Customer Reviews
It's OK but nothing more. Also doesn't compare to their last release, FutCT.
But like a lot of their songs it totally grew on me. Thriller ---> 3/5
The Take Over, The Breaks Over ---> 3/5
This Ain't A Scene, It's a An Arms Race ---> 4/5 I hated this one at first. ^_^
I'm Like a Lawyer W/ the Way I'm Always Trying to Get You Off (Me & You) ---> 2/5 The worst song on the album. Not to mention one of their worst songs EVER. And can ANYONE tell me why the name is so ridiculously long???!! I don't even think it'd fit on the back of the CD!!
Hum Hallelujah ---> 3/5
Golden ---> This song's a keeper! 4/5
Thnks Fr Th Mmrs ---> 4/5 Pleasant Pop-Rock release. I still want the video on my mp3 player. ^_^;
Don't You Know Who I Think I Am? ---> 3/5 OK, I suppose.
The After Life of the Party ---> 4/5
The Carpal Tunnel of Love ---> 3/5
Bang the Doldrums ---> 3/5
Fame < Infamy ---> 3/5
You're Crashing, But You're No Wave ---> 3/5 What a silly, silly title. At least it's not unnecessarily long though. >_>b
I've Got All this Ringing in my Ears And None on my fingers ---> 3/5
I don't come across albums that have this many average songs on them too often. And I'm grateful for that. Fall Out Boy was never a solid band in my eyes either (Sorry to all the fans, lol. . . ). Sure They write catchy pop-ROCK (notice I didn't say PUNK -_-b) tunes but Their songwriting is rarely gold. I'd give them a 6. 5/10 which is just under a "solid band" rating IMO.
I would never want to own this. But don't mind saying that I own FutCT From Under the Cork Tree which is a bit better than this disc. It had about 4 standout tracks including: Dance, Dance (Best FOB release EVER!!!!!), No one puts Baby in the Corner, Sugar, We're Going Down and A Little Less Sixteen Candles, a Little More Touch Me.
As well as 2 tracks that should have been left off, IIRC.
I wish them lots of Luck in the future. And I hope that Pete makes Ashlee happy, and Ashlee can make Him happy in return!
Standouts are 2 (of the 3?) singles:
This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race
The After Life Of The Party
Golden
Thks Fr Th Mmrs
3. 230769230769231 = 3. 23
3. 23 stars.
14 More Songs...
. . 14,000 more reasons to love Fall Out Boy. Isn't it refreshing to find an artist that improves consistently with each new album? Starting with Take This To Your Grave, I'd say that FOB wrote great music. However, they somehow added a whole new dimension with From Under the Cork Tree, then again--majorly--with Infinity On High. With this album, there's no more mistaking FOB music for cookie-cutter pop punk. The record title alone--taken from a line in one of Vincent Van Gogh's letters--should give you a good idea of the whole tone of the album. It was this record that introduced me to FOB, and consequently made me want to go back and listen to their older music. Infinity On High is, without exaggeration, the greatest album I've ever heard (my dad thinks it's great too, proving that the sound of this album can appeal to more than just teenagers, where perhaps the earlier albums couldn't). This is not a CD you will quickly grow tired of. I certainly haven't (and trust me, I listen to it a LOT). But more than that. . . there's something that's almost, inexplicably, comforting about FOB music, as most other diehard fans will attest. FOB has somehow become much more to me than any of the other bands whose music I like. And it's due in no small part to this particular album. I will now try (hopefully consisely) to explain why every single song makes this album worth your money. (By the way, I definitely recommend buying the CD here on Amazon or in a record store-- instead of going to iTunes where you may be tempted to download just a few tracks. This is one record that absolutely must be heard all together. And besides, the album artwork is cool. )
OK! Here are the tracks:
1. Thriller--FOB makes a grand, sweeping entrance. Love the drums at the beginning and the chorus that has literally made me cry. This song does an excellent job of explaining to the world what music should really be all about. "Long live the car crash hearts. "
2. "The Take Over, the Break's Over"--One of those multiple-hooks songs. Ryan Ross's guitar solo is brilliant.
3. This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race--How could I ever get tired of Arms Race?
4. I'm Like a Lawyer With the Way I'm Always Trying to Get You Off--A good sing-along. The fun melody sets off the more serious lyrics.
5. Hum Hallelujah--Fall in love with it for its catchiness and clever lyrics, and remember as you're listening that lyricist Pete Wentz has called it perhaps his most ong on the album. The "Hallelujah" adaption, with the drums as a backdrop, is a definite highlight.
