|
RockinTrivia Test your knowledge |
RockinForum Add your comments |
|
|||||||||
| |
|||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
The Used
It's always a good idea for a group to make it on their own turf before venturing out into the harsh, cruel world. But what if your hometown is as hostile as they come? "Provo, Utah" and "Rock" are not two terms generally used in the same sentence - unless it's a contrast of opposites.
The Used, hailing from Provo and nearby Orem, had a tough time establishing themselves. First, their violent, aggressive and loud performances so shocked local club owners, not exactly the most moral or reserved of people, that The Used rarely got a second booking.
Out of frustration or desperation, the group chucked their day jobs to commit to their music. That soon necessitated panhandling to get buy. On top of that, there was McCracken's drug problem, referenced in "Maybe Memories."
Eventually, The Used landed slots on the Warped and Ozzfest tours building an audience. Signed by Reprise Records, the group recorded their self-titled debut in the L.A. home recording studio of producer John Feldman and at the legendary Olympic Studios in London.
Two years later, in '04, The Used returned with "In Love And Death." This Top 10 album provided much of the source material for their '07 live effort, "Berth."
Starting a new project can expose fractures that often force major decisions. As sessions for "Lies For The Liars" got underway, creative differences drove Steineckert to quit. He later landed with Rancid.
The Used continued recording using Good Charlotte's Dean Butterworth as a temporary replacement. Though Butterworth played on most of the tracks for "Lies For The Liars," it was Dan Whitesides who became the group's permanent drummer. The Used then did a stint on the '07 Taste Of Chaos Tour.
"Lies For The Liars," the group's third studio album, arrived in May, '07. The 11 song set included "The Bird And The Worm."
Eleven or so songs in generally the same style on a single album can be a bit rough, even if the template is brilliant. There are numerous groups who can do one thing really well but stumble outside their comfort zone. The Used, fortunately, are not one of those. Thy often oscillate between slow, sparse verses and dense, thunderous choruses.
The first single from their self-titled debut, "The Taste Of Ink," is a catchy Rocker but "Maybe Memories," "Box Full Of Sharp Objects" and the primal screamer "Say Days Ago" are closer to the group's core. There's a lot of emotion but the guitars carry the day.
"In Love And Death," which is not nearly as dour as the title suggests, they slide from Nu Metal aggression ("Take It Away" and "Let It Bleed") to appealing power-pop (the bopping "Cut Up Angels" and "Light With A Sharpened Edge"). The Used even manage to toss in an acoustic ballad ("Yesterday's Feelings") that possesses some genuine emotion.
"Lies For The Liars" has the Used in three distinct modes. The first, and best, is a hard Rock outfit with Metal shards shot throughout. "Pretty Handsome Awkward," "The Ripper" and "Paralyzed" are sharp songs with muscular guitars and McCracken's fused vocals. The second features "drama songs" that include the set's first two singles, "The Bird And The Worm" and "Liar Liar (Burn In Hell)." "Bird" has ominous chants, synth strings and sound effects reminiscent of a Halloween cartoon soundtrack. "Liar Liar" leans on the children's verse "liar, liar, pants on fire." That McCracken can pull this off - seriously - is impressive. Helps to have a hot guitar line in there too. The third style falls back on the group's Emo tendencies. They roll from power ("Earthquake") to piano ("Smother Me") ballad. Only "Find A Way" sounds strained. The unexpected turn is the song "With Me Tonight" which is melodic pop with sassy horns.
| |||||||||||||||||
|
