Switchfoot - The Beautiful Letdown (2003)

I love Switchfoot. They are one of the few Christian bands I can stand listening to, let alone actually enjoy. New Way to be Human, while not a masterpiece by any means, was a good quality alternative CD. It rocked hard, and did it originally. Learning to Breathe stepped things up a notch with phenomenal musical arrangements, and at times, very thoughtful and deep lyrics. Nothing short of amazing. Then we come to The Beautiful Letdown. This album (as lastplacewinner said), unfortunately, lived up to its name. Only without the "beautiful" part. Every track on this album, minus "Meant to Live" and "Dare You to Move," seemed like a severe regression into generic mediocrity for Switchfoot. When an artist needs to borrow from former albums for their debut major-label release, it's probably a good indication of the quality of the album. I am sorely dissapointed in this CD, and I can only pray that they don't make the same mistakes with their next release. I gave it a 3.

no, this album lived up to its name, minus the letdown part!!!!! this is one of my favortite albums. if you dont have this, buy it!!!!! there is not a single bad song on this. the people who said that this is a terrible album are DEAF!!!! truly beutiful.

i love it

i luv swichfoot so does ariana

[QUOTE=fallinguprawks]"On Fire" doesn't really get old :-/[/QUOTE]
Honestly to me, none of the songs on this cd ever get old, it's probably one of my fav cds of alltime, and it rocks, fun, and is beautiful.

I would say "Meant to Live" died eventually after all the radio play (so did Stars, but that belongs elsewhere...). The best songs..."On Fire", "24", "Redemption". "Adding to the Noise" was also pretty good. And of course..."Dare You to Move" was awesome as a remix!

[QUOTE=+SEAL+]I would say "Meant to Live" died eventually after all the radio play (so did Stars, but that belongs elsewhere...). The best songs..."On Fire", "24", "Redemption". "Adding to the Noise" was also pretty good. And of course..."Dare You to Move" was awesome as a remix![/QUOTE]
That was definitely a better remix, it had more passion, energy, and was just beautiful and it rocked.

i loved this cd. on fire, dare you to move, and this is your life were my favorites. really good lyrics.

[QUOTE=HolyRockJfreak]Honestly to me, none of the songs on this cd ever get old, it's probably one of my fav cds of alltime, and it rocks, fun, and is beautiful.[/QUOTE]
Yeah. Pretty much :yep: I could listen to those songs over and over again (and have) and they don't get old :goodnope: Not even "Meant to Live" or "Stars", even though they were overplayed on the radio. I don't know why people have such problems with good songs getting too much airtime. If the song sucks, it shouldn't get airtime. If the song's good you can play it all you want on the radio; I'll just like it more.
[QUOTE=rkfan4]i loved this cd. on fire, dare you to move, and this is your life were my favorites. really good lyrics.[/QUOTE]
I actually don't have "favorite tracks" on this cd. They pretty much are all awesome songs.

I like half the cd heaps and not the other half at all. (roughly half anyhow)

[QUOTE=fallinguprawks]
I actually don't have "favorite tracks" on this cd. They pretty much are all awesome songs.[/QUOTE]
Yeah same with me, I pretty much have "flavors" whenever I listen to it, right now I've been listening to 24 and On Fire a ton for the last few days.

oh my gosh, who gave it a one?

it got a 10 for all the reasons posted above.

This is a great CD The music is really great But i think that yothu Yindi are better :yep:

I think this cd is great. You have to consider it along with their previous albums to really apreciate it. This album has some of Switchfoot's best songs although as a whole album it doesn't seem to have the flow that previous albums has. It is a very different sound for Switchfoot, but their style is still totaly recognizable. Overall this cd is a wonderful addition to the lineup. Definatly worth every cent.

YAY FOR SWITCHFOOT>>> I GIVE IT A 10!!!!

Hey!!! I love this cd!! I gave it an 8 not because the music is bad but becasue I thin they could do better. :-/ On this CD, sometimes it is hard to understand what he is saying. But over all, this is a great cd! :swoon: :rolleyes:

[QUOTE=Mattlock]The Beautiful Letdown...
I think this is a very good CD. Not great or amazing, but very good. I gave it an 8.
It has a more mainstream feel to it... but that is expected. Not as good as Learning To Breathe, though. The best songs seem to be after Dare You To Move, with the exception of Gone and Adding To The Noise. I recomend this CD. :yep:[/QUOTE]
I listened to this CD again a couple days ago...

