Same as It Ever Was explained

Same as It Ever Was
Type:	studio
Artist:	House of Pain
Cover:	Houseofpainsameasiteverwas.jpg
Released:	June 28, 1994
Recorded:	September 1992 – August 1993
Studio:	Image Recording Studios (Hollywood, California)
Genre:	Hardcore hip hop
Length:	49:22
Prev Title:	House of Pain
Prev Year:	1992
Next Title:	Truth Crushed to Earth Shall Rise Again
Next Year:	1996

Same as It Ever Was is the second album by American hip hop group House of Pain. It was released in 1994 and peaked at number 12 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and Billboard 200.^[1] To record the album, the group had to work around Everlast's house arrest for a gun charge.^[2] The clean version of the second song from the album, "I'm a Swing It", was featured in the 2001 skateboarding video game Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3.

Reception

Same as It Ever Was did not reach the same commercial heights as the group's previous album; however, Same as It Ever Was peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard 200 chart (their highest position to date) and also reached gold status by Recording Industry Association of America.^[3]

AllMusic gave it four out five stars. Matt Carlson of The Michigan Daily found the album quite good and noted "the music is laid back with some heavy driving forces underlying and strengthening it".^[4] Andrew Love of The Ocala Star-Banner gave it four stars saying "this is a band that has definitely progressed over the course of one album". J.D. Constantine of The Baltimore Sun did not like the album and found it monotonous and unimaginative.^[5] Roger Catlin of the Hartford Courant said that while finding the continuity monotonous it's "hard and compelling" as well as a "strong outing".^[6] Music critic Robert Christgau gave the album an A− and described it as "the hardest hip hop of the year."

Personnel

• Eric Francis Schrody – vocals (tracks 1–2, 4–8, 10–15), mixing (tracks 12, 14)
• Daniel O’Connor – vocals (tracks 2, 4, 10, 14–15), art direction
• Leor Dimant – vocals (tracks 4, 15), production (tracks 2–4, 9, 11–15), mixing (tracks 3, 9, 12, 14, 15)
• Lawrence Muggerud – executive production, production (tracks 1, 5–6, 8, 10-11), mixing (tracks 1–2, 4–6, 8, 10-11, 13, 15)
• Joseph Kirkland – vocals, production and mixing (track 7)
• Nick Vidal – production (track 1)
• Eric Vidal – production (track 1)
• Tom Coyne – mastering
• Jason Roberts – engineering
• Erwin Gorostiza – art direction
• Butch Belair – photography
• Ron Jaramillo – design
• Kenton Parker – logo design

Charts

Chart (1994)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA Charts)^[7]	97
U.S. Billboard 200^[8]	12
U.S. Billboard Top Current Albums^[9]	12
U.S. Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums^[10]	12
U.S. Billboard Top Album Sales^[11]	12
U.S. Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Album Sales^[12]	12

Notes and References

1. House of Pain - Chart history Billboard. Billboard. March 21, 2017.
2. News: Latest release is full-blown Pain. August 8, 1994. Ocala Star-Banner. Love. Andrew. March 21, 2017.
3. News: Gold & Platinum - RIAA. RIAA. March 21, 2017.
4. News: Ted Watts review. 8 September 1994. The Michigan Daily. Watts. Ted. March 21, 2017.
5. News: Considine . J.D. . July 8, 1994 . House of Pain the 'Same,' over and over . Maryland Live 5 . The Baltimore Sun.
6. News: Catlin . Roger . July 14, 1994 . Same as It Ever Was . Entertainment Guide 4 - 5 . Hartford Courant.
7. 132.
8. Web site: House of Pain Chart History | Billboard . https://web.archive.org/web/20191028052550/https://www.billboard.com/music/house-of-pain/chart-history/TLP. dead. October 28, 2019. Billboard. 2019-10-07.
9. Web site: House of Pain Chart History | Billboard . https://web.archive.org/web/20191028052527/https://www.billboard.com/music/house-of-pain/chart-history/TCL. dead. October 28, 2019. Billboard. 2019-10-07.
10. Web site: House of Pain Chart History | Billboard . https://web.archive.org/web/20191028052556/https://www.billboard.com/music/house-of-pain/chart-history/BLP. dead. October 28, 2019. Billboard. 2019-10-07.
11. Web site: House of Pain Chart History | Billboard . https://web.archive.org/web/20191028054046/https://www.billboard.com/music/house-of-pain/chart-history/TSL. dead. October 28, 2019. Billboard. 2019-10-07.
12. Web site: House of Pain Chart History | Billboard . https://web.archive.org/web/20191028052629/https://www.billboard.com/music/house-of-pain/chart-history/BLS. dead. October 28, 2019. Billboard. 2019-10-07.