| Project 1950 | |
| Type: | cover |
| Artist: | the Misfits |
| Cover: | Misfits - Project 1950 cover.jpg |
| Released: | July 29, 2003 |
| Genre: | Punk rock |
| Length: | 24:20 |
| Label: | Misfits Records |
| Producer: | Jesse Cannon, Anthony Esposito, Tim Hatfield |
| Prev Title: | Famous Monsters |
| Prev Year: | 1999 |
| Next Title: | Psycho in the Wax Museum |
| Next Year: | 2006 |
Project 1950 is the sixth studio album by the American horror punk band the Misfits, released in 2003. It consists of cover versions of rock and roll songs from the 1950s and 60's and marks bassist Jerry Only's debut as the Misfits' lead singer. Except for Only, no members of the band from their previous album returned for Project 1950.
The album cover artwork was done by Pennsylvania artist Tony Squindo. The liner notes include explanations from the band members about why they chose each particular song.[1]
Receiving generally positive critical reviews from publications such as Allmusic, the album became a commercial success and hit the 2 slot on Billboard's 'Top Heatseekers' chart as well as No.5 on its 'Top Independent Albums' chart.
Ronnie Spector guest starred as a backing vocalist on two tracks. Other members of the band at that point had also previously been associated with famous groups, with a lineup including punk rockers Marky Ramone of the Ramones and Dez Cadena of Black Flag. Marky said in 2011 he was compelled to join out of pity for Jerry as he had recently bought the rights to the band name but only to have the original members walk off on him.[2]
In October 2014, the band released an expanded edition of the album, adding three new tracks with current drummer Eric "Chupacabra" Arce performing on the new tracks. A limited picture disc LP of the expanded album was also released with new artwork by Tom Whalen[3]
The album received positive reviews. AllMusic ran a supportive review by critic Johnny Loftus, who stated that "it's good to hear their excitement in the recordings, which crackle with enthusiasm" and called the album "really enjoyable in a nostalgia sort of way". Reviewing the Expanded Edition of the album Ken Pierce, of Piercing Metal stated "Overall the tunes retain a large part of their original sound but with there being renditions by The Misfits they are faster and quicker to finish when it all comes down to it." rating the album 4 out of 5.[4]
Bonus material