Oni
01-22-2004, 06:05 PM
I'm pasting this from another forum, which already censored a bunch of ****, so some of the formatting may be screwed up too... It's my first review.
Fuel - “Natural Selection�
1. Quarter
Give the CD player a moment to start up, and a sudden thud, followed by the psychotic twinkling of guitarist Carl’s instrument, will greet you. From there, things only get better. This song actually induces a sense of urgency, which fits the lyrics “I know I’m dead before my time.� The tapping rhythm is performed perfectly, with flawless transitions into more light playing at just the right times. My only complaint about this song is that it seemed a bit too long for its lyrics the first few times I heard it.
2. Down Inside of You
The very beginning of this song sounds promising, but then it slides into the common stereotype that the lyrics have to rhyme. However, the “down inside of you� verse sounds alright, but unfortunately, it doesn’t progress the lyrical theme of the song at all. As the song passes the two minute mark, the “find another life� verse cuts in and not only produces a sense of completeness to the song, but sounds good in doing so. From then on I think the chorus begins to sound a little more in place. All in all, it’s better than filler, but not as good as track four, “Falls on Me,� which is truly a masterpiece.
3. Million Miles
If you’re an avid Fuel fan, or if you’ve at least heard a few of their songs on the radio, you probably know this song. It starts nearly right away, with a cut the #### attitude and a heavy burning sensation, Fuel’s trademark. This song is one of the better ones on the disk. The chorus is pretty good, but by the end of the song, the lyrics seem repeated too often.
4. Falls on Me
This is easily the best track on the CD. It begins with an almost harp-like melody, and a whispering attitude. Suddenly, it plunges into the chorus, which is one of the most catchy tunes in the current Alternative Rock lineup. Amazingly, as much as it gets repeated, “And all of your weight/and all you dream/ falls on me/ it falls on me� and the rest of the chorus never gets old. At the point of three minutes, the chorus catches a few high notes, welcome breaks from the heavy whisper attitude of Natural Selection. Without Guenevere Measham’s beautiful cello playing, this song might not have been as popular. Falls on Me is one of those masterpieces that definitely deserve to be played more on the radio.
5. These Things
I admit this song seems a lot like filler to me. It repeats the basic tune over and over, and gets old fast. One verse in the song sounds average, and it’s the best part of the track. The main line, “These things have I,� sounds pretty bland and not very climatic.
6. Won’t Back Down
The beginning of this song gets me going. It’s starts off heavy, with one of those feels that sounds like the whole song’s been through the effects a lot. Actually, that makes a lot of sense, since it’s a remix. This is one of those songs I’d consider better than “These Things,� with a good beat, but unfortunately, it just doesn’t stick in your head as much as some of the others, like “Million Miles� and “Falls on Me.� I’ve got to say though, I like the chorus line, “I’ve come to bring you ######� Also, the first song on the CD that sounds too short.
7. Running Away
The first few lines hint of a bigger tune coming in, and serve as a good prelude. Unfortunately, when that tune comes, it doesn’t live up to the expectations that earlier part builds up. And the “running away to you� line reminds me of something from Pearl Jam (not that that’s a bad thing; it just sounds different).
8. Most of All
It’s amazing to me how Green Day-ish the beat sounds… in fact, it sounds more like a reinterpretation of one of their song’s (can’t remember what it’s called) with all new lyrics. I think the only things that distinguish it are Brett’s vocals. Pretty good song, but it would be better if they didn’t fade into the chorus.
9. Getting Thru?
From the beginning beats, you can tell this song is going somewhere. The opening drums sound like something from POD, while the opening vocals remind me of Story of the Year and the echoes make me think of Taproot. I wish they would have used the opening vocals more, but all in all, this song is one of the better ones on the album, and I especially like the Taproot style and the kick### chorus. One guitar part also reminds me of the Japanese group The Pillows.
10. Die Like This
“Million Miles� and “Falls on Me� got promoted on the cover, and so did this song. The lyrics are fabulous, but unfortunately, the song always sounds like it’s coming to an early end, in the middle of the chorus, due to an atrocity of a guitar thud slowly getting deeper (and yes, I checked, and it’s not bass…you can’t shut it off -.-). Without it, this song would have deserved the publicity, but since that guitar part is in there, I think “Getting Thru?� would have been better.
11. Luck
Wow, taking a break from the perfected lyrics of the last song, these lyrics are different than the usual Fuel. This song has one of those beats that you find it impossible to get into your head. Only one thing to say about the song… let Carl stick to the “Music and Lyrics� from now on…
12. Days With You
This is the last song, so you’d expect something good. What you get is a trip back to the days of Pink Floyd. That’s a good thing, but I think the beat could have been a little more elaborated. Right now, I think that the songs are in good place, but “Falls on Me� should have been last, with its place switched with “Days With You.�
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OVERALL
This is a pretty good CD, with a few excellent tracks. Be sure to listen to “Quarter,� “Down Inside of You,� “Million Miles,� “Falls on Me,� “Won’t Back Down,� and “Getting Thru?�
4/5
X X X X X
Fuel is:
Brett Scallions: Lead Vocals and Guitars
Carl Bell: Guitars, Vocals, and Keyboards
Jeff Abercrombie: Bass
Kevin Miller: Drums
Fuel - “Natural Selection�
1. Quarter
Give the CD player a moment to start up, and a sudden thud, followed by the psychotic twinkling of guitarist Carl’s instrument, will greet you. From there, things only get better. This song actually induces a sense of urgency, which fits the lyrics “I know I’m dead before my time.� The tapping rhythm is performed perfectly, with flawless transitions into more light playing at just the right times. My only complaint about this song is that it seemed a bit too long for its lyrics the first few times I heard it.
