[.ca] Sunburn

Even if it doesn't sparkle, it sure Shimmers!:
"Shimmer" received an incredible amount of radioplay, and that was far from an accident; it was poppy, it was fun to sing along to, the guitars were quite supportive (even if sounding a bit optimistic for lyrics of a relatively depressing nature), and of course, the production... well, the production was just what a late 90s alternative song SHOULD sound like, and the entire album had it. It's songs like "Bittersweet", "Jesus or a Gun", and "Mary Pretends" that represent the album at the top of its game; hard rockers with a bit of angst, but not enough to keep the listener from headbangs and smiles. However, "Sunburn", despite its mellowness and beauty, is just so solid and honest that tons of hardrockers or metalheads could stop and listen/sing along to the lyrics. Sunburn is a solid, solid album... perhaps too solid. None of the songs are anything original or never-before expressed... the topics, instruments, lyrics, and vocals (however smooth they may all be) are pretty much the same 90s rock we've all gotten used to and enjoy. Of course, the album's still good, if not great... great enough to purchase, and great enough to rock out to for the many years to come.

Fuel's Debut:
I was extremely impressed when I first listened to this CD. I didn't know what to expect from a debut album, but it was great! First of all, get over Shimmer! There are more songs than that on the CD, and frankly they are a lot better. My favorite songs are Bittersweet, Song For You, and Ozone. This is the kind of music that will get you tapping your foot, or bobbing your head without even noticing. There is to much music out there that you just can't get into. Fuel is similar, yet different than many bands today. They aren't out there screaming about how bad their parents were or all about their problems. Fuel's music is original, yet many people can relate to it. Overall: Great CD, one for the collection.

Excellent debut:
Sunburn (1998.) Fuel's first album. It was in 1998 that modern rockers Fuel released their first full-length album, Sunburn. In this era, rock music stylings were changing - somewhat for the better, and somewhat for the worse. To the present day, Fuel has sold suprisingly large numbers of their three albums. This is where it all began for the modern rockers. How does the band's debut album measure up? Read on and see. The album begins with the rather thoughtlessly-titled track, Untitled Track (I'm not making this up - this is actually what the song is called!) This is an interesting track that fuses heavy and melodic rock stylings, and it serves as a strong opening track. The first track of an album should always be one that will grab the listener's attention and hold onto it - and this one does just that. Track two is Bittersweet - my all-time favorite song from this band. This is the perfect fusion of heavy and lighter stuff, and it's no surprise that it would go on to become one of the band's biggest hits. Another fairly popular rocker to emerge from this album is Jesus Or A Gun, a hard rocker in which the singer questions which of the two title objects is his true savior. The song rocks hard and rocks right, and the theme only adds to the overall excellence. The band also serves up some melodic stuff that almost certainly won't fail to please. Among the tracks that follow this style are the underrated title track, and the more popular Shimmer. The second half of the album isn't quite as good as the first, but it's still excellent material. All in all, Fuel's debut album is a very good one. The 2003 reissue of this album features two bonus tracks not found on the original release. These bonus tracks are nothing too special, but they're still a nice touch, and a nice incentive to purchase the new version of the album over the old one. If you already have the older version of the album, it's NOT necessary to shell out the extra cash and get the new version, though - the bonus tracks aren't THAT neat. All in all, this is an excellent debut album from the band that has gone onto become one of the biggest names in modern-day rock. THIS is by far their strongest album, because after this one, they very gradually began wimping out (this really shows on more recent hits like the strictly mediocre Bad Day.) If you want to experience the band the way they were meant to be experienced, get this album - it captures them in their prime.

