REVIEWS:
An extremely popular adult pop/rock band, Matchbox 20 churned out lots and lots of pop hits on their way to the top of the charts. Their debut, Yourself Or Someone Like You, was a huge hit based on the success of the singles "Push", "3 A.M.", "Real World", "Long Day", and "Back 2 Good". Mad Season followed, which was a big hit, while not as big as the album that came before it.
--Philip Maddox
Post your comments about Matchbox Twenty
(reviewed by Philip Maddox)
Yeah, I actually bought this. "Why?", you may ask. Well, I'll tell you why - I love "3 A.M.". Really. Totally middle of the road and unoriginal, but catchy enough for me to crank it up a little when it comes on the radio. Anyway, one day I had the opportunity to get this for 3 bucks, so I picked it up. Well, it was probably worth my 3 bucks, but not really worth any more. Yeah, "3 A.M." is catchy, and I still like it. I always kinda liked the other singles "Real World" and "Long Day", too. Not "Push" or "Back 2 Good", though. Especially the former, which might have been the most annoyingly bad song of the decade, and that's among some pretty stiff competition.
The rest of the album is equally hit or miss, with no highs being too high and no lows being too low. It's the epitome of "middle of the road". I like "Damn", "Kody", and "Shame", I don't like "Busted", "Girl Like That", or "Argue", etcetera. There's not even that much difference between the numbers anyway, so I could probably get to like the songs I don't like (except "Push") and vice-versa (except "3 A.M."). If you need some middle of the road pop music to play in the background, feel free to pick it up. If you're looking for substance, keep looking elsewhere. I'll give it a 5 because that's exactly what it's worth and strives for - total mediocrity.
(A Couple of weeks later) - A 5? That seems a little much in restrospect for such an uninteresting album. The few good tunes on here wear off eventually, and the bad ones don't get any better. Oh well, it's still inoffensive enough to earn a 4, which is its new rating. Yahoo. If you're not a BIG fan of generic adult pop, steer clear. You have been warned.
Post your comments / reviews for this album
COMMENTS
Another pop band that should be doomed to the depths of hell. The really funny thing is, some dumbass paper here in Albany, NY said that "unlike other pop bands, Matchbox seems to have some depth and staying power". Wahahahaha! Unbelievable. Anyways, don't feel too bad Phil. Even I dig "Real World" thanks to a cool, if simplistic guitar riff.
[email protected] (Rich Bunnell)
Sorry to rain on your parade, but I -really- hate "3AM." More so than the other singles (though "Real World" is an okay song, I must admit). It's not a particularly offensive song, but there's something about ordinary, generic songs that annoys me even more than blatantly awful songs. Maybe it's because they don't have the cheese or kitsch factor working for them, maybe it's because they're just so boring-sounding that they pound their way into my skull-- I don't know. In conclusion, this band blows.
What can I say? I used to hate these guys (or at least see them the same way as pretty much what these reviews of them say.). I considered them to be basic generic, late-90's rock with maybe the odd decent single.
But in the last half year or so, I have become of really big fan of all three albums and I've really warmed up to them, more than I ever thought would have been possible back in 1997. I listen to these albums A LOT. I even went to a concert of theirs a couple weeks ago and I enjoyed it a lot. So I can't help but say that I really like YOSLY. It is inoffensive rock and sounds ordinary on the surface, you're right. But so fucking what? I don't care. The songs are all very enjoyable to listen to. I still listen to all the other bands I've posted reviews of on here and on Prindle's site. I just listen to these guys too.
Index | Main band/artist reviews page