Customer Reviews

From Under the Cork Tree

5 star:		(241)
4 star:		(99)
3 star:		(36)
2 star:		(31)
1 star:		(116)

 

 

about high school peer pressure.

I avoided this album for a long time. "Sugar We're Going Down" got a lot of airplay, but while I thought the song was catchy, I assumed it was just another crappy emo band. However, after "Dance Dance" and "A Little Less Sixteen Candles, A Little More Touch Me", I decided to get the album.

I am only a few months older than Pete, and a bit older than the other members, so I definately am well above the median age of FOB fans, but... their music is brilliant fun. Their music is not going to change the world, but who cares? I am not a fan of most of the "rock" that MTV plays these days, which is a reason I think that a lot of the alternative bands from the 90's who are still around have benefitted so well, but these guys are an exception.

For the younger fans. I am sure that "cool elitist" kids at your school make fun of you for liking this band, but look at it this way. When I was your age, I took crap all the time for listening to Weezer and Green Day by exactly the same type of kids who are picking apart FOB now... yet over a decade later, look who is still around? So just smile and nod and don't care about they say because everyone should be free to like what they want to like.

Fall Out Boy are masters at perfecting the art of pop-punk. The songs have good hooks, catchy melodies, smart lyrics(not necessarily thought-provoking or deep, but they've got some pretty good one-liners), and you can't deny the fact that the singer, Patrick Stump, has a great range. The Remix of Sugar We're Goin' Down is a little quieter, with a louder bass, and the Dance Dance remix has more of an electronic vibe.

Sure, pop-punk may just be a trend, but why not enjoy it while it lasts?

P.S. To the person who is bitching about what "punk rock" is - shut up. First of all, you obviously haven't heard anything from Fall Out Boy other than their singles, so you have no place to write a review on their albums. Second of all, Fall Out Boy have never called themselves punk, and they are not "posing" as a punk band. They are pop-punk and they know it. Name-dropping the Sex Pistols doesn't make you look any cooler, it just makes you look like a retarded, closed-minded elitist. And please, use punctuation. Your use of run-on sentences further proves yourself as a moron.

FOB outdid themselves with this one. I enjoyed Take This to Your Grave, but the songs on this album are much more catchy and enjoyable. I wasnt even a huge fan of their first album, but this one made me a hardcore FOB fan. First of all, I'd like to say that their use of lyrics are amazing. My favorites: "I keep my jealousy close cause its all mine, and if you say that makes you happy than I'm not the only one lying." Also, the infamous "Am I more than you bargained for yet?" Its so easy for so many people to relate to their songs. Many of their songs are about them being bitter at exes, although the style of music isnt exactly depressing either. I also love how every song is catchy. My favorite song on the album is "Dance, Dance," because it has amazing lyrics, and great drums and bass. Another favorite is "Nobody Puts Baby In the Corner," which I love way better than the acoustic version. Other favorites are "Champagne for my Real Friends..." and "XO." I LOVE pretty much every song on the album, and that rarely happens for me.

Second albums aren't always as good as first albums. You have you entire life to make the first one but only a year or so to make the second one. But this band has not let us down with From Under The Cork Tree.

Like TTTYG, there are no fillers on this CD. Any one of the 13 tracks could easily be a single or video.

Not only has Fall Out Boy earned their signing to a major label, they have proven that they will not compromise their artistic integrity (i.e. "sell out"). The sound of the second CD may be a little more polished and produced, but it is unmistakably Fall Out Boy. This is not a Simple Plan or Dashboard Confessional CD by any means.

Song-by-Song reviews:

1) Our Lawyer Made Us Change The Name Of This Song So We Wouldn't Get Sued - Great song to open the album with. The beginning sound effects (the camera clicking) sort of echos "Tell That Mick..." from TTTYG, but this is an entirely different (and much less angry) opening act. 9/10

2) Of All The Gin Joints In All The World - Not a filler by any means, but not my favorite on the album. 7/10

3) Dance Dance - Catchy and yes, danceable. 8/10

4) Sugar We're Going Down - One of my four favorites on the album. It's the obvious first single and hopefully the song that will break the band. 10/10

5) Nobody Puts Baby In The Corner - Excellent song. The full-band version rocks, but I do prefer the acoustic version. I think a better choice to be remade would have been "It's Not A Side Effect of Cocaine. I'm Thinking It Must Be Love." 9/10

6) I've Got A Dark Alley And A Bad Idea That Says You Should Shut Your Mouth - This is a big sudden left-turn for the band. It almost has a retro 80s Smiths/Morrissey sound. Very refreshing, very different. 10/10

