Untitled Blink-182 album

Infobox Album
Name = blink-182
Type = Album
Artist = Blink-182


Released = November 18, 2003
Recorded = January - October 2003 at The Rubin's House, Conway, Rolling Thunder and Signature Sound
Genre = Alternative rock, pop punk, punk rock
Length = 49:23
Label = Geffen
Producer = Jerry Finn
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|4|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:32jteal64xu7~T1 link]
*Blender Magazine Rating|4|5 [http://www.blender.com/guide/reviews.aspx?id=1451 link]
*Robert Christgau Rating-Christgau|hm3 [http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=blink-182 link]
*"Rolling Stone" Rating|4|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/blink182/albums/album/295841/review/6067685/blink_182 link]
Last album = "Take Off Your Pants and Jacket"
(2001)
This album = "Untitled / Blink-182"
(2003)
Next album = "Greatest Hits"
(2005)
Misc = Singles
Name = blink-182
Type = studio
single 1 = Feeling This
single 2 = I Miss You
single 3 = Down
single 4 = Always
single 1 date = December 2, 2003
single 2 date = February 21, 2004
single 3 date = June 21, 2004
single 4 date = December 13, 2004

The self titled [cite web | url=http://www.blink182.com/discography/?page=all&format=albums |title=Album discography | work=blink182.com ] or untitledcite web | url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1479757/20031014/story.jhtml |title=MTV report preceding the album's release | work=mtv.com ] album by American pop-punk band Blink-182 is the fifth and (as of 2008) last album released by the band. The album was released through Geffen Records on November 18, 2003, and includes guest vocals by The Cure's Robert Smith on the track "All Of This". It is also the band's longest studio album, with almost 50 minutes of music.

Debate on album title

Due to many contradicting sources, the name of this album (or lack there of) is hotly debated among fans. Drummer Travis Barker recently announced that the album was actually untitled but fans still speculate. Some believe that the album is self-titled, citing sources like the band's official website and many online stores, such as Amazon [cite web |url=http://www.amazon.com/Blink-182-blink-182/dp/B0000DZDTG/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/105-1392830-0887641?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1184347890&sr=8-2|title=Blink-182's CD on amazon.com | work=amazon.com ] . Others believe the album is untitled citing direct quotes from the bandmates themselves or from other interviewscite web | url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1479757/20031014/story.jhtml |title=MTV report preceding the album's release | work=mtv.com ] .The original announced title for the album was Use Your Erection I & II, a parody of the Guns N' Roses album Use Your Illusion [cite web | url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1472740/20030616/blink_182.jhtml |title=Blink-182 LP Gets Title From GN'R, Gloom From Robert Smith | work=mtv.com ] . This album name was actually never considered, as it was a joke Barker made to "get a rise out of people" [cite web | url=http://www.thepunksite.com/interviews.php?page=blink182 |title=Interview with Travis Barker | work=mtv.com ] .

Musical Style

Music critics agreed that this album represents a more "mature" Blink than seen in the past, [cite web | url=http://wc07.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:32jteal64xu7~T1 |title=All-Music review of "Blink-182" | work=allmusic.com ] noticeable by the absence of songs with toilet humor or jokes that Blink had been known for. It was somewhat of a departure from their previous musical atmosphere, the album was described as a "self-meditation on romantic decay." [cite web | last = Entertainment Weekly | title = Review of Good Charlotte album | url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,703748,00.html | accessdate = 2008-01-23 ] Mark Hoppus, the bassist in the band, said in an interview with MTV Album Launch, that the desired effect of the album was for people to listen to it and say "Wait a minute...that's Blink-182?" The band infused experimentalist elements into their usual pop punk sound, inspired by lifestyle changes (Mark, Tom and Travis all became fathers before the album was released) and side-projects (Box Car Racer and Transplants).