I couldn't get into. Meant To Live was good, but the radio has killed it. Same with Dare You To Move. The other songs weren't that good, besides On Fire and 24. I change my vote to a 5.

I loved the cd. Come on... any band that can use the line "gone...like frank sinatra...like elvis and his mom... this is talent!!! and then switch to a really sweet song like on fire... awesome. I didn't know they were christians until after I bought the cd. (no christian radio stations in my area play current music) The CD is at least an 8 (just because they've reached a lot of my non-christian friends and its a good door opener)

As a side note...if you get the chance GO SEE THEM LIVE!!!!!! they put on a really high energy show and you will have a BLAST!!! and there was no dope in the crowd (which is a huge feat in the Pot mecca that is Toronto) It was the first concert that I've been to in the city where I haven't been surrounded by fumes...yay switchfoot fans! :clap:

I'll agree, they are fantastic live. If you do get the chance, do yourself a favor and catch the show.

excellent excellent album. So much meaning. 10.

switchfoot is christian but not by genre, their lyrics or more about life and junk rather than God... BUT HEY, IT'S A GREAT CD

switchfoot is good and this is a good switchfoot cd. a new way to human is probably my favorite switchfoot cd. i really like this is your life and gone and 24.i think switchfoot's kinda falling into the secular world of music.

i love the beautiful letdown, and every song on it except for gone. i just like that one, i dont love it. when i first heard switchfoot, it was "meant to live" on a secular radio station. when i found out they were a christian band, i was so excited because i knew i could buy their cd!!(im 13 and my parents dont make it easy to buy music i like if its secular)
switchfoot is the BEST christian band i know of, and the beautiful letdown is my favorite cd out of the ones i own (which isnt much, but still...)
all the songs are stuck in my head all day, and i love it! i'd give this album a 10+++!! ROCK ON

that cd is [COLOR=Blue]awesome[/COLOR]! my favorite song is either learning to breathe or meant to live.

[QUOTE=lizwrenne]this cd was great! loved listening to it and was sad when it was all done. it is easy listening, not as hard as i like it, but hey! many of my friends have bought this cd, not knowing that that is was Christian and loving it (only to find out what it really was- but didn't throw it away-an impovement)

grrrrrrrrreat band for the secular dudes and dudettes[/QUOTE]
Yeah, I know. Same here. My non-Christian friends have listened to it at school and loved it and they are always like,"This album rocks, are they seriously Christian??!" And I'm like,"Yep." So, it's a great witness tool for your fellow peers,also.

Testing 1 2 3

This album is AMAZING! This is easily their best out of everything they've done including NIS and O!G. Meant to Live will forever rock, and This is Your Life has to be my favorite song on the cd. I am so glad that this was the first Switchfoot album I heard because it gave me a good taste of everything they can do.

amazing stuff. the first time u listen to it, listen to it in reverse order... it seems like the best songs are near the end... some songs just dont have it... most do. most certainly do. very very good stuff. a more mature sound for switchfoot, which i think is a good thing.

"Gone" sounds like what the newboys should have done in their new cd's. it just plain rox.

and dare u to move is on this cd too... it's been around a while now... but it's still one of my favs. i didn't put it in my list tho. track 5.

best songs :

(track 1) : meant to live
(track 11) : twenty four
(track 8) : gone
(track 10) : adding to the noise
(track 9) : on fire

the others are good too, these are just my favourites.

worth listening to before u buy to make sure u like the new stuff, and then go get it! support switchfoot! :D

-EG

i gave it a nine.
it deserves a 10, but i'm reserving the 10 for their next cd

i disagree, if you like switchfoot, you should just get it, whether you have heard it or not.
it's that good.
my fav's are meant to live, this is your life, ammunition, gone, on fire, etc.