7) 7 Minutes In Heaven - Good song, but like "Gin Joints" doesn't stand out quite as high as the rest. 8/10

8) Sophomore Slump or Comeback of the Year - Another good one. Great chorus, good hook. I think this one will definitely be a single. 9/10

9) Champagne For My Real Friends, Real Pain For My Sham Friends - Good song, but unfortunately the title is better. This one is not a stand-out either. 7/10

10) I Slept With Fall Out Boy And All I Got Was This Stupid Song Written About Me - I like this one. 8/10

11) A Little Less Sixteen Candles, A Little More 'Touch Me' - Another one of my favorites. I think this one is the "Grand Theft Autumn" of the album. It stays in your head hours after listening to it. 10/10

12) Get Busy Living Or Get Busy Dying (Do Your Part To Save The Scene And Stop Going To Shows) - I'm noticing alot of reviews mentioning this song as one of the weaker ones, but I absolutely love it. Pete sings a bit in this one and the poem read at the end is chilling. 10/10

13) XO - I'm wondering if this one is a sequel to "Tell That Mick...". The lyrics reference "I hoped you choked and crashed your car". It's a dark stalker anthem and very creepy. A perfect song to end the album with. 10/10

No one can deny the popularity of punk or emo music. It is a ubiquitous genre and has been for sometime. Being so ubiquitous, it is difficult to make the style different and unique. Fall Out Boy take the angst and the overall feel of punk/emo to the next level. Their first succesful move is to make their song titles very unique. You just don't see song titles with ten or more words today (unless you are alternative artists such as SUFJAN STEVENS, etc...). That already seperates Fall Out Boy from rival artists such as Simple Plan, Good Charlotte, etc.

Furthermore, Fall Out Boy experiments with different driving guitar riffs and rhythm. Their overall use of rhythm gives them as a band a very unique sound. "Sugar We're Going Down" is different from every other single today. It uses the typical emo/punk qualities, yet it is so non-mainstream compared to say Simple Plan's "SHUT UP" or Good Charlotte's "I Just Wanna Live". Also, Fall Out Boy's remainder of songs are all different and unique from the previous song, making the very short, but tight album work very efficiently.

My favorite tracks include "Our Lawyer Made Us Change The Name of This Song So We Wouldn't Get Sued", "Of All The Gin Joints In All The World", "Dance, Dance", "Sugar We're Going Down" (my personal favorite), "Sophomore Slump or Comeback of the Year", and "A Little Less Sixteen Candles, A Little More Touch Me". A well put together album with great production and a major amount of creativity. 4 stars easily, and more importantly, hopefully a Grammy nomination.

Okay, I just have to say this:

I've read a lot of the reviews on this CD, and I just have a lot to say about them. But before you insult me, saying that I don't know anything about anything, here it is:
For those of you who are saying that people should listen to Metallica, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and the whole nine yards instead of Fall Out Boy... I don't get you. What do Fall Out Boy have to do with any of those bands? I mean, I am definately not saying that Metallica, Maiden and all the rest suck, but people buy the Fall Out Boy CD because they like that kind of music. Some people like it when you can't understand the lyrics properly. But you can't go around comparing Fall Out Boy to Metallica or whatever. Some people like music from the 80's, some people like new music. I agree completely that Fall Out Boy are not punk in any way, seeing as it's completely dead, never to be ressurected, and that real punk is Sex Pistols, The Ramones, Black Flag, The Clash and all of them, but it doesn't make sense to tell someone "Listen to Metallica, not Fall Out Boy". Now I know that this is a review, and that you're supposed to write how you feel about the album, but by saying "This sucks, go listen to Maiden right NOW" you can't be serious. I'm sorry, I just don't get how you can compare the two.
Now I know this is meant to be a review of From Under The Cork Tree, and people will rate this low as hell, but it doesn't matter to me whether you rate it high or low, as long as you get what I'm saying.

P.S. The dude may have a hard to understand voice, but you have to admit, his sideburns rock.

For the life of me, I will never understand why the American public salivates over such mediocrity. There are tons of great musicians out there deserving of a wide audience, but 9 out of 10 times they are passed over in favor of such banal, humdrum, been-there-done-that pop/punk drivel.

The first entry in the realm of extremely poppy corporate punk was Green Day. They were somewhat irritating, but they were also catchy, at times even witty, and eventually they matured beyond the same tired arrangements and juvenile song topics. I wouldn't say Green Day evolved into something great, but at least now they're tolerable. The same, however, cannot be said of the bands that followed in their footsteps - among them, Blink 182, Sum 41, Bowling For Soup, Good Charlotte, Simple Plan, and the latest flavor of the month, Fall Out Boy.

