Luke Wood
Luke Wood is an American music executive and musician, known as being the president of both Beats Electronics from 2012 to 2020 and DGC Records from 2007 to 2010. He was also a guitarist for the 1990s alt-rock bands Sammy and Girls Against Bo ...
monitored the band's potential from when they became free agents and offered to help them.[ Wood had previously been in the band Sammy, who opened for Jimmy Eat World during the 1990s, and was adamant about signing them after hearing "A Praise Chorus". Jimmy Eat World considered Wood's help, but it was not until a year later when they returned to contact him.] By then, the industry hype behind the forthcoming album caused a bidding war between labels.[ The band met with various staff members from six labels in Los Angeles and ]New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
in March2001, before signing to DreamWorks in the following month.[ Lind said the label had a solid working relationship with their artists, " ey understand what a career is, like how fragile it is."][ Capitol Records had unsuccessfully tried to re-sign the band after hearing the finished album; the band said they would have a meeting if the label would give them their master recordings back.
Soon afterwards, the band enlisted a new booking agent and co-managers Gary Gersh and John Silva; they knew Gersh from when he was CEO at Capitol a few years prior.] Despite these new representatives, Lind continued acting as the band's de facto manager, a role he had been doing for two years by that point. On May 21, 2001, ''Bleed American'' was announced for release later in the year. It was made available for streaming on July 19, 2001, before being released five days later.[ The album artwork, showing a set of bowling trophies sitting on top of a cigarette machine, is taken from William Eggleston's photograph "Memphis".] Adkins was a fan of Eggleston, going as far as to dub him the "father of color photography". Out of concern that its title could be misinterpreted following the September 11 attacks
The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...
, the album was re-released with an eponymous title in December2001, despite the band initially saying that they would not change its name.[ The decision was ultimately the band's, which was supported by their label; instead of recalling existing copies, they simply had the name amended with subsequent pressings of the album.] In addition, the title-track was renamed "Salt Sweat Sugar" and reissued on December 11, 2001.
Singles and EPs
"Bleed American" was released to radio on June 5, 2001, and released as a physical single on August 21, 2001. The US 7-inch vinyl version includes a demo of "Your House", while the German CD edition features demos of "Your House" and "The Authority Song", alongside "(Splash) Turn Twist" and the music video for "Bleed American" (directed by Ross Richardson).
"The Middle" was released as a single on November 19, 2001. The UK 7-inch vinyl includes a radio session version of "A Praise Chorus" as its B-side, while the European CD features "No Sensitivity" and demos of "The Middle" and "My Sundown". Another CD version, which saw release in Europe and the US, features radio sessions versions of "If You Don't, Don't", and Guided By Voices
Guided by Voices is an American indie rock band formed in 1983 in Dayton, Ohio. It has made frequent personnel changes but always maintained the presence of principal songwriter Robert Pollard. The most well-known lineup of the band consisted o ...
cover "Game of Pricks", as well as the music video for "The Middle". The video was directed by Paul Fedor, who based it on an episode of ''The Brady Bunch
''The Brady Bunch'' is an American sitcom created by Sherwood Schwartz that aired five seasons from September 26, 1969, to March 8, 1974, on ABC. The series revolves around a large blended family of six children, with three boys and three gir ...
''.[ The video features the band at a party performing in a living room to a crowd of people in their underwear. The protagonist, played by Josh Keleher, arrives at the party fully clothed; he eventually undressed in a closet, encountering a girl undressing as well.][
"Sweetness" was released as a single on June 3, 2002; the UK 7-inch vinyl version includes a live version of "Clarity" as its B-side. Two CD versions were released in Europe: the first with live versions of "Blister" and "Your New Aesthetic", while the other include live versions of "If You Don't, Don't", "Lucky Denver Mint" and "Blister". The music video for "Sweetness" shows the band stationary as the world is altered around them; it was filmed in Los Angeles, with director Tim Hope. Lind said the video was "loosely based on a general journey of what a band goes through as they start and as they progress". "A Praise Chorus" was released as a promotional single in 2002.
