How does it compare to the artist's other releases
Outstanding
Value for Money
Advantages:
Inner meanings make the songs powerful and mysterious .
Disadvantages:
Lack of new material makes the band less well known, and thus deprives people of glorious music such as this .
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
A slave to the sound is all I am, and all I shall ever be, such brilliance can never cease to amaze. A talent such as this is a talent of admiration, a new dawn of music, an industry that lost its way – Just found a leader.
Matchbox Twenty or “Matchbox 20” as they were known when this album was produced, can be described only with three simple phrases – masters of music, kings of compilations, and lords of Lyrics. Ok, Ok, enough alliterations for now, Lets get right down to the band members themselves.
Firstly, May I introduce the band members…. Rob Thomas – Vocals, Piano, Acoustic Guitar. Kyle Cook – Lead Guitar, Vocals. Adam Gaynor – Rhythm Guitar, Vocals. Brian Yale – Bass Paul doucette – Drums, Percussion, Vocals.
Ok, for anyone that hasn’t read my review of “Mad Season” by Matchbox Twenty: here is a bit of the bands history –
For those of you that have never heard of Matchbox 20, you may recall a band known as Tabitha’s Secret who had various hit singles including “Loss, Strain and Butterflies” and “This is Not a Love song”. After the departure of some of the old band members and the arrival of knew ones, the knew nameless band as they were decided that a name change was in order to go along with the fresh start, and low and behold, God said let there be light and then he created MB20. Ok so maybe god didn’t create Matchbox, but hell, who cares, it’s a reason isn’t it. After a few months as Matchbox 20, the band became huge in the states and the release of the album “Yourself or Someone like you” in 1996 made it even more so. With this new found blinding success the band members sort after a new sophistication, a new level of music was born yet again, and yep, you guessed it, the name was indeed changed once more. Matchbox 20 became Matchbox Twenty. Despite the barely noticeable difference, in my opinion, its touches like that that prove an artists worth, it shows care ha gone into what is being performed. Take a look at the covers of the two albums “Mad season” and “Yourself or someone like you” and you’ll notice the subtle name change. Anyway – Back to the point, with the new name being broadcast around the globe, a new album was needed to go with it, and Four years on from the debut album came “Mad Season”. (2000). Don’t be fooled, MB20 did have a helping hand to become as big as they are, you may have heard of a band named “Santana” and a single by said band entitled “Smooth”. Well, Whilst Santana provided the music for the song, Matchbox 20’s very own Rob Thomas was drafted in to sing for the band for that particular single, Now sorry guys, but even the UK wanted that one and it shot Straight to Number One in The US and UK charts alike. Now fellow Matchbox Twenty Fans, I have a little treat for you that you might not have been informed of yet, despite rumours of a split due to another two years going by without any new information, THE BRAND NEW MATCHBOX TWENTY SINGLE IS OUT TODAY! (25th September) Entitled – Disease. The new album is set for release within the next few weeks – For more information see http://www.matchboxtwenty.com and click on the spinning tap at the bottom centre of the screen.
Ok, Lets Take a break, and go right back to the start of MB20, before the birth of the newly written “Twenty” Just after the death of Tabithas Secret, Lets join Matchbox at the Dawn of “Yourself or someone like you”.
Matchbox 20 – Yourself or someone like you
On with the Songs….
REAL WORLD This has to be one of my personal favourites, this was my first ever does of MB20 and holy hell what a rush it gave me, I’m no big spender, I assure you, I work hard for my money and I don’t like to pass it over lightly, a money spending decision comes after much consideration. But within listening to the song once early last year on MTV I was hooked, and the next day made what I deem to be one of the greatest decisions of my life, I rushed out to Pendulum Records and purchased both the MB20 albums on the spot, and to be honest, I didn’t really like them, but as I listened more and more, I found my mind searching the lyrical content of the songs and finding all new meaning within the songs. I found the lift the songs carried to be so intense and so undeniably uplifting that the CD’s barely ever leave my HI-FI. Real world itself is an outlook on life many of us wish we had; it’s a song of dreams and intuitive moments. We all look for something more than is put in front of us, and this song just maybe finds it.
REAL WORLD – THE VIDEO This video has to be one of the most complicated and yet some how simplistic videos I have ever seen. Lets face it, who expects to see the lead singer of a successful band walking across a bowling ally with a dazed look on his face and a Camel on a leash - You see where I’m going with this? It’s very clever in that it incorporates all the other band members into every day situations. I.e. An ice cream man.
LONG DAY A look upon relationships, a look at how we become completely different when we are with the person we love, an all-together sad and yet somehow uplifting song. It describes oneself as a person and how that person wishes they were someone else, and yet they no they should love themselves for who they are. A long day is actually a very clever title in that stereotypically when we have had a bad day, we come home and say “God its been a long day” well, what if your having a bad life? Do you not come home and say “God it’s been a long life” – Have a listen, you’ll see what I mean. Tragically no video was ever released for this one, such a shame, I would like to have seen the portrayal from song to video with this one. Although, turning it into a video allows the mind to become lazy, and only take in what the video shows you, unlike a song, which you have to listen to, to find its true meaning. Maybe that was the intention all along.