What, if anything, sets Fall Out Boy apart from the rest of the pack? Well, I'll give them some credit for some imaginative song titles: "Champagne For My Real Friends, Real Pain For My Sham Friends", "I've Got A Dark Alley And A Bad Idea That Says You Should Shut Your Mouth (Summer Song)", etc. However, judging by what is heard on the CD (and this is a review of the CD, after all), one would be hard-pressed to find any differences whatsoever.

Let's see: Nasally, high-pitched singer? Check. Arrangements usually based on three or four chords? Check. Young, clean-shaven pretty boys with "look at me, aren't I cute" haircuts? Check. Songs that that almost exclusively are based upon the topics of love and/or sex? Check. This overwhelming cheesiness that permeates all the songs along with an irritating slick corporate pop sound? Check.

That's right. Fall Out Boy's latest, From Under The Cork Tree, offers up a sound that has been done to death - yet miraculously it still sells like hotcakes. Maybe it's a powerful record label, constant exposure from the mass media outlets, or maybe Fall Out Boy's fans (who are almost all either teen or preteen girls) are just suckers for a bunch of cute faces - who knows?

It's been said that the members of FOB were involved in other (perhaps more credible) metal and punk rock projects in the past - however, that doesn't lend any relevance whatsoever to what they're putting out now. There's also some that claim that FOB represent a parody of this tired genre, which I don't buy for a second - while there's hints of sarcasm and a decent line or two here and there, the vast majority of the wit is reserved for the song titles, and there's nothing that would indicate to me that FOB isn't COMPLETELY serious about their bubblegum pseudo-punk pop/rock. There's a surprising carnal undertone to it, but on the surface you could easily mistake "Dance, Dance" as being just a cheesy, sugary ode to dancing - most would play it at a junior high dance party or at Chuck E. Cheese without a second thought.

I also don't get the "emo" tag that this band receives. Are they emotional? Yes (but really, how many bands aren't to some extent?). Do they sound like other bands classified as "emo"? No - just listen to them and you'll see that they have far more in common with Simple Plan than Silverstein. Somehow, unlike SP and Bowling For Soup, this receives airplay on alternative radio, which is also baffling - FOB is clearly a band that just wants to sell records and top charts, and that's fine, but they don't belong on Alternative. They belong on the hit music stations with all the other mindless, trendy commercial junk.

In summary: Fall Out Boy are just another safe pop act that takes no chances. The songs are all relatively corny and most likely written in the hopes that they would score groupies because of them - and maybe they will, but hey ... 17 will get you 20. To give you an idea of how cheesy this band is, they even named one of their songs after a quote from Dirty Dancing ("Nobody Puts Baby In The Corner")! To that end, here's hoping that Fall Out Boy's fame lasts only 15 minutes, after which they will quickly "Dance" out of here! And I'm not looking for a waltz either - I'd much prefer a quick step.

I bought From Under the Cork Tree a week after it came out, not thinking it would be that great. It is the best cd I've heard all year and equally as great as Take This To Your Grave, and in some ways better.

1. Our Lawyer Made Us Change The Name Of This Song So We Wouldn't Get Sued : 8/10. Good song. No where near as good as Tell That Mick...(which happens to be my fave track on TTTYG). But it's definitely got a catchy chorus and some nice guitar.

2. Of All The Gin Joints In All The World...:10/10. Hands down the best song on the CD. It's got everything you'd expect from Fall Out Boy. It has a catchy chorus, captivating guitar, and is overall just a great piece of music.

3. Dance Dance: 9/10. Definitely a good one. The guitar I love. At first listen, the way the first verse is sung bugged me, but the more I listen the more I love.

4. Sugar We're Goin Down: 10/10: Excellent choice for a first single. The guitar and bass are a little louder on this one, and it works well. I absolutely love the 2nd verse with the piano in it and the drums at the very start.

5. Nobody Puts Baby In The Corner: 9/10 I have to say I do like the acoustic version better, but that's not to say this one isn't good as well. It does the original one justice.

6. I've Got A Dark Alley And A Bad Idea That Says You Should Shut Your Mouth (Summer Song): 7/10. Good gosh. On my first few listens of this song I could not stand this song. I used to hate the way Patrick's voice sounded. I'm still not totally over it, but I like the way the lyrics are on this one and it's actually a pretty good song.