In addition to the album's singles, two EPs were released to support ''Bleed American''. The first of these EPs, titled ''Good to Go EP'', was released on February 22, 2002, exclusively in Japan, and features "Spangle", "The Most Beautiful Things", an acoustic version of "The Middle", a radio session version of "Game of Pricks", an early version of "Cautioners" and live versions of "A Praise Chorus" and "Softer".][ The second EP, titled ''The Middle/A Praise Chorus Tour EP'', was a tour EP released in Australia in January2003, consisting of "The Middle", "A Praise Chorus", "Firestarter", an acoustic version of "The Middle" and a live version of "Bleed American".][
]
Subsequent events and releases
''Bleed American'' was initially released on vinyl through Grand Royal Records; when that label folded, it was re-pressed through Adkins' own label Western Tread in 2003. In October2003, the band released the ''Believe in What You Want'' video album, which chronicled the making-of and release of ''Bleed American''. On April 28, 2008, a deluxe edition of the album was released with a bonus disc containing several B-sides, acoustic versions, live versions, demo versions and previously unreleased tracks. The original album and track title ''Bleed American'' were restored for this release.[ This edition was pressed on vinyl in 2011 as part of ]Record Store Day
Record Store Day is a semi-annual event established in 2008 to "celebrate the culture of the independently owned record store". Held on one Saturday (typically the third) every April and every Black Friday in November, the day brings together f ...
. Later that year, the band performed ''Bleed American'' and ''Clarity'' in their entireties for two UK shows.
Touring
Following two one-off US shows in February2001, Jimmy Eat World embarked on a two-week tour in Germany.[ In June2001, the band then went on a tour of Australia and Japan, the latter being a supporting slot for ]Eastern Youth
Eastern Youth is a Japanese punk rock trio formed in 1989 in Hokkaidō. Their sound blends many different styles, and is especially complex for a three-piece band. Their lyrics express the helplessness of Japanese youths. Their influences include ...
.[ After they made their second appearance on ]Warped Tour
The Warped Tour is a Concert tour, touring Rock music, rock music festival that toured the United States and Canada each summer from 1995 until 2019, and returned in 2025 for its 30th anniversary. By 2015, Warped was the largest traveling music ...
, where they played the East Coast shows in July and August2001, they supported Blink-182
Blink-182 is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Poway, California, in 1992. Its current and best-known line-up consists of bassist and vocalist Mark Hoppus, guitarist and vocalist Tom DeLonge, and drummer Travis Barker. Though its so ...
and Weezer. The band then appeared on '' The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn'' (around which, the band played three shows in Los Angeles) and the ''Late Show with David Letterman
''Late Show with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS, the first iteration of the ''Late Show'' franchise. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was produced by Letterman's production com ...
'', and performed at Edgefest II in Canada. They supported Weezer on their Extended Midget Tour in the US to close out the year; Jimmy Eat World were augmented by touring musicians Brian McMahan
Brian McMahan (born January 26, 1969) is an American musician from Louisville, Kentucky. He was a guitarist and vocalist in the seminal rock bands Squirrel Bait and Slint. After the breakup of the latter in November 1990, he went on to play with ...
(of the For Carnation) on sampler, keyboards and guitar and Haden on backing vocals. Alongside this, the band performed on ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien
''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show is the second installment of the ''Late Night (franchise), Late Night'' franchise originally established by David Letterman. Hosted by Conan O'Brie ...
''. In January and February2002, the band were due to support Blink-182 on their tour of Europe; however, when that band postponed, Jimmy Eat World embarked on a headlining European tour instead.[
After returning to the US, Jimmy Eat World played four shows in the southern states, before traveling to Japan, where they played until March2002.] The band supported Blink-182 and Green Day
Green Day is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Rodeo, California, in 1987 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong and bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, with drummer Tré Cool joining in 1990. In 1994, their majo ...
on their co-headlining US Pop Disaster Tour in April and May2002, which coincided with appearances on ''Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
'' and ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show is the fourth and sixth installment of ''The Tonight Show''. Hosted by Jay Leno, it aired from May 25, 1992, to May 29, 2009, replacing ''The Ton ...