Radio Airplay and Sales

The singles received very high airplay from radio stations and music video channels, the album sold 313,000 copies in its first week debuting #3 on the charts in the United States, which was less than their previous album "Take off Your Pants and Jacket", which sold more than 350,000 copies in its first week and topped the charts. Although some criticized the change in musical atmosphere, the album was met with a positive reception from both critics and fans. Most notably Rolling Stone magazine, which gave it 4 out of 5 stars. [cite web | url=http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/295841/review/6067685/blink182 |title=Rolling Stone review of "Blink-182" | work=rollingstone.com ] To date it sold 2.4 million copies in US and around 3.5 million worldwide. However, their record label Geffen Records didn't certify the record double platinum in the USA.

Production

Recording and writing sessions for this album lasted from January to October 2003, making it the longest time Blink-182 has ever spent recording an album. [cite web | url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1476576/08112003/blink_182.jhtml |title= MTV report about the recording | work=mtv.com ] Most notably, finishing up the album was extremely stressful for all of the members of blink-182. While they initially took their time writing songs, they only completed the final mixes minutes before the record label's deadline.

The album was released as an Enhanced CD, featuring some of the band's self-made videos, including "Down/The Fallen interlude", "Stockholm Syndrome", "Obvious" and "Violence". They were all shot in one small room, or by using a selection of clips from Blink-182's live shows or trip to the Middle East, and incorporate shots of the band members simply miming the songs.

miley face logo

To support the new album, Blink-182 created an entirely new logo. Thus, the smiley face was born. This logo somehow seemed to reflect the band's new, mature style. There have been complaints that the new logo is a take from Seattle grunge band Nirvana's smiley face logo.cite web | last=Gibson | title=Band Branding 101: The Logo | url=http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/Band%20Branding%20101_%20The%20Logo/ | accessdate=2008-01-23]

According to Barker the origin of the Smiley face logo came from him and some of his designers from his own personal clothing line. He wanted to brand an icon for the band. "It just had to be a cool kind of happy face but I wanted arrows. You know, like The Jam were my favorite band, they always had arrows in their logos and stuff. It was just kind of inspired by pop-art."cite web | last=Gibson | title=Band Branding 101: The Logo | url=http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/Band%20Branding%20101_%20The%20Logo/ | accessdate=2008-01-23]

Track listing

All songs written by Mark Hoppus, Tom DeLonge and Travis Barker, except where noted.

# "Feeling This" – 2:52
# "Obvious" – 2:43
# "I Miss You" – 3:47
# "Violence" – 3:52
#* "Stockholm Syndrome Dialog" (pregap hidden track) – 1:28
# "Stockholm Syndrome" – 2:41
# "Down" – 3:03
# "The Fallen Interlude" (instrumental) – 2:12 (Hoppus/DeLonge/Barker/"Jacken")
# "Go" – 1:53
# "Asthenia" – 4:19
# "Always" – 4:11
# "Easy Target" – 2:20
# "All of This" – 4:40
# "Here's Your Letter" – 2:54
# "I'm Lost Without You" – 6:20

Vocals by Tom DeLonge only on tracks 2, 9, 10, 14
Vocals by Mark Hoppus only on track 13
Vocals by both Hoppus and DeLonge on tracks 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 11
Vocals by DeLonge and Robert Smith on track 12

International Bonus Track
*

"Anthem Part Two" (Live in Chicago) - 3:45

UK Bonus Track/s
*

"Not Now" † – 4:09
* "Anthem Part Two" (Live in Chicago) - 3:45

Japan Bonus Track/s
*

"The Rock Show" (Live in Chicago) - 3:03

Australian Tour Edition Bonus Track/s
*

"The Rock Show" (Live in Minneapolis) - 3:03
* "I Miss You" (Live in Minneapolis) - 3:58

Track Details

;"Feeling This"

;"Obvious":This song was meant to sound like "Failure meets Led Zeppelin meets The Police".cite album-notes |title=Blink-182 |bandname=Blink-182 |year=2003 |first=Travis |last=Barker |authorlink=Travis Barker |pages=p.2 |format=CD booklet |publisher=Geffen]

;"I Miss You"

;"Violence":The intro features a sample of "Theme from Ironside" by Quincy Jones. A video was made for the track but never released.