7. 7 Minutes In Heaven (Atavan Halen): 10/10. Very very good song. The guitar solo is probably the most unique I've ever heard from Fall Out Boy and from start to finish it's a song that keeps your ears tuned in.

8. Sophmore Slump Or Comeback Of The Year: 9/10 The intro is a bit boring, but the lyrics make up for it. "The best part of believe is the lie" is the coolest lyric in it for sure. Steady chorus and a good beat.

9. Champagne For My Real Friends, Real Pain For My Sham Friends
6/10. For me, this is definitely the lowest point in the album. One of the few songs I don't like too much. Nothing too particularly exciting about this one. I love the title, just wish the song was the same for me.

10. I Slept With Someone In Fall Out Boy And All I Got Was This Stupid Song Written About Me: 8/10 This one has some deep lyrics and overall I enjoy it much. The fact that Chad Gilbert from New Found Glory does some backing vocals for it only helps it be better.

11. A Little Less Sixteen Candles, A Little More "Touch Me": 10/10 This one is for sure the most poppy and catchy song on the album. I agree with some that say it sounds quite a bit like Grand Theft Autumn. In any case, it's a fast, fun song from start to finish and the lyrics are fantastic.

12. Get Busy Living Or Get Busy Dying (Do Your Part To Save The Scene And Stop Going To Shows): 8/10 Probably the most dark and melancholy song I've heard from Fall Out Boy. When I first heard it, it weirded me out, especially the poem/talking at the end. But like a couple other songs on this CD, the more I heard it the more I liked the direction they went with this song.

13. XO: 10/10 I never really listened to this one at first, mostly becuase it was at the end of the record. But now it reminds me a lot of a My Chemical Romance song, which I like about this one. The lyrics are good at catching your attention ,and the "loose lips sink ships" part is absolutely incredible.

What else can I say? From Under the Cork Tree is a landmark record for Fall Out Boy. A lot of people talk about a sophomore CD being the toughest and sometimes worst effort from a band. And it really is tuff. Fall Out Boy picked an incredible way to get themselves in the steroes and heads of people all across the country. I get sick of people that expect a follow up CD to sound exactly the same as the one before it.(i.e. Take This To Your Grave and From Under the Cork Tree) That's the beauty of music from good bands: it's always changing and improving. This CD is a breakthrough and overall success. Once you start listening to it, you'll never stop.

I've have pretty much every emo/punk/screamo band's album. And I'm not being sarcastic, about 10 gigs of my 25 gigabytes of music is emo/screamo/punk. I've listened to at least 3 songs of every band, and I pass up all the bad ones, and listen to the ones worth listening to. When I got my first Fall Out Boy album (TTTYG), I listened to it like any other album, and... wow. I don't know what it was, but I was in shock at how good it was.

I'm a fan of emo/screamo, punk (the real stuff - Sex Pistols, NOFX etc), and metal. Fall Out Boy is pop-punk, with metal influences. The lyrics can be dark, while the melody is fast-paced and energetic (but possilbly in minor). Drums are heavier than normal emo, the screaming really isn't emo-style, it's not as high-pitched, the guitars and music parts are metal-sounding, bass parts can be pounding, and there's a very very cool but subtle death metal solo in the background in I Slept With Someone.

Patrick is an amazing vocalist as well, with amazing range and a flexible voice. I've heard that they are also an excellent live band, but I was on vacation in China when they went to Pittsburgh with Warped Tour, so unfortunately, I am unable to witness them live.

Highlights in this album include I Slept With Someone In FOB, Dance, Dance, and XO, but all the songs on this album are excellent.

Fall Out Boy also has a very enthusiastic fan base, and I'm proud to say that 1) I'm in it, and 2) they deserve it.

Letsee here:
Shrieky vocals? Yep.
Guitar? Yep.
Drums? Yep.
Talent/Songwriting skills? Nope.

I'm sick of teenage girls who say (and this is exactly what a dramatization would be):
"Like, OMFG! FOB is SOOOO hott! That Patrick is SOOO sexy! And OMFG! Isn't Pete Wentz GORGEOUS?!
Signed, Mrs. Pete Wentz"
They've heard ONE song, and they claim to be "hard-core". You know what? You aren't. Van Halen is hard-core. Led Zeppelin is hard-core. Poison is hard-core. Alice Cooper is hard-core. ANYTHING is hard-core compared to these dumbkuffs. So, if I were you, I would spend 13 bucks on something else, like something by any of the REALLY hard-core artists listed above, or something not even in the rock genre (i.e. Madonna or Jewel, who is a better songwriter than Pete Wench or Patrick Frump) if you think this is a "refreshing change" from hard/alt rock.