Artwork [LIMITED EDITION]

The Used

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 31, 2009)
• Original Release Date: September 1, 2009
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Limited Edition
• Label: Reprise Records
• ASIN: B002H3ET6E
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,088 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Blood on my Hands

2. Empty With You

3. Born to Quit

4. Kissing You Goodbye

5. Sold My Soul

6. Watered Down

7. On the Cross

8. Come Undone

9. Meant to Die

10. The Best of Me

See all 11 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. DVD containing behind the scenes, making of the album and exclusive interviews.

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Limited Edition contains a bonus DVD with behind the scenes, making of the album and exclusive interviews. The Used, whose last album, 2007's Lies For the Liars, debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard Top 200, spent the first half of 2008 in LA exploring and refining tangential riffs and melodies into a scattering of songs that contained a surprisingly cohesive sensibility. The band members dubbed the music they were writing 'gross pop,' their own new genre of hook-laden numbers that pushed the boundaries of what defines the extreme simplicity and indescribable complexity of rock music.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Strong. Interesting., September 3, 2009

By	John Dewees "gnomelicense" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

When I first heard that The Used had switched from long time producer John Feldmann, (who had his hand in every Used record prior) to Matt Squire, (Boys Like Girls, All Time Low) I didn't know what to think. It would increase the chance of having a truly different Used album, but is that really for the best? A different sound from them? After their previous two albums, (Lies For The Liars, Shallow Believer) things started getting a little strange, and the lyrics felt tacked on with not much heart. Wanting the band to try again with Feldmann, maybe the better move really was to move on.

So is it different? Yes. It is.

It has a much slower, deep and dark sound. The bass lines that were once just accents are now in the forefront of the mix, and are incredibly crunchy. Their gainy guitar riffs now take on a messier tone - melodies range from the standard progressions to the truly unique, with a lot of interesting sounds you've come to expect - yes, everything you've come to expect - but the "feeling" they present is much different. It's like if you took their sound off a beach resort and threw into the middle of an earthquake - everything sounds more dangerous.

The songs themselves are a mixed bag. None of them are bad by any means, but some of the chorus's are overly complex and don't "stick",(The Best Of Me, On The Cross) and there are those that are simple and infectious that never leave you alone, (Empty With You, Born To Quit). The lyrics no longer sound forced and silly as they did on Lies for the Liars. Bert's vocals range from clean to dirty, with only a few screams in maybe two of the songs - but he sounds great! The vocal performances recreate that energy and passion from the self titled and In Love and Death releases.
Even on the weaker tracks, the songs are always interesting and the effort they put into them really shows.

In the end, this new collection is very solid and puts the band back in good light. Used fans and new fans shouldn't be disappointed. This IS a different record, but in the best of ways.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Is this "In Love and Death 2"?, September 3, 2009

By	Weston C. Brice (Tucson, AZ USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Remember that tried-and-true Used formula? Intricate little intro, verse, building crescendo to a loud chorus, repeat... Well it's all too structured on this album. Every song follows this formula, and the end product doesn't end up as ripe or tasty as "In Love and Death", so it honestly sounds to me like tracks that didn't make it.

As much as I didn't personally enjoy "Lies for the Liars" for it's songwriting, I did applaud them for trying stuff out, like the use of horns and some neat little guitar work (see "With Me Tonight"). It was a good effort on their part, and songs like "Earthquake" and "Pretty Handsome Awkward" were to "Lies" what "A Box Full of Sharp Objects" and "The Taste of Ink" were to their self-titled.

Overall, none of the songs stand out the way some of their other tracks have over the years. The beginning of "Blood On My Hands" is promising, but ends up with the same emo-kid lyrics ("I hate to say that I told you so, but I told you so") and chord progression that has always been there. Another song that made me hopeful was "Sold My Soul", but the track ends with a melancholy piano bit, which ultimately ruins it.

Overall, this is the Used. It's just not the Used I love and scream along with.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars I Blame Matt Squire., September 5, 2009

By	Matt Poole "Prying Open Your Third Eye" (Louisville, KY USA) - See all my reviews

The Used have changed producers for this album, as I'm sure some of you know. In doing so, they left the emotional rawness of their prior music (especially vocally) behind for what seems to be dark pop music. Bert's vocal's are too clean, which may sound odd, but anyone who love's Bert seemed to love his erratic vocal patterns and maniacal screams. Now he's dropped most of the screams and coarse vocal dynamics in favor of a more emo-pop melody--which I don't like nearly as much. I welcome change and progression with artists, even with a band like The Used who I've seen change a little with each album. I'm one of the people who actually really dug "Lies for the Liars", although I do agree that some of the lyrics seemed forced. Anywho...

Musically, like I said--it sounds like dark pop music. No band members really stand out. It almost seems like they're just there to be a back-up band for the new (but not improved) Bert McCracken. In other words, they're the equivalent of Chris Daughtry's band (ooohh, that burns).

The only stand-out track on this whole album, to me, is "Men Are All the Same". That track is actually pretty freakin' gnarly. It has a little bit of everything good about the band.

I highly suggest to any fan of The Used, SAMPLE THIS BEFORE YOU BUY IT! It is different for them, and if you're like me, the change isn't too good. Thus, I blame their new producer, Matt Squire, for their "far-too-polished" sound.