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Blue October: History for Sale

 A l b u m   D e t a i l s


Label: Universal Records
Released: 2003.04.08
Time:
 48:09
Category: Pop/Rock
Producer(s): See Artists ...
Rating: ******.... (6/10)
Media type: CD
Web address: www.blueoctober.com
Appears with:
Purchase date: 2012
Price in €: 1,00





 S o n g s ,   T r a c k s


[1] Ugly Side (J.Furstenfeld/B.Miller) - 4:21
[2] Clumsy Card House (J.Furstenfeld) - 3:21
[3] Razorblade (Furstenfeld/B.Miller/R.Delahoussaye/M.Noveskey) - 3:18
[4] Calling You (J.Furstenfeld) - 3:59
[5] Chameleon Boy (J.Furstenfeld) - 5:48
[6] Sexual Power Trip (One Big Lie) Bla Bla (J.Furstenfeld) - 3:04
[7] A Quiet Mind (J.Furstenfeld) - 4:09
[8] 3 Weeks, She Sleeps (J.Furstenfeld) - 1:48
[9] Inner Glow (J.Furstenfeld/M.Mueller) - 4:25
[10] Somebody (J.Furstenfeld/B.Miller/C.B.Hudson) - 3:26
[11] Come in Closer (J.Furstenfeld) - 5:25
[12] Amazing (J.Furstenfeld) - 5:05

 A r t i s t s ,   P e r s o n n e l


Justin Furstenfeld - Lead Vocals, Guitar, Producer
Jeremy Furstenfeld - Drums
Matt Noveskey - Bass Guitar on [1, 3, 8, 9]
Dwayne Casey - Bass Guitar on [2, 4, 5, 6, 7]
C.B. Hudson - Guitar
Ryan Delahoussaye - Violin, Mandolin

David Castell - Flute (on "Come In Closer" & "3 Weeks She Sleeps"), Programming, Producer, Editing, Synthesizer
Blue Miller - Guitar, Production, Editing, Mixing, Keyboards

Zayra Alvarez - Backing Vocals

Brian Baker - Engineer, Editing
Mark O'Donoughue - Engineer
Robert Greeson - Art Direction
Tim Palmer - Mixing
Sam Paulos - Executive Producer
Derek Taylor - Digital Editing

 C o m m e n t s ,   N o t e s


After being dropped, the band got together with new guitarist C.B. Hudson, recorded and self-released History for Sale. Due to larger-than-expected album sales, the band was re-signed to Universal and the album was subsequently re-released on Universal. History for Sale was largely a response to the control the label had placed on the group during the Consent to Treatment production process. This is evident in songs such as "Somebody" and "Inner Glow." Blue October received a larger audience as their single "Calling You," featured on the American Wedding movie soundtrack, as well as on the third episode of The CW show Life is Wild, and began to get radio play in Dallas. The band was invited to play at a large annual concert in Dallas, TX hosted by local radio station, KDGE 102.1 (The Edge), known as Edgefest in 2003. Blue October main evented the free pre-show, with The Rocket Summer, Socialburn, and SouthFM, on Friday and then played the following day for the actual concert event. "Calling You" was played in heavy rotation on KDGE for promotion of the event. Later, hits off of History for Sale included "Inner Glow" and "Razorblade." However, "Calling You" remained the group's largest mainstream success until their 2006 single, "Hate Me."

History for Sale is the third album by Blue October. The title of the album comes from a lyric in the song "Amazing". It was recorded at Sound Arts Studios in Houston, Texas, and at Stomp Box Studios in Arlington, Texas, and released in the United States on April 8, 2003, by Brando Records. It is the only Blue October album to feature former member Dwayne Casey on bass guitar, and the band's first album featuring lead guitarist C.B. Hudson. The track "Come in Closer" features guest vocals by Zayra Alvarez, who later, on the CBS reality show Rockstar: Supernova, sang the song "Razorblade" on her final episode before being voted off. History for Sale was voted best album in the 2003 Houston Press Music Awards. The album — re-released on Universal Records on August 5, 2003 — is largely a response to the control the label placed on the group during the Consent to Treatment production process.[6] The re-released version of the album includes a solo acoustic version of "Calling You" as a hidden track, while the original version of the album includes videos of the band during the recording process.



