Review Summary: Although it's mostly just known for one song, 3 Doors Down's debut was a strong hard rock effort.
“If I go crazy, then will you still call me Superman?”
Mention 3 Doors Down and for most people that lyric is the first thing that will come to mind. Kryptonite was
the radio rock hit of 2000, and it has aged well over the years. It’s still a very impressive song, from the unmistakable clean guitar and military-style drums in the intro to the chorus that millions would still sing along with to this day. It got everything right, and remains a truly memorable song. It wouldn’t be a stretch to call it one of the best radio singles of the decade. However, the song’s success has also become the band’s biggest problem, since they have not been able to create a body of work that measures up to the greatness of that single.
Despite that fact, the band’s debut album,
The Better Life, was a very good hard rock effort, even with its best track being placed right up front. The other singles from the album follow shortly after it, and although they never got the success or acclaim of the opener, they are all excellent in their own right.
Duck and Run is an anthemic hard rocker with energetic riffs throughout, and its use of acoustic guitar during the chorus is a nice touch.
Loser and
Be Like That are the ballads of the album, and both are effective.
Be Like That is the next most well known song from the album after
Kryptonite, and it puts most other ballads the band has released to shame, with simple but effective lyrics about following your dreams that are made even more effective with the acoustic guitar that plays throughout the song.
Loser isn’t quite as strong, but it’s still a solid track, with a more depressing mood than the rest of the album.
Although the singles are mainly the highlights of the album, the rest of the album is still very enjoyable, consisting of well-executed, southern-tinged hard rock songs. The band members were young at this time, and although it’s very raw compared to the band’s later output, there is an undeniable energy on the album. That’s the biggest compliment that can be given to this album, it truly feels like a
band effort. The band’s guitarists manage to keep things interesting most of the time by spitting out hard rock riffs and guitar solos. They’re at their best during
By My Side, which a great shredding solo toward the end. The guitarwork also shines during the quick-paced riffing on
Better Life. Vocalist Brad Arnold was also the drummer at this time, and his drumming is very good, particularly on cuts like
Kryptonite,
Better Life, and the punk-inspired
Smack. His vocals aren’t quite as strong as they are on the band’s other releases, but he still does a very good job here despite not having a very big range. His dry delivery in a few songs does get a bit monotonous, but it’s a minor quibble.
Most cuts on the album are strong, but it does have a couple weak points.
Life On My Own grows old quickly because its verse and chorus sound exactly the same.
Down Poison also suffers from being repetitive, with the song’s title being repeated way too many times throughout the song, and its 4 ½ minute running time just doesn’t fit the snappy pace of the rest of the album.
Luckily those weak moments are few, and the band consistently delivers a fun hard rock album. The whole band delivers a great performance, and it’s obvious that they’re enjoying themselves on this release. Although 3 Doors Down would never meet the expectations set by
Kryptonite, The Better Life was still a solid debut, and showed a lot of potential for the band.
Top Tracks: Kryptonite, Be Like That, Duck and Run, By My Side, Better Life