''. Following this, Jimmy Eat World supported Incubus
An Incubus () is a demon, male demon in human form in folklore that seeks to have Sexuality in Christian demonology, sexual intercourse with sleeping women; the corresponding spirit in female form is called a succubus. Parallels exist in many c ...
on their headlining tour of Australia, before going on their own tour of the UK with support from the Promise Ring, and playing a series of US festivals and Canadian shows.[ Preceded by an appearance on the ''Late Show with David Letterman'', they embarked on a headlining US tour, with support from ]Desaparecidos
An enforced disappearance (or forced disappearance) is the secret abduction or imprisonment of a person with the support or acquiescence of a State (polity), state followed by a refusal to acknowledge the person's fate or whereabouts with the i ...
, Recover and the Promise Ring. Following this, the band performed at the Reading and Leeds Festivals
The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend. The Reading Fest ...
in the UK. In September and October, the band performed at This Ain't No Picnic festival and on two dates of the Plea for Peace/ Take Action Tour, in addition to an appearance on ''Last Call with Carson Daly
''Last Call with Carson Daly'' is an American late-night television series that was broadcast by NBC from 2002 to 2019. Hosted by former MTV personality Carson Daly, the series was initially formatted as a late-night talk show in line with '' ...
''.
Reception
Original reviews
''Bleed American'' was met with generally favorable reviews from music critics
Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on ...
. Several reviewers discussed the album's emo stylings. While noting that those who dislike "emo or ' poppier' music" would dislike the album, Aubin Paul of Punknews.org said that "the punker-than-thou kids should stick with '' Static Prevails'', but a catalog as impressive as J.E.W.'s can be appreciated by anyone without preconceptions." ''Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason.
The magazine was first known fo ...
'' reviewer Barry Walters added to this, stating that it "sports the tender turbulence that insular emo kids have been enjoying in private for years," with the album appealing to fans of pop-punk
Pop-punk (also punk-pop, alternatively spelled without the hyphen) is a rock music fusion genre that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop music, pop. It is defined by its fast-paced, energetic tempos, and emphasis on classic pop s ...
band Blink-182
Blink-182 is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Poway, California, in 1992. Its current and best-known line-up consists of bassist and vocalist Mark Hoppus, guitarist and vocalist Tom DeLonge, and drummer Travis Barker. Though its so ...
, post-grunge
Post-grunge is an offshoot of grunge that has a less abrasive or intense tone than traditional grunge. Originally, the term was used almost pejoratively to label mid-1990s alternative rock bands such as Bush (British band), Bush, Candlebox, Colle ...
band Creed
A creed, also known as a confession of faith, a symbol, or a statement of faith, is a statement of the shared beliefs of a community (often a religious community) which summarizes its core tenets.
Many Christian denominations use three creeds ...
, and even new wave music
New wave is a music genre that encompasses pop music, pop-oriented styles from the 1970s through the 1980s. It is considered a lighter and more melodic "broadening of Punk subculture, punk culture". It was originally used as a catch-all fo ...
. The staff at ''Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' observed the album as a "fine balancing act" of "emo-edged" tracks and "wallop-packed rockers", though Joe Warminsky III of '' The Morning Call'' disregarded the emo elements, describing it instead as a genuine rock record.
Multiple reviewers, including those at AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
, '' Drowned in Sound'', and ''USA Today
''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...
'', praised the songwriting quality and guitarwork; these included remarks on "catchy melodies", "bouncy rhythms" and "a tacklebox of hooks". ''NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
'' writer Imran Ahmed said it was a "veritable pop-buzzsaw, rammed to its back teeth with infectious melodies and teen TV sentiment". Paul stated that unlike the band's prior albums, the second half of ''Bleed American'' was "quite strong, and really fleshes out the musical ideas from the record". Greenwald said in comparison to ''Clarity'', which "goes inward in search of salvation," ''Bleed American'' was "outgoing, boisterous, confident". '' Blender'', on the other hand, was less pleased as the album's mainstream potential was "undercut by guitars, which are neither as gleefully blaring as Weezer
Weezer is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1992. Since 2001, the band has consisted of Rivers Cuomo (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Patrick Wilson (drums, backing vocals), Brian Bell (guitar, keyboards, backing ...
's nor as cleanly melodic as the Knack's."