I gave it a 9, but it's more of a 9.5 . Great CD. You can see how much they have matured from their first CD. Worth every penny as far as I'm concerned. I can't say I have a favorite song just yet, the whole CD is that good. It's a great addition to our Switchfoot library. Go out and buy it....NOW!

And, in the liner notes, Jon has a cool hat on. :cowboy:

[SIZE=4]10!!!!![/SIZE]

this is an awesome cd..i love it


anyone should buy it...its a must have for a switchfoot fan though


awesome once again!!!

9 - its great, but the legend of chin is still my favorite.

^i agree with him...:rolleyes:

I never really liked switchfoot to this album came out but now i'm a big fan.

I voted 1, but only because I couldn't give it a 0. Infact I'd give it a negative number if possible. This is one of the worst musical abominations I've ever heard. The guitar work is simplistic and sounds like you could teach it do braindead chimpanzees at it's most technical efforts. The drum work although simplistic does a very fine job of holding the music together although that doesn't quite save it at all. The vocals are kind of bland and weak yet somehow emotive, so I won't fully slag them off. Though bland and weak still. All in all this is to music what sticking your head into a wood chipper is to getting an education. If there is an official wrong way to make music, this is it.

Yeah, I know that was harsh and yes I know I'll get flack for that but at least I was honest.

You may have been honest, but you were wrong. Oh well.

This is gonna be my favorite CD 'till they make another one. Gave it a 10, of course.

This is the best cd Switchfoot has ever made. It's brilliant. I loved both New Way To Be Human and Learning To Breathe (haven't heard Legend of Chin), but this album is even better. I can't stop listening to it. It's fantastic.

I gave it a 9...

Switchfoot is my favorite band and has been for a long long time. This a great cd, but it had to grow on me a little, unlike Learning to Breathe and The Legend of Chin (which will always be close to my heart ::sniff sniff:: )
They are definately continuing to evolve their sound on this album, which is awesome...can't wait for the next. We need to continue to support Switchfoot by getting the word out...Foot Soldiers, unite!!!

It's definitely awesome...one of my absolute favorite CDs. I like most of the songs you mentioned, but here's my list of favorites from Beautiful Letdown:
Meant to Live
This Is Your Life
More Than Fine
Beautiful Letdown
Gone
Adding to The Noise
Twenty-Four
Meant to Live and Twenty Four are two of my favorite songs ever, so I guess that makes a little headway in my list. Not a lot of people pay attention to Beautiful Letdown, I think. It had to've meant something to the band since they named their fourth CD after it. The music's not the best but the lyrics are so awesome. That's probably the one song you really have to stop whatever you're doing while listening to the CD and just really listen. They all have a point but Beautiful Letdown really makes you think about it. Anyway...

[COLOR=Blue]It is a good cd............I got it at a coffe house at my church....it was really awesome to get it there............................ :) [/COLOR]

This CD is truly awesome. It's different from their other CD's. But still great. 24 is my new all time favorite songs. I think somebody needs to tab that sucker.
This CD has more variety than the others. You can tell a big difference between 24 and Gone.

I had a question. On an alternative station they were talking about a "new" band called Switchfoot. Did somebody steal their name or are they going secular mainstream? Anybody know?

Switchfoot is still on the Sparrow label, but they also co-signed with Columbia Records for the new album. Since Columbia is a mainstream label, Switchfoot is being promoted on secular stations as a new band.

EVERYBODY loves switchfoot, and this is one of there best c-d's! You MUST get this c-d

Recommended if you like rock

Thanks, BenHur....you're a good guy! :)

I voted this CD a 10, probably one of maybe five CD's in the past few years that I would vote a 10.

This CD is absolutely amazing. I highly recommend it.

The only song that I don't like that much is the title song. But it's still a decent song. All the other ones are sure-fire classics.

My favorites:

This Is Your Life
24
Ammunition


and on and on.

I have Learning to Breathe...It rocked and so I didn't hesitate to buy this one...I never listened to it beforehand and I LOVE IT!!! I can't get it out of my CD Player!!!

Very awesome and addicting CD. You could listen to it for hours and never really get tired of it. A lot of the songs have very catchy choruses, for instance, redemption. One of my favorite lines in that song musically and lyrically is the first line of the chorus of redemption. If anyone could describe the symbolism of "24" in the last song that would be great.

