Customer Reviews

The Beautiful Letdown

5 star:		(87)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Can a rock band change the world? If there is ever a band that is making an effort, it is Switchfoot. The message of their music is positive and engaging, spiritual and uplifting, and never dull.

And now, by the Track:

#1. Meant To Live - Great entry into the song. Hard guitar licks and drums are solid - a little unique actually. Great lyrics that really make the listener think about how messed up things can be when we walk without direction.

#2. This Is Your Life - Strange entry that just proves the band is not one-dimensional. The lyrics in this song are a wake-up call for everyone who is not living life to the fullest. We can't go back and correct our mistakes, but we can change...today...now. It isn't easy to realize our faults and change our attitude. Are you who you want to be?

#3. More Than Fine - Catchy little tune. Not as gritty as some of the other songs on the CD, but still good. I've heard this song a lot, as the Christian radio staion in our area plays this song quite a bit. We should never settle for "just fine". People need to reach for the best they can deliver.

#4. Ammunition - A little rough around the edges. A little too fast. Sounds like the Muppets doing a Steven Curtis Chapman song. :-)

#5. Dare You To Move Me - Wow! I am a big soccer fan. Imagine how cool it was to tune in to the MLS Cup Championship and see these disciples of Christ playing this song at half time. A touch of heaven indeed. Jesus, Rock music, and soccer! This song is so good, my review could only drag it down - so just listen to it...LOUD!

#6. Redemption - Okay stuff. Some of the singing seems forced and doesn't flow as well as most of Switchfoot's creations. Still better than a lot of stuff out there.

#7. The Beautiful Letdown - Slow, slightly strange, and a little dreary entry, followed by some strange musical change-ups that show this band is not going to be stuck in a box and made to stay there. This song gets better as it goes, and it carries such a wonderful message of hope...hope when we are at the end of our rope - the end of what society (but not the Lord) deems worthy.

#8. Gone - I have to believe my daughters have listened to this song one-thousand times or more! This song is very catchy and fun. They even managed to get Frank Sinatra and Elvis in on this one. Some songs really just flow out like they always existed and were just waiting for someone to find them...this reminds me of one of those songs.

#9. On Fire - Slow song dealing with how we feel inside, and can anyone really understand what we feel inside our own heads. There is indeed One who understands our mysteries - even more than we can understand or comprehend His mysteries.

#10. Adding To The Noise - Choppy, forced, and maybe not ready for this CD. Interesting lyrics about life today, though.

#11. Twenty-Four - Haven't made up my mind about this one yet. I basically have no opinion on this song because I need to listen to it a few more times to decide if I like it or not. Sorry to any possible buyers who may now be delayed in making a choice. :-) Maybe I'll update this when I figure out what I think about this one...

Overall - an excellent CD!

See ya next review.

Well first off I would like to say, that if you haven't listend to Switchfoot's new CD get started because you don't know what you're missin' out on guys, they play great music ,they can rock out and have a good time and also send a positive message through all of their songs( I mean every single song on the album)and I am pretty sure that everyone who owns the album can most certainly agree with me!? They are great role models for teenagers or anybody of any age. To me , I ,personally, think that they will never be a " One Hit Wonder", they'll be out for many years to come. And they have great "thinking" music. They are something to listen too, I'll tell ya'll that much!

Excellent album! Many other artists' albums I have bought only have one or two good songs, but Beautiful Letdown is EXCELLENT! Every single song has a deeper meanings and great music, great singing. I can't believe Switchfoot isn't already a household name. I hope that they will get the recognition they deserve. My favorite songs from the album: Meant to Live, This is Your Life, Dare You to Move, Redemption.

I purchased this album after hearing and enjoying "Meant To Live" and was not disappointed by the rest of the album at all. Every song is good, although there are definitely some standouts. Of course, one of these is the first single "Meant To Live" with its rock vibe and catcchy chorus and the same thing can be said about the second single "Dare You To Move." Other strong, single-worthy songs include "More Than Fine" and the title track. However, my favorite is the ballad "On Fire" which is rather lyrically bland, but a pretty darn rock bqllad anyways. "Adding to the Noise" is also a strong track.

