Say It Like You Mean It

Say It Like You Mean It is the debut studio album by American rock band the Starting Line, following their debut EP With Hopes of Starting Over....

Say It Like You Mean It
Studio album by
The Starting Line
ReleasedJuly 16, 2002
RecordedEarly 2002
StudioMedia Vortex
GenrePop punk
Length47:35
LabelDrive-Thru
ProducerMark Trombino
The Starting Line chronology
With Hopes of Starting Over...
(2001)		 Say It Like You Mean It
(2002)		 The Make Yourself at Home EP
(2003)
Singles from Say It Like You Mean It
  1. "The Best of Me"
    Released: July 22, 2003

Background and production

Guitarist Matt Watts and drummer Mike Golla met while at a mutual friend's band practice.[1] They formed their own group and started searching for a vocalist. The pair looked through AOL's member directory and emailed a number of people. They came across Kenny Vasoli,[2] and subsequently met him while he was playing with his own band.[3] He was drafted into Watts and Golla's group, which broke up after a week. The members remained in contact, and formed The Starting Line[2] in mid-1999[4] under the name Sunday Drive.[5] Drummer Tom Gryskiewitz was brought into the fold[5] after him and Watts met at a restaurant.[1] Golla subsequently moved to guitar.[2] They wrote material in their practice space[4] and tracked demos. They started gaining publicity with the aid of AOL and MP3.com. Independent label We the People Records became aware of the group's demos[5] and signed them in mid-2000.[4]

The band recorded an album's worth of material with producer Chris Badami,[6] which was due for release in early 2001. However, it wasn't released due to the intervention of independent label Drive-Thru Records,[4] who saw the group's commercial potential.[5] We the People Records, who had ties with Drive-Thru, had arranged a showcase for the label's founders Stefanie and Richard Reines. The pair were impressed with the band, but thought the songs lacked choruses. The group went away and reworked the material,[1] before signing to Drive-Thru in April 2001.[4] At the time, Vasoli was in high school and Watts was in college. With help from a guidance counsellor, Vasoli graduated early.[7] The band changed their name to the Starting Line following threats from a Missouri-based act also called Sunday Drive.[2] The group released the With Hopes of Starting Over... EP in July.[8] Following this, the group became a full-time touring act.[4]

In January 2002, the group began recording Say It Like You Mean It.[9] at Media Vortex with producer Mark Trombino,[10] who Golla said brought "an extra set of ears to the table".[7] "Leaving" and "Saddest Girl Story", two tracks that originally appeared on the With Hopes of Starting Over... EP, were re-recorded for Say It Like You Mean It. "Almost There, Going Nowhere", "Cheek to Cheek", "Left Coast Envy" and "The Drama Summer", which were originally recorded for the We the People album, were also re-recorded.[11] Nate Barcalow of Finch and Keith Goodwin of Days Away contributed additional vocals; the former on "Cheek to Cheek" and "This Ride", the latter on "Left Coast Envy". Trombino mixed the recordings at The Robot Factory in Los Angeles, California, before they were mastered by Steven Marcussen at Marcussen Mastering in Hollywood.[10]

Composition

Musically, the album drew comparisons to Blink-182, Jimmy Eat World[12] and New Found Glory.[13] The album's title is taken from a line in "Almost There, Going Nowhere".[14] All of the songs were written by the band, except for "The Drama Summer" which was credited solely to Vasoli.[10] The group usually worked on material together through jamming, where they would hear a part they enjoyed and expanded on it. On occasion, Golla or Vasoli arrived at practice with a complete song already written.[2] Vasoli said the "meaner" tracks were about one of his ex-girlfriend. He initially promised not to write a song about her, but ended up writing six tracks.[7] Similarly, "Hello Houston" and "A Goodnight's Sleep" were about a different ex-girlfriend. Vasoli said that despite him not being "that bitter about it anymore", he found it "funny to rehash".[1]

