View source for Circa: Now!

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox album|
| name       = Circa: Now!
| type       = Album
| artist     = [[Rocket from the Crypt]]
| cover      = Rocket from the Crypt - Circa Now! cover.jpg
| alt        =
| released   = November 1992
| recorded   = 1992
| venue      =
| studio     =
| genre      = * [[Punk rock]]<ref name="boston"/><ref name="allmusic"/><ref name="pitchfork"/>
* [[rock and roll]]<ref name="allmusic"/>
| length     = original: 38:51<br/>2004 re-release: 48:01
| label      = original: [[Cargo Music|Cargo]]/[[Headhunter Records|Headhunter]]<br/>1993 re-release: [[Interscope Records|Interscope]]<br/>2004 re-release: [[Swami Records|Swami]]
| producer   = [[John Reis]]
| prev_title = [[Paint as a Fragrance]]
| prev_year  = 1991
| next_title = [[All Systems Go (Rocket from the Crypt album)|All Systems Go]]
| next_year  = 1993
}}
{{Music ratings
|rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
|rev1score = {{rating|4.5|5}}<ref name="allmusic">{{cite web |first=Tim |last=Sendra |url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r58553|pure_url=yes}}|title=Circa: Now! |publisher=AllMusic |accessdate=March 16, 2013}}</ref>
|rev2 = ''[[The Boston Phoenix]]''
|rev2score = {{rating|2.5|4}}<ref name="boston">''[[The Boston Phoenix]]'' August 1993 issue, page 38</ref>
|rev3 = ''[[Circus (magazine)|Circus]]''
|rev3score = {{rating|1.5|5}}<ref>''[[Circus (magazine)|Circus]]'' September 1993 issue, page 85</ref>
|rev4 = ''[[The Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]''
|rev4score = {{rating|3|5}}<ref>{{cite book |title=[[The Encyclopedia of Popular Music]] |last=Larkin |first=Colin |author-link=Colin Larkin (writer) |publisher=[[Omnibus Press]] |edition=5th concise |year=2011 |isbn=978-0-85712-595-8}}</ref>
|rev5 = ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]''
|rev5Score = {{rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite journal |last=columnist |title=Circa: Now! |journal=[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]] |page=111 }}</ref>
|rev6 = ''[[MusicHound|MusicHound Rock]]''
|rev6score = {{rating|4|5}}<ref name="MH">{{cite book |title=MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide |date=1996 |publisher=Visible Ink Press |page=572}}</ref>
|rev7 = ''[[Pitchfork Media]]''
|rev7score = 6.8/10<ref name="pitchfork">{{cite web |first=Brian |last=Howe |url=http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/6813-circa-now-4/ |title=Rocket from the Crypt: Circa: Now! +4 |publisher=Pitchfork Media |date=July 22, 2004 |accessdate=March 16, 2013}}</ref>
|rev8 = ''[[Rock Hard (magazine)|Rock Hard]]''
|rev8score = 4.0/10<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rockhard.de/reviews/rocket-from-the-crypt-circa-now_245637.html|title=Circa: Now!}}</ref>
|rev9 = ''[[Select (magazine)|Select]]''
|rev9Score = {{rating|5|5|full=U+25A0.svg|empty=U+25A1.svg|rating=medal}}<ref>{{cite journal|title=Rocket From The Crypt: ''Circa: Now!''|journal=[[Select (magazine)|Select]]|date=March 1993|last=Perry|first=Andrew|page=72}}</ref>
|rev10 =''[[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut]]''
|rev10Score = {{rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite journal |last=columnist |title=Circa: Now! |journal=[[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut]] |page=132 }}</ref>
}}

'''''Circa: Now!''''' is the second album by American [[punk rock]] band [[Rocket from the Crypt]], released in 1992 by [[Cargo Music]] and [[Headhunter Records]]. It was the band's first album to include drummer [[Adam Willard|Atom]] and [[saxophone]] player [[Paul O'Beirne|Apollo 9]]. Intense touring following the album's release gained the band acclaim in underground music circles, scoring them the first of many "minor hits" with the song "Hippy Dippy Do." The band also filmed [[music video]]s for the songs "Ditchdigger" and "Sturdy Wrist."

