Customer Reviews

History For Sale

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I first heard of Blue October when my local radio station began to play "Calling You" a few years ago. On first couple of listens, I liked it but thought it was a bit sappy. I didn't know if I would be interested in listening to them as a whole CD. Recently, "Hate Me" from their new CD coming out next week has been on the radio and I really dug it. It was definitely painful and was a lot different from Calling You. I decided maybe I should check out "History for Sale." I'm glad I did.

"History for Sale" is not a very happy album in spots. It's full of pain, both present and past, and creates a very melancholy tone which is helped along with occaisonal string instruments. For instance, the CD begins with "Ugly Side" which is a perfect opener for the CD. It brings up the thought of not wanting your significant other to know the bad parts of your life as he sings, "I only want you to see / My favorite part of me, / And not my ugly side." The rest of the CD doesn't hide the ugly side. It shows life, warts and all.

On songs like "Razorblade," we see the death of innocence as people we should be able to trust let us down, "I freaked out, thinking people didn't love." Even in songs that are optimistic, there's this feeling that the singer/song-writer is afraid of trusting too much, of putting himself out there.

Some might write it off as melodramatic drivel, I suppose, but for me, the fact that singer Justin is being blatantly honest the music is more interesting, open and honest than other rock/pop rock out there. Which brings me back to Calling You. Like I said, when I first heard this, I thought it was catchy but sappy. But after "History for Sale" ends with an accoustic rendition of Calling You, what was originally sappy (and possibly a tiny bit stalkerish) instead has become an ode to a relationship that has gotten him above all the sh*t in his life that came before. It's a bright side, something to hang onto, to give the rest of what he's singing about a context.

This is an excellent cd. I listen to it in my car, my home, and at work. Blue October continues to amaze me. Justin's lyrics have the personal touch that many can relate to. This is just one more stepping stone in the guaranteed famous works of this band.

There is no reason to pay $25, $50, $100 or $200 for this CD. You can buy it from the band's website for $15.00

This is a phenomenal CD. I first recieve FOILED for Christmas, and it became my favorite CD, so I bought History For Sale a little bit ago. It has barely left my CD Player. The wistful and almost ashamed songs such as "Ugly Side" and "Amazing are so sweet and bittersweet. My favorites have to be both versions (norm and acoustic) of "Calling You" and "Inner Glow" both of which are wonderful songs with good beats. Calling You has to be one of the most sweet, almost-stalkerish-in-a-way-we-all-feel songs I've ever heard with a wonderful, contagious beat. Inner glow just molds itself to your brain. Blue October seems a little more raucous in this CD compared to Foiled, such as "Razorblade" and I think it's title is "Somebody". "Come in Closer" is beautiful both in it's simplicity and longing. Overall it is a wonderful, wonderful CD, the clean version is worth the extra dollars, I wish they had replaced some of the words, but compared to other CDs the f-word is blocked out better. If you're a fan of Blue October and want a slightly cleaner version (they swear much more in this CD than in FOILED), this is a great choice. Hope you take my advice and buy!