More Human than Human

"More Human than Human"
Single by White Zombie
from the album Astro-Creep: 2000
B-side "More Human than Human (The Jeddak of the Tharks Super Mix)",
"Blood, Milk and Sky"
Released 1995
Format CD single,
Vinyl
Recorded 1994 at NRG Studios, Los Angeles
Genre
Length 4:28
Label Geffen
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Terry Date
White Zombie singles chronology
"Black Sunshine"
(1993)		 "More Human than Human"
(1995)		 "Electric Head Pt. 2 (The Ecstasy)"
(1995)

"Black Sunshine"
(1993)		 "More Human than Human"
(1995)		 "Electric Head Pt. 2 (The Ecstasy)"
(1995)
Astro-Creep: 2000 track listing
  1. "Electric Head Pt. 1 (The Agony)"
  2. "Super-Charger Heaven"
  3. "Real Solution #9"
  4. "Creature of the Wheel"
  5. "Electric Head Pt. 2 (The Ecstasy)"
  6. "Grease Paint and Monkey Brains"
  7. "I, Zombie"
  8. "More Human than Human"
  9. "El Phantasmo and the Chicken-Run Blast-O-Rama"
  10. "Blur the Technicolor"
  11. "Blood, Milk and Sky"

"More Human than Human" is the first official single from the Astro-Creep: 2000 album by metal band White Zombie. The song can also be found on Rob Zombie's Past, Present & Future, the greatest hits album The Best of Rob Zombie, and a remix is included on Supersexy Swingin' Sounds.

Music and lyrics

The title and lyrics reference the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick, adapted in film as Blade Runner. The title was the slogan of the Tyrell Corporation, manufacturers of the very humaniform biological androids, or "replicants" that are the focal point of the story.[4] "I want more life, fucker" (quoted in the lyrics) is one of the last things his creator hears when the replicant designed to be the perfect – and disposable – soldier (Rutger Hauer) finds him and is denied a reprieve from the programmed 4 year life span.

The moaning in the intro to the song was sampled from a post-apocalyptic porn movie called Café Flesh directed by Stephen Sayadian.[5]

The song is also notable for featuring slide guitar.

Reception

"More Human than Human" quickly became the band's highest-charting and most recognizable single in the entirety of their career. The song earned them their second Grammy nomination for Best Metal Performance in 1995. The song was named the 68th best hard rock song of all time by VH1.[6]

The song was listed as number 4 on PopMatters' "The 10 Best Alternative Metal Singles of the 1990s" list.[2]

Music video

The music video of "More Human than Human," the first video made for Astro-Creep: 2000, features White Zombie playing the track in a room and short clips of old home video footage of Rob, his brother, Michael Cummings (better known as Spider One of the band Powerman 5000), and a cousin at a young age. Part of the video was also shot in the halls of Framingham High School, Framingham, Massachusetts as well as on the streets of Hollywood Boulevard.[7] It was the first video that had been completely directed by Rob alone. In 1995, he won the MTV Video Music Award for Hard Rock Video for this music video. At the time, it was Rob's favorite White Zombie music video.[8]

Cover versions

A notable cover of the song is the Richard Cheese jazz version on his Tuxicity album released in 2002. An electronica band called Razed in Black covered the song featuring Thomas Thorn as a guest performer for the compilation album Signal to Noise: Reinforced Industrial Hits in 2001. Also, Metallica performed a live doodle of "More Human than Human" at Donington Park a few months after the release of Astro-Creep: 2000. The song was recorded by Shockwerks for the White Zombie tribute album Super-Charger Hell in 2000 and then again by Transient for The Electro-Industrial Tribute to Rob Zombie in 2002.

The song was remixed in 2004 by The X-Ecutioners on their album Revolutions, and was titled "(Even) More Human than Human."

The 2018 show Altered Carbon (episode 06 season 01) features a cover of the song.

Appearances

Track listings

First single

  1. "More Human than Human (LP Version)" – 4:28
  2. "More Human than Human (The Jeddak of the Tharks Super-Mix)" – 4:17
  3. "Blood, Milk and Sky (Kerokerokeroppi and the Smooth Operator Mix)" – 4:20

Second single

  1. "More Human than Human" (LP Version) 4 :28
  2. "More Human than Human" (The Jeddak Of The Tharks Super-Mix) – 4:17
  3. "Blood, Milk and Sky (Kerokerokeroppi and the Smooth Operator Mix)" – 4:20

Third single

  1. "More Human than Human (Clean Edit)" – 3:59
  2. "More Human than Human (LP Version)" – 4:29

Fourth single

  1. "More Human than Human (LP Version)" – 4:29

Charts

Chart (1995) Peak
Peak
Australian Singles Chart[11] 37
Canadian RPM Alternative 30[12] 1
UK Singles Chart[13] 51
Radio Songs[14] 53
Alternative Songs[15] 7
Mainstream Rock Songs[16] 10

See also

References

  1. ↑ https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/white-zombie-revive-early-noise-rock-material-for-massive-box-set-20160217
  2. 1 2 Ramirez, AJ (August 3, 2011). "The 10 Best Alternative Metal Singles of the 1990s". PopMatters. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
  3. ↑ Brackett, Nathan and Christian David Hoard (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon and Schuster. p. 871. ISBN 0743201698.
  4. ↑ "White Zombie - More Human Than Human • VideoSift: Online Video *Quality Control". Videosift.com. Retrieved 2012-09-29.
  5. ↑ "Café Flesh" (1982), Timestamp 44:11 - 44:24
  6. ↑ "spreadit.org music". Retrieved February 5, 2009.
  7. ↑ RockNet Interviews Rob Zombie, cited September 25, 2009
  8. ↑ Miller, Gerri. "White Zombie Live & Backstage". Metal Edge Magazine. March, 1996. cited October 30, 2008
  9. ↑ "THDJ Soundtrack Listing". GameSpy. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved January 13, 2013.
  10. ↑ "Arcade Heroes – REVIEW: Dirty Drivin' by Specular Interactive/Raw Thrills". Arcadeheroes.com. Retrieved 2012-09-29.
  11. ↑ australian-charts.com, charts for White Zombie
  12. ↑ "Rock/Alternative – Volume 61, No. 19, June 11, 1995". RPM. Retrieved July 5, 2011.
  13. ↑ everyhit.co.uk, an archive containing all UK top 40 charts
  14. ↑ "White Zombie Chart History (Radio Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 11, 2018.
  15. ↑ "White Zombie Chart History (Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 11, 2018.
  16. ↑ "White Zombie Chart History (Mainstream Rock Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 11, 2018.
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