A couple years ago, I got my hands on Blue Octobers last cd ('Consent To Treatment') after hearing "Breakfast After 10" on the radio. I was impressed with the album because it was unique in it's style..mixing various style from bands (Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews Band, Live) that had singularly influenced many other bands. To some, this might sound like a potential trainwreck but strangely Blue October made it work. With their follow-up, "History For Sale", we find the guys of Blue October sticking with what works and only making a few minor changes. Specifically, they seem to have developed a bit of hard, more rock oriented edge while still keeping their original unique combination of influences. If this album had been released sometime between 1992 and 1994, Blue October would be HUGE. We're talking MTV/Cover of Rolling Stone huge. But, as it is, the band continues to deliver solid, original rock that anyone who enjoys the previously mentioned bands should be able to get into. I highly recommend you find this album and check it out. You might not like it as much as I do, but hell, you never know until you try.

RockNWorld.com



Fusing many styles and instruments History for Sale is a great album that was sadly looked over. It's a must-buy for any rock fan with it's diverse selection of songs that venture from metal to pop.
Back when I lived in Houston, Blue October played at all the big concerts in Houston; Buzzfest, Lollapallooza, etc. Every now and then when I was at one of these concerts I'd venture over to the side stage and end up listening to bands like Blue October or Dexter Freebish, who were all native to Houston and managed to end up on a sidestage at all the big concerts. These bands were huge in Houston; and while Dexter Freebish was rather boring and unoriginal, I always ended up venturing over towards whatever stage Blue October was playing. They didn't get much radio play, our radio station 94.5 The Buzz would promote their concerts, but wouldn't play much of their music; but I couldn't understand why. At the time, Blue October was coming off of their first release, Consent to Treatment; and I thought their songs were wonderfully unique. While Consent to Treatment was good, it was a bit immature and at times winding endlessly. But in 2003, Blue October released History For Sale; an album full of heavy emotions, dreary memories, and pure creatitivity. This album hit Houston by storm; as Calling You took Texas radio over. Suddenly, I was a huge Blue October fan. Ugly Side opens up the album with a creepy, eerie feel of lost hope that is carried with guitars, keyboards, and an occasional xylophone. Clumsy Card House is a trippy, electronica filled ballad that is portrayed with acoustic guitars and not much else. Razorblade is the raw, full out anger that Blue October lacks nowadays; the song is hard, loud, filled with strong, noisy guitars, and the lead singer, Justin Furstenfeld manages to top out his vocal range pretty easily. Then of course there's the pop rock Calling You; which happens to be a prequel to the hit song off of Foiled, Hate Me. And, while Chameleon Boy tries to be special with it's touching lyrics, the song lacks because, quite frankly; it's boring. Sexual Powership (One Big Lie) Bla Bla is another powerful anger trip showing Blue October's harder rock side. The next two tracks seem to flow together, and they're not really that special because they're shallow, and boring. Even though the instruments in 3 Weeks, She Sleeps are varied with violins, xylophones, and keyboards getting equal airtime; the song is just rather forgettable. Inner Glow is a heartfelt plea that manages to be unique, while sounding remarkably mainstream. I just feel as if i'm in an Alice in Wonderland novel when I listen to it; it's so dreamy and wonderful. The lyrics basically trashing bands who 'sell out'; which is a good thing to hear because I'd be heartbroken if Blue October sold out. Somebody borders on Metal with it's distorted vocals, fuzzy guitars, and strong drums; and Come In Closer manages to finish off History for Sale in style as the piano solos mix well with the keyboards; and Justin's voice is as perfect as ever. History for Sale was a masterpiece lost in translation. The poor production, a few weak songs, and all in all it's lack of advertising just pulls away from this album. So many good songs that were just lost. Maybe I'm just lucky I grew up in Houston; but I don't know, all I do know is that any of Blue October's albums are a must-buy because you won't find another band that is as unique, appealing, easy to get into as Blue October.

