How It Feels to Be Something on

Sunny Day Real Estate | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 22, 1998)
• Original Release Date: September 22, 1998
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sub Pop
• ASIN: B00000C3ZQ
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (75 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #93,450 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Indispensable work of art., August 3, 2004

By 

Jason "Hastaj00" (CaLiFoRNIA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: How It Feels to Be Something on (Audio CD)

If you go back and look at some of the reviews here glowing with praise, you'll have a good idea of how good "How it Feels to Be Something On" really is. All I can do is add my two cents to the collective whole and hope it encourages anyone and everyone who is undecided about buying such an album to, well, do so.

Sunny Day Real Estate is one of my favorite bands. I have enjoyed every one of their releases considerably, and it's a shame that they aren't marked as one of the better or more popular bands of the 90's. Began with "Diary", went along with "LP2", skipped to "The Rising Tide", and came back to "How it Feels"; saved the best for last, I guess.

Hmmm, where to start. "Pillars" is an absolutely stunning, restrained composition that is laboriously constructed and beautifully hypnotic. The climax comes around 3:13 in a breathtaking combination of instrument and vocal that is nothing less than euphoric. Absolutely haunting. Roses.... OK, I'm going to refrain from fanatically describing each and every song. I can do that. I can -- really. Hmm...

I'm pondering the thought of exactly "why" this album is Sunny Day's strongest -- or, for that matter, one of the strongest albums I own period -- and I'm not really coming up with a satisfiable answer. It is, without question, the slowest, the most introspective, and the least "rocking" of the band's four studio releases, and upon very first listen, might not knock you flat like "Diary" or even "The Rising Tide". That said, it inevitably burrowed itself deep within my mind -- my soul -- and I swear to God, everytime I listen to it, it's pure joy. I don't know what else to say.

I really did get a kick out of reading the past reviews for this album here, as there were some really great ones. One, in particular, went on about how a work of art is not merely an external object, but can, very much, be a piece of yourself. It's a reflection, a representation, of you. That review inparticular really connected with me, because it is exactly how I feel with this album. If I recommend this album to someone, I will do it with all my heart, and know that I'm in fact sharing a deep part of my very self with them at that.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars sunny day is the bestest band in the whole wide world!, October 18, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: How It Feels to Be Something on (Audio CD)

this record is the finest masterpiece ever. the most cryptic, caressing lyrics brought to you by the finest voice in all the land and drums impossible not beat along with in the air. these guys are the kings of the underground, coming soon to a major label near you, and they deserve it. i don't know what else to say- how can perfection be described?

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Masterpiece ****1/2, November 1, 2005

By 

JWKrappy New Year "jwk" (Dallas, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How It Feels to Be Something on (Audio CD)

SDRE is a two sided coin. The first side encompasses their first two albums; raw, bleeding-heart, tortured, love-obsessed, low-fi. The flipside represents the latter half of their albums; grandiose, poetic, sweeping, accomplished, passionate. Both sides have a common theme; emotion.

The first album after the band's break, "How It Feels to be Something On," stands as their most accomplished and possibly best album. Jeremy's vocals have improved. His lyrics: more thematic. Surprisingly, the band sounds tighter than they ever did during their emo-pioneer days. They introduce their progressive rock roots here, as well, something they had only previously hinted. As a result, the album plays very much like a rock opera. If the song lyrics were linked by a story, it could rank with "Tommy" and "The Wall" as one of the great concept albums. Regardless, it still FEELS like a concept album and as a result, requires some attention.

The arena ready opener "Pillars" reintroduces us to the band. And the progressivness of "100 million" and the mid-Eastern tinged "Roses in Water" reveal the band's new game plan. Though lyrically not as Christian-based as LP2, Jeremy is still obviously influenced by religion on the aforementioned "Roses" and "Prophet." There are a few tunes that sound like first era leftovers (Days Were Golden and Two Promises) but the band had never really branched out in this way before. They even attempt what can only be described as a break-out-your-lighters acoustic ballad with "Every Shining Time You Arrive." Taken as a whole the album is amazing. Oddly, the band sounds ready for stadiums, even though radio-friendly songs like "8" and "In Circles" are nowhere to be found. But that's a small quibble. The album is great.

Overall: 9 out of 10.