Let Go [ECD] - Avril Lavigne

Avril Lavigne - Let Go

I bought Avril Lavigne's album "Let Go" from the Oxfam shop for £1.49 but you can buy this on various places on the net. For example, Amazon for £8.99 or second hand £1.00. As this CD is from 2002, you might not find it in the music shops like Virgin, HMV etc. And if you do find it, you might find that their prices can start from £14.99, which is very expensive for a CD that's been out on the market ...
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Avril was born in Ontario, on 27th of September 1984. (She's as old as me; she doesn't really look 22).
As a child, she was in many talent shows and contests. She even got to sing along side Shania Twain when she won a radio contest. She dropped out of school when she was 16 because she always knew what she wanted to be. A songwriter. She had been writing her own song ever since she got her first guitar. While she was in ... more

Avril Lavigne - Let Go

I bought Avril Lavigne's album "Let Go" from the Oxfam shop for £1.49 but you can buy this on various places on the net. For example, Amazon for £8.99 or second hand £1.00. As this CD is from 2002, you might not find it in the music shops like Virgin, HMV etc. And if you do find it, you might find that their prices can start from £14.99, which is very expensive for a CD that's been out on the market that long.

+ A bit about Avril +

Avril was born in Ontario, on 27th of September 1984. (She's as old as me; she doesn't really look 22).
As a child, she was in many talent shows and contests. She even got to sing along side Shania Twain when she won a radio contest. She dropped out of school when she was 16 because she always knew what she wanted to be. A songwriter. She had been writing her own song ever since she got her first guitar. While she was in New York trying to get in the music business, she got signed to Arista Records. In 2002, she released her first album, "Let Go". Off this album, she released Complicated as her debut single. It only got to number three in the UK charts. After that she released 3 more songs off the album. Sk8er Boi, I'm With You, and Losing Grip. Also in that year, she won 3 awards.

+ Trivia about Avril +

Even though, she has a French first name and surname, she doesn't speak French.
Avril owns over a 100 pairs of Converse trainers.
Avril refuses to do lip-sync, she always sings live.

+ The Album +

The front of the album has Avril standing in the middle and the background is blurred behind her. On the CD, it has Avril Lavigne "LET GO" in big red letter and that star symbol that are in her videos in red. On the back, there's a blurred skater with a guitar in black and white. Of course, there's a tracklist with the minutes and seconds of the songs. There are 13 tracks on the list. Inside the CD case, there's the cover that pulls out with all the lyrics and it has different pictures of Avril on each panel.

This album just reminds of me of been 18 and 19. Sitting in my attic bedroom and letting this play loudly as everyone was out. Even though, Avril herself said this was a rock album, I never perceived it that way. I thought it was mainly pop with a hint of guitar and pinch of rock. Foo Fighters, now that's rock but this nah. A lot of the songs sound quite samey but it's all about the lyrics in my opinion. When I first listened to the album, I felt like the lyrics had understood me and what I was all about.

My favourite song on this album is "Mobile". It's got a lovely guitar harmony and the lyrics are a reflection of a teenager growing up. Just as she says in the lyrics "Everything is changing" Even when I listen to it now, it's so true.

"Tomorrow" is more like a sad ballad. It's the softest song on the album. It somehow has a calming effect.

"Losing Grip" is Avril's favourite song on the album and that's why I think it's first on the album. It's a nice intro to the album. It's all about feeling alone. At the time, this is how I felt sometimes. I guess it's just something everyone goes through. The music reflects the lyrics well. Quiet then loud then quiet. It's like the ups and downs of life.

"Unwanted" is a catchy song where you hear Avril belt out the tune and it's perfect to play when you've been hurt by someone.

"Naked" is a brilliant song to end on as it shows a bit more maturity than her other songs.

"Anything but Ordinary" is another great teenager song. I mean who wants to be ordinary, when you can be special. Though I guess some people just want to fit in. So this is a song really for everyone that doesn't. I used to belt this out at the top of my lungs.

The song on the album that I don't like is "Sk8er Boi". I always skip this track and I always have. I feel that it doesn't really belong on the album and was only used to enhance Avril's punk/skater image for the media.

Other songs on the album like Complicated, I'm with you, Things I'll Never Say, My World, Nobody's Fool and Too Much to Ask are great songs but don't stand out like the others. Like I said earlier, a lot of her songs are very similar.

+ The Extras on this CD +

It's a Flash based program that lets you get to the extras. It starts off with lots of pictures of Avril and the band she performs with and then it belts out Sk8er Boi and leads you to the main menu.
There you can find Avril's Bio, the video of "Complicated", lyrics to 4 of the albums songs. Complicated, Sk8er Boi, Mobile and Unwanted and then there's the bonus track called "Why" which is a brilliant song.
The annoying thing that you can't go back to the main menu so if you click on any of the options, can't get back to the bonus track as only two options appear at the bottom and either of them are the bonus track option.

* Note: when playing the CD on the PC, the extras slow it down and makes the songs jump until the extra's projector is load.

+ Overall opinion +
If you're a teenager, into pop music and female angst, this is your album. I think that Avril has quite a narrow market with this album. The album is pretty commercial but other than that, it's good album with a lot deepish lyrics and for the price I bought it, it was a bargain.

+Tracklisting +

1. Losing Grip - 3:53
2. Complicated - 4:05
3. Sk8er Boi - 3:23
4. I'm With You - 3:44
5. Mobile - 3:31
6. Unwanted - 3:40
7. Tomorrow - 3:48
8. Anything, But Ordinary - 4:12
9. Things I'll Never Say - 3:44
10. My World - 3:27
11. Nobody's Fool - 3:57
12. Too Much To Ask - 3:46
13. Naked - 3:27

 

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