Other reviewers were mixed on the album's mature stance. Steve Hochman of the ''Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'' commented that listeners "graduating from teen tastes could well turn to this album as a first step to adulthood", while Robert Christgau
Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and later became a ...
of ''The Village Voice
''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first Alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, ...
'' stated "if this band can't be maturity's answer to 'N Sync, it can be patriotism's answer to Travis." Aaron Scott of ''Slant Magazine
''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New Yor ...
'' believed the maturity the band showed through the album was capable of attracting a wide-ranging audience. ''Pitchfork
A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials.
The term is also applie ...
'' Ryan Schreiber gave a much more negative and sarcastic review of the album, concluding, "So do the best you can, listen to your favorite band, bury your head in the sand, before it all begins again. Hey, I just wrote a Jimmy Eat World song!"
Retrospective reviews
Retrospective reviews of ''Bleed American'' continued to praise the album's songwriting quality. Thomas Nassiff of ''AbsolutePunk
''AbsolutePunk'' was a website, online community, and alternative music news source founded by Jason Tate (the most recent CEO). The website mainly focused on artists who are relatively unknown to mainstream audiences, but it was known to featu ...
'' opined that the album contained "no bad songs", concluding: "Certainly one of the most memorable records of 2001, ''Bleed American'' might actually have the most lasting power of any album from that class." Mike Stagno of ''Sputnikmusic
Sputnikmusic (abbreviated as Sputnik) is a music website that publishes music reviews and news entries. The site hosts both professional and amateur content, covering metal, punk, indie, rock, hip-hop, pop and other styles. Its reviews are us ...
'' found ''Bleed American'' enjoyable, and noted its high replay value, particularly tracks such as "Sweetness" and "Get It Faster".
'' Louder Than War'' writer Sam Lambeth saw the album as a "hallmark of modern rock
Modern rock is an umbrella term used to describe rock music that is found on college and commercial rock radio stations. Some radio stations use this term to distinguish themselves from classic rock, which is based in 1960s–1980s rock music.
...
, a faultless record that may wear its heart on its sleeve, but elevates in its earnestness". Punknews.org staff member Brian Shultz reviewed the deluxe edition, and found the album's content to still be strong despite its age.[ On the other hand, '']PopMatters
''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, ...
'' Charles A. Hohman found "little insight or revelation n the deluxe edition"[ A guest writer for '']Tiny Mix Tapes
''Tiny Mix Tapes'' (also ''TMT'' or ''tinymixtapes'') is an online music and film webzine that focuses primarily on new music and related news. In addition to its reviews, it is noted for its subversive, political, and sometimes surreal news, ...
'' said the album's strongest points were the "stripped down" tracks.[
]
Commercial performance
''Bleed American'' was a commercial success, helping Jimmy Eat World gain mainstream popularity. It sold 30,000copies in its first week of release. It peaked at number 54 on the ''Billboard'' 200 on August 11, 2001; the renamed version peaked at number 31 in July2002. Outside the US, the album peaked at number 20 in Germany,[ number 43 in New Zealand,] number 54 in Australia, and number 62 on the UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...
.[
''Bleed American'' became a bestseller, and in its first four months on the US market, it sold 173,000copies, making the album Jimmy Eat World's most successful release.] Lind said that these sales were "definitely a big deal to the band because it shows how the fanbase is growing. f you'redoing anything creative, you want more and more people to enjoy what you do." It was certified gold in the US by the Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA) in March 2002, and it reached platinum status five months later. Alongside this, the album was certified platinum in Canada by the Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA), and Silver
Silver is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag () and atomic number 47. A soft, whitish-gray, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and reflectivity of any metal. ...
by the British Phonographic Industry
BPI (British Recorded Music Industry) Limited, trading as British Phonographic Industry (BPI), is the British recorded music industry's trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards; is home to the Mercury Prize; co-owns the Official Charts C ...
(BPI) in the UK. As of September 2016, ''Bleed American has sold over 1.6 million copies in the US.
"The Middle" reached number five on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100. It also charted at number one on Alternative Songs
Alternative Airplay (formerly known as Modern Rock Tracks between 1988 and 2009, and Alternative Songs between 2009 and 2020) is a music chart published in the American magazine ''Billboard'' since September 10, 1988. It ranks the 40 most-play ...