Good cd. Lyrics are moving, energetic, and funny at times(especially on Gone and Adding to the Noise). But it's kinda lacking energy on This Is Your Life and the title track. Still, a great cd, very mature and innovative, take a look at it.

Oh yeah, and Homestarrunner rocks!

An impressive and mature album. This CD is brilliant, pure and simple. There is no way I could give this album less than a 10. The first few songs grab hold of you and every song grows on you as you continue to listen. With this album I have truly come to respect Jon Foreman as a lyricist. Each song is powerful and convicts you. Amazing.

you cant say that someone wrong if its their opinion....
cuz that way if you say you like them your wrong
i hate it
the cds is being taken over by potheads and girls who dont act very christian...( trying to hit somone with a car is NOT christian, among other things)
yea i can get in trouble for that but if they are the only ones ive seen with the CD or listening to it
then i can say it

[QUOTE=METALhed]you cant say that someone wrong if its their opinion....
cuz that way if you say you like them your wrong
i hate it
the cds is being taken over by potheads and girls who dont act very christian...( trying to hit somone with a car is NOT christian, among other things)
yea i can get in trouble for that but if they are the only ones ive seen with the CD or listening to it
then i can say it[/QUOTE]
Judging by the coherency of this post, I would suspect you are the one on pot. Lots of it, from the looks of things. :yep:

One of the greatest rock CDs ever made!

to be honest,i didn't really like this cd at first,i thought it'd be a bunch of songs like "meant to live",but the more i listened to it,the more i liked it,"more than fine" and "redemption" were the 1st songs that really got my attention,then i started liking the rest more,now i pretty much really like the whole cd :clap:

wow how nice of you that was also at 4 AM
do NOT ever tell me im doing any sort of drug alright?
i never have never will and i would submit to any test to prove it

i was saying i hate how something good and awesome becomes just another band for everyone ( relient K ) to me they sold out to get more publicity and you cant tell me that thats alright

I hadn't listened to Switchfoot before until I came across this CD. Great stuff.
I like Chipotle too! We don't have it here though.
I ate at one in Chicago. Good food.

Stinking AWESOME CD. Worthy of a 10. Very few are worthy of the 10. This is one. It's amazing. I bought two 10's in ONE DAY! Rock on.

one of the best cds out there!

the new remix of dare you to move simply rocks.

i give it a 10

It's not a remix, it's a complete new recording.

a superb cd! best of switchfoot!:)

i really need to get this cd. it sounds like a good one

I like it and I'll probably like it more and more the more I listen to it. I just felt that after Meant To Live the intensity almost disappeared. The rest of the songs were good, but they weren't as good as some of their other stuff.

how can i NOT give this a 10? It combines everything that's good: great music and fantastic lyrics. Gone got me started on Switchfoot in the first place. I can't put any of these songs in order because they're all unique, yet they each have their own personality, if you will.

I love the CD. I have to give those guys a 100 out of 10 on writing cross over songs that are truely christian. Most of the songs have a ton of Christ in them, but in a parable fashion. They definately have put their hand into redemption's side. Rock on Switchfoot!

I hate jumping on band wagons but you can not listen to this cd and say this is worthless.

10

Agreed. Half the songs on this CD were hits. NIS is pretty good, but a slight step down. Switchfoot is conforming to pop just a bit with NIS to reach more people, and that took away some of their musical originality. I like all their CDs though.

[QUOTE=Ghoose]I hate jumping on band wagons but you can not listen to this cd and say this is worthless.

10[/QUOTE]
No you can't.

It's an awesome cd; the only one i can stand listening to, what, 50 times

[QUOTE=ice_wiz]No you can't.[/QUOTE]
That's a double negative there, boy. Are you saying you like the CD or not?
[QUOTE=C-MAR]It's an awesome cd; the only one i can stand listening to, what, 50 times[/QUOTE]
Yeah I know what you mean :yep:

[QUOTE=fallinguprawks]That's a double negative there, boy. Are you saying you like the CD or not?[/QUOTE]
I think he meant "you're right".

