Evanescence - The Open Door
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Free Music Notes for The Open Door
Free Music Review: Lee establishes herself as first-rate vocalist
Hit: 5 Stars
Quite frankly, the only thing I hate about this album is how it leaves me wanting more! With this release, Amy Lee takes the reigns and easily establishes herself as one of the best vocalists of her generation. I've always said that anyone can sing a rock song, but it takes a special someone to *sing* a rock song. With "Fallen," Evanescence demonstrated that they were for real, and needed to be taken seriously in the market. With "My Immortal," Lee established herself as having infinite potential not only as an amazing singer, but as an amazing interpreter (how can one walk away from the video not feeling that?!).
Vocally, this album picks off right where their debut picks off. Lee demonstrates more vocal prowess, especially in the use of both her registers. (For you non-musicians, humans have two "voices," which is technically labeled by the location of resonance. The "chest voice" is also called "belting," and is what you normally hear in contemporary music. The "head voice" is the higher, lighter voice which most vocalists do not know how to access correctly.) Another area that impresses me is just listening to her harmonies in the background. They are present to the point that you can hear them, but you really gotta be paying attention to actually hear how intricate some of them are.
Sweet Sacrifice - In true genre fashion, the song is low key for 45 seconds before Lee starts vocalizing in her head voice. Near one minute, the rock commences, as does the belting. And it doesn't stop.
Call Me When You're Sober - It's funny... I could argue that this is the weakest song on the album, although I enjoy it none-the-less. However, it was a great lead-off single for reacquainting listeners with the sound that they loved, and propelling them for what is to come off the album.
Weight of the World - The awesomeness continues.
Lithium - Great ballad beginning with Lee singing and playing. Great sound, great flip into head voice in the end.
Cloud Nine - Starts out with a filter on the voice, then breaks out into fifth straight track of "can't go wrong." Backed up by more voices than just a simple harmony, but a full choir is waiting in the wings.
Snow White Queen - A song about the pressures of stardom... Starts out low and sultry, but doesn't stay there.
Lacrymosa - Yet another good reason to give Amy Lee props - classical training. After watching the movie Amadeus, she was so stricken with the Lacrymosa Dies of Mozart's Mass, she always wanted to incorporate it into a song. Backed with full "goth choir" reminiscent of "Whisper" off of "Fallen," she incorporates the classical genius's music into the song. Sample lyrics: "I don't want to hold you back now, love, I can't change who I am, not this time, I wont lie to keep you near me, And in this short life, there's no time to waste on giving up, My love wasn't enough, And you can blame it on me, just set your guilt free, honey, I don't want to hold you back now, love."
Like You - Like "Hello" off of "Fallen," this song is a tribute to her deceased sister. Hauntingly beautiful. Sample lyrics: "I hate me for breathing without you, I don't want to feel anymore for you... There's room inside for two and I'm not grieving for you, I'm coming for you, you're not alone, No matter what they told you you're not alone, I'll be right beside you forevermore." Extremely passionate, don't expect this to appear live.
Lose Control - Another great song, starting out low, ending big.
The Only One - Arguably the best vocal of the album, using both chest and head extensively in the melody. At 2:00, she is floating high Fs and Gs before coming right back in belting that same high F. Great cut.
Your Star - Great melodic line to start out. She keeps hitting that leading tone of the scale and it really just peaks your interest in everything she's singing, knowing the resolution has to come.
All That I'm Living For - Another great song.
Good Enough - Arguably the best lyrics and interpretation of the album, which is saying a lot, considering this entire album is phenomenal. The "My Immortal" of the album, although I think in many regards it surpasses the artistry of the previous single.
sample lyrics to "Good Enough:"
Drink up sweet decadence, I can't say no to you
I've completely lost myself and I don't mind, I can't say no to you
Shouldn't have let you conquer me completely
Now I can't let go of this dream, can't believe that I feel
Good enough, I feel good enough
It's been such a long time coming, but I feel good
And I'm still waiting for the rain to fall
Pour real life down on me
'Cause I can't hold on to anything this good enough
Am I good enough for you to love me too?