, number two on Adult Pop Songs, number four on Pop Songs, number five on Radio Songs, number 39 on Mainstream Rock Songs and number 44 on Rock Digital Songs. Outside the US, it charted at number 26 on the UK singles chart, where it was certified double platinum,[ number 28 in New Zealand, number 29 in Scotland, number 49 in Australia, number 92 in the Netherlands, and number 98 in France.
"Bleed American" peaked at number 16 on Alternative Songs.][ It also charted at number 59 in Scotland and number 60 in the UK.] "Sweetness" peaked at number 75 on the ''Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' Hot 100, number two on Alternative Songs,[ number 40 on Adult Pop Songs,][ and number 74 on Radio Songs.][ Outside the US, it charted at number 31 in Scotland and number 38 in the UK.][ "A Praise Chorus" peaked at number 16 Alternative Songs.][ "Hear You Me" was certified silver in the UK in 2024.
]
Accolades and legacy
Greenwald said ''Bleed American'' being certified platinum was one factor in emo reaching mainstream media attention in mid-2002, alongside Vagrant Records
Vagrant Records is an American record label based in California. It was founded in 1995 by Rich Egan and Jon Cohen. The label focuses on rock music, rock, but features artists in a variety of other genres including folk music, folk, soul music, so ...
having significant sales figures on its releases and Dashboard Confessional appearing on ''MTV Unplugged
''MTV Unplugged'' is an American television series on MTV. It showcases recorded live performances of popular music artists playing acoustic instrument, acoustic or "unplugged" variations of songs. The show aired regularly from 1989 to 1999. F ...
''. In addition, Jimmy Eat World became the first emo act to have significant success at radio and on the charts. Greenwald mentioned that with ''Bleed American'' being their "poppiest, most universal album to date," the band "broke out of the indie/emo ghetto, but by doing so, they also defined its sound 'as' emo for hundreds of thousands of new listeners". My Chemical Romance
My Chemical Romance is an American Rock music, rock band from New Jersey. The band's current lineup consists of lead vocalist Gerard Way, lead guitarist Ray Toro, rhythm guitarist Frank Iero, and bassist Mikey Way. They are considered one of ...
worked with Trombino for a test session for ''Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge
''Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge'' (often shortened to ''Three Cheers'' or ''Revenge'') is the second studio album by American Rock music, rock band My Chemical Romance, released on June 8, 2004, by Reprise Records. With this album, the band prod ...
'' (2004) as the members loved ''Bleed American''. Five of the album's songs were covered by Australian acts for the tribute album ''Sing It Back: A Tribute to Jimmy Eat World'' (2015).
'' Q'' listed ''Bleed American'' as one of the best 50 albums of 2001, while ''Consequence of Sound'' ranked it at number nine on their list of the top 10 albums of the year, and '' CMJ New Music Report'' included it on their unnumbered list. The album was included in ''Rock Sound
''Rock Sound'' is a British magazine that covers rock music. The magazine aims at being more " underground" and less commercial, while also giving coverage to better-known acts. It generally focuses on pop punk, post-hardcore, metalcore, punk, ...
''s 101 Modern Classics list at number 48. In 2013, it was ranked at number 429 on ''NME''s The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
"The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" is a recurring opinion survey and music ranking of the finest albums in history, compiled by the American magazine ''Rolling Stone''. It is based on weighted votes from selected musicians, critics, and indu ...
list. The publication also listed the album as one of "20 Pop Punk Albums Which Will Make You Nostalgic", as well as one of "20 Emo Albums That Have Resolutely Stood The Test Of Time". The album was ranked at number 183 on '' Spin''s "The 300 Best Albums of the Past 30 Years (1985–2014)" list. In 2017, ''Rolling Stone'' ranked it at number 25 on their list of the 50 Greatest Pop-Punk Albums. "Sweetness" appeared on a best-of emo songs list by ''Vulture
A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to Nort ...
