Finger Eleven
Finger Eleven is a good name but it's no Rainbow Butt Monkeys, the band's original name. Under the illustrious R.B.M. banner the Toronto based group released "Letters From Chutney" in Canada. Shortly thereafter, Finger Eleven was adopted. Lead singer Scott Anderson said the name was derived from the feeling that "everything is pushing you in one direction and your instinct drives you in another. That's Finger Eleven." OK.
In '98, Rich Beddoe replaced the group's original drummer Rob Gommerman. The first Finger Eleven release "Tip" found it's way into the U.S. on Wind-Up Records. Recorded in a remote cottage "Tip" got Finger Eleven booked as an opening act for Fuel and Creed. The CD had riff driven guitars provided by James Black and Rick Jackett. The opening track "Quicksand" was notable for the hot bass line from Sean Anderson.
"The Greyest Of Blue Skies" was released in July, '00 with the blistering "Drag You Down," the heaviest song in the group's repertoire. It resulted from the frustration they were feeling in the studio. Sometimes it's just best to bash it out.
The group's self-titled sophomore effort, recorded in L.A., arrived in '03. Four years later, "Them Vs. You Vs. Me," Finger Eleven's third studio album, featuring the singles, "Paralyzer" and "Falling On," dropped.
The lone Rainbow Butt Monkey's release "Letters From Chutney" is not very compelling nor is it representative of the group's later sound.
"Tip" with "Quicksand" and the title track, featuring Anderson's falsetto, is a strong CD. There are some differences between the Canadian and U.S. releases. "Consolation Day" morphs into the ethereal "Awake and Dreaming." There's also added instrumentation. A new vocal track and different guitar tracks appear on the U.S. version of "Thin Spirits."
"The Greyest Of Blue Skies" is denser than "Tip." The songwriting is generally better and more focused. That's not only evident on "My Carousel" or "Sick Of It All" where the group expands its reach, but also on the more melodic tracks like "Bones + Joints."
It's not that "Finger Eleven" is a bad album, on the contrary. It's that aside from "Good Times," "Conversations" and a decent ballad, "One Thing" there's not much that jumps out.
More often than not, the best songs on an album are the singles. Sometimes they are the only good songs. The persistent and driving "Paralyzer" and "Falling On" are the opening tracks on "Them Vs. You Vs. Me." The singles are placed there by design to catch a buyer's eye when they scan the album's titles and positioned on the CD to make an immediate impact. That's just smart marketing in a highly competitive and cut-throat business. Get to the point and make it stick.
While "Paralyzer" and "Falling On" are excellent tracks they are not the top of the line. That honor goes to the dreamy ballad "I'll Keep Your Memory Vague" and "Lost My Way" ("Because the stories are old the black and white have gone grey").
Finger Eleven's Metal-Lite gets a workout on "Sense Of A Spark," "So-So Suicide" and "Gather & Give." Just to show their versatility, they manage to deliver a strong acoustic ballad, "Change The World."