So take care what you ask of me, 'cause I can't say no
In closing... once in a great while, a vocalist comes along that has the natural ability just to sing. In the `80s, it was Whitney Houston. In the early `90s, we were given Mariah Carey. In the late `90s, Christina Aguilera. For early on in this millennium, there is Amy Lee. That's not to say that Lee is comparable in style to them, but in power and control and interpretation. And, yes, I know what a bold assertion that is. But, that's how strongly I feel about the vocals in this album. It is simply a must have. The end.
Free Music Review: The Open Door compared to Fallen
Hit: 5 Stars
Okay, well. I am here to praise this CD. I have read some of the reviews people have left on this album. Some were disappointed about the album. Well I"m here to say that it isn't a failure.
-Here is the thing about The Open Door. It is a new sound. It's been what? 3 years since Fallen? Of course its going to sound different. And i'm going to admitt it takes a while to get used to the songs. But once you do you feel like wanting to learn the lyrics to every song already so that you can dance around your home singing along to the CD and look like a complete idiot as you pretend to be on stage singing these songs. (Not that I have done that. Not-at-all. Lol.) But this CD really lives up to Fallen. I bet there are some people who posted reviews that didn't like the sound of Fallen at first and then suddenly became fanatics. (Don't deny it.) Over all this album is extremely great. It's more of a happier album. If you pat attention to the lyrics you'll recognize that most are giving off the same message. "I want to break away from all this pain, and walk through a new open door". That is pretty much what it is saying.
SONG RATING:
-Sweet Sacrafice: Awesome way to open up the album. I was blown away when I heard "Sweet Sacrafice", and then I was sucked in and pretty much was entranced by Sweet Sacrafice. It is a possible new single.
-Call Me When You're Sober: =/. I have to say that this song, compared to the others on the album is pretty bad. It is a good song when heard the first to third time. But afterwards it gets pretty annoying. It has also been way too over played. But its an okay song.
-Weight of the World: This was a great song, not a single material, but it was a great song. Makes you want to rock out to it. Soaring vocals by Amy and great guitar riffs compliment this song truly.
-Lithium: I feel like crying when I hear this song. It touches me very deeply. (but thats just me). "Lithium" is deffinetly going to be a single for Evanescence. The vocals are great, and Amy did a wodnerful job with the lyrics and vocals, and Terry did great as well! Emotion is truly shown in "Lithium". Makes you want to make a music video yourself. Lol.
-Cloud Nine: The beginning is hanutning and chilling. The guitarists did great. This song makes you want to immitate Amy's ways of performing. Great back-up haunting vocals.
-Snow White Queen: This song is very unique. Nothing like Evanescence. Takes a while to get used to. But it is a sound that soon gets stuck to you. I really have to complement Rocky on the drums. He does really great, and Amy does awesome (as always), and the guitarists (Terry and John) did extraordinary as well.
-Lacrymosa: This song is great and was a perfect to use to advertise The Open Door. The violin sounds great, and Amy shows great emotion and great haunting vocals.
(possible single)
-Like You: For those of you who probably don't know, this song as well as "Hello" from Fallen is dedicated to Amy's sister. I don't know if you people know, but her sister died. And both those songs are dedicated to her. If you pay close attention to the lyrics she mentions the word "sis" in one of the verses. The lyrics are really touching and make you want to tear up. It is possible that Evanescence might not play "Like You" live, if you notice, "Hello" was never played live. Maybe it was too sad for Amy to sing, so it is a possibility that they might not play "Like You".(Another possible single)
-Lose Control: This song gives me chills. I really feel bad to the person Evanescence is referring to in this song. Really..umm..unique. The uniqueness of this song makes it a great one.
-The Only One: Funny start off, starts off slow, but Amy soon kicks in with her great vocals, and Terry and John soon contribute with the guitars making it a great song.
-Your Star: A sad touching song that sounds hautning, and tragic, and yet beautiful. And well you know how Evanescence has nack for making songs sound like that.