6. Golden--Give it up for Patrick's vocals and keyboard in the one slower, softer song of FOB's whole career.
7. Thnks fr th Mmrs--Who can forget the monkey video? The strings in the beginning are an awesome touch. I love how the verses sound minor and somehow "dark," but then it opens up into that big, get-up-and-dance chorus. This song is catchy, with a "crowd-pleaser" feel (even if you're just listening to it alone).
8. Don't You Know Who I Think I Am?--Cool lyrics, cool song. Reminds you vaguely of the older stuff, only fresher.
9. The (After) Life of the Party--For anyone who still doubts that Patrick is a great vocalist. . . wow, this song gives me goosebumps every time.
10. The Carpal Tunnel Of Love--The song that went from being my least favorite on the album to probably my very favorite (guess I didn't like the screamo part at first. . . I came around). The lyrics are exceptionally poetic, even by FOB's standards. You will practically hold your breath all the way through. And at the end, the only thing to say is, "Wow. "
11. Bang the Doldrums--An upbeat, feel-good song that, as someone put it on Pete Wentz's blog, "reminds you of sailing. "
12. Fame < Infamy--Has that hard, driving beat that FOB does so well. Plus, it contains the line: "Signing off, 'I'm alright in bed, but I'm better with a pen. '"
13. You're Crashing, But You're No Wave--Although I love Pete's lyrics on relationships, it's awesome to see FOB succeed so magnificently on a song that has absolutely nothing to do with relationships. This is "Fall Out Boy Speaks Out. " Besides, this song is irresistably catchy.
14. I've Got All This Ringing In My Ears And None On My Fingers--Has a simple but soaring chorus. To me, this song is all about proving that the more basic beats, melodies, and even lyrics can work (in the hands of FOB). And gotta love that weird little voice at the end: "Now press repeat. " .
An Amazingly Successful Experiment
I have to say, this album is a perfect summary of everything I learned. I haven't really followed Fall Out Boy for too long now(about a year), but I have done extensive research.
It's visionary. You won't buy a pop-punk or emo album and expect to find on it what you'll find on this one. You can really see how much of a driving force Stump has been in the band's progress - everything related to him is gigantic leaps better than previous albums. I went searching for interviews involving him in particular before I bought this, as I'd seen the music videos from "Infinity on High" and my curiosity had been piqued. The character he portrays in interviews greatly describes this album; he is unbothered by sticking to labels, he wears baseball caps, loves anywhere from David Bowie to Neurosis to Ne-Yo(and is particularly fond of Prince), has or has had at least a passing interest in Wrestling, owns a civic, has an amazing array of random knowledge as well as an appreciably geeky sense of humor, and is incredibly friendly and cheerful in conversation and constantly has some part of his body moving to the music while on stage. It is clear from everything he is that he only cares about doing what he likes and strives ultimately to learn more and expand his boundaries. It's hard to say whether this is because of family background, or his own hunger to learn and grow (or perhaps even a bit of both), but whatever the case is, all of that comes out in this album. Of course, Patrick Stump isn't the only member of the band, though I apologize as I know a small bit about Wentz and next to nothing about Hurley and Trohman. As is always the case in a pop-anything scene, the focus is almost completely on the lead singer.
Anyway! The album rarely strays from its pop-punk roots, but it adds different tastes and changes things up a bit in each song. There are hints of sultry R&B, metal, hard rock, even a heart-wrenching ballad that sounds as though it came from someone decades older than anyone in the band. Each song is an enjoyable experience and some will be quite the challenge for fans to hope to sing along to; Stump seems to have focused especially on challenging himself, and perceptions of what one can expect in a pop-punk band, with each song.
The lyrics are probably one of the few qualms I have - in general Wentz's love of metaphors and required reading between the lines is as ever refreshing, but the lyrics are as self-absorbed as they ever have been, and perhaps the biggest issue that keeps the band labeled as emo. The entire album is not this way, though, and a couple songs (particularly "Golden" and "You're Crashing. . . "), are either entirely unrelated to the band's usual topics, or are portrayed in such a way that a genuine message seems to carry through. The only other issue I think I have is Stump's singing; he does a great job, but he rarely if ever lets up on it. It's the kind of thing I want to listen to again and again, but he really, really overdoes it on most of the songs. While it is good for a punk band especially to sing as loud and emotional as they can, in Patrick's case it's the only area he seems stuck in. The songs have short instrumental segments if at all, and Patrick's voice is almost always at full gauge - if quiet is the new loud, then it seems to only apply to speaking for Patrick Stump.
All in all I commend the band as a whole for their efforts to expand their expertise and break out of the mold people have been pushing them into since they started. They seem to be having a lot of fun exploring music and the music industry, and this album is a great example of that. There's no way this album could've failed with how much thought and work has gone into each song, and each song is infectious and makes me want to play it repeatedly.
. You can see a complete list of all Fall Out Boy discography, or go back to the Fall Out Boy tabs
|
