If I Go Crazy Then Will You Still Call Me Superman? (The Better Life - 3 Doors Down)

Member Name: Jamsa

Product:	The Better Life - 3 Doors Down
Date:	29/01/08 (99 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great listen from start to end.

Disadvantages: Maybe not as good as the albums to come from the band

'The Better Life' is the first official album released by 3 Doors Down an American alternative rock group first formed in Escatawpa, Mississippi in1994 by lead singer Brad Arnold.
The Better Life was released on February 8, 2000. It went Platinum in its first week out. It has become 6 times Platinum since.
The lyrics for the album are written by Arnold and the music is written by Todd Harrell, Chris Henderson, and Matt Roberts, all of whom are musicians in 3 Doors Down.

The Track Listing for the album is as follows;

"Kryptonite" 3:56
"Loser" 4:21
"Duck and Run" 3:52
"Not Enough" 3:16
"Be Like That" 4:25
"Life of My Own" 3:59
"Better Life" 3:05
"Down Poison" 4:25
"By My Side" 3:20
"Smack" 2:31
"So I Need You" 3:51

KRYPTONITE
The song that opens the album is probably one of the bands most well known records and features some of the lyrics that 3 Doors Down are now so well known for. For me this is one of my favourite songs with the sometimes quirky lyrics being a pleasure to listen too and the fast paced rhythm throughout the tune makes this a great opening to the album. The most successful single from the album Reached No. 3 on "U.S. Hot 100" and Reached No. 1 on "U.S. Modern Rock" (11 weeks) and "U.S. Mainstream Rock" (9 weeks)

LOSER
The pace changes a lot from "Kryptonite" here, to a much slower more melodic tune. The lyrics are again fantastic and by the change in pace the song compliments Kryptonite perfectly. Another successful single from the album Reached No. 55 on "U.S. Hot 100", Reached No. 2 on "U.S. Modern Rock" and Reached No. 1 on "U.S. Mainstream Rock" (21 weeks)

DUCK AND RUN
Another tune that is slower than the first single Kryptonite, this is one of my less favourite songs on the album. For me, the tune is a little slow and just seems a bit too much like album padding although being released as a single by the band. The lyrics are very good, but I just don't feel that the music manages to "grab" me like on some of the other tracks. Despite the lack of love from me for the track it Reached No. 11 on "U.S. Modern Rock" and Reached No. 1 on "U.S. Mainstream Rock" (3 weeks)


NOT ENOUGH
This to me is much better than Duck and Run and puts the album back on track. A great mix of the fast and the slow styles seen in the first three tracks, the lyrics speed up and slow down brilliantly with the music and the emotion they are supposed to be portraying.

BE LIKE THAT
This is one of my favourite 3 Doors Down tracks of all time. The lyrics are absolutely amazing and I often find myself singing, humming or miming along with the music. "If I could be like that - I would give anything, just to live one day in your shoes" - Absolute brilliance. The tune Reached No. 24 on "U.S. Hot 100" Reached No. 22 on "U.S. Modern Rock" and also Reached No. 10 on "U.S. Mainstream Rock"

LIFE OF MY OWN
"Remember when this was my life?" Another song with quite amazing lyrics, the alternative rock style of 3 Doors Down really shows through in this one, when feeling a bit fed up with some of the people around you this is a definite tune that you will want to listen too, yet again, a pure brilliant tune.

BETTER LIFE
The song that gave the album its name, and yet another good product from the boys of 3 Doors Down. A quick paced, action enhancing track welcomes the listeners to the fact that he is 'Passing away onto The Better Life'. Another fantastic tune.

DOWN POISON
This song starts slower and heavier than anything heard before but soon reverts back to the style that the album is beginning to show. Personally, I'm not a great fan of this track, as it just becomes a little to slow for me and the chorus of "Down Poison" just doesn't 'do it for me.'

BY MY SIDE
A much more light rocky kind of tune for this one with yet more great lyrics from Arnold mixed with what is now becoming a clear "3 Doors Down style" from the music by the rest of the band.

SMACK
The shortest track on the album and with an introduction that 40 seconds of the 2.31 you know for sure from the start that this one is going to be a fast paced track. The beat of the drums carry the track through and even though closing in on the end of the album the great lyrics and music still continue to roll out.

SO I NEED YOU
Yet another of my favourite 3 Doors Down tracks and possibly a saving of the best 'till last on the album. The Better Life certainly goes out with a great bang and not a whimper unlike some of the other albums from different bands. The rocky beat and lyrics with a great 'sing-a-long-ability' mean this track is a quite brilliant way in which to finish this quite brilliant album.

OVERALL
A great album to listen to from start to finish with in my opinion only one poor song - which itself is not poor, but just does not match my tastes as well as some of the others. A great start to a musical career for this band with a great first album that only got better when moving onto '17 Days' and 'Away From the Sun'. As well as listening to the album itself I would urge people to search out the acoustic versions of as many of these songs as you can possibly find. The 'So I Need You' acoustic overshadows the great original itself.

Summary: Great album - Listen to it - Now!