(50) Sundays of Music: #15

#15: Taking Back Sunday - Tell All Your Friends

There are certain albums that, in my opinion, define a time period. Some go on to be known as classics. "Pinkerton" by Weezer, "Clarity" by Jimmy Eat World are some of the classics that came before the time that I got into good music but still hear about to this day. However, I was fortunate to get into "Tell All Your Friends" at just the right time.

I give that kind of intro because the debut album from Taking Back Sunday still has fans clamoring for them to go back to this style three albums later. The lineup has changed a few times since this release, but has recently gone back to these members and it will be interesting to see what happens in the future of TBS.

My personal memories from these tracks involve making a picture slideshow to "There's No 'I' in Team," overplaying "You're So Last Summer" during relationship struggles and being assigned a part to sing along to "Cute Without The 'E' (Cut From the Team)" at a 2007 concert - one of the best moments of my life.

However, to really hammer home the point that this is a cd of a generation, I figured I would do something special this week and turn the words over to my blogger friends and have them do the talking for me.

From ___j @this is me; consequently:

I remember the first time I heard them. It was the summer before my senior year of high school. I was sitting in my room searching for new music, and I found it. The first song I heard was “Cute without the E”. I listened to it over and over and over…It was like a God send.

Before then, my c.d. collection was comprised of N*SYNC, Britney Spears, Mariah Carey, and the Dixie Chicks. Needless to say, I needed a change, and TBS was just what the doctor ordered. They opened my eyes to a whole new genre.

Over the years, they have changed not only by replacing some of their band members, but also changed their sound. I can honestly say that in my mind these guys can do no wrong. Their music has gotten me through the good times and the bad, and they will always be my favorite band of all time.

From Liz @ Dance to the Radio:

My list of favorite albums is carefully composed of those that are excellent straight through. Skipping a song doesn't cross my mind while listening. Tell All Your Friends by Taking Back Sunday makes this list. It is a very influential album from my high school years and still is on frequent rotation. When I hear the intro to You Know How I Do I am instantly brought back to late nights driving through the suburbs with my windows down and my close friends singing at the top of our lungs. This album is the reason why I like Taking Back Sunday. Ten high energy, brilliant pop-punk tracks that are anthems of my youth.

From Mike @ This Song Starts a Craze:

When Tell All Your Friends came out in 2002, it was a game changer. Like The Clash’s self-titled album, or The Cure’s Pornography, Taking Back Sunday created an album that would be the benchmark for years to come. It defined a scene. Suddenly, Long Island was a creative hot spot for melodic hardcore, and the genre had it’s own version of The Rolling Stones. Adam Lazzara’s cocky sarcasm called to mind the serpentine swagger of Mick Jagger, while John Nolan’s freshly layered guitar parts called to mind Keith Richards’s timeless songwriting. They were dangerous while being melodic, accessible while staying sophisticated, and the MySpace generation loved them for it. The buzz saw opening of “You Know How I Do” and the tongue twisting dual vocals in “Cute Without The ‘E’ (Cut From The Team)” ushered in a new era, one where bands from a punk tradition didn’t have to sound like Green Day. And while it provided a snapshot of 2002, it also captured how it felt to come of age at the beginning of the decade. People my age understand that Tell All Your Friends isn’t just an album with clever hooks; it’s an album that captures growing up. It showcases the irrationally that comes from a friendship imploding (“There’s No ‘I’ In Team”) and how your wits could keep you from feeling second class (“Your So Last Summer”). In many ways, it plays like a diary, documenting the pain of growing up, in a time where everything seems big and intimate. Musical impact aside, Tell All Your Friends goes down as a classic not just because of its legacy, but because its songs were the kind of songs to get under your skin, and stay there. It’s the kind of record you wanted to tell all your friends about, simply because it was a soundtrack to the things you were going through together