Band on FIRE!!!!!:
The Incredible and Awe-Inspiring Legacy of the FUEL of Life, Vol. 1: "Sunburn". It strikes me as quite unusual that there are almost no track-by-track reviews for this album, since I usually can't scroll three inches without seeing one. So I've decided to give you all my track-by-track analysis of FUEL's debut record, "Sunburn". Buckle up: 1 - 'Untitled' - With the first ripping chord of this hard rocker, the less than perfect production becomes quite obvious. It used to bug me a lot more... but hey, there's nothing I can do about it! The track opens with a blazing guitar riff and excellent drum work, with Brett Scallion's throaty vocals pouring out over all the chaos. This, more than any other FUEL track, shows Scallions' nasal-like vocals go a little too nasal, and it tends to make the song annoying. But the sudden drop of volume into the guitar solo on the bridge gives the song an extra vibe, kinda like making two songs in one. It's a strong and powerful opening track, even given it's weak points. 4/5 2 - 'Bittersweet' - I've always liked the intro to this song. It's interesting and fun, in a serious kind of way. The guitar during the verses is much less mind-blowing, but the vocals are obviously the strong point here. Very strong vocal performance, and the melody helps to give the song more of an edge. That and some cool guitar effects at different points help me not feel so "bittersweet" about this album. 4.5/5 3 - 'Shimmer' - Well, there's not much I can say that hasn't already been said about this song. There could've been no better choice for a lead single; with it's great melodic song structure and sound, this is the poppiest song on the record and definitely an album highlight, though not as good as some make it out to be. 5/5 4 - 'Jesus or a Gun' - The transition from 'Shimmer' to this hard rocker isn't easy to get used to. I mean, we have that pretty song about a lovely love, and right after that comes Brett's loud and raw performance on this loud song. It's kinda crazy. The track shoots off with loud feedback, quickly pummeling into the fast and supercharged main riff. I swear, every time I hear this song I feel like I'm going a hundred miles an hour! The lyrics seem to be questioning religion, though it could be interpreted as a pro-Christian song. 4/5 5 - 'Sunburn' - If there's one thing FUEL does well, it's in the writing of their ballad-type songs. The intro and main guitar lick of the "Sunburn" title track is nice and catchy, as well as Brett's voice throughout the song. The solo on the bridge is really fun to hum along to, and the whole song is just so melodic and pretty, yet still retaining that rock edginess to it. To me, this is one of the songs that epitomize FUEL's music. It's a fun, good quality song, and one of my favorites in the FUEL discography. 5/5 6 - 'New Thing' - This song is probably the album's weakest point. The opening power chords seem void of organization and direction and... bleh. The vocals are strong, which makes the song listenable, but that's just about it. You might call it "filler", but that's a little harsh for FUEL. 3/5 7 - 'It's Come to This' - The guitar on this track sounds a lot different than what FUEL normally does, and the vocals are a lot different as well, being spoken rather than sung during the verses. It's not like rapping, but it's not too far off. The bass on this song is really intricate and sounds great, and I love the bridge when everything calms down and it sounds so pretty... ugh, this is a great song. I love Brett's voice, especially as he sings "held my eyes closed for too long..." It's gorgeously calm. 4/5 8 - 'Song for You' - This is one of those half calm/half hard rocker songs. The guitars are loud all the way through, but the vocal melody seems like the whole song should be a softer ballad track. It's really fun to sing along with, as are all FUEL songs, and it used to be one of my favorite tracks. 4/5 9 - 'Mary Pretends' - This song is insane. Like, LITERALLY. The menacing riff is so erratic that it's creepy, and Brett frikin SOUNDS like he's lost it. Which is good, because that's what the song's about: "Mary pretends she's so insane, so insane, so insane... falling down from her mind gives her everything she wanted from the world... she wants to know what if feels like to die, goodbye!" The music and vocals are amazingly punishing and harsh, making this the heaviest song and a standout track on the album. 4/5 10 - 'Ozone' - This is probably one of FUEL's most underrated songs EVER. It's one of the album's heavier moments, and it's structured much like a NIRVANA track, though the style is obviously different. Brett's singing is pure adrenaline and the vocal melody is so AWESOME. There's not much I'd rather do than bang my head incessantly to this song, yelling and singing along with the mindlessly brilliant lyrics. THAT my friends, is pure, unrepentant, untainted FUN. And as a side note, this is one of FUEL's favorite songs to play live. 5/5 11 - 'Hideaway' - THIS TRACK IS AWESOME. This is another ballad-like song, starting out much like 'Sunburn' with some finger-picking riff action. The song moves slowly and rhythmically, and the music is simply gorgeous! The vocals are so simple, but so *gawll-dang* beautiful, and the solo at the end of the song is PERFECT. The best song on the album, by the best band in MY world. 6/5 So that's "Sunburn" for ya. In relation to the other albums, this one seems like FUEL had a lot more fun during recording, and the really seriously achingly emotional themes seem to have been left to latter works. It's a great record, but it takes some getting used to. I mean, when I first got it I HATED it, but give it time, and it'll fall magnificently into place amongst the other albums of FUEL. BUY IT NOW!!!!

A solid album.:
Often it's believed by the most "knowledgable" Rock fans that if a band is in the public eye, it's no good. Many times that proves to be true, not the case with Fuel, who are truley a Rock band with a throwback that hints towards 70s Arena Rock. Fuel's debut album "Sunburn" is a strong one, each song different from the next, the album flows rather nicely and proves it self to be very listener worthy. It's not amazing nor groundbreaking, but it's good, and in my book that makes it worth every penny

• Bittersweet
• Shimmer
• Jesus or a Gun
• Sunburn
• New Thing
• It's Come to This
• Song for You
• Mary Pretends
• Ozone
• Hideaway