''. "A Praise Chorus", "Bleed American", "The Middle" and "Sweetness" were ranked at numbers 85, 12, 9 and 3, respectively, on ''Alternative Press Alternative press may refer to:
Individual publications
* ''Alternative Press'' (magazine), an American music magazine
Alternative journalism
* Alternative media
** Alternative media (U.S. political left)
** Alternative media (U.S. political r ...
'' list of the best 100 singles from the 2000s. ''Loudwire
''Loudwire'' is an American online media magazine that covers news of hard rock and heavy metal artists. It is owned by media and entertainment business Townsquare Media. Since its launch in August 2011, ''Loudwire'' has secured exclusive i ...
'' included "Hear You Me" in their list of the 12 Best Emo Power Ballads.
Track listing
All songs written by Jimmy Eat World
Jimmy Eat World is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Mesa, Arizona, in 1993. The band is composed of lead vocalist and lead guitarist Jim Adkins, rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist Tom Linton, bassist Rick Burch, and drummer Zach ...
, except "A Praise Chorus", which contains lyrics from various songs.[
Bonus tracks
]
Personnel
Personnel per 2008 reissue booklet.
Jimmy Eat World
* Jim Adkins – lead vocals, guitar; percussion (all except 8); bass guitar (track 4); piano
A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are depressed, activating an Action (music), action mechanism where hammers strike String (music), strings. Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, tuned to a c ...
(tracks 6 and 11); organ (tracks 9 and 11), bells (track 11)
* Rick Burch – bass guitar (all except 4); backing vocals (track 7)
* Zach Lind – drums; percussion (tracks 4 and 11)
* Tom Linton – guitar (all except 3); backing vocals (track 1); organ (track 6)
Additional musicians
* Davey von Bohlen – additional vocals (track 2)
* Mark Trombino – synth
A synthesizer (also synthesiser or synth) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis a ...
emulator programming (track 3); percussion (track 4); programming (tracks 8 and 11); "magic box" (track 9)
* Travis Keller, Doug Messenger – "timely handclaps" (track 10)
* Rachel Haden – additional vocals (tracks 6, 7, 9 and 11); uncredited back-up vocals (track 10)[
* Ariel Rechtshaid – additional vocals (track 7)
Production
* Mark Trombino – producer, ]engineer
Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who Invention, invent, design, build, maintain and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials. They aim to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while ...
, mixing
* Jimmy Eat World
Jimmy Eat World is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Mesa, Arizona, in 1993. The band is composed of lead vocalist and lead guitarist Jim Adkins, rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist Tom Linton, bassist Rick Burch, and drummer Zach ...
– producer
* Justin Smith – assistant engineer
* William Eggleston – front cover photograph
* Christopher Wray-McCann – photography
Photography is the visual arts, art, application, and practice of creating images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. It is empl ...
* Jim Adkins – art direction
* Jeff Kleinsmith – art direction, design
A design is the concept or proposal for an object, process, or system. The word ''design'' refers to something that is or has been intentionally created by a thinking agent, and is sometimes used to refer to the inherent nature of something ...
* Jesse LeDoux – design
Deluxe edition production
* Dana G. Smart – supervisor
A supervisor, or lead, (also known as foreman, boss, overseer, facilitator, monitor, area coordinator, line-manager or sometimes gaffer) is the job title of a lower-level management position and role that is primarily based on authority over la ...
* Jimmy Eat World, Dana Smart, Luke Wood
Luke Wood is an American music executive and musician, known as being the president of both Beats Electronics from 2012 to 2020 and DGC Records from 2007 to 2010. He was also a guitarist for the 1990s alt-rock bands Sammy and Girls Against Bo ...
– compilers
* Pat Lawrence – executive producer
* Ted Jensen
Ted Jensen (born September 19, 1954) is an American mastering engineer, known for having mastered many recordings, including the Eagles' '' Hotel California'', Green Day's '' American Idiot'' and Norah Jones' ''Come Away with Me''.
Early life ...
– mastering
* Vartan – art direction
* Coco Shinomiya – design
* Ryan Null – photo coordination
* Monique McGuffin Newman – production manager
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
See also
* List of entertainment affected by the September 11 attacks
Notes
References
Citations
Sources
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
External links
''Bleed American''
(deluxe edition) at YouTube
YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
(streamed copy where licensed)
{{Authority control
2001 albums
Jimmy Eat World albums
DreamWorks Records albums
Albums produced by Mark Trombino