;"Stockholm Syndrome":This song is about paranoia, being afraid of the outside world and about being convinced that people can hear your thoughts.cite album-notes |title=Blink-182 |bandname=Blink-182 |year=2003 |first=Mark |last=Hoppus |authorlink=Mark Hoppus |pages=p.4 |format=CD booklet |publisher=Geffen] The intro features Joanne Whalley reading letters that Mark Hoppus' grandfather wrote to his grandmother during World War II.cite album-notes |title=Blink-182 |bandname=Blink-182 |year=2003 |first=Mark |last=Hoppus |authorlink=Mark Hoppus |pages=p.4 |format=CD booklet |publisher=Geffen]

;"Down"

;"The Fallen Interlude":This track was produced by Sick Jacken and the few lyrics were sung by Menno.

;"Asthenia":The intro features NASA transmissions. According to Tom DeLonge, "This song is about one thing only, an astronaut sitting in a space capsule about the size of a car, floating above the earth. He's contemplating if coming back or not will make a difference on such a negative place. A song about the loss of hope. A term was coined for the breakdown of life in space and it is called Asthenia, the name of the track."cite album-notes |title=Blink-182 |bandname=Blink-182 |year=2003 |first=Tom |last=DeLonge |authorlink=Tom DeLonge |pages=p.5 |format=CD booklet |publisher=Geffen] Some of the best sounds, according to the band, is Tom's guitar riff before the drums kick in about 50 seconds into Asthenia. This was recorded through a 1960s era Leslie speaker that had a tube dying out and glowing purple.cite album-notes |title=Blink-182 |bandname=Blink-182 |year=2003 |first=Mark |last=Hoppus |authorlink=Mark Hoppus |pages=p.5 |format=CD booklet |publisher=Geffen]

;"Always"

;"Easy Target":This song is based around the story of one of the band's techs first crushes. Allegedly, the girl invited the band tech around to her house on a date. The tech rode his bicycle there as fast as he could, but upon arriving, she and her friends jumped out and sprayed him with a water hose. The tech went home, embarrassed and humiliated.cite album-notes |title=Blink-182 |bandname=Blink-182 |year=2003 |first=Tom |last=DeLonge |authorlink=Tom DeLonge |pages=p.6 |format=CD booklet |publisher=Geffen] The story has also been brought up in past interviews, where allegedly, the name Holly was derived from Tom's first girlfriend, who left him for his older brother.Fact|date=July 2008

;"All of This":"All of This" was supposed to be the fifth single from the album, if the band didn't go on hiatus. The music video would have been directed by M. Night Shyamalan, who states it as one of his favourite songs [ [http://stereogum.com/archives/m-night-shyamalan-vs-woody-allen_002952.html Stereogum: M Night Shyamalan Vs. Woody Allen] ] . On this song they collaborate with one their biggest inspirations: The Cure's frontman Robert Smith. The song was recorded on two continents, as Robert Smith recorded his part in England.cite album-notes |title=Blink-182 |bandname=Blink-182 |year=2003 |first=Mark |last=Hoppus |authorlink=Mark Hoppus |pages=p.7 |format=CD booklet |publisher=Geffen] In this song, the girl named 'Holly', previously mentioned in 'Easy Target' returns (the tune at the end of 'Easy Target' runs straight into 'All of This'). The lines "Use me, Holly", refer to her only going out with him in order to get closer to his brother.Fact|date=July 2008

;"Here's Your Letter":This song is about people's inability to communicate with one another and how words and explanations only confuse the issue.cite album-notes |title=Blink-182 |bandname=Blink-182 |year=2003 |first=Mark |last=Hoppus |authorlink=Mark Hoppus |pages=p.7 |format=CD booklet |publisher=Geffen]

;"I'm Lost Without You":There are two drum solos layered on top of each other during the last 45 seconds of this song. Tom sings into a rotating microphone, which makes it sound like he's underwater.cite album-notes |title=Blink-182 |bandname=Blink-182 |year=2003 |first=Tom |last=DeLonge |authorlink=Tom DeLonge |pages=p.6 |format=CD booklet |publisher=Geffen]

Charts

Album

Singles

References