That Total Age Explained

That Total Age
Type:	Album
Artist:	Nitzer Ebb
Cover:	NETTA.jpg
Recorded:	1986–1987
Genre:	Industrial, EBM
Length:	48:15
Label:	Mute (UK) STUMM 45 Geffen/Warber Bros. (U.S.) GHS 24155
Producer:	Phil Harding
Prev Title:	Warsaw Ghetto/So Bright So Strong
Prev Year:	1985
Next Title:	Belief
Next Year:	1989

That Total Age is the debut album by the British musical group Nitzer Ebb.^[1] ^[2] After its release, it spawned the hit single "Join in the Chant," which hit No. 9 on the US dance chart in 1987. For unknown reasons, the song "Warsaw Ghetto" was omitted from the original CD versions. The 2018 remastered CD corrects this and adds additional remixes.

The symbols on the cover of the album stand for "Force is Machine", "Visions of Order", and "Muscle and Hate". Two of these phrases can be heard repeated in the song "Join in the Chant".

Critical reception

In 2003, Spin included the album on its list of "Essential Industrial".^[3]

Track listing

LP: Mute Stumm 45 (UK)|Geffen/Warner Bros. 24155

"Fitness to Purpose" – 5:00
"Warsaw Ghetto" – 3:47
"Violent Playground" – 3:46
"Murderous" – 5:40
"Smear Body" – 5:40
"Join in the Chant" – 6:05
"Alarm" – 3:41
"Let Your Body Learn" – 2:48
"Let Beauty Loose" – 2:24
"Into the Large Air" – 4:13

also released on 2xLP (L STUMM 45)

CD: Mute Stumm 45 (UK)|Geffen/Warner Bros. 24155

"Fitness to Purpose" – 5:03
"Violent Playground" – 3:49
"Murderous" – 5:43
"Smear Body" – 5:49
"Join in the Chant" – 6:05
"Alarm" – 3:41
"Let Your Body Learn" – 2:48
"Let Beauty Loose" – 2:24
"Into the Large Air" – 4:13
"Join in the Chant" (Metal Mix) – 5:16
"Fitness to Purpose" (Mix Two) – 4:56
"Murderous" (Instrumental) – 5:04

Notes and References

Comer . M. Tye . Reviews . CMJ New Music Report . 13 December 1999 . 60 . 646 . 23.
Book: Bloomsbury Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World . 2017 . Bloomsbury Academic . 412 . 11 . Industrial Music.
Chow . Alexander . Essential Industrial . Spin . October 2003 . 19 . 10 . 60.