Porter W. Richards - June 18th, 2007
sputnikmusic.com



Blue October's website describes at length the band's dogged perseverance in the wake of its unceremonious dismissal from Universal in 2001, detailing the extensive touring, soul-searching, and hard work that led to Blue October's latest set, History for Sale. But while History was originally issued through Dallas indie Brando, it now bears the imprint of and is distributed by the very label whose callousness supposedly led to the LP's creation -- that's right, Universal. The U-turn sees the release of History in a remastered, majors-friendly version. It also puts the rarefied pop of "Calling You" next to Foo Fighters on Universal's soundtrack for American Wedding. Stylistically, History for Sale isn't much different from 2000's Consent to Treatment. Furstenfeld's voice still suggests a Midwestern Peter Gabriel or a less sanctimonious Ed Kowalczyk, while his band works a sound inflected with both indie rock and populist post-alternative grooves. The aforementioned "Calling You" is a by-the-numbers modern rock radio ballad, dressed up with processed vocals and an anthemic melody that's more hopeful than much of History's material. Elsewhere, Furstenfeld is dour, bitter, and even vengeful. He dwells angrily on religion and his youth in "Razorblade," and delivers a rant to a lover in the first-person, Archers of Loaf-style screed "Sexual Powertrip." "Yeah, you opened your legs and maybe I promised you," he sings. "You didn't notice that my ankles were crossed." But while both tracks feature screeching guitars and cathartic uses of the F word, there's something missing beneath Furstenfeld's volatility. It's almost as if the band felt that a heavier sound was needed to justify the words, but couldn't quite muster the wherewithal to pull it off. Blue October is more convincing on the insistent surge of "A Quiet Mind," the low-key lullaby "3 Weeks, She Sleeps," or "Inner Glow," which seamlessly blends earnest lyricism, guitar, and the violin of Ryan Delahoussaye. While the inherent emotion in Blue October's music proves to be a solid guide wire for these later tracks, History for Sale too often seems diluted, or perhaps confused about its direction. Whether this is a result of its tumultuous shuffle between labels is unclear, but this persistent vagary prevents the album from truly succeeding.

Johnny Loftus - All Music Guide



Justin Furstenfeld's battles with his band's former label were numerous and nasty. Prior to the release of Consent to Treatment in 2000, the suits at Universal suggested that Blue October get rid of its signature violin. Furstenfeld knew then he was in a no-win situation, and the band was dropped not long thereafter. A few seconds into "Ugly Side," the lead-off track of the band's new album, a swash of violin drifts across the midi drum beats. He may just as well have sung: "Listen, Mr. Record Man, the fucking violin is gonna stay…" Settling scores aside, the song is representative of the kind of lush, Peter Gabriel-style orchestration and musicianship prevalent on most of the 12 tracks on History For Sale. And even without a major-label deal, the band has recently been inked by Monterrey Peninsula, the booking agent for Dave Matthews. Considering the similarities in musical style and the fervent way Furstenfeld delivers his manic gospel, it figures that fans of prognosticator-rock bands like Matthews will go for Blue October, too. Nearly two years in the making, much of History For Sale springs from Furstenfeld's own brand of intense, gut-churning self-examination. Furstenfeld's anxiety-racked world is not for the squeamish. His self-described "bi-polar bop" is full on in "Sexual Powertrip (One Big Lie)," in which he screams about how he keeps fucking things up. And his vitriolic ranting peaks in the furious, syncopated "Razorblade," in which he describes a religious figure as a "sick fuck," and snarls, "Because it is you that I remember in their bedroom / It is you that took their first away from them / It is you they set their standards to…you wounded them for life / You were a preacher and suppose to be above men." Even on this personal and societal angst-ridden voyage, Furstenfeld is not completely adrift from pop culture. In "Somebody," there is a clear nod to the burgeoning nü-metal scene that has commercial rock radio in a death grip. While Furstenfeld spins the familiar tale of woe about someone who was kicked down but is risen again, the down-tuned guitars grind away while the violin plays some tonal counterpoint. Considering the source, it's a hell of a lot more convincing than some 25-year-old millionaire's hit single about a chick who stood him up at the prom. The middle third of the record lags, most notably on "Chameleon Boy" and "A Quiet Mind." The arrangements begin to follow the Love Songs 101 textbook, resembling the mushy blend of stuff already on pop radio, but maybe they're just trying to catch the ear of the major labels' cowardly A&R people. Still, History For Sale takes only a couple of (perhaps calculated) missteps along a well-chosen path.