The underground success of ''Circa: Now!'' brought the band to the attention of major record labels, resulting in numerous offers for recording contracts. In 1993 the band signed to [[Interscope Records]], who bought the rights to ''Circa: Now!'' from Cargo/Headhunter and re-released it on a larger scale. Rocket from the Crypt would remain with Interscope until 1999, after which singer/guitarist [[John Reis]] started his own record label, [[Swami Records]]. Swami released a remastered version of the album in 2004 as ''Circa: Now! +4'', including 4 additional songs recorded in 1993 which had originally been intended for inclusion on the Interscope re-release.

==Recording the album==
The 2004 Swami re-release includes extensive liner notes written by Reis detailing the band's experience recording the album. According to these notes the band was recording in [[Westbeach Recorders]] during the outbreak of the [[1992 Los Angeles riots|Los Angeles riots]] on April 29, 1992, and as a result the band were ordered by law enforcement officials to remain inside the studio building. Continuing to record, they found that their master tape was defective and they would have to get a new one. The next morning producer Donnell Cameron and saxophone player Apollo 9 left the studio against police orders and returned with a new master tape to continue recording. After spending a total of four days in the studio completing the album the band were informed by police that they could leave the building.

Nine months later the band had signed to Interscope, who were interested in re-releasing the album and requested that the band record additional tracks for it. Recording in San Diego the band decided to use the spare tape at the end of the ''Circa: Now!'' reels, forgetting that it was defective. As they began mixing, chunks of tape broke off and most of the drum tracks were lost. Interscope went ahead with the re-release of the album without the bonus tracks, and the damaged tape remained in the vaults of [[Universal Records]] for the next 11 years. In 2004 the band revisited these tapes in order to include the bonus songs on the Swami Records re-release of the album. Then-drummer Ruby Mars assisted in repairing the damaged reels and re-creating the lost drum parts on the bonus tracks which had originally been recorded by Atom.<ref name="cdnotes">{{cite AV media notes |title=Circa: Now! +4 |title-link=Circa: Now! |others=Rocket from the Crypt |year=2004 |type=booklet |publisher=[[Swami Records]] |location=San Diego, California}}</ref>

==Track listing==
{{Track listing
| all_writing     = [[Rocket from the Crypt]]
| title1          = Short Lip Fuser
| length1         = 4:38
| title2          = Hippy Dippy Do
| length2         = 2:43
| title3          = Ditch Digger
| length3         = 4:49
| title4          = Don't Darlene
| length4         = 1:40
| title5          = Killy Kill
| length5         = 2:43
| title6          = Hairball Alley
| length6         = 4:11
| title7          = Sturdy Wrists
| length7         = 2:08
| title8          = March of Dimes
| length8         = 2:32
| title9          = Little Arm
| length9         = 2:34
| title10          = Dollar
| length10         = 2:34
| title11          = Glazed
| length11         = 8:22
}}
{{Track listing
| headline        = 2004 CD re-issue
| title12          = Lamps for Sale
| length12         = 2:25
| title13          = Crazy Talk
| length13         = 1:22
| title14          = Flight of the Hobo
| length14         = 3:27
| title15          = Over the Rail
| length15         = 1:54
}}

==Personnel==
*Speedo ([[John Reis]]) - [[guitar]], lead vocals
*ND ([[Andy Stamets]]) - guitar, backing vocals
*Petey X ([[Pete Reichert]]) - [[bass guitar|bass]], backing vocals
*Apollo 9 ([[Paul O'Beirne]]) - [[saxophone]], [[Percussion instrument|percussion]], backing vocals
*Atom ([[Adam Willard]]) - [[drum kit|drums]]

===Additional musicians===
*Ruby Mars ([[Mario Rubalcaba]]) - re-creation of drum tracks on tracks 12-15
*Tom Geck, [[Jon Bunch]], and Gar Wood - additional backing vocals

==Album information==
*Record label:
**original release: [[Cargo Music]]/[[Headhunter Records]]
**1993 re-release: [[Interscope Records]]
**2004 re-release with bonus tracks: [[Swami Records]]
*Recorded at [[Westbeach Recorders]] in [[Los Angeles]]
*Produced by John Reis with assistance by Joe Peccerelli
*Engineered by Donnell Cameron
*Photography by  Jonny Donhowe
*Layout by Mark Gariss
*2004 re-release remastered by Dave Gardner at Magneto Mastering

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{Discogs master |master=58798 |name=Circa: Now!}}

{{Rocket from the Crypt}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1992 albums]]
[[Category:1993 albums]]
[[Category:2004 albums]]
[[Category:Rocket from the Crypt albums]]