Approaching Normal
Occupation
- C.B. Hudson III (guitar)
- Ryan Delahoussaye (violin, mandolin )
- Matthew " Matt" Noveskey ( bass)
Approaching Normal is the fifth studio album by the American rock band Blue October. It was released on 24 March 2009. The album was produced in Austin / Texas and Tokyo. The producers also awarded the Grammy Steve Lillywhite heard. Four singles were released from the album. The album peaked in the U.S. charts, number 13 The normal album includes 12 songs, the Limited Edition 16 The girl on the cover image is called Kathryn Olsen.
- 6.1 Weight of the World
- 6.2 Picking Up Pieces
- 6.3 Jump Rope
- 6.4 Does Blue
- 7.1 Tuning of the singer and producer for album
Origin of the name
The name of the album is loud vocalist Furstenfeld a pun. Furstenfeld says that everything that has made the band was dark and he personally felt as a victim. At the time of production, the singer felt strengthened so that he had not felt as a victim of what is normal for the world from his perspective. Because they are so "normal" as everyone had their opinion on this other world, they named the album Approaching Normal. The singer interprets the notion of normality to be very varied. He says that normally can be wrong-headed.
Production
Were produced demo recordings of the album Approaching Normal early 2008 in the 5am Studios (Austin / Texas) and included in the Sony Recording Studios ( Tokyo).
The actual album was recorded on 18 August 2008. The last recordings went to 24 October of the same year. It was included in the Pedernales Studios in Austin by Steve Lillywhite. The productions, which took place in the FL Studio and Pro Tools were completed on 8 January 2009.
Publications
In the U.S.
Four singles were released from the album. The first single Dirt Room was published December 23, 2008 as a digital download single. On 13 January 2009, the song was first played on the radio. In addition, a music video was released on 27 January 2009, celebrated on Yahoo! Music Premiere. Dirt Room is the most successful single from the album. The single reached the 7th place on the Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks and 31 on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks. The other three singles Say It ( published on April 24, 2009), Should Be Loved and Jump Rope ( published in 2009 ) were not very successful.
In Germany
Jump Rope is the first single of the band, which was played in German radio stations such as Radio Hamburg and SWR3 and reached the 65th place in the German single charts. The Singles Picking Up Pieces and Should Be Loved to be heard on the radio for the first time in April.
In Luxembourg
After the concert in the capital of Luxembourg, played Justin Furstenfeld and CB Hudson on 11 March 2010 the song Should Be Loved unplugged the Luxembourg radio stations Eldoradio.
Track list
The album includes both new and older songs that have been played at concerts the band before. For example, was the song Weight of the World, which is also included on the live album Argue with a Tree, re-recorded for this album. Steve Lillywhite saw the band for the first time on 27 April 2008 on the Edge Festival live and decided to produce the album with the band. Especially the song Say It 's done it Lillywhite. On concerts, which gave the band on 4 and 5 July 2008, Justin Furstenfeld said that both Weight of the World and Say It will be included on the album. In a chat on 23 July 2008 Jeremy Furstenfeld announced that Dirt Room will be heard on the album. Justin Furstenfeld played the song My Never and Picking Up Pieces on the Breaking Dawn tour with Stephenie Meyer in August 2008., Where he announced that the album is scheduled for publication in March 2009. Grateful Dancing has been sent by e -mail to fans 4 January 2009, the song Kangaroo Cry was sold on the official soundtrack of the series NCIS, which was published on 10 February of the same year.
Limited Edition Songs
Topic
The subject matter of the band's songs (including from the other albums) are depression, lost love and life. For example, the song Into the Ocean from the album Foiled is ( released in 2006 ) played so well that the death wishes of many listeners have prevented by the honesty of the lyrics of the singer. The song Jump Rope, the ninth title of the album, is about the life of feeling in the whole life. So describes the singer that it always give highs and lows in life, such as jump-rope. Does Blue is the song that the singer has dedicated his two- year-old daughter Blue. He describes it as the answer to a prayer that he could never find before. Although some songs seem very tactful and happy, like the song Blue Skies, the themes are always the same, as in the quiet, melodic and sad songs, for example, Weight of the World. Furstenfeld personally said about the content of the song Say It, that it is mainly concern is to make the audience aware that he hates to constantly be the victim and instead wanted to be a strong, self-confident individual. The Song My Never wrote Furstenfeld during the literary and musical tour with Twilight author Stephenie Meyer, which is one of the most famous fans of the band, because she feels the lyrics of the band as a very emotional:
"As a writer, I'm always looking for musicthat can bring out the emotions did I need for the story. While there are many musicians did can recall to me times in the past where I might have felt sadness or rage or infatuation, it's very rare to find a song can Actually did put me in did emotion, rather than just reminding me of it. There is empathetic power in Justin's message - the listener does not just sympathize with the feeling of the words, the listener has no choice but to feel the words as if the emotion which his / her own ".
