The Used (album)
Template:Lead too short Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox album The Used is the debut studio album by American rock band the Used, released on June 25, 2002, through Reprise Records. The album has been certified platinum by the RIAA in 2019.<ref name=UScert/>
Background
Jeph Howard and Branden Steineckert played in a local act that performed shows with another band, which featured Bert McCracken. The former band soon broke up; Howard, Steineckert and Quinn Allman formed a new band,<ref name=PNinterview>Template:Cite web</ref> Dumb Luck in October 1999.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Shortly afterwards, the group split up.<ref name=PNinterview/> The Used formed in January 2001 with Allman on guitar, Howard on bass and Steineckert on drums.<ref name=MTVunreal/> The trio, who were in need of a vocalist, held many fruitless auditions.<ref name=CBbio>Template:Cite web</ref> According to Howard, they "remembered [about McCracken] and called him. After that, everything just fell into place."<ref name=PNinterview/>
Following a period of homelessness, the group recorded a demo release, Demos from the Basement.<ref name=CBbio/> Allman said the group listened back to the demos "over and over, getting stoked talking about what we wanted to do with them".<ref name=Exclaimrock/> The group eventually gave a copy to John Feldmann of Goldfinger,<ref name=CBbio/> "but he would tell us they totally sucked", Allman added.<ref name=Exclaimrock>Template:Cite web</ref> The band subsequently honed their sound<ref name=Exclaimrock/> before Feldmann flew the group out to Los Angeles, where they played label showcases without any success initially. However, they soon began to receive offers from record companies. Soon afterwards, the group signed to major label Reprise Records in late 2001.<ref name=CBbio/> McCracken said the label staff "really seemed to get what we're about ... offer[ing] us 100% creative and artistic freedom".<ref name=Hay2003>Hay 2003, p. 12</ref>
Production and composition
The Used was recorded at Foxy Studios in Marina del Rey, California with Feldmann as the producer.<ref name=UsedBooklet/> The group recorded piano parts in London<ref name=MTVMM>Template:Cite web</ref> at Olympic Studios. Feldmann acted as an engineer with assistance from Mark Blewett and Donny Campion. Feldmann contributed backing vocals to "Bulimic" and "Greener with the Scenery", the latter of which also included additional backing vocals from Carmen Daye. String arrangements on "Greener with the Scenery" and "On My Own" were done by Nick Ingman. Feldmann mixed the recordings, while Joe Gastwirt mastered them at Ocean View Digital Mastering.<ref name=UsedBooklet/> Steineckert said that "[the] one thing we all took from [working with Feldmann] ... [was] to not lose yourself through everything".<ref name=Exclaimrock/>
The album's sound has been described as screamo,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> emo,<ref name=Bird30/> post-hardcore<ref name=Bird30/><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and melodic hardcore.<ref name=Exclaimreview/> "The Taste of Ink" is "pretty much about being frustrated and maybe biting on a pen", according to McCracken.<ref name=MTVunreal/> McCracken said "Buried Myself Alive" was "about a girl. It's about drugs. It's about loss. It's about being alive, about living".<ref name=MTVunreal/> "A Box Full of Sharp Objects" was inspired in part by McCracken's past experiences with drugs. He said it was about "drugs and alcohol and loss and love ... and just being stoked that things are always going to get better or always gonna get worse and that's such a great thing".<ref name=MTVunreal>Template:Cite web</ref> "Blue and Yellow" is about McCracken and Allman's friendship, as the latter explains: "When the band started to really pick up ... we were almost not being friends anymore because we were focusing so much time on the band and not on each other".<ref name=MTVB&Y>Template:Cite web</ref>
Release
The Used was released on June 25, 2002 through Reprise Records.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> During the summer, the group performed on the Warped Tour<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> and Ozzfest touring festivals.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Despite never having been released as a single, "A Box Full of Sharp Objects" received airplay starting in July, and a band-directed music video was in rotation at TV stations.<ref name=MTVunreal/><ref name=MVCBooklet/> In late August, a music video was filmed for "The Taste of Ink". In October and November, the band supported Box Car Racer on their headlining tour of the US.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In early December, the band performed at KROQ-FM's Almost Acoustic Christmas festival.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In January 2003, the band went on a headlining West Coast tour of the US with support from Taking Back Sunday, New Transit Direction and the Blood Brothers.<ref name=MTVpacked>Template:Cite web</ref> "Buried Myself Alive" was released to radio on January 28.<ref name=FMQB>Template:Cite web</ref> The following day, the band posted the music video to the song on their website.<ref name=KKludgeBMA>Template:Cite web</ref> The video was directed by Ami & Kinkski,<ref name=MVCBooklet>Template:Cite AV media notes</ref> and features McCracken "play[ing] with fire while the band wreaks havoc", according to Kludge.<ref name=KKludgeBMA/>
