"Yourself or Somebody Like You", the debut effort of Matchbox 20 is simply brilliant. Most of the released singles are well known due to excessive air play, but this album is full of incredible music. There is not a bad song on this album. Matchbox 20 has been made trendy by teeny boppers and yuppies, unfairly labeling the band in some ways as a joke. The music is catchy and poppy, but not synthesized or studio created. This is genuine, soulful rock, just with a lighter edge. However, the most amazing thing are the lyrics. You can open the booklet and feel like you are reading poetry, full of truth and insight that only the likes of Rob Thomas could pen. His unique voice breathes life into his words, creating powerful songs which give purpose to pop radio again. Besides the well-known songs "Push", "3 am", "Real World", and "Back to Good", there are other incredible songs which deserve time. Ranging from the beautifully candid "Long Day" to the snappy "Girl Like That", to the intense "Kody", the album's music reflects the diverse genius of the band. Experiencing homelessness and other pain, lead singer Rob Thomas said he spent his whole life writing this album - seen vividly in the quality of the music and the clever lyrics.
I rarely succomb to buying here today/gone tomorrow CDs (in other words, artists who release one or two hit singles and then vanish off the face of the earth--Donna Lewis, TLC, etc.). When I first heard Matchbox 20's "Push", I figured they were one of these bands (hey, with a big budget, some make-up, and a little studio improvising, I could be a singer). However, after their second hit "3am" hit the charts, I figured I might as well buy the CD (heck, what's a couple of dollars here or there?). All I can say is WOW!!! It's an amazing CD, and even if they do drop off the music scene, I'll still play it. It's a wonderful blend of soft rock ("Kody", "Hang"), gritty reality ("Busted"), and just plain music enjoyment ("Long Day" "Real World"). With good vocals, good lyrics, and good sound, MB20 is something you can listen to over and over. I saw them in concert and when I got back to my hotel room, the first thing I did was listen to their CD, despite hearing them for the past three hours. They're addictive without being sickening (something hard to achieve these days). I HIGHLY recommend this CD to anybody and everybody.
I have been listening to this album nonstop for about 8 years now and I must say that I like every song immensley. I really never get tired of this album unlike the band's last release "More than You Think You Are" this one isn't a chore to listen to and it seems as if every song could have been a single. If there's one album I'll remember when I'm old it is this one. It seems so rare for an album to really catch your attention but this album and Dave Matthews Band's "Crash" both band's really hit the nail on the head and released classic's.
I'm sure by now most everyone that will buy this album has already heard half of it on the radio, but if you are one of those people that still don't have this album then I would encourage you to pick it up because the song's that never made it to radio are just as good if not better than song's that did.
Matchbox 20 are:
Lead vocals : Rob Thomas
Lead guitar : Kyle Cook
Rhythm guitar : Adam Gaynor
Bass : Brian Yale
and Drums : Paul Doucette.
Now that you feel like friends with Matchbox 20 we can get on with the review.
Real World kicks off with a catchy riff and a flurry of drums, followed closely by Rob Thomas' very American voice, sometimes growly, always amazing. Anyone who knows Santana's Smooth will have heard it, as he does lead vocals. This song is lively, catchy and the chorus ends with a line we can all relate to "I wish the real world would just stop hassling me". So true.
Long Day starts off with soft guitar backed up again by Rob, and after a few seconds bursts into life with strong guitar and huge vocals once more. Has a slight religious theme, but you wouldn't even notice it without reading the lyrics as the chorus is nothing more than a jumble of words. Another great lyric in the bridge of this song is "Reach down your hand in your pocket, pull out some hope for me". Short but sweet.
3 am, I believe was another single. I've always felt sorry for this song, just as I do for Airbag on Radiohead's OK Computer as people flick track to move onto better tracks, in Radiohead's case the masterpiece that is Paranoid Android, and in this case Push. Having said that, this is a perfectly enjoyable track with little guitar riffs every now and then and an incredible chorus. Yet it just doesn't have the power of...
Push, possibly the best song on the album. Incredibly emotional vocals, backed only by strumming guitar lead into the chorus which has such a charge it's hard not to love it. Just before the last chorus there is a drum roll that is good I just can't help playing air drums. I can listen to this track a hundred times a day and not get bored. Just outstanding, one of my favourite songs of all time.
Girl Like That has a quick guitar lead-in before giving way to Rob shouting his way through the track backed only by occasional strong guitar strums. Another one of the outstanding chorus which make Matchbox 20 really worth listening to. Not far off the best tracks on the album.
Back 2 Good is the longest track on the album at 5:40 and easily one of the best. Very slow, with another remarkable showing on vocals once more. Slightly sad with a little chorus of na-on-ha which looks stupid but sounds exceptionally good. Near the end of the song the vocals turn growly, and makes the song extremely noteworthy. Excellent.
Damn has a slow kick of drums with laid-back vocals and a slight edge to the chorus, that nudges it ahead of a lot of the tracks on the album though far simpler than most of the songs on the album. It has a slight attempt at a guitar solo, but guitar is never meant to be the strong point of Matchbox 20. Not too shabby a song all together.
Argue is short and extremely similar to some of the other songs on the album, except for a chorus which really makes an otherwise plain song. I usually miss this song when I'm listening to the album. I get quite a strong whiff of filler off this track, never a good sign.
Kody makes up for it. Smooth, casual and beautiful, this is definitely one of the high points of the album. it also has my favourite lyric from the album which goes like this : ""And there it is, and there it was, now it was clear to all of us, we kept this hat of broken dreams and we pulled them out, when we needed them around" Sheer brilliance, a prime example of the sort of music that stands Matchbox 20 apart from other bands.
Busted is my least favourite song off the album. Completly out of place and out of charcacter, this is Matchbox's attempt at a rock song. It fails miserably. I'm just thankful that they realised on the second album that they are not a rock band, and do not attempt another song of this calibre. Let's move quickly on to...
Shame is another slow song, a great reminder what Matchbox 20 of do best after the horrible Busted. the band let the voice of Rob Thomas take over again to add that little bit of magic into a song which might be quite dull under another singer's vocals. Also it sounds like he's saying Shane. Always wins point with me, have you ever heard the Pixie's Debaser? He says it there in the chorus (-; But enough nonsense on to the last track.
Hang represents for me everything I love in a song, a strong vocalists, great lyrics and acoustic guitar, keeping it simple and emerging the other end with another masterpiece to your credit. Superb.
This album has one or two songs which might have been better left out altogether yet they also have one or two songs which deserve far greater recognition. This is definitely worth a look.
This CD is definately a masterpiece. It contains many huge hits from adult contemporary radio stations (And some of them broke into mainstream as well). The CD starts out with Real World, which was a monster hit. Other huge hits are the songs 3 a.m., Push, which is about a man reminiscing about relationships gone wrong, and one of TRL's (The MTV Top 10 Countdown show) biggest hits Back 2 Good. The two main things that make this album a masterpiece are Rob's voice and the lyrics. Rob Thomas has an unique voice that works well with practically every tempo. It sounds perfect on every song in the entire album. The lyrics, like many bands with similar musical styles, make sense and the band members have probably experienced all of the emotions conveyed in the lyrics before, as they connect with you. This is definately an album worth getting. I'd definately advise it.
Privacy PolicyTerms of UseContact Us