Customer Reviews

Legend of Chin

5 star:		(44)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

First off, Switchfoot is my favorite band and I love them to death but i had my doubts that this CD (being their very first album) wouldn't be as awesome as the rest of their records. So Not True!! This is definitely one of my favorite CD's that i own! It's almost as good as "The Beautiful Letdown", which in my mind, is perfect! The songs like "Chem 6A" and "Edge of my Seat" are great catchy and punky songs, but there are some really pretty songs on here too such as "You" and "Don't be there". Switchfoot sounds very mature for their age, they made this album back in 1996! They sound just as good as they do now! I would definitely recommend this CD (as well as "The beautiful Letdown" for new fans of Switchfoot. It's totally worth buying, trust me!!

Honestly, this is my favorite cd of all time. A friend of mine bought it at this Christian bookstore. We were playing it in his car and when it finished, I remember thinking there were no mediocre songs. From start to finish every song was great. The first four songs are just fun pop songs like Chem 6A (this song is my inner monologue from college). Home, You, and Don't Be There are more melancholy but very moving ballads. I love how Switchfoot songs can encourage any listener to think. My favorite thing about Switchfoot and this album in particular is the way that they present their message. This is a christian band but they don't try and cram anything down your throat. They simply ask the questions that you probably ask yourself daily and turn around and hint at the answer (check out Life and Love And Why if you've ever wondered about the meaning of life). Christian or not buy this album, you won't regret it.

Ever since I heard the guitar licks of "Chem 6A" I couldn't shake the sound of Switchfoot's album, "The Legend of Chin." It amazes me how one trio can raise so many difficult questions about life (cf., "You": "there's always something in the way, there's always something getting through... it's not me, it's You"), love (cf., "Ode to Chin": "life's more than girls, God's more than words, you're more than this") and God (cf., "Home": "it's a long way from the shadows in my cave [Plato] up to Your reality"). Acoustic interludes to electric flight make this album interesting and enriching. In one phrase, "A real emotional and intellectual rollercoaster."

ALong

Switchfoot is so awesome today because of the incredible start they got with this album. This album is filled with catchy, memorable tunes. All of Switchfoot's albums are must-haves, and this is no exception. From the first song to the last, this CD is very enjoyable. While this isn't the best Switchfoot album (that would be New Way to Be Human), it is still an excellent CD. It has a couple weaker points, but by and large it is a wonderful CD. Several of the overall best Switchfoot songs are on this debut CD, including Chem 6A, Life and Love and Why, and Might Have Ben Hur. There are also several other songs that would be considered if you were making a greatest hits CD (a very hard task indeed). This CD does have a slightly different sound than the others, but it is still just as catchy and enjoyable. Overall, this is a fine CD that is more than worthy of purchase.

I gotta say that driving down the road in high school listening to The Legend Of Chin was as good as it gets. People say that this CD has a different sound and so it isn't as good or something. Don't listen to them, in fact don't associate with them (that was a ill attempt at a joke). These tunes got me through heartaches and kept me encouraged in the great times. Home is by far my favorite song with Concrete Girl and Life and Love and Why coming quickly behind. Hope you enjoy as much as I have.

I remember when I first got this CD. I'd ordered it on a whim, having never heard them before. They'd just put it out, a new band. I was in this weird mode where I was mass-ordering CDs by bands I'd never listened to (and in most cases, never even heard of) before. Some were a waste of money, some have stuck with me to this day. Switchfoot is most definately one that stuck, and with a vengeance. They've never put out a single album that I haven't bought and enjoyed thoroughly, and I still listen to each and every one of them, including their first--"The Legend of Chin".

Even from the get-go, you knew Switchfoot was gonna be something special, and if they hadn't put out another album after this one I would have been shocked and disappointed. For a debut, it is above and beyond what you normally get from new bands. There isn't one song on this album that I don't like, not one that isn't catchy, not one I can't relate to. Well-written and sung lyrics, well-written and performed music, they're tight and polished even this early, and they only got better with time.

This isn't my favorite album by them, but don't let that spoil your perception of this review. "New Way To Be Human" (their second release) is quite possibly my favorite, with their newest "The Beautiful Letdown" close behind, but like I said, I enjoy ALL of their albums immensely. Their newfound mainstream appeal has opened the eyes of a lot of new fans, and it's a shame that many don't even realize that Switchfoot has three other incredible albums before "Beautiful Letdown"! If you've heard their new work and haven't discovered their earlier releases yet, do yourself a favor and buy a piece of music history. I've been enjoying them for many years, I hate to think that people have only been enlightened for a mere fraction of Switchfoot's blessed career!

and you'll be hooked. Following along with the lyric sheet will make you fall in love with it even faster. I have lots of Christian alt-rock, and in my opinion Switchfoot stands head and shoulders above the rest. Before my spiritual awakening, I listened to secular alt-rock, and frankly, many Christian alt-rock bands don't measure up to the edginess and creativity of the secular stuff - but Switchfoot does. Both the music and the lyrics are awesome. The CD is well-balanced with a good mix of fast and slow songs. For me, the slower songs are the heart of the CD - acoustic gems with exceptional lyrics. You'll find no preachiness here, just honest, thought-provoking lyrics that come from the heart. I love all of them - Home, You, and Don't Be There. All the tracks have great, catchy melodies - a stand out faster song for me is Life and Love and Why. My only complaint is that the song should have been longer. I usually wind up playing it 2 times in a row to get my fill. If you buy this CD, listen to it enough times to give it a chance to grow on you, you'll be glad you did. Then go out and buy their other CDs too!

This album is one of the best albums ever by the best band. it is packed full of their unique style and clever lyrics. It is a great choice for a gift for a friend, relative, or youself. I hope that you enjoy it and buy thier new album, A New Way To Be Human.

While the title may confuse some, the reason that Switchfoot got off to such a great start confuses no one the second you hit play on this, their debut record.
"The Legend of Chin", like all of Switchfoot's other albums, has vast musical variety in it's writing and performances. "Bomb" displays John Foreman's scatchy side as he belts out notes you didn't think possible of the frontman. For catchy measure, throw in a little "Chem 6A" and "Might Have Ben Hur", cute songs written to be etched in your mind all day. While some songs are a little less interesting than others such as "Underwater" and "Concrete Girl", for the most part Switchfoot can do no wrong, especially when they make it to the ballads of this record, "You" and "Don't Be There", two songs that were destined for greatness, but not allowed as much. Whatever track you choose to listen to, you are enjoying the genuis that is Switchfoot, and the lovable energy and playfulness of Jonathan Forman's deepest thoughts, and even the loving and resentful side of him. At any rate, it's a wonderful album.

All the songs on the legend of chin are awesome. My personal favorite is Chem 6a. It talks about graduation and what he can do with his life but doesnt because hes to lazy. well it just reminds me of my friend Geoff and when we would go to the beach and he was the one that got me into Switchfoot. he showed me a song (chem 6a) and i fell right in love with this awesome band. all the songs just make you feel like you have a hole in your heart or something and it just feels it right up. its an awesome CD to set memories to. get the CD and i garantee you will have no regret, even if your not into christian bands, its still an awsome clean CD.