-All That I'm Living For: This song really makes you want to get up and and rock on and on and on and on. It has a great meaning and great sound. Amy's vocals, and Terry's and John's guitars start the song off wonderfully.
-Good Enough: The sound to this sound was kind of weird at first. It sounded like nothing Evanescence would compose, but you start growing fond for it. For me, I would listen to this song when I fall in love. Lol. It is a great, cheerful song to end the album. So see thi album isn't all doom and gloom. Lol.
All in all, this album is great. Anf for those who don't like it, then they don't like it. I can't really force them to. But just a tip of advice. The reason you didn't like The Open Door is because you were expecting another Fallen. And that was a horrible thing to do. You got to attatched to Fallen. =/. But The Open Door rocks and lives up to Fallen, and if it doesn't, then we have the next album to look forward to. =D.
Free Music Review: Open The Door To An Amazing Album
Hit: 5 Stars
Evanescence broke grounds with their debut album, Fallen. Since then, they've gone through many struggles. From losing band members, to firing their manager, to one of the band members having a stroke. You'd think all of these things would result in a weak follow up album. Think again.
The first thing you'll hear when you pop in the CD is the lyrics "It's true, we're all a little insane". That right there should set the tone for this amazing album. The first song, Sweet Sacrifice, is a catchy opening song that will having you singing along as soon as you hear it. It's much more experimental than anything on Fallen.
Call Me When You're Sober, the first single off the album, mixes bluesy tones with rock. The result being Amy Lee's take on her relationship with ex-boyfriend Shaun Morgan. It's a good song, but suprisingly is probably the weakest on the album. It's not that the song is weak in nature, but it pales in comparison with some of the other songs on this album.
Weight of the World starts out with a great insrumental intro. Once you get into the song, you'll notice that Amy tends to use some of her lower register during this song. There really isn't an accurate way to describe it, other than there is no way that you won't like it. It's that awesome.
Lithium. Oh, Lithium. This is by far the most amazing song on the entire album. It's a true highlight on an unbelievable album, and that's obviously saying something about the quality of this song. First off, it's a ballad from Evanescence. It follows in the footsteps of their Fallen mega hit "My Immortal". I personally think that this song outdoes any ballad that they've ever done, including "My Immortal".
Cloud Nine starts out with a creepy tone to it. The first thing about this song that will hit you is it's not you're typical rock song. It's more pop-rock than anything. With Amy's voice, believe me, that's not a bad thing.
Snow White Queen is probably one of the most lyrically satisfying songs I've ever heard. It's a song from the perspective of a stalker. Basically the stalker is saying that if you give him or her the chance, you'll understand them better. It's quite creepy, as you could imagine
Lacrymosa is classical music taken to a whole new level. Amy's classical music training really shines through on this song, and the choir background makes this song even better. It's a brilliant update to a classic Mozart piece. What more could be said?
Like You is this album's "Hello". It's a song dedicated to Amy's sister that passed away when she was young. Like "Hello", it's lyrics are haunting and sad. With lyrics like "I long to be like you, lie cold in the ground like you", it's obviously a very personal song to Amy. Also like "Hello", don't ever expect this one to be part of Evanescence's live show.
Lose Control is unlike anything you've ever heard from Evanescence. The synthesized quality of this track makes it unique. Not to mention lyrics like "Mary had a lamb, his eyes black as coal -- If we play very quiet my lamb, Mary never has to know", you can expect you'll be keeping this song on repeat for quite sometime after you get used to the style of it.
The Only One is a true anthem for any loner, plain and simple. Anyone who's never been understood, for any reason, can relate to this song. Songwise, this is a very strong cut. She uses alot of her higher register in this song too, so that's also pleasing to the ears.
Your Star starts out slow and passionate. Then it quickly shifts into an upbeat, catchy chorus that may possibly make you start dancing if you're not careful. It's a very original song, and should not be looked over. I wouldn't be suprised if it is considered for to be a single in the future.
