Maps of Music

Three Dollar Bill, Y'all (1997)

Where the lyrics of Three Dollar Bill, Y'all take you, and where it was really made.

The title was built to repel listeners: the band took part of the phrase 'queer as a three dollar bill' and added a Florida-slang possessive ending on purpose.

Key places

Where the debut was recorded (1997)

Recording site Bob Dylan's garage studio (Malibu) — The debut album was recorded at Indigo Ranch. The point is set at city level for Malibu, not at the studio building itself. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Debut studio album by American nu metal band Limp Bizkit
• Stylized as Three Dollar Bill, Yall$
• Released 1 July 1997 through Flip and Interscope Records
• Produced by Ross Robinson
• Established the band's trademark sound
• Singles: 'Counterfeit', influenced by hip hop and heavy metal, and a cover of George Michael's 'Faith' (1987)

Background

• Wes Borland left before a successful opening slot for Korn at the Dragonfly in Hollywood, due to a disagreement with Fred Durst
• Limp Bizkit then signed with Mojo, a subsidiary of MCA Records
• Van crash while driving through Texas on the way to California to record the first album
• The crash prompted Durst to phone Borland and set their differences aside
• After a dispute with Mojo, the band signed with Flip, a subsidiary of Interscope Records
• Korn bassist Reginald 'Fieldy' Arvizu persuaded Ross Robinson to hear the demo
• Demo songs: 'Pollution', 'Counterfeit' and 'Stalemate'
• Robinson listened to the tape only after his girlfriend praised it

Recording

• Recorded at Indigo Ranch
• Robinson aimed for an intentionally abrasive, angry sound, which the band felt would attract a fanbase
• Early version of 'I'm Broke' recorded, later reworked for the 1999 album Significant Other
• Recording showcased the addition of DJ Lethal and Borland's guitar playing without a pick
• Final track 'Everything' is a recorded improvisation and the longest song on the album, over sixteen minutes

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Limp Bizkit is an American nu metal band from Jacksonville, Florida.
• Formed in 1994 by Fred Durst and Sam Rivers; John Otto joined soon after and Wes Borland later.
• The band developed a cult following in Jacksonville's underground scene, notably at the Milk Bar.
• Korn added the band to tours, exposing it to a wider audience; DJ Lethal joined as turntablist.

Members

• Current lineup: lead vocalist Fred Durst, drummer John Otto, guitarist Wes Borland, and turntablist DJ Lethal.
• Founding bassist Sam Rivers died on October 18, 2025.

Career

• Debut album Three Dollar Bill, Y'all (1997) was released on Flip Records with Interscope distribution.
• Significant Other (1999) and Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water (2000) brought mainstream success; the latter set a first-week sales record for a rock album.
• The band was marred by controversy at Woodstock '99 and the 2001 Big Day Out festival.
• Borland left in 2001 and rejoined in 2004; Gold Cobra (2011) followed the 2009 reunion.
• Still Sucks (2021) was released on October 31, 2021.
• The band has nominated for three Grammy Awards and sold 40 million records worldwide.

Reception

At release

• The Gavin Report (June 1997) said Limp Bizkit had created a sound that would be incorporated into hard rock, and called it grindhop
• AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine, in a retrospective review, wrote that the band might not have many original ideas but does the sound well
• AllMusic praised the powerful rhythm section and memorable hooks, which made up for uneven songwriting
• The Essential Rock Discography (Martin Charles Strong) gave the album 7 out of 10
• Robert Christgau gave the album a negative review
• Borland said in an interview that George Michael hated the cover of 'Faith'; Durst said he heard Michael loved the song

Reappraisal

• Metal Hammer named the album one of the 20 best metal albums of 1997 in 2020
• Metal Hammer also included it on its 2022 list of 10 essential rap metal albums
• Dave Mustaine of Megadeth praised Borland's guitar work and the musicianship despite his dislike of nu metal
• Revolver included the album in its 2021 list of 20 essential nu-metal albums

Records

• Went platinum in the United States in March 1999
• Went double platinum in July 2001
• Sold 1.8 million copies in the United States as of October 1999, according to Nielsen SoundScan
• Sales were only 170,000 in early 1998; most later sales came from touring

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• Ross Robinson listened to the band's demo only after his girlfriend praised it.
• Limp Bizkit opened for Faith No More on the American leg of the Album of the Year Tour, the group's final tour before its break-up the following year.
• A cover of 'Faith' was a live favorite, but Robinson opposed recording it and tried to persuade the band not to play it on the album.
• Interscope paid to guarantee a Portland, Oregon radio station would play 'Counterfeit' 50 times, and the paid air time drew media criticism as payola.
• The album's lyrics drew misogyny criticism, and Durst said the controversy came from the words 'whore' and 'bitch' in the songs.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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