3AM One of the better Known Matchbox 20 singles, It was a chart topping success in the US, trust us British to miss out on all the fun. Possibly a very well positioned on the album, it follows on from “Long Day” with astonishing ease. This is primarily about a relationship going bad, a couple that don’t talk any more, everything seems fine on the outside, but underneath, things are far from ok, A work of genius is all that can be said, I have to admit, even I had trouble decoding this one. Enjoy!
3AM - THE VIDEO Set in an art gallery of all places, this video screams care and attention. The still images to prevail lasting images attained by the mind are all too sensational. The relationship is raining, although outside its stopped, quite an interesting association, don’t you think?
PUSH The first single released as Matchbox 20, and might I add, one of the slowest, quite possibly one of the slowest songs to be produced by this band. Its about how we push away the people that love us for fear of being burned. For fear that we are being secretly mocked. Its all about Trust, if you cant have trust, what the hell can you have?! As is suggested by the name, we are pushed around by society, and we take this to the heart, it eats away at everything we are, and gradually destroys everything fine inside us.
PUSH – THE VIDEO The beginning of the video is quite possibly my favourite part, we are presented with the lead singer playing with a puppet on a string, Much like we are played as puppets on strings by the people around us. The video seems to focus upon controlling the feelings and emotions inside, not bottling them up. Taking people for Granted is part of everyday life now days, and unfortunately it has reached a point that it seems un-natural not to take advantage of someone.
GIRL LIKE THAT So, how do you get the one you love? Well this song seems to explain how we avoid getting the one we want, It explains how a friendship is better than nothing, Indirectly of course, Cant have MB20 Making it to easy to understand can we now. Haha. It describes every single persons one true love, ones sole mate, and the one destiny would have it we are to spend the rest of out given lives with, the one we should all look to for concealment. Again tragically no video was ever made for this one. L
BACK 2 GOOD A mistake would be a more appropriate title for this one I think, for it talks of the consequences of humans endeavour to make mistakes, and our failure in trying to put things right, getting things “Back to good” as it was. Everyone in this world hates someone else in the world for some reason or another; the song explains that this is half the problem, and that we should probably all keep these feelings to ourselves, again – another example of self-control.
DAMN How Humans are cold and malicious towards each other, the only creatures to be so. How once an opinion is formed, it is virtually impossible for that opinion to be changed. Reasons can be given, and plea’s can be made, humans intuitive behaviour associates itself with pride, and hence, once and opinion is formed it is never fully removed.
ARGUE This one summarises the logicality of a relationship. It indirectly puts across the point that what the heck is the point in getting to no someone if all you plan to do is argue with them. This is one of the more obvious songs – it does accurately describe an argument, how all the insults and shouting cloud a person’s ability to think. How after an argument is over, both parties are left empty and unfulfilled. This to me seems to obvious a meaning for this band, I keep searching for a deeper notion but as of yet I have found none, what do you think? Let be no will ya?
KODY As is becoming less and less on so many records produced by artists – this is what I like to call the “personal song”. Meaning a song about life as it was for a band member, a really meaningful subject and one that must take real guts to sing about. Other examples of “Personal songs” include Savage Gardens “Gunning Down Romance” and Eminem’s “Cleanin’ out my Closet. KODY seems to tell the story of a worried childhood, an abusive brother or relative. A squeak on the back gate gives early warning that he’s heading up the path and fear is all that is left.
BUSTED This one seems to be of a similar content to the song entitles “The burn” from the album “Mad Season. A look upon love as though it’s a jail sentence and for some it is, this one has a slightly more racy feel than many of the others and this gives it a lot of flair in comparison with many of the others. One day we will all be busted and sentenced to a life in a loveless relationship will we not? The people we become when in a relationship like that.
SHAME Shame is one of the most truthful songs I have ever heard play, clecheed sentences all placed deep and carefully into a single song, a complete summary of Love in just three and a half minutes. A summery of the entire album really. A song to end all songs. A view of how in a certain light we all look the same, a black man is a black man, but cover a white man in mud, and is he not a black man just the same? Think about it. It makes sense eventually, trust me.
HANG Well, the song that draws the album to a close, the song that suggests friendship is probably the best way to go. Despite the majority of the album being based upon loving relationships, HANG is based upon relationships with friends. How drifting away with a friend would be ideal, but the loving relationships we are bound to hold us back, and all we can do is “Hang”.
Such an album cannot cease to move. A work of genius from a band with little recognition. If you have enjoyed reading this review, and god willing you have, please why not have a read of “Mad Season”, my review of there second album. I have tried to tell you as much as I can about each area of the band. Seeing as this was the first album produced as Matchbox 20 it seemed only write I should give you a more detailed History within. Anyone that does not hear this music is losing out in a terrible way. Spread the word and keep in touch with your mind, your heart, and your soul.
Many thanks for your time, All the best, Regards, Desolate Cash.
More details
How does it rate alongside the competition
Outstanding
Cover / Inlay Design and Content
Good
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the record that made Florida's Matchbox 20 a success story. Rob Thomas's charismatic and passionate vocal delivery carries this collection of captivating, personal...
the record that made Florida's Matchbox 20 a success story. Rob Thomas's charismatic and passionate vocal delivery carries this collection of captivating, personal...
very helpful
very helpful