I have this CD. Great album overall. "On Fire" is one of my personal favorites. Very moving.

what's with all the 10s? This album is good. Heck, it might even be great...but a "10"?

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being absolutely unlistenable and 10 being "this is the most amazing album put out by this band ever", I give TBL a solid 7. This is the same rating I gave Anberlin's "Blueprints for the Black Market". I just can't justify rating it any higher than a 7. It's a solid album. It's definitely of above-average listening worth, but I think I've only ever given one album a ten.

TBL has some really good tracks on it...but why "Dare you to move" again? You already dared me on the last album...do i need to be dared again?

...maybe i'm just too stuck on the early Switchfoot albums to be impressed by "The Beautiful Letdown"

I gave it a 10 originally. Now, I would say 7, maybe 8.

To me it's a 6 or 7. Their older stuff was all 8's.

Though I probably gave it a 10 when I first reviewed it. :rolleyes:

[QUOTE=Building429_Boy]I think he meant "you're right".[/quote]
Ah yeah. I re-read it, and it makes sense now.

I originally gave it a 9, but I'd say 7 or 8 now.

*EDIT*

My last post in this thread was exactly 24 hours ago. Crazy.

This cd is just plain AWESOME!!!! I give it a 10. I saw these guys live at the Agapé music festival and they rocked the stage. Meant to Live is just an awesome song. I constantly have the opening riff stuck in my head.

Skeeter_Dan, are you a Homestarrunner fan? Awesome






~MiRanda

I first found out about Switchfoot when I was flipping through a CCM magazine back when they first came out. There was an article there about this hot new band, and I recognized the name of an old friend of mine!!! I thought it had to be coincidence, then I saw the brothers name and I knew it wasn't. Jon and I had been best friends back before kindergarten! So I picked up the album just to see how they were and was immediatly impressed. Even though I wasn't that into their style at that point, I thought their musical skill and lyrics were great. I've followed their careers and have watched their style mature and improve, which brings me to this album. This album is awesome!!! Easily the best one they've done so far. The lyrics are very thoughtful and the music is great. This CD gets a "10" from me.

[QUOTE=lastplacewinner]while the first track played i thought that they had turned all nu-metal

-ted[/QUOTE]



"Meant to Live" is NOT nu-metal by any stretch of the imagination, it is just loud rock music.

[QUOTE=DKelly]One of the greatest rock CDs ever made![/QUOTE]

I second that! This cd is definitely a 10 and a must have for any rock collection! God Bless!

Definately gets a perfect 10! Awesome CD!

In My Opinion, the Best Songs in order:

1) Meant to Live
2) Dare You to Move
3) Gone
4) Adding to the Noise
5) More Than Fine
6) Ammunition
7) This is Your Life
8) On Fire
9) The Beautiful Letdown
10)Redemption
11)Twenty-Four

[QUOTE=lastplacewinner]its seems that the title of this cd just about sums up the cd it self. minus the beautiful part. which leaves us with letdown. that is exactly the feeling i got when i popped this disc into my car and gave a first listen. letdown.

while the first track played i thought that they had turned all nu-metal, disgusted i skipped the first track and went on to number 2. "hmmmm", i thought, "i guess switchfoot has started getting in to bad techno."

as i slowly scanned each track i found examples of many genre's of music, pop- punk, techno, nu-metal, pop, contemporary, i even felt some more hip hoppish groves. normally i would applaud a band for covering so many styles of music. however, while switchfoot does cover a very broad spectrum of music, they do it quite poorly. many of the songs had simply no soul and sounded as if the band crapped them out just to make songs around a few catchy parts. the lyrics are usually what is most impressive about this band to me. they fell through the floor, many people call this "maturing as a songwriter", i call it "trying to be more poetic than you really are and ending up with corrugated, generic crap." my suggestion to the band (which i respect very much as artists), stick to your guns. learning to breathe is one of the best i own, and the best album you've ever produced.

the only redeeming quality was the new version of dare you to move (which, oddly enough, is the best track on learning to breathe). i love this song and its the only reason that i havent broken this cd by now.

my rating 3/10............dare you to move saved "the beautiful letdown" from a 1 or a negative number (if it was possible).