" As a writer, I'm always looking back to music, which can show the emotions that I need for my story. There are many musicians who can remind me of my past where I was sad, angry or in a good mood, it 's rare that you find a song that now puts me in the here and in feelings rather than just because to me remember. In Justin's message is a sensitive power - The listener is not only sympathizes with the feelings in his words - The listener has no choice, the words to feel as if they were their own. "
Content of the songs (selection)
Weight of the World
The song is about a (possible) relapse of the singer. It starts with the fact that the protagonist has a blackout. When he wakes up he realizes that he is on the floor and a mirror is fragmented. The parents blame him, that he has added everything yourself. Later reports of the protagonist that he schizophrenic symptoms ( in the song: see non existing persons and objects ) has.
Picking Up Pieces
The song is about a protagonist who wonders how much longer he has to pick up pieces in his heart until he is happy. He says that he has fallen in love and I will be their perfect piece of adhesive. The single will be heard together with Should Be Loved in April this year for the first time in German radio.
Jump Rope
- Main article: Jump Rope
Jump Rope is about life. The protagonist is happy at the beginning of the song and can not wait to see the next day. In the further course this is clear, that life is like a jump rope, and it comes as always high while jumping rope and down. The protagonist is forced to make decisions; He will have to plug defeats, with all the negative things also can be good again. Furstenfeld said in an interview that he wrote the song for his daughter Blue. In the German singles chart, the song reached 65th place.
Does Blue
Does Blue is a pure lullaby, which has also written for his daughter, the singer. He describes it in this song, as the answer to the prayer which he has previously never been found.
Reviews
The album was mostly positive from many online music portals. In the Billboard chart archive, the album was described as perfection of the alternative rock genre which is very varied. In addition to lullabies such as Blue Does there are also songs that evoke a picture of life, such as Jump Rope. Entertainment Weekly wrote about the album, that it is a very dark, but still commercially sounding album, so it is also suitable for Twilight fans, thanks to songs like Dirt Room or Picking Up Pieces. The Rolling Stone Magazine took the view that singers Furstenfeld has earned enough melodrama in this album, as the song Weight of the World, and that the album could keep up both with works by Bono and Meat Loaf. Justin Furstenfeld itself, was on the verge of a concert, in an interview with Examiner on, in comparison to previous works, to have written a really "honest" songs.
Voices of the singer and producer for album
Justin Furstenfeld, who has all the previous albums, co-produced with Nick Castell says that it's been a long time since his dream together with Steve Lillywhite to produce an album together.
" " Working with Steve Has always been my dream and I learned so much from him ... like less is more. " "
He also said that he could learn much from him, and he describes himself as a painter who does not know how to paint He said that a new step is to have someone to share his vision, but he also thought that it is Lillywhite and the he trusted him from the start.
" " I was like a painter did did not know how to paint. It's quite a new step trusting someone with your vision ... but hey it's Steve Lillywhite and I trusted him completely. " "
Lillywhite has promoted Furstenfeld songwriting. If something had not fallen, he has communicated to him immediately. Sometimes he had to rewrite his lyrics and melodies, the emotional background of the piece were not allowed to be lost.
" " He pushed me as a writer. I would have a song written and Steve would say, 'that part is boring. ' No one has ever said that to me before. Steve would tell me to sit down and work on it and I never did that before. I re -wrote melodies and lyrics did did not make sense and now They are gorgeous. He pushed me to be better and did inspired me and I accomplished more than I would of on my own. " "
Furstenfeld said that the previous album Foiled mainly tells his sad story and he wanted to take the role of victim finally with the new album.
" " Foiled what about all of this crap did I had to get off of my chest. I'm sick of being the victim. I want to be a strong, confident individual. " "
Lillywhite said that they have produced a good album which is a journey for the listener and yet a commercial album. He also says he loves the production.
" " I think we did have made an album did is an artistic statement. it's a journey, but it therefore checks the boxes of commercial potential. I really love the record. ' "
Furstenfeld wondered what " normal " means and replied that the population of simple emotions, such as happiness, sadness, or delusion considered as normal. For the band in person said Furstenfeld, Blue October that was a feeling. Either you read the message behind each word or you can stay there. Either you like our music or you hate them, he added.
" " What is normal? Everyone's sense of normal is at risk over something, happiness or sadness or, god forbid, madness. Blue October is a mood. Whether you listen to the words or not, the music sets a tone and as for the lyrics, well, you Either love it or hate it. " "
Special
Approaching Normal is the first album of the band, which was available in the EMP. It was taken out of the range due to the low resonance of the buyer. The band refers to their music style as Bi - Polar - style skirt. In an interview with vertigo.fm singer describes Furstenfeld Bi - Polar art-rock than rock music from song to song and sometimes cheerful and sometimes sad (literally, "with ups and downs " ) changed. Furstenfeld describes the musical style as a bit of Peter Gabriel and Madness.
The St. Andrews Elementary School in Miramichi, New Brunswick published on its website a video to a specially rehearsed choreography to Blue Octobers piece "Jump Rope". Furthermore, to find Jump Rope on the compilation " All About Bullies ... Big and Small", which in 2012 received a Grammy in the category " Best Children's Album".