2. Down Inside of You
The very beginning of this song sounds promising, but then it slides into the common stereotype that the lyrics have to rhyme. However, the “down inside of you� verse sounds alright, but unfortunately, it doesn’t progress the lyrical theme of the song at all. As the song passes the two minute mark, the “find another life� verse cuts in and not only produces a sense of completeness to the song, but sounds good in doing so. From then on I think the chorus begins to sound a little more in place. All in all, it’s better than filler, but not as good as track four, “Falls on Me,� which is truly a masterpiece.
3. Million Miles
If you’re an avid Fuel fan, or if you’ve at least heard a few of their songs on the radio, you probably know this song. It starts nearly right away, with a cut the #### attitude and a heavy burning sensation, Fuel’s trademark. This song is one of the better ones on the disk. The chorus is pretty good, but by the end of the song, the lyrics seem repeated too often.
4. Falls on Me
This is easily the best track on the CD. It begins with an almost harp-like melody, and a whispering attitude. Suddenly, it plunges into the chorus, which is one of the most catchy tunes in the current Alternative Rock lineup. Amazingly, as much as it gets repeated, “And all of your weight/and all you dream/ falls on me/ it falls on me� and the rest of the chorus never gets old. At the point of three minutes, the chorus catches a few high notes, welcome breaks from the heavy whisper attitude of Natural Selection. Without Guenevere Measham’s beautiful cello playing, this song might not have been as popular. Falls on Me is one of those masterpieces that definitely deserve to be played more on the radio.
5. These Things
I admit this song seems a lot like filler to me. It repeats the basic tune over and over, and gets old fast. One verse in the song sounds average, and it’s the best part of the track. The main line, “These things have I,� sounds pretty bland and not very climatic.
6. Won’t Back Down
The beginning of this song gets me going. It’s starts off heavy, with one of those feels that sounds like the whole song’s been through the effects a lot. Actually, that makes a lot of sense, since it’s a remix. This is one of those songs I’d consider better than “These Things,� with a good beat, but unfortunately, it just doesn’t stick in your head as much as some of the others, like “Million Miles� and “Falls on Me.� I’ve got to say though, I like the chorus line, “I’ve come to bring you ######� Also, the first song on the CD that sounds too short.
7. Running Away
The first few lines hint of a bigger tune coming in, and serve as a good prelude. Unfortunately, when that tune comes, it doesn’t live up to the expectations that earlier part builds up. And the “running away to you� line reminds me of something from Pearl Jam (not that that’s a bad thing; it just sounds different).
8. Most of All
It’s amazing to me how Green Day-ish the beat sounds… in fact, it sounds more like a reinterpretation of one of their song’s (can’t remember what it’s called) with all new lyrics. I think the only things that distinguish it are Brett’s vocals. Pretty good song, but it would be better if they didn’t fade into the chorus.
9. Getting Thru?
From the beginning beats, you can tell this song is going somewhere. The opening drums sound like something from POD, while the opening vocals remind me of Story of the Year and the echoes make me think of Taproot. I wish they would have used the opening vocals more, but all in all, this song is one of the better ones on the album, and I especially like the Taproot style and the kick### chorus. One guitar part also reminds me of the Japanese group The Pillows.
10. Die Like This
“Million Miles� and “Falls on Me� got promoted on the cover, and so did this song. The lyrics are fabulous, but unfortunately, the song always sounds like it’s coming to an early end, in the middle of the chorus, due to an atrocity of a guitar thud slowly getting deeper (and yes, I checked, and it’s not bass…you can’t shut it off -.-). Without it, this song would have deserved the publicity, but since that guitar part is in there, I think “Getting Thru?� would have been better.
11. Luck
Wow, taking a break from the perfected lyrics of the last song, these lyrics are different than the usual Fuel. This song has one of those beats that you find it impossible to get into your head. Only one thing to say about the song… let Carl stick to the “Music and Lyrics� from now on…
12. Days With You
This is the last song, so you’d expect something good. What you get is a trip back to the days of Pink Floyd. That’s a good thing, but I think the beat could have been a little more elaborated. Right now, I think that the songs are in good place, but “Falls on Me� should have been last, with its place switched with “Days With You.�
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
OVERALL
This is a pretty good CD, with a few excellent tracks. Be sure to listen to “Quarter,� “Down Inside of You,� “Million Miles,� “Falls on Me,� “Won’t Back Down,� and “Getting Thru?�
4/5
X X X X X
Fuel is:
Brett Scallions: Lead Vocals and Guitars
Carl Bell: Guitars, Vocals, and Keyboards
Jeff Abercrombie: Bass
Kevin Miller: Drums