Something to Write Home About

Get Up Kids

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 28, 1999)
• Original Release Date: September 28, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Vagrant Records
• ASIN: B00001SVM3
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (144 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #34,302 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Emocore, an especially melodic and angst-driven form of punk that emerged from Washington, D.C., in the mid to late '80s, is making a major comeback. So much so that it wouldn't be surprising to see the producers of Sesame Street release Emo with Elmo, featuring Grover, Kermit, and especially Oscar the Grouch covering songs by Embrace, Rites of Spring, and Soulside. Which brings us to the Get Up Kids, whose second album, Something to Write Home About, is nearly as engaging as one of those old Sesame sketches featuring sock-puppet Martians and a ringing telephone. Sonically the band combines ragged Superchunk-style vocals with buzzing, hook-filled guitars and chiming, new-wave keyboards. Lyrically, however, the Get Up Kids are pretty down, lamenting damaged relationships with lines like, "I'm seeing much clearer now / You're just a face that I've gotten over" ("Red Letter Day") and "It's like you're falling in love while I'm just falling apart" ("10 Minutes"). But however angry or dejected they might be, the Get Up Kids find something worth celebrating. Whether it's the energy of last night's heated argument or the bittersweet relief of severing ties, Something to Write Home About is all about getting up and moving on. --Jon Wiederhorn

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a keeper, January 7, 2000

By	Joel Desjardins (NH) - See all my reviews

something to write home about is without a doubt one of the finest albums of 1999. the kids follow-up to 4 minute mile is in my view a successful one, and although their musical maturity maybe not have come as far as we would have hoped, they more than make up for it with deep lyrics and happy go lucky guitar riffs. i have owned this album since its release date, and have been a fan of the kids since the woodson days, but after reading these posts, i feel obliged to comment on some other peoples posts. in particular, the ones about the kids selling out to a mainstream audience. god, almost all of these self titled "emo" kids are the same. find a band that makes good music, and the second other people outside of your "underground" clique start buying and listening to their cds, ditch them because theyve sold out. so prepare for it people, its not "cool" to like the get up kids anymore. lets all get on the promise ring till people start realizing their musical greatness, and then bash them. maybe we can do it to some other bands too, as long as me and my emo buddies are the only ones who like them, everything is a-ok. to summarize, buy this album for quality lyrics, infectious choruses, and more of the same for the kids; don't buy it if you want to fit in with the suave emo kids who will make fun of anyone who enjoys the cd of a sellout band. a penchant for the lesser known and a dislike for successful bands, or a great cd.... your call (if i could could give a 6th star, it would be for all the emo kids who don't like this review)

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I should be using this space to tell you how great this is.., January 9, 2000

By A Customer

but, I feel I must comment on something more important. And that is, yes, I am a sellout. This is the first "emo" album I've ever bought. And yes, I bought it at a MAJOR CHAIN record store! Yes, I am a fan of Limp Bizkit and KoRn. And most importantly, yes, I LOVE THIS ALBUM! Now, I know what you maladjusted, ready-to-turn-on-your-band- as-soon-as-some- "trendy" -kid-likes-them morons will say: This isn't half as good as (insert early to mid '90s release here). You'll say that they've changed. I'll agree, because that's what a band is supposed to do. Evolve, stay fresh, and most of all not get boring. And the Get Up Kids are far from boring. Sure, it's not innovative musically, and yes, it's unbelievably catchy. So what? It's still a rockin' album, and that is all that needs to be said. If you like music, you'll like this album. If you like complaining, you'll complain about this album. But if you're smart, you'll give it a listen.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stop categorizing and simply APPRECIATE music!, May 22, 2001

By	Hayley E. Galbraith (Fresno, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I get so sick of reading negative reviews whose only reason for disliking a c.d. is that it doesn't stay completely true to its "genre". Enjoy music for the sheer concept that art is being created by a group of individuals coming together to invent a gift for the listener. Now, with that being said, let me assure any weary would-be-future-owner of the Get Up Kids "Something to Write Home About" that a gift is definitely what you're getting. This, in my opinion, is one of the top three c.d.s in my collection. Each song is terrific in it's own unique way. The album contains different levels and emotions, never leaving one's musical sense unstimulated. From romantic, to raging, to relaxed, to reminisent, "Something..." has everything you could want in a c.d. plus a heart felt depth that anyone that's experienced any slice of real life can at least partially relate to. It's the kind of music that you can put on over and over again and enjoy as much as you did the year before. This album is an incredible effort on the part of the "kids" and absolutely a must-have! BRAVO!