Band History
Formed in November of 1999, Amityville, NY's Taking Back Sunday completed its lineup in December of 2000, when Adam Lazzara took over vocals and Shaun Cooper was added on bass. Taking its melodic hardcore sound from originators like Lifetime, Endpoint, and Sunny Day Real Estate, as well as guitarist Ed Reyes' emo band Movielife, Taking Back Sunday recorded its first demo, a five-song CD, that was released in February of 2001.
After a year of self-promotion and touring, including shows with At the Drive-In and the Alkaline Trio, Taking Back Sunday was signed to Victory Records. The band immediately went into New Jersey's Big Blue Meanie Recording Studios, with producer Sal Villanueva and engineer Tim Gilles, to record their full-length debut. The album, Tell All Your Friends, layers emotional vocals, Reyes and John Nolan's dual-guitar assault, Cooper's rhythms, and Mark O'Connell's backbeat for a classic hardcore sound with pop-songwriting components. It was released on Victory in March of 2002. The group spent the rest of that year and much of 2003 touring, but when Cooper and Nolan left the band, Taking Back Sunday's future was left in doubt. However, guitarist/vocalist Fred Mascherino and bassist Matt Rubano filled out the lineup in time for the band's fall 2003 tour and recording sessions for Tell All Your Friends' follow-up. That album, Where You Want to Be, arrived in summer 2004. ~ Charles Spano, All Music Guide
Taking Back Sunday is...
Adam Lazzara – lead vocals
Fred Mascherino – guitar, vocals
Eddie Reyes – guitar
Mark O’Connell – drums
Matt Rubano – bass
Song Reviews
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Set Phasers To Stun - Say yes say yes say yesss. This is how the song begins over the smashing guitar. This is IMO the most energetic song on the album. This is also one of my favorites, of ALL TIME. This is a really good first track for the band's second cd. This was also the 3rd single that the band has had with this album. This, song leads up to a huge outbreak in the end. The vocals really standout here. Adam does it well although Fred's are a little messed up in the second verse. Great song.
10/10
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Bonus Mosh Pt.2 - This is the second song and it has really good singing to occupy the guitar. The drums also stand out as being the loudest instrument you hear. Musically this is a good song but gets really repetitive along the middle. Still, this remains as a really good song. It also has some elements of a screamo song too. So the entire song varies throughout.
8/10
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A Decade Under The Influence - This was the first single off of the album and it's the song that got me back into the band after the semi-long break after Tell All Your Friends. This song is really cool, it has well, everything. Not to mention that it is extremely catchy. But what I like especially, is the dual vocal stylings of Adam and Fred. That really makes the song what it is. Also I like that in the end Fred ends it with screaming "I'VE GOT IT BAD, I'VE GOT IT BAAAAAD!"
10/10
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This Photograph Is Proof (I Know You Know) - This was 2nd single off the album, and it was also huge off the Spiderman 2 Soundtrack. This song is still hyped even though the next single is out "Set Phasers To Stun". Still this one of the band's best anthems. This still plays on full blast on my stereo, and once again. The dual vocals, which is what makes the song so great. Both singers are so good and it adds so much that they sing at the same time. This song also has an unexpected bridge filled with screaming and a change of pace. This is definitely a highlight of this album.
10/10
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The Union - This song throws you into an adrenaline rush of greatness. Even the bass-line of this song is extremely talented and that is rare with Taking Back Sunday. This song is really fast and maintains the tempo throughout. The guitar riffs are also really talented and the little fills make me smile. Then the bridge comes in and it gets a little slower, then before you know it you're back to the fast paced instruments and singing. One of the best songs here.
9/10
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New American Classic - This track is acoustic and it's really good to. The singing is really good along with the guitar. This is a really good thing the band did by trying something new and it comes out very well. But it's not just an acoustic guitar. It's also, faint violins, bells, and little random noises like a bug buzzing by. This song is really a beautiful melody, which makes you think. It maintains rhythm throughout. Midway through, drums come in. This is TBS' way of saying, "see, we're not just scr/emo"!
9/10
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I Am Fred Astaire - This track starts off with some really cool feedback. Then it goes into a hard guitar song with a really cool tambourine that plays in the chorus. This is a really cool song but it's really repetitive. But that doesn't mean it's not good. What is repeated is the best. The chorus stands out with the really good singing. This is a really good mid-way track for this album.
8/10
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One-Eighty By Summer - This song is pretty cool, but it really doesn't sound like Adam until you continue to listen on through the chorus. I like this song a lot. It's a real standout track due to the (once again) duel vocals by Adam and Fred. But in the pre-chorus, Adam and Fred repeat the same thing for like 30 seconds. It gets annoying but the chorus makes up for that.
8/10
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Number Five With A Bullet - I like this song for what it is but it's pretty boring. It's okay for an occasional listen. The chorus is very uplifting! "We're gonna die like this you know, miserable and old". But the dual vocals save this song from being anything lower than a six. The vocals stand out and that is the reason I wouldn't call this filler.
7/10
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Little Devotional - This song has an extremely cool drum intro. This is also a very adrenaline packed song. But it still has that feel of lost hope that TBS usually gives with most of their songs. This is one of my favorite songs on the album. It really stands out as being a highlight here. That’s good because the album was going a bit sour.
9/10
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Slowdance On The Inside - This is a really cool song with another great drum intro. The song has a gigantic intro at that too. About a minute to get into the song. This is another one of my favorites. The duel vocals (once again) standout and make the song what it is. This is a really good closer to an amazing album. I can't wait for this band's future releases. This song get's the rating of...
9/10
In Conclusion
This is a HUGE next step for Taking Back Sunday. It is a great fallow up to Tell All Your Friends. The duel vocals, IMO, are the best part of what this band has to offer. This album is really also a big step for the punk scene. If you like punk with a touch of emo, Where You Want To Be. You can't go wrong.
OVERALL SCORE
9/10
PROS
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+ Duel vocals make this band great.
+ So many good songs on one cd.
+ The songs all sound different.
CONS
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- Midsong, some tracks get repetitive.
- Only 11 songs!
Standout Tracks
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Set Phasers To Stun
A Decade Under The Influence
This Photograph Is Proof (You Know I Know)
The Union
New American Classic