All That I'm Living For is classic Evanescence. It's probably the most Fallen-like song on the entire album, with a mature edge to it. Obviously that's not a bad thing. If you liked most of the songs on Fallen, then you'll love this song.
Good Enough ends this amazing album on a positive note. The album goes through many emotions, but the one emotion that this song will envoke is happiness. The song starts out with a lengthy instrumental intro. The song itself, oddly enough, is very gospel-like. Beyond that, it's hard to explain how the song feels. It's a very passionate song that ends the album on a high note.
This album is a must buy. It may take a few listens to truely sink in, but once it does, I can assure you that it won't leave your CD player months. Like Fallen, every single song on the album is amazing in it's own way. In a day and age where you'd be lucky to find more than one good song on an album, Evanescence always seems to pack their albums with quality songs. To sum it up, go ahead and purchase this album. I promise you that you won't regret the decision.
Free Music Review: Dude, I've been waiting 3 years for this thing
Hit: 5 Stars
I'll go song-by-song.
Sweet Sacrifice - I love the FU-type sarcasm in this first song. It's a very powerful and fun song to start the album with. I've heard comments that this album is overproduced, but the overprouductiveness definately works for this song. I think it will probably be one of the singles.
Call Me When You're Sober - This song is very catchy, which is why it was a good first single to start with. Not one of my favorites on the album, but very good nonetheless.
Weight of the World - Another song that could possibly turn into a single. I like it; it's simple, compared to the rest of the album. It's still heavy, though. The lyrics are cool, and the chorus is 100% Fallen-sounding. It's also a very liberating song: "I won't be held down by who I used to be/She's nothing to me." I like how it goes acoustic for a moment near the end.
Lithium - This is the confirmed next single, which I think is a smart move. It's the My Immortal of the album, only darker and with more guitars. It's still hauntingly beautiful, though. And annoyingly catchy.
Cloud Nine - The intro freaked me out the first time I heard it, but once I got past that, this is a cool song. It's pretty much like Sweet Sacrifice, except less sarcastic and more sexy-sounding (not that the lyrics are sexy, just the way she sings them). I also think it's interesting how this song sounds like a bunch of different songs put together.
Snow White Queen - About a stalker, and interestingly enough from the point of view of both of them. I really don't like the verses, they sound too mechanical with the vocals and instruments put together. But after that, it rocks, and if this song becomes a single, I'm guessing the phrase "You belong to me, my Snow White Queen" will catch on as quickly as "I'm bringing sexy back" has. And I absolutely adore the bridge in this song, she sounds really scared and desperate in it.
Lacrymosa - This song was really built up to be all epic and stuff, espeically after The Open Door trailer came out this summer with a sample of Lacrymosa. Don't get me wrong, the song rocks, but it's not as great as I thought it would be. It's The Open Door's Whisper, and it really doesn't compare (then again, Whisper is my favorite song). Still, I love the orchestra. Not a fan of the choir, but I like the song itself.
Like You - The saddest song on the album, methinks, because it's about Amy's sister who died. This is a beautiful song, and the lyrics just give me chills. A definate highlight of the album.
Lose Control - This is my least favorite song on the album. Which says alot, because I still like the song. It's surprisingly sexy for Evanescence. If you're not into sexy lyrics, it will take awhile for this song to grow on you. It sounds alot like most of the other songs; low vocals, loud guitars, too many background vocals. But, yeah, not a bad song. It even has a Mary Had a Little Lamb reference, as if there hadn't been enough twisted nursery rhymes/fairy tales on this album (note Snow White Queen, and Call Me When You're Sober's Little Red Riding Hood-themed video).
The Only One - My favorite song on the album, no question. To me it sounds Origin-ish, just a lot better. This song is just...wow. Everything about it is amazing. It's powerful, emotional, slow, fast, beautiful. P.S., the intro is something Amy wrote as a joke called Tuna Afternoon.