Greg Barr - Thursday, Jun 5 2003
 Houston Press



Blue October are a unique band, not only because of their ethereal brand of modern rock, but because they must be one of few acts to be re-signed by the same major label which dropped them. After the release of the excellent Consent to Treatment in 2000, Universal ditched the band, leaving the five-piece to work on a follow-up, and prompting lead singer Justin Furstenfeld to write in Blue October’s bio on their official website: “The new album [History for Sale] is almost like a form of vengeance to our old label [Universal]. We want to show them that we were never into making music to make radio hits, but rather to reach out to our listeners.” But despite such scathing criticism, Universal resigned the Texas-based band earlier this year after the self-released album had led to the band featuring in a host of label showcases, and after hastily rewriting the band’s biography, have now released History for Sale in collaboration with Brando Records. According to the updated bio, Furstenfeld couldn’t be happier with the arrangement. “We’re excited about working together again,” he says. “We hugged, kissed, made amends, and now we’re having the best sex ever.”

Away from the politics of such odd reunions, History for Sale emphatically shows why Universal were so keen to reinstate Blue October to its roster. Furstenfeld may moan in “Inner Glow”, “Call it rock or pop or Bach or fuck / Goddamn where did we go wrong? / Now there’s a category for every song”, but there’s no chance of Blue October’s music being pigeonholed quite so easily. It’s a weird and wonderfully eclectic mix of influences and contrasting emotions that should appeal to the more discerning music fan but is also capable of wider, mainstream success. First single “Calling You” is testament to that potential, combining Furstenfeld’s typical lyrical intensity combined with a memorable melody and as it’s the closest Blue October come to a love song, the contrast between this and the scathing, full-on assault of “Razorblade” is marked. Dealing with the horrific subject of the scandal of child abuse by priests, Furstenfeld can barely conceal his fury as he spits “In a way I failed religion / I spit the wine from mouth to cup / There’s no forgiveness for you now / You sick fuck”. Almost as seething in its intensity is “Somebody”, which may or may not allude to Blue October’s separation with the label they have now reunited with, but it’s a storming rock song either way.

But Blue October are masters at diversifying their sound, as the presence of a violin in opener “Ugly Side” and the subdued trip-hop of the brilliantly touching “Come in Closer” demonstrate. Elsewhere, acoustic ballad “Amazing” closes the album in typically complex style, with Furstenfeld’s dark, revealing lyrics once more captivating the attention, while the upbeat “Clumsy Card House” is wonderfully arranged and the two-minute flute-infused “3 Weeks, She Sleeps” is almost a folk tune with its delicate refrain. But perhaps the highest praise is reserved for “Inner Glow”, a Jekyll-and-Hyde song that is part pop-rock, part folk and part metal, and the deeply personal “Chameleon Boy”, a song about Furstenfeld’s feelings of guilt about not doing enough to help a friend who died of a drug overdose (“Here come excuses / Of why I let you down”). Both, like many others on this record are examples of pure, unadulterated brilliance from the mind of a tortured genius. Consent to Treatment was a good album which revealed Blue October’s originality, insightful lyrics and diverse approach, but History for Sale is breathtakingly powerful, more emotive and more challenging. To put in simpler terms, it’s so good, I doubt Universal will be making the same mistake twice.

Andrew Ellis  - 3 December 2003
PopMatters.com
 

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