WYSIWYG | ||||
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Released | 4 April 2000 | |||
Recorded | 1999 | |||
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Length | 47:48 | |||
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Chumbawamba chronology | ||||
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Singles from WYSIWYG | ||||
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WYSIWYG (an abbreviation of What You See Is What You Get) is the ninth studio album by English rock band Chumbawamba, released on 4 April 2000 by EMI. The album was written and produced by Chumbawamba (excluding a cover of the Bee Gees' "New York Mining Disaster 1941"), with additional production by Neil Ferguson. Originally a continuation of the sound of predecessor Tubthumper (1997), the group scrapped the material from the album's initial recording sessions and sought to explore new sounds with WYSIWYG. The album incorporates elements of pop, dance-pop, alternative rock, and experimental music. Thematically, the album explores various aspects of pop culture that the group had been exposed to due to the success of their 1997 single "Tubthumping". WYSIWYG was promoted with one single: "She's Got All the Friends That Money Can Buy".
WYSIWYG received polarized reviews from music critics. Some music critics praised the album's catchy hooks and references to pop culture, while others criticized the album for being dull and lacking cohesion. The album was met with some controversy due to the song "Passenger List for Doomed Flight #1721", a B-side to "She's Got All the Friends That Money Can Buy" and bonus track on the album, in which the group names off prominent public figures that they wish would disappear on an astray flight. In a stark contrast to Tubthumper, the album failed to attain any notable commercial success, failing to chart on any major music charts. Following the commercial failure of WYSIWYG, Chumbawamba parted ways with EMI in 2001.