Why Was this Album so……Dark and Depressing?

[quote1278994109=GodKill123]It Sounds so different from the other albums that Reel Big Fish made. It Got the Ska Sound, and it's clever lyrics writing, but it sounds a bit…….emo to me.[/quote]

Did someone say emo?

As far of the rest of your post goes, Aaron was angry and pissed off and bitter and depressed and rather than channeling it into funny, upbeat music like he did on Cheer Up, he channeled into into bitter, angry music, like some of the darker songs on White Trash. Then he went ahead and produced it so that it sounded like a Steve Albini album so that it would sound even angrier.

I like angry music, though, so I love We're Not Happy. One of my favorite albums is Weezer's Pinkerton album, so that's not too surprising.

Dude, you're all mixed up, concerning the covers. Story of my Life is up there with the most creative they've been with covers, ala Hungry Like The Wolf, We Close Our Eyes and Talk Dirty To Me. Talkin' 'Bout A Revolution is a sweet, sweet reggae tune, especially live. We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful couldn't have been more predictable, right down to the No Doubt lyric.

And I hate to break your spirit, El, but the way the album was produced? Not intentional. It's just shitty production that Aaron blames on a mistake concerning the way the album was recorded.
Either way, it sounds like shit, which is too bad because there are some great songs on it. The album really gets dumped on for the poor production.

Say Goodbye just came on my shuffle.

It reminded me that this album has Scott's best harmony vocals.

[quote1279069064=The Wind]And I hate to break your spirit, El, but the way the album was produced? Not intentional. It's just shitty production that Aaron blames on a mistake concerning the way the album was recorded.
Either way, it sounds like shit, which is too bad because there are some great songs on it. The album really gets dumped on for the poor production.
[/quote1279069064]

I know he's said that, but I remember reading another interview where he says he wanted to make the album sound more "raw" (as opposed to that "it should have sounded more like WDTRSH" crap he pulled in another interview), so you never know what's the truth with him. Either way, the raw production actually makes the album better imo. Imagine it sounding like Monkeys or FFF. I like the fact that the guitar sounds like it was recorded in a bathroom. I like the scratchy vocals and echoed backup vocals. I like that the horns sound like they're coming through a radio. I think that they enhance the overall sound of the album, and the sound is really what makes the album my second favorite RBF record.

[quote1279069065=The Wind]
Say Goodbye just came on my shuffle.

It reminded me that this album has Scott's best harmony vocals.
[/quote1279069065]

Agreed. He sounds so emotionally into it, and it certainly doesn't hurt that he was really starting to hit his stride vocally.

Raw is one thing, and even if that's what he initially planned, we all know it didn't turn out sounding like initially planned. Raw can still sound good.
My biggest complaint is the horns, personally.

Reel Big Fish have never had a perfect album. I hate people thinking that We're Not Happy is their worst album or that it's a digression from bouncy-fun-happy-ska days. It's another artifact attesting to RBF's musical ability and Aaron's vision for the band. We're Not Happy has some tracks on it that we all could have done without, but I can't think of a Reel Big Fish album that doesn't. It strikes me as an album full of aggression and feeling. Something I wish the other albums had. MFNATCFF is emotionally stale, in my opinion. Still a good album. But it would have been able to stand up against Why Do They Rock So Hard (I argue this is their best album) had their been more "feeling" substantial tracks.

I mean, what do I know? But I really don't feel as though We're Not Happy gets enough credit as an album full of substance and effort. It certainly has more good things to be said about it than Monkies – once again, my opinion.

[quote1279286539=Aldaway]
Reel Big Fish have never had a perfect album.
[/quote1279286539]

Why Do They Rock So Hard? says hello.

[quote1279452822=El]
[quote1279286539=Aldaway]
Reel Big Fish have never had a perfect album.
[/quote1279286539]

Why Do They Rock So Hard? says hello.
[/quote1279452822]
But gets turned away from the door by TTRO.
Seriously, it's the only album by the Fish with no songs that I automatically skip when they come on iTunes.

[quote1279461118=madamadam]
[quote1279452822=El]
[quote1279286539=Aldaway]
Reel Big Fish have never had a perfect album.
[/quote1279286539]

Why Do They Rock So Hard? says hello.
[/quote1279452822]
But gets turned away from the door by TTRO.
Seriously, it's the only album by the Fish with no songs that I automatically skip when they come on iTunes.

[/quote1279461118]

Down to taste. There are plenty of songs I don't listen to on TTRO now.

[quote1279461773=Surly]
[quote1279461118=madamadam]
[quote1279452822=El]
[quote1279286539=Aldaway]
Reel Big Fish have never had a perfect album.
[/quote1279286539]

Why Do They Rock So Hard? says hello.
[/quote1279452822]
But gets turned away from the door by TTRO.
Seriously, it's the only album by the Fish with no songs that I automatically skip when they come on iTunes.

[/quote1279461118]

Down to taste. There are plenty of songs I don't listen to on TTRO now.
[/quote1279461773]

I don't think I skip any songs, but I also don't skip songs on We're not Happy or White Trash.

The sound is terrible on this album. Lyrically it's no darker than anything on Everything Sucks, but the sound is just bad. Obviously Val from Cheer Up wouldn't have worked for these songs, but why not get John Avila?

Hey, here's a question. Why did they STOP using John Avila?

[quote1280518115=El]
[quote1279286539=Aldaway]
Reel Big Fish have never had a perfect album.
[/quote1279286539]

Why Do They Rock So Hard? says hello.
[/quote1280518115]Everything Is Cool says what's up.

But it is the closest they've come to perfect. (Cheer Up had the songs, but just wasn't cobbled together right)

[quote1280521230=Desensitized]
The sound is terrible on this album. Lyrically it's no darker than anything on Everything Sucks, but the sound is just bad. Obviously Val from Cheer Up wouldn't have worked for these songs, but why not get John Avila?

Hey, here's a question. Why did they STOP using John Avila?
[/quote1280521230]

This is a good question. Maybe he became too expensive? Maybe he was unavailable for Cheer Up!? Maybe Aaron wanted Val's sound on Cheer Up then decided at sometime during the process that he hated Val Garay and no longer wanted to work with an outside producer.

Probably the record companies decision. Now it's Aarons decision. They are trying to save as much money as possible at this point, I'm sure they are starting from scratch after being dropped from Jive so they need to save as much money as possible at this point.

They were dropped from Jive four years ago, at least. I don't really know what your point is, but the money is saved by now.

What money? >_> Several of the band members have said it pays the bills, but there's not really a lot of excess cash at the end of the day.

How can either of you possibly know the state of the band's finances?

because they keep talking about how they're doing a tour this fall to "Pay the bills". and the further explanation that usually follows that goes far to indicate that they're not joking.

If the Suburban Legends can get him for their self titles EP and album before they were even really well known, I find it hard to believe RBF couldn't get him back for anything they've done since. Though I don't think he would have made Cheer Up sound nearly as bright and sunny.

I guess something might have happened, but then they did that cover and I'm confused again.

[quote1280605672=madamadam]
How can either of you possibly know the state of the band's finances?
[/quote1280605672]

Well I remember when Aaron used to write blogs and he said he didn't have enough money to pay his taxes one year. A tour bus costs a least $1000 a day, that's at least $30,000 a month, so they do have a lot of overhead.

When Aaron used to write his blogs, he was in the middle of a mental breakdown. Take nothing from those.