Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very Cool Debut from Blue October, July 28, 2004
I recently heard Blue October for the first time when they opened for Concrete Blonde at the Trocadero and was very impressed by what I heard. At first, I thought may sound somewhat like the many emo/modern rock bands out there. But they have an energy & an edge that many of their comtemporaries who I hear on the radio lack. They sound amazing live - I actually bought both CDs, this and their new CD, History For Sale, after hearing them for 20 minutes. I agree with the many reviewers who compare them to a mix of Live, Pearl Jam, a midwest Peter Gabriel, and elements of Dave Matthews Band (that's because of incorporation of violin into the sound, but they're not really jammers like DMB). My favorites are Balance Beam and Drop, but every song is strong. Maybe a little too similar sounding (which is why I would give it 4 1/2 stars if I could), but a lot better than most of the dreck out there. Again, another example of a great band who you never hear. Check Consent For Treatment out - it won't disappoint.
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13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best albums I own, April 20, 2004
This is a must own CD. I first heard Blue October live in 1999 and bought this album the day it was released. I listened to it so much that I wore out the CD and have had to buy two more copies since.Blue October is one of the best bands in existence, and Consent to Treatment is their best album in my opinion (see also The Answers and History For Sale) Fans of Dave Matthews, Incubus, Pearl Jam, Smashing Pumpkins, Third Eye Blind, Matchbox 20, R.E.M., The Cure, Peter Gabriel, Idaho, Nirvana, and Elliot Smith will love this CD. Everyone I have ever introduced to Blue October's music has instantly fallen in love with it. Blue October is an outstanding rock band (think Pearl Jam, Nirvana) with an extremely charismatic and talented singer/lyricist and a ferrocious fiddle player to spice up an already delightful sound. As good as this album is, it pales in comparison to hearing Blue October perform live. I strongly recommend buying this album, listening to it a lot, and visiting http://www.blueoctober.com to see when this wonderful band will be playing in your city. You'll be glad you did.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"I haven't felt this way since 1993"..., November 27, 2006
As time passes, change in everything is inevitable, and depending on the individual, those changes can be good or bad. While I enjoy a great deal of the music that's popular today, it just doesn't seem to have the mystique of what I loved when I was growing up in the early 90s. Now, it's always natural to be more attached to the music of your youth, but it just seems like today's bands overall don't have the kind of ingenuity that they used to, at least not in the mainstream anyway. But, there are always exceptions, and that's where Blue October come in.
These guys are one of the few from the past 10 years that not only retain the same kind of feel of early 90's rock, but also manage to be creative, distinctive, and original. To date, they've done three albums, all of which are excellent, and provide their own unique experience. This, the band's debut, shows that like many great bands, they started out strong.
Aside from the somewhat cheesy spoken-word intro, the album starts off strong with the odd, offbeat "Independently Happy", and never misses a step from there. "James" is one of the band's angriest tracks, with vitriolic vocals and acid-washed jams. "Breakfast After Ten" was the album's "hit" (it was played here, but apparently nowhere else), and is equally snarky and vicious (mandatory listening for every bad breakup). "Holler" is a foot-stomping rocker with scorching violin solos, coming off a bit like the Dave Matthews Band on steroids. "HRSA" is hugely catchy and emotional, undoubtedly one of the band's best songs. "Schizophrenia" is a tasty throwback to early 90s alt rock, and could almost pass for a lost REM song, and "Drop" brilliantly melds driving hard rock verses with a dreamy melodic chorus (one of my favorite choruses ever, in fact). "The Answer" ends the album on a dark and moody note, with a creepy vocal performance that brings Jim Morrison to mind. Lots of diversity as always, and the songwriting is honest, creative, and fantastic. And of course, Justin's powerful, distinctive vocals add the perfect touch.
Overall, a strong start from an extremely talented band. It's great to see them finally getting some recognition with "Foiled", but for those you that discovered them through that album, they were around a while before then, and they were just as great. This particular album is a bit more raw and experimental than their newer stuff, but for the most part everything anyone could like about "Foiled" is present here as well. Buy all their stuff, and go see them live, for they put on a killer show. Best band to ever come out of Texas, in my opinion.
(Oh, and for the third time, Justin Furstenfeld is the coolest name ever.)
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