Who are Nickelback?

Nickelback are a Canadian post grunge band formed in Hanna, Alberta by Chad Krueger, Mike Krueger, Ryan Peake and the then drummer Brandon Krueger who was replaced by Daniel Adair. The band is singed to Emi at home and Roadrunner Records for the rest of the world.

Their album Silver Side Up was what drove them into the mainstream with 'How You Remind Me' being one of the best ever singles they've ever released and their album The Long Road really defined who they were as artists with Someday being their lead song.

About the Album

This is the fifth studio album by the Canadian rock band and it was released in 2005. All of the lyrics were written by Chad Kroeger and all of the music is by Nickelback, except the bonus track 'We Will Rock You'.

The album is dedicated to Darrell 'Dimebag' Abbot who is featured in song Side of the Bullet.

In it's first week the album sold 60,000 copies in their native Canada topping their previous albums. In the States the album went to sell 6.7 million copies and was named the biggest rock album of the century so far.

The songs

Track 1

Follow You Home (4.20)

This song is about a stalker who will always follow a woman home no matter what she does even if she tries to kill. This is proper Nickelback in my opinion, Chad Kroger's voice is at its best. It opens with a fantastic drum role and rolls into a rock behemoth. It's a fantastic opener to this wonderful album.

Rating: 6/10

Track 2

For All the Wrong Reasons (3,44)

This is one of the weaker songs on the album. The isn't enough of what Nickelback is usually about. There's no fantastic opening riffs or great lyrics, it's just a simple song, and very forgettable.

Rating: 5/10

Track 3

Photograph (4.19)

This is one of my favourite songs on the album. It's pretty much a soft rock song, with fantastic guitar solos and most importantly gorgeous lyrics. The lyrics look back at the adolescence of Chad Kroger and what happened when he was in younger and what he might have wished happened in hindsight.

Lyrics: 'We used to listen to the radio, and sing along with every song we know, we said someday we'd find out how it feels to sing along to more than just the steering wheel'

Rating: 9/10

Track 4

Animals (3:06)

This is the second single off this album, it's about a guy who picks up his girlfriend, and then they have sex in their car acting wild like 'animals' until her father catches them in the act at the end of the song. It's full of strong sexual overtones and metaphors. It's not my favourite song as it's just a bit forgettable however; it's still a great piece of music but definitely one of the rudest pieces Nickel back's ever done and it actually makes the listener shine away from a fantastic piece of music.

Lyrics: 'Your beside me on the seat, got your hand between my knees, and you control how fast we go by just how hard you wanna squeeze, it's hard to steer when you're breathing in my ear, but I got both hands on the wheel while you got both hands on my gear'

Rating 5/10

Track 5

Saving Me (3:39)

I adore this song, it's so simple. All it is, is Chad Kroger, a guitar and drums and the lyrics are so simple and so beautiful it's a really great piece of music. The video is very nice as well, a normal man nearly gets hit by a bus, and then begins to see timers above the heads of other people, but not one above his own. He tries to figure what this is, but realises when he sees a timer saying 0:00:00 above a dead woman and realises they are indicators of how long the person has got to live. He manages to save a woman's life at the end of the film, and he is released from seeing people's timers.

Lyrics: 'Heaven's gates won't open up for me, with these broken wings I'm fallin', and all I see is you. These city walls ain't got no love for me, I'm on the ledge of the eighteenth story, and oh I scream for you'

Rating: 9/10

Track 6

Far Away (3:58)

This is my favourite ballad song on the album, it's a fantastic love song and was described by Chad Kroger that is was the first ever real love song by Nickelback. The music video really shows what a beautiful song it is as it's about a fireman going to a forest fire, leaving his wife at home. When one of his friend 'falls', he runs back into the fire to save him but a fiery tree falls on him. The song then cuts to the wife, as she receives the news. The song is all about true love and what people have to deal with.

Lyrics: 'That I love you, I have loved you all alone, and I miss you, been far away for far too long, I keep dreaming you'll be with me and you'll never go, Stop breathing if I don't see you anymore'

Rating: 10/10

Track 7

Next Contestant (3:34)

This is a very good Nickelback song, but definitely not one of the best on the album. The song is about a man's girlfriend who is very pretty, and every time they are out together, men try and get with her and he has to get rid of them, calling them the 'next contestant'

Rating: 7/10

Track 8

Side Of A Bullet

The song is a tribute to Dimebag Darrell who was shot on sage while performing. The lyrics for side of the bullet focus on the murder of Darrell and the aftermath theof. It's a forgettable song, however is a nice tribute to Dimebag.

Rating: 7/10

Track 9

If Everyone Cared (3:38)

The song is about caring about something to work towards the improvement of human civilization. The band then said that 100% of all digital sales from the single, will b donated to the charities of Amnesty International and the International Children's Awareness Canada. It's a nice ballad, but quite forgettable.

Lyrics: 'As we lie beneath the stars, we realize how small we are, if they could love like you and me, imagine what the world could be'

Rating: 6/10

Track 10

Someone That You're With (4.01)

A disappointing song on the album, probably the worse. It's not pure rock or soft ballad; it's just a disappointing song, which is a shame.

Rating: 2/10

Track 11

Rockstar (4:18)

This is everyone's favourite in my opinion; it's been in the UK Top 40 for over 40 weeks and has now made it onto a UK advert. The song is satirical commentary on the life of a rock star and the material desires of a rock star. The lyrics are fantastic, the song sticks in your head for days and it's an amazing piece of music. The music video features non celebs and celebs from all over the world including, Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top who actually sings in the song, Kid Rock, Eliza Dusku, Chuck Liddell, Dale Earnhardt Jr and Gene Simmons.

Lyrics: 'I'm through with standing in line to clubs I'll never get in, it's like the bottom of the ninth and I'm never gonna win, this life hasn't turned out, quite the way I want it to be. I want a brand new house on an episode of cribs, and a bathroom I can play baseball in, and a king size tub, big enough for ten plus me'

Rating- 10/10

Anything Else

Yes the album has a few bum notes in their, but the great songs really make up for it. It's definitely Nickelback finest album yet, and hopefully their next one will do just as well. It's well worth buying or checking out some of the best songs on youtube and I'll be amazed if you haven't already heard Rockstar.

Hope this helped.

© 2008