The Used embarked on a headlining tour of the US East Coast in February 2003 with support from Finch, the Movielife and My Chemical Romance.<ref name=MTVpacked/> This was followed by a co-headlining US with Finch, with support from Steel Train and From Autumn to Ashes.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> "The Taste of Ink" was released as a single on March 11.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In March and April, the band went on tour with Coheed and Cambria.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In April and May, the group went on tour with Thrice.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Two of these shows formed part of MTV's Campus Invasion tour.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> "Blue and Yellow" was released to radio on May 19.<ref name=MTVB&Y/> From June to August, the group performed at Warped Tour.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In July, the group released a CD/DVD album, Maybe Memories. The CD included live versions of "Maybe Memories", "Say Days Ago", "A Box Full of Sharp Objects" and "On My Own", Japanese-exclusive bonus track "Just a Little", a demo of "Bulimic", and "Sometimes I Just Go for It", a track that had been recorded during the piano sessions in London.<ref name=MTVMM/>
Reception and legacy
Template:Music ratings Upon its release, the album received positive reviews from critics, with praise being directed primarily to the instrumentation. The album has since become recognized as a landmark album of the emocore and screamo genres.<ref name="Bird30">Bird ed. 2015, p. 30</ref> Many bands such as Escape the Fate, Crown the Empire and A Static Lullaby have cited the album as a major influence on their sounds. NME listed the album as one of "20 Emo Albums That Have Resolutely Stood The Test Of Time".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Journalists Leslie Simon and Trevor Kelley included the album in their list of the most essential emo releases in their book Everybody Hurts: An Essential Guide to Emo Culture (2007).<ref>Simon; Kelley 2007, p. 172</ref> Alternative Press ranked "A Box Full of Sharp Objects" at number 45 and "The Taste of Ink" at number 21 on their list of the best 100 singles from the 2000s.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Tom Weaver of Casey has expressed admiration for the album.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Commercial performance
The Used debuted at number 50 on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart in the August 17 issue. It later rose to number one in the November 16 issue and gained "Heatseekers Impact" status when the release moved from number 106 to number 96 on the Billboard 200 chart.<ref name=Hay2003/> It eventually peaked at number 63 on the chart.<ref name=Bill200/> Reprise Records' marketing director Xavier Ramos said the label's market strategy for the group was to let their fan base build through touring. He said, "We put them on the road soon after we signed them. Our philosophy was that this is a good live band, and they'll win fans over show by show".<ref name=Hay2003/> The Used also charted at number 34 in Australia<ref name=Auschart/> and number 87 in Germany.<ref name=Gerchart/> It was certified gold in Australia and Canada,<ref name=Auscert/><ref name=Cancert/> and platinum in the US.<ref name=UScert/> "The Taste of Ink" charted at number 19 on the Alternative Songs chart<ref name=BillAltSongs>Template:Cite magazine</ref> and number 52 in the UK.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> "Buried Myself Alive" charted at number 13 on the Alternative Songs chart.<ref name=BillAltSongs/> "Blue and Yellow" charted at number 23 on the Alternative Songs chart.<ref name=BillAltSongs/>
By July 2003, the album had sold 500,000 copies.<ref name=Spinreview>Template:Cite web</ref>
Track listing
All songs written by the Used.<ref name=UsedBooklet/>
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Additional track information
The Used recorded 14 songs during the self titled recording session. The two b-sides from the session are titled "Choke Me" and "Just a Little". "Choke Me" was released as a hidden bonus track on the album and later on Shallow Believer and "Just a Little" was released as a bonus track in Japan only and later on Maybe Memories.
Personnel
Personnel per booklet.<ref name=UsedBooklet>Template:Cite AV media notes</ref> Template:Col-begin Template:Col-2 The Used
- Bert McCracken – vocals, rhythm guitar
- Branden Steineckert – drums, backing vocals
- Quinn Allman – lead guitar, backing vocals
- Jeph Howard – bass, backing vocals
Additional musicians
- John Feldmann – backing vocals on "Bulimic" and "Greener with the Scenery"
- Carmen Daye – additional backing vocals on "Greener with the Scenery"
- Nick Ingman – string arrangements on "Poetic Tragedy", "Greener with the Scenery" and "On My Own"
Template:Col-2 Production
- John Feldmann – producer, engineer, mixing
- Mark Blewett – assistant engineer
- Donny Campion – assistant engineer
- Joe Gastwirt – mastering
- P.R. Brown – art direction, photography, design
- Gina Keeler – additional line illustrations
Charts
| Chart (2003–2005) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Albums (Nielsen SoundScan)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | 192 |
| Chart (2022) | Peak position |
|---|
Certifications
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References
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