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Sunburn

Fuel - Sunburn Audio CD

A fair review of the Fuel "Sunburn" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Fuel reviews here, or go back to the Fuel tabs.

Band: Fuel
Title: Sunburn
Rating:

Release Date: 2008-03-25
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Untitled 2: Bittersweet 3: Shimmer 4: Jesus Or A Gun 5: Sunburn 6: New Thing 7: It's Come To This 8: Song For You 9: Mary Pretends 10: Ozone 11: Hideaway 12: King For A Day 13: Walk The Sky

Fuel's Sunburn
Outside of those two songs I had never really heard much of the CD until I saw Re-Fueled live in Towson, MD. I've always liked Bittersweet and Shimmer back in the day but it wasn't until I saw Re-Fueled live 10/1/09 in Towson, MD that I was hooked. Hearing a song for the first time live and loving it says something about the band. I purchased this CD right after that and cannot put it down. It never gets old. It's upbeat and has a great guitar sound and Brett's vocals are the icing on the cake. They bring the words to life with a great deal of passion. This CD will not disappoint. There is not one bad song like most CD's that have 4 or 5 awesome songs in between ones that should have been left on the cutting room floor. .

Cool disc
However the additional songs are just as good, especially king for a day. Shimmer is definitly the best song of this album.

From these humble beginnings came fame and fortune...
It was just so infectious, such a great song. I remember the first time I heard `Bittersweet' on the radio and thinking that this band, Fuel, may wind up being my new favorite band. When I picked up `Sunburn' I quickly realized that Fuel was not a one hit wonder either, and as many a fan can attest to, they only got better with age. Fuel reminds me of another radio friendly megaband, namely Nickelback. They came out with an album that was slightly under radar and then they released a single off their sophomore attempt that blew everyone away and made them research their roots. For Fuel that single was the popular `Hemorrhage' but it's on `Sunburn' that we find some of Fuel's greatest tracks to date. `Bittersweet' is one of them, but there are others, many others.

I don't think the name Fuel can be mentioned without the single `Shimmer' mentioned, a single that went on to be one of their most popular. It's one of those songs that always brings a smile to my face. I don't think it's possible to get sick of this song. The title track `Sunburn' has a really nice feel to it. Much like `Shimmer' it's a slower paced song that relies heavily on Brett Scallions' signature vocals. `Song for You' follows this same formula of slowed down verses and uplifted chorus lines, while the closing track `Hideaway' remains slow and almost stagnant through and through. I think it's safe to say that `Hideaway' fails to really impress me. It's not terrible, but it's not memorable, and I'm a firm believer in the fact that closing tracks need to be memorable. And what's up with the mess that is `It's Come to This'? I don't even want to talk about this song.

Now, with all these slower paced tracks there are bound to be some `Bittersweet' type songs burning up the track listing, and the opener `Untitled' does just that, with blistering guitar work and gruff `edgy' vocals. `New Thing' has an upbeat feel to the track with a catchy and chant worthy chorus. The remaining three tracks are probably the best tracks on the album, full force and in your face. `Ozone' has a strange verse and a killer bridge breakdown. `Mary Pretends' is just blistering with a fast paced and intense chorus structure and `Jesus or a Gun' is the track that made me worship this band for a spell. It's the heaviest track on the album and still remains my favorite Fuel song ever recorded.

So, in the end if you are a fan of the band and have yet to grab this album then you are in need to do some CD shopping. If you already have this album then I'm sure you already know how great the CD is. Is it perfect? No. Were their follow up albums better? Collectively, for `Something Like Human' especially is close to perfection, but this album is still well worth the investment, especially now that it's been re-released with two bonus tracks, `Walk the Sky' being one terrific addition to the lineup (a closing track that is, by all means, memorable).

The first Fuel Album - re-released
'Bittersweet' and 'Shimmer' are the stand out songs of this album, which gives hints to the listener of how good Fuel would become. I was surprised to learn this was Fuel's first album release and that this version of the album is a re-issue. The music since this first album has evolved and over time and experience has gotten much better. The bonus tracks, there are two of them, are not that flashy but still its good to hear the acoustic 'Walk The Sky'. .

Burn, baby, BURN!!!!!!!
Of course, you probably knew that BEFORE you read this. This is an album, by FUEL, called "Sunburn". But what you might NOT have known is that FUEL, possibly my favorite band in the history of all bands that have ever been bands in history, have "re-issued" this album. This, OBVIOUSLY, means that the album has been re-released, featuring new artwork, new tracks, and of course, new little stickers all over the packaging!

If you're somehow familiar with the original "Sunburn" album, then you've basically been acquainted with this new edition. All of the original tracks are here(duh), and the new tracks include a song written for the Godizilla soundtrack, `Walk the Sky', a fun little ditty that features Jeff Abercrombie`s bass-playing talents brilliantly, as well as a very cool vocal melody that I`ve fallen in love with, just like all FUEL songs. The other new track is an awesome song called `King for a Day', which is a really interesting, mostly acoustic piece with some truly SICK spanish-flavored guitar playing by Carl Bell, and while Brett Scallions` vocals seem a little `edge-less' on this song, he makes up for it at the end of the track. I'm kinda disappointed that the "Sunburn" b-side `Sunday Girl' wasn't included as a bonus track; it truly deserves more recognition than it gets, and I`ve love to hear the song in it`s entirety, as I`ve only heard 1 min. clips, which isn`t enough for any FUEL song.

The artwork is much cooler than it`s original form, featuring the same Chair-man sitting in a room with a flaming floor of fire, but it's organized a little differently with a more illustrated look about it. The Chair-man looks a little more human. . . rather than a tormented soul experiencing spontaneous combustion. . . who is now holding a sun instead of a tambourine.

If you don't already have this wonderful piece of plastic, there's never been a better time to get it. Great album, great band, great music. And what else would you expect from FUEL?.

You can see a complete list of all Fuel discography, or go back to the Fuel tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.