Highly recommended album! It's a pretty decent cure to the other horrible hip hop dominated music right now. It's cool to see poitivity-driven music getting attention. Kudos to Switchfoot!

Switchfoot's latest release of their fourth album, "The Beautiful Letdown", is as good as the original release with an illustrative DVD to provide a glance into what makes the music. The album is a beautiful collection of songs that both show a realization of how short, precious, and fulfilling lfe is, and at the same time express the urgency with which we need to live it. The songs are passionate and real. This is a band that after three previous albums secured a loyal fanbase, but a small one. Their latest effort portrays the feeling of anxiousness, that this may be their last shot to make it big and that if their going to do it they have to "live like no tomorrow". With such raw vulnerability and passion so boldly displayed in "The Beautiful Letdown", they finally landed big.

The band members have love for Jesus, but they don't beat you over the head with it. Their faith strengthens their views of what life is, but it isn't the only thing that motivates them to write about it, making it easy for strong believers and non-believers alike to appreciate the harmony they write about.

Finally, the album can speak to all of us, but to the high school/ college students most of all. The messages that "Today will soon be gone", "This is your life", "We want more than this world has to offer", and that we are "Dared to move" give life to the feelings that so many high school graduates have. Those messages also put to rest the fears that our youth and our fun stops at graduation, so long as we continue to "Live like no tomorrow" and "Pick ourselves up off the floor", as noted in "Gone" and the band's best work ever, "Dare You to Move" (previously released on "Learning to Breathe").

This album is an uplifting, passionate, and hope-filled work of art. It is an absoulute must-own

Corrected Track list follows:

1. Meant To Live
2. Beautiful Letdown
3. Ammunition
4. More Than Fine
5. Dare You To Move
6. Gone
7. This Is Your Life
8. Monday Comes Around
9. Adding To The Noise
10. On Fire
11. Redemption Side
12. Twenty-Four

The Bonus DVD includes:

Bonus Limited Edition DVD Features:
- Dare You To Move (Video)
- Behind-The-Scenes Interviews/Making Of "Dare You To Move" video (Never Been Released)
- On Fire (Acoustic Performance/Previously Unreleased)
- Switchfootage (Video/Never Been Released To Retail)
- Monday Comes Around (Audio Only/Never Been Released)
- Meant To Live (Live Version/Audio Only/Previously Unreleased)

Note that Track 11 "Redemption Side" is not the same as Switchfoot's track "Redemption" on the original release of Beautiful Letdown, URL: http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000089IYW/.

These are in fact two quite different tracks.

Switchfoot is the best band ever!! I first heard Dare you to move on a T.V show and had to get there cd. When I listened to the cd I immediately loved every song. With in two weeks I had bought all of Switchfoots other Cd's. They are all so good. You should definately buy this cd and all of Swithfoots other albums: New way to be human, Learning to Breath and Ode to chin.THEY ROCK!!!!!!!!!

Wow is this CD incredible! Not only does it have the hit single "meant to live" but it has one of my favorite switchfoot songs, "dare you to move" re-recorded, so it's alot crisper. But what I love most about this album is that is has sooo many cool extras like a never before released track "monday comes around" and it also has cool DVD clips to watch! All in all, this is the most fantastic CD purchase I've ever made.

This CD is so worth getting just for the best songs 'Dare You to Move' 'This Is Your Life' 'More Than Fine' and 'Gone'. My local radio station only played the those so I didn't get to hear the other ones until I got this CD. 'Ammunition', 'Beautiful Letdown', and 'Adding to the Noise' are all really good too.
The best part about the songs on this CD is that you can play them over and over again without getting tired of them. I listened to them all the time and still enjoy them now as much as I did at the beggining.

For once i found a CD where i love every single song. This album is perfect and is definately an improvement from the first albums, even though they still are pretty good. I wonder what there next album will be like?!?