The opening track "Up & Go" details a girl leaving despite having no reason to do so,[15] and was compared to "Anthem Pt. 2" by Blink-182.[13] "Given the Chance" is about the group's fans, specifically the ones in New Jersey. They found it hard to attract an audience in their home state of Philadelphia, but found it easier in New Jersey.[1] It was reminiscent of the tracks heard on Enema of the State (1999) by Blink-182.[14] "Leaving" sees Vasoli yearning for unrequited love.[13] "The Best of Me" has an acoustic intro,[14] before shifting into punk rock track. "A Goodnight's Sleep" is a ballad, and was reminiscent of "Eyesore" by New Found Glory.[13]

Release

On February 6, 2002, Say It Like You Mean It was announced for release in July.[11] In April and May, the group went on tour with Brand New and Finch.[16] Following this, the band went on a UK tour with New Found Glory and Finch.[17] Between late June and mid-August, the group performed on the Warped Tour,[18] appearing on the Drive-Thru stage.[11] Say It Like You Mean It was made available for streaming on July 13, before being released on July 16[19] as a joint release by Drive-Thru and major label MCA Records.[20] The group went on tour with Reel Big Fish[21] in September and October.[22] On October 27, a music video for "The Best of Me" was posted on Launch.com.[23] The video starts with a guy attempting to impress a girl by playing music from a boombox outside of her residence. When the music stops, the band appear and start performing.[24]

In early and mid-November, the band toured with Taking Back Sunday, the Early November and the Exit, before touring with Park, The Early November and Yellowcard for the remainder of the month.[25] Further touring with Taking Back Sunday, alongside the Reunion Show and Northstar, followed in December.[26] In January 2003, the group went on a tour of Japan with New Found Glory and Good Charlotte, before embarking on a European tour[23] with Reel Big Fish and Sugarcult.[27] To coincide with these shows, Say It Like You Mean It was released in those territories.[28] Between mid-February and late April, they went on a US tour with Sum 41, No Use for a Name and Authority Zero.[29][30]

A new music video was posted online for "The Best of Me" through MTV.com on June 13.[31] The group went on a UK tour in June[32] with support from From Autumn to Ashes and The Reunion Show.[31] "The Best of Me" was released as a single on June 16.[33] The group performed a few shows with Mae and River City High and Zolof the Rock & Roll Destroyer in early and mid-July.[34] In mid-July and early August, the group appeared on the Warped Tour,[35] playing on the main stage.[1] "The Best of Me" was released to modern rock radio stations on July 22.[36] Between late August and mid-October, the group performed on the Drive-Thru Records 2003 Invasion Tour.[37] In early September, a music video was filmed for "Leaving".[38] It premiered during MTV2's Rock programme in November.[39]

Reception and legacy
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[40]
The Mag[14]
Reading EagleD+[13]
Rolling Stone[41]
SortedFavorable[12]
Ultimate Guitar10/10[15]

AllMusic reviewer Kurt Morris said the record was "full of bubbly, positive lyrics", amidst "plenty of upbeats and catchy hooks."[40] In a review for Rolling Stone, music critic J.D. Considine noted that the band had based their sound on the Green Day "blueprint, with plenty of bright, singalong choruses and hyperstrummed power chords."[41] Despite the comparison to Green Day, he viewed the Starting Line as being more progressive musically and lyrically than them.[41] Ultimate Guitar Archive noted that Vasoli's was deeper compared to the group's earlier works, and called his lyrics heartfelt.[15]

As of July 2007, it has sold close to 300,000 copies.[42] In October 2012, independent label SRC Vinyl released the We the People album under the name The Early Years.[43] Following this, the group went on an anniversary tour for Say It Like You Mean It, during which they performed it in its entirety, in December.[44] In May 2014, the album was re-pressed on vinyl through SRC Vinyl with the bonus tracks "Greg's Last Day" and an acoustic version of "The Best of Me".[45] Later that year, Rock Sound included the album on their The 51 Most Essential Pop Punk Albums of All Time list at number 21.[46] Kerrang! similarly included the album at number 27 on their 51 Greatest Pop-Punk Albums list.[47] In a 2016 listicle, Rob Rousseau of A.Side TV viewed the album as a "masterwork" of the "era-defining Drive Thru Records ouvre."[48]

Track listing

All songs written by the Starting Line, except "The Drama Summer" by Kenny Vasoli.[10]

