Matchbox Twenty
Sometimes the thing that makes a song memorable is a blinding flash of the obvious. A little twist on a riff that's been around for decades or a lyric reflecting a feeling that just about everyone has. Wishing the world would just stop being a hassle is about as universal as you can get. Ultimately, that's the triumph of "Real World."
Born during the Cold War, Matchbox Twenty lead singer Rob Thomas was the offspring of military parents stationed in Germany. Following the tour of duty, Rob's family returned to the U.S. and settled in the southeast. In high school Thomas fronted several bands and was influenced by R.E.M., Elvis Costello and Al Green. Between the ages of seventeen and twenty, Thomas roamed around hitch hiking. His family had problems, his relationships had problems and inserting some distance (both physical and mental) seemed like a good idea. Later, his experiences/frustrations surfaced in Matchbox Twenty songs.
Thomas spent a lot of nights sitting on freeway on-ramps waiting for the next ride. He used this time to write songs or, if he was tired of that, just go a little crazy and start screaming. There was no one around. What did it matter? Thomas eventually teamed up with Kyle Cook (guitar/vocals), Adam Gaynor (rhythm guitar/vocals), Brian Yale (bass) and Paul Doucette (drums). Yale and Doucette had played with Thomas in a couple of bands. With Cook and Gaynor onboard, Matchbox Twenty worked with Collective Soul producer Matt Serletic and recorded some demos that got them signed to Atlantic Records.
"Yourself Or Someone Like You" was their debut effort, selling over ten million CDs. Even though the songs dealt with emotional abuse, break-ups and insecurities things never got maudlin or sloppy. "Long Day" was the first song to make an impact. "Real World," a jangling Rocker, came across as an in-joke more than anything else. The boastful "3AM" was another fun song with a great chorus. "Push" got a lot of attention because of the line "I wanna push you down." According to Thomas the song was about emotional rather than physical abuse. Part of the song was written from an ex-girlfriend's point of view. In Rock, as in the real world, ex-girlfriends rarely come off good.
In another blinding flash of the obvious, Thomas also sang "Smooth" on Carlos Santana's "Supernatural" CD. Thomas wrote the lyrics and co-wrote the music with Itaal Shur. It was the longest running #1 single (12 weeks) on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1999.
The group continued on a roll with Serletic returning for the '01 release "Mad Season" and '02's "More Than You Think You Are." Thomas took a solo turn on "Something To Be" in '05. That was followed by two live offerings, "A Night In The Life Of Matchbox Twenty" and "EP."
Gaynor's '05 departure lead to another change. Doucette moved from drums to rhythm guitar (and piano) with drummer Ryan Mac MacMillian added in '07.
Well, conventional wisdom says that when the lead singer is occupied with solo pursuits and the live material starts to roll out, the band is done. If the group releases a "best of/greatest hits" compilation then you know their fate is sealed. Matchbox Twenty did issue their "greatest hits" in '07, "Exile From Mainstream." They're toast, right? Just to confound everyone they also released a six-track EP of new songs produced by Steve Lillywhite (U2). It was the first time the group worked with the marquee producer. The album's lead single, "How Far We've Come," did some immediate damage on the pop charts.
Not looking like a group on the ropes, Matchbox Twenty made T.V. promotional appearances/performances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC's Today and The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
Matchbox Twenty's "Yourself Or Someone Like You" with "Real World" has more bite, energy and force than the follow-up "Mad Season." But "Mad Season" has its own punch with "Stop," "Angry" and the huge hit "Bent." Thomas wrote or co-wrote all the songs. Also, there's some excellent guitar work from Kyle Cook and Adam Gaynor (especially on the title track).
"More Than You Think You Are" begs the question: What's the thought process here? "Had a huge hit working with a '60s icon (Carlos Santana) why not go back to the well one more time." Well, as far as '60s icons go, they don't get much bigger than Mick Jagger. On the surface, the Thomas/Jagger composed "Disease" looks like a re-hash but the track is pretty damn good. "Feel," an intense Rocker opens the set with a fast start. "Mad Season" sold four million copies. That's good, but it was still less than half of their debut album.
By the third album a group is either out of ideas or expanding their perimeters. Matchbox Twenty is on the latter trajectory with "More Than You Think You Are." Steel guitar and keyboards add texture as the group steps (slightly) beyond the quartet-fronted-by-a-torture-singer mode. "All I Need" is an airy, county tinged effort that is a noticeable stretch while "Unwell" treads familiar Matchbox Twenty ground.
Give Matchbox Twenty credit, "More Than You Think You Are" is too eclectic to top "Mad Season's" numbers. It would have been easy to tow the line and go for the big, short-term kill. Though it could use a few more Rockers, "More Than You Think You Are" is worth owning.
Obviously, "Exile On Mainstream" is a play on the Rolling Stones' classic "Exile On Main Street." While this "greatest hits" packaged with new material can hardly be considered comparable to the Stones' last true flash of brilliance, it does acknowledge the group's pop accessibility due to or in spite of some interesting turns.
There are two schools of thought regarding "Exile On Mainstream." Adding new material to a "greatest hits" set will remind fans that the group is still vital, still relevant. On the other hand, the new stuff could pale in comparison with earlier material and brutally illustrate how far the band has fallen.
Unfortunately, the latter is evident on "Exile On Mainstream." With greater input from the entire group, the songs are good and the performances work though Thomas' vocals seem a bit restrained. The end result is kind of bland. "How Far We've Come" is a solid upbeat song that tries to get something going. "I'll Believe You When" has a ringing guitar and hand claps while Thomas sings in and around an R & B structure on "Can't Let You Go." Even so, the undeniable temptation is to move to the classic Matchbox Twenty collection.
There are also some Matchbox Twenty "live" offerings (an EP and video) but these are best left to true fans.
Thomas' "Something To Be" touches Matchbox Twenty turf ("Ever The Same") but also Rocks with opening track "This Is How A Heart Breaks." In addition, there's the Folk influenced "Problem Girl" and the "Smooth-ish" "Lonely No More."