-ted[/QUOTE]
:brick: next time you review a cd try not smoking crack while doing it before you say that micheal jackson is by far the best punk you have ever heard

I first saw the music video for Meant to Live. After seeing it several times, we went out and got the cd. I gave it a nine 'cause I'm still waiting for "the perfect cd". A very good cd overall.

awesome cd, dare you to move is the best on there.....and the video for dare you to move makes the song like 10 times better

The cd is great. My favorite songs are meant to live and gone. This cd is definetely worth checking out. :cool:

[QUOTE=Danny]I love Switchfoot. They are one of the few Christian bands I can stand listening to, let alone actually enjoy. New Way to be Human, while not a masterpiece by any means, was a good quality alternative CD. It rocked hard, and did it originally. Learning to Breathe stepped things up a notch with phenomenal musical arrangements, and at times, very thoughtful and deep lyrics. Nothing short of amazing. Then we come to The Beautiful Letdown. This album (as lastplacewinner said), unfortunately, lived up to its name. Only without the "beautiful" part. Every track on this album, minus "Meant to Live" and "Dare You to Move," seemed like a severe regression into generic mediocrity for Switchfoot. When an artist needs to borrow from former albums for their debut major-label release, it's probably a good indication of the quality of the album. I am sorely dissapointed in this CD, and I can only pray that they don't make the same mistakes with their next release. I gave it a 3.[/QUOTE]

...After doing some more listening, I have reformed my opinions of this album. I now give it an 8. Favorite tracks: "Meant to Live," "Dare You to Move," "On Fire," "This is Your Life," "Twenty-Four," and "The Beautiful Letdown." I have a feeling I was looking for a Learning to Breathe clone when I first listened to it, and was disappointed as a result. I was wrong, however; this is a quality album, if a bit overproduced at times.

And furthermore, the radio edit of "Dare You to Move" is abysmal.

[QUOTE=Danny]...After doing some more listening, I have reformed my opinions of this album. I now give it an 8. Favorite tracks: "Meant to Live," "Dare You to Move," "On Fire," "This is Your Life," "Twenty-Four," and "The Beautiful Letdown." I have a feeling I was looking for a Learning to Breathe clone when I first listened to it, and was disappointed as a result. I was wrong, however; this is a quality album, if a bit overproduced at times.

And furthermore, the radio edit of "Dare You to Move" is abysmal.[/QUOTE]

wrong about switchfoot and bush....sad strange little man

[QUOTE=texandawg1288]wrong about switchfoot and bush....sad strange little man[/QUOTE]

What the heck are you talking about? He just changed his rating of the cd from 3 to 8. And the president has nothing to do with Switchfoot.

Josh.

[QUOTE=Josh]What the heck are you talking about? He just changed his rating of the cd from 3 to 8. And the president has nothing to do with Switchfoot.

Josh.[/QUOTE]

didnt catch the 8 part only saw the negative comments untill i posted

[QUOTE=Josh]What the heck are you talking about? He just changed his rating of the cd from 3 to 8. And the president has nothing to do with Switchfoot.

Josh.[/QUOTE]

and i saw that banner putting down a Godly man, had to say something, sorry if that goes against rule or anything

homestarrunner??!

dawg!!! i havent looked there in FOREVER!!

i can't even remember where i heard of it from. i loved it tho. it reminds me of BLEACH.

ok back to switchfoot

i havent bought it yet, my friend did, doesn't like it. i've only heard meant to live on there. i think i'm gonna steal it from him and check it out so i can offer up my 2 cents. yep.

rock for Jesus~~

This another great 10-worthy CD. This is an awesome album, you MUST get it if you're into the Christian rock scene.

~Jon

[QUOTE=texandawg1288]and i saw that banner putting down a Godly man, had to say something, sorry if that goes against rule or anything[/QUOTE]
Politicial discussion does not belong here. And bush is far from a Godly man.

[QUOTE=Art]Politicial discussion does not belong here. And bush is far from a Godly man.[/QUOTE]

HA!! what bush is a christian but like you said this isnt a "politicial disscussion forum" and i guess gore or clinton would be the Godly man haha sure

Stop it guys. This is ridiculous. This thread is for Switchfoot, so take it to PM's.

Josh.