Your Star - The "I can't see your star" part annoyed me at first, to the point of my being turned off to the song. But as I look at the lyrics, escpeically in the intro, I really liked it. The chorus is really cool, and so is the background choir.
All That I'm Living For - I'm not crazy about the chorus, but once you get past that, it's a really beautiful song. I love the lyrics. Not the intro so much, though.
Good Enough - Ah, the happy song. Well, happy-ish. Still, it's a beautiful song, even the minute-long piano intro. It's catchy and...well, I don't know what else to say except it's pretty.
The Last Song I'm Wasting On You - FIND THIS SONG ON THE INTERNET IF YOU DON'T ALREADY HAVE IT. IT WILL MAKE YOU CRY, AND IS MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN LITHIUM AND GOOD ENOUGH COMBINED.
Free Music Review: One of my favorite albums!
Hit: 5 Stars
With a new lineup, Evanescence's sound has changed dramatically compared to their first album. But is this particular album as good as their first? Yes! It's even better!
Here's a rundown of the songs:
Sweet Sacrifice-The song that sets the album's tone. As the first song, it does a great job of showing what the rest of the album's songs are like (anger and resentment towards an ex-boyfriend.. yet hope for Lee's new relationship with her now-hubby).
Call Me When You're Sober-The song that has everyone singing along. I'll actually admit that this is one of my least favorite songs on this album. To me, it, like Bring Me to Life, is too commercial-sounding compared to the rest of the album's songs.
Weight of the World-The song that sort of reminds me of country music. Amy's voice is beautiful and flowy in this song yet the guitars and drums are completely different with their (what I like to call) country sound and complete pauses throughout the song.
Lithium-The song that should have received more airplay. I would compare this song to Fallen's My Immortal simply because it's the most beautiful yet powerful song on the album. If there's one song you must listen to on this album, Lithium is it.
Cloud Nine-The song that is underrated. This is another one of my favorite songs on this album. Although the creepy choir-like background vocals may turn you off, the chorus will you have singing at the top of your lungs. This is a truly sad song about not being loved or cared for ("If I fall and all is lost (no light to lead the way), remember that all alone is where I belong").
Snow White Queen-The song that disses Lee's stalkers. The name of the song came from Amy's username on the ex-official Evanescence message board. This song is an "attack" of sorts on those fans who are practically in love with Amy. This is an ok song but I am mainly turned off of it because of the song's message (how does one sing this song at an Evanescence concert without feeling uncomfortable?).
Lacrymosa-Amy's take on a Mozart song. This is another one of my favorite songs on the album due to the violins mixed with the guitars and Amy's beautiful voice.
Like You-The song that creeps me out. If I compared this to a song from Fallen, I'd compare it to "Hello" because both of these songs were written for Amy's deceased sister. Although some may find Amy's use of words to be gross and a little immature, most will find that it's a sad yet powerful song about death.
Lose Control-The song that's sooo-not Evanescencey. Yes, the song has the band's typical hardness coming from the guitars and drums but the message is anything typical. Take, for example, these lyrics... "Mary had a lamb with eyes black as coal. If we play very quiet, my lamb, Mary never has to know". Dark and sexy, huh?
The Only One-The song that could be used to describe America's current state. Whether it was intentional or not, this song's lyrics sounds a lot like it could be talking about September 11th and what has happened to this country since then. If you're ever angry with the president, give this song a listen.
Your Star-The song that I dislike. This is the one song on this album that I skip everytime. It's too whiny for me and the message and lyrics do nothing for me.
All That I'm Living For-The song that will have you pumping your fists along with Amy. I love to blast this song in my car. The drums and guitars create such a loveable and dark sound and Amy's vocals (which are borderline screaming when she sings this live) show the more "rocky" type sound that I love to hear from the band.
Good Enough-The song that could be used in church. A powerful ballad to end a generally more rock type album. It's a good ending with a good message after all the previous dark songs on the album.
If I had to pick 3 songs that you should listen to on this album, they would be Lithium, Cloud Nine, and Lacrymosa. If you like these three songs, you'll LOVE the rest of this album.