(50) Sundays of Music: #4

#4: My Chemical Romance - Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge

I discovered My Chemical Romance like all great bands should be discovered - through a mixed cd. I know it sounds like a recurring theme for this countdown, but that's how I discovered a lot of music in high school. And after that sample led me to purchase this album, it became a staple of that time period.

There's two different ways to talk about this album. The music itself and the impact it had.

As far as the music, two words come to mind when I think of this album (and the band itself really): energy and theatrics. It's like they are the punk version of Queen.

"I'm Not Okay" is a classic track and one of my top songs of all time. "Helena" is also one of those theatric style songs, with a theatric style video to add to it.

But the thing about Three Cheers is that the energy and the overall feel of the songs stays throughout the entire album. It never stops, even when it dips, such as in "The Ghost of You" the only time the album comes close to a slow song (and another one of my all time favorites).

What I like about it now is the same thing I liked about it then. It's the fact that I can really get into the songs. And not really in an "I can relate" sort of way, more of a "put on a concert in my car" kind of way. I could put on a show back in the day and I can still do it now. From how Gerard Way quivers his voice, to the way the drums blast your chest and everything in between, this album is a complete show.

But on to the impact. I've read different stories from different places about how My Chemical Romance helped teenagers. I remember a story where their music literally saved a kid. He was considering suicide but listened to their music and for whatever reason re-thought his decision.

Now, that wasn't me. Nor did I paint my fingernails black or dye my hair because of new found music. But I did enjoy the hell out of it. And I am not one of those people who hated high school as I actually enjoyed my time. It was the coming home part that I hated.

My dad and I got along fine, but we were never close. When I was home, I spent a lot of time in my room. Not as a loner or anything, I would come out and mingle, but my room was my little slice of the world so to speak. And albums like these were what was on constant rotation in there.

Here are some of the tracks I can still give a good performance to. (But read on, there's more).

While their first cd (I Brought You My Bullets You Brought Me Your Love) and their latest (Danger Days: The True Lives Of The Fabulous Killjoys) are both great releases, it was their third album, The Black Parade, that almost got its own spot on this countdown. Though they started getting play on the radio, the theatrics continued while the progression into a solid rock band began. The songs below are still ones that, like those contained in Three Cheers, I can put on a solid performance to. (And note to Sara: I smiled hard at the fact that "Mama" was one of your favorites, as it is one of mine too).

*Please take a minute to check out this epic video. I don't know who made it, but it's wonderful.