Product Description

Although much is made of this Utah foursome's rebellious background (singer Bert McCracken's former drug addiction and the band's pre-record deal pan-handling street-kid lifestyle), all that's really required to ascertain the level of the band's commitment is a close listen to their self-titled debut release. They leap into each song as though their lives depended upon it (maybe they're not so anxious to go back to spare-changing). While they are initially presented as another entrant in the aggro-rock sweepstakes, there's a bit morethan that to the Used. Sure, McCracken can let out blood-curdling screams of angst with the best of them, and there's no shortage of blazing guitars and pounding drums, but the Used seem to have spent at least as much time listening to Jane's Addiction as they have to the Deftones. The band's rangeis made most clear by the acoustic-guitar-and-strings ballad "On My Own" and the melodic piano motif at the end of the closing song "Pieces Mended".

Track Listing

1. Maybe Memories
2. Taste Of Ink
3. Bulimic
4. Say Days Ago
5. Poetic Tragedy
6. Buried Myself Alive
7. Box Full Of Sharp Objects
8. Blue And Yellow
9. Greener With The Scenery
10. Noise And Kisses
11. On My Own
12. Pieces Mended

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3312 in Music
• Released on: 2002-11-18
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Enhanced

Amazon.co.uk Review
Being born and raised in the ultra conservative Mormon stronghold of Orem, Utah, obviously had a profound affect on the Used. As well as confirming them as worthy rivals to Linkin Park, Nickelback and Puddle of Mudd, their splenetic debut album vents a lifetime's worth of bottled up neuroses and unresolved anger, in fervent defiance of their hometown's quiet reserve. With singer Bert McCracken schizophrenically flicking between the passive voice of reason and distraught screamer, their manic assault certainly doesn't pull any punches as they bitterly exorcise failed relationships via the likes of "Buried Myself Alive", which careers from mild mannered hurt, to jack hammer guitars and a blood curdling banshee wail of "If you want me back you're gonna have to ask nicer than that." For sure the stop/start, quiet/loud formula is as old as the hills, but they use it better than most. When they let loose and the screaming starts, the pain and anguish is palpable. Combine that with the huge, unshakable shout-along choruses of "The Taste of Ink", "Noise and Kisses" and "A Box Full of Sharp Objects" and the net result is joyously cathartic. --Dan Gennoe

Customer Reviews

AMAZING!
This album is one of my favorites. The Used have been one of my favorite bands for a while now and the first album I heard from them was In Love and Death (another amazing record). This album is raw and aggresive yet it has beautiful songs like Blue and Yellow and On My Own. Seen them live and they give an amazing performance and Bert's voice has got to be one of my favorites. all the songs sound different. my favorites have to be Say Days Ago (about bert taking meth, a lot of it's screaming but i thinks it's an amazing song.), Poetic Tragedy (took me a while to like the song. the lyrics are genius and overall great song), On My Own (a song Quinn wrote about feeling alone etc. i didn't like the screaming near the end of the song initially but i love it now) and of course Blue and Yellow (about Bert and Quinn's relationship. the colors representing the two of them and "it's all in how you mix the two". i love the bridge and chorus of the song. overall, beautiful song. completely different from the screaming and aggression but it fit's right in.)

this album is def. worth it.

Phenomenal!
i heard about the used from my friend, and she told me to check out a few of their songs. i instantly fell in love with them, especially blue and yellow, which is my favourite song in the world. its much less polished than in love and death and much more aggressive. and they're both going to stay two of my favourite albums for a very long time to come!

Absolutely fan-bloody-tastic
I make a point of borrowing the first CD of a band i think i'll like so i'll hear their less polished, older stuff before the newer, much more stuff, but it was completely different with the Used, unlike with other bands like My Chemical Romance. At first, my friend sent me to a site with the music video of All That I've Got and i liked it, i even remembered the tune completely the next day (which never happens). I planned to buy their first album, but a friend gave me her In Love and Death CD and i instantly fell in love with it, it was exactly what i like in music! The tunes were catchy, the lyrics powerful and the overall effect was mind-blowing. With that as the second album, i was even more curious to the first album, even more so when i saw a video of Buried Myself Alive and thought how good it was for a first album song. Upon getting it, i was completely shcoked hwo good the songs were for their first album and i loved it! Taste of Ink and Blue and Yellow are my faves, but the whole CD was just so inspiring and fantastic, i haven't been able to stop listening to it for two weeks! This is a fantastically rewarding CD, particularly if you loved their second album. Just like IN Love and Death, the tunes are catchy and the lyrics are beautiful. It's well worth it!!