No.TitleLength
1."Up & Go"3:36
2."Given the Chance"2:57
3."Leaving"3:33
4."The Best of Me"4:18
5."A Goodnight's Sleep"4:22
6."Almost There, Going Nowhere"3:26
7."Cheek to Cheek"4:38
8."Hello Houston"2:23
9."Decisions, Decisions"3:50
10."Saddest Girl Story"3:28
11."Left Coast Envy"4:25
12."The Drama Summer"2:52
13."This Ride"3:40
Total length:47:28
Vinyl reissue bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
14."The Best of Me" (acoustic)4:18
15."Greg's Last Day"2:37

Personnel

Personnel per booklet.[10]

References

Citations

  1. Shultz, Cara Lynn (May 24, 2016). "Taste Of Tuesday: In 2003, the Starting Line became an overnight success". Alternative Press. Alternative Press Magazine, Inc. Archived from the original on May 25, 2016. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
  2. Rahman, Zarek (May 6, 2002). "The Starting Line - Interview". Kludge. Archived from the original on June 2, 2002. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
  3. Rahman, Zarek (December 20, 2002). "Music bursts from the Starting Line". Philly. Philadelphia Media Network. Archived from the original on December 29, 2002. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
  4. "Biography". The Starting Line. Archived from the original on October 23, 2001. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
  5. Loftus, Johnny. "The Starting Line | Biography & History". AllMusic. All Media Network, LLC. Archived from the original on July 15, 2018. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
  6. The Early Years (Inner sleeve). The Starting Line. SRC Vinyl/Drive-Thru Records. 2012. SRC015.CS1 maint: others (link)
  7. "Bio". The Starting Line. Archived from the original on June 16, 2004. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
  8. "With Hopes of Starting Over - The Starting Line | Release Info". AllMusic. All Media Network, LLC. Archived from the original on July 15, 2018. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
  9. "News". The Starting Line. Archived from the original on December 14, 2001. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
  10. Say It Like You Mean It (booklet). The Starting Line. Drive-Thru Records. 2002. DTR32CD.CS1 maint: others (link)
  11. Heisel, Scott (February 6, 2002). "The Starting Line Says It Like They Mean It". Punknews.org. Aubin Paul. Archived from the original on July 15, 2018. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
  12. McGrath, Ken. "The Starting Line - Say it like you mean it". Sorted. Archived from the original on November 12, 2006. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  13. Snook 2003, p. 17
  14. Fenton, Steve (May 11, 2004). "The Starting Line - Say it Like You Mean It l.p." The Mag. Archived from the original on October 31, 2004. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  15. UG Team (July 31, 2003). "Say It Like You Mean It review by The Starting Line". Ultimate Guitar. Archived from the original on July 15, 2018. Retrieved December 11, 2016.
  16. Heisel, Scott (April 9, 2002). "Iodine Fest: rock out with your socks out". Punknews.org. Aubin Paul. Archived from the original on May 17, 2018. Retrieved May 16, 2017.
  17. "News". The Starting Line. Archived from the original on June 4, 2002. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
  18. D'Angelo, Joe (January 30, 2002). "Warped Tour '02 To Feature Bad Religion, NOFX, New Found Glory, More". MTV. Viacom. Archived from the original on April 15, 2015. Retrieved February 11, 2017.
  19. White, Adam (July 13, 2002). "Listen to the new Starting Line album online". Punknews.org. Aubin Paul. Archived from the original on July 15, 2018. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
  20. "Say It Like You Mean It - The Starting Line | Release Info". AllMusic. All Media Network, LLC. Archived from the original on January 5, 2017. Retrieved January 4, 2017.
  21. "News (page 9)". The Starting Line. Archived from the original on June 14, 2004. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
  22. "News (page 8)". The Starting Line. Archived from the original on February 21, 2004. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
  23. "News (page 5)". The Starting Line. Archived from the original on June 11, 2004. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
  24. Laderer, Ashley (February 23, 2017). "The 10 Best Emo Music Videos". Paste. Wolfgang's Vault. Archived from the original on March 18, 2018. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
  25. "Tourdates". The Starting Line. Archived from the original on October 11, 2002. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
  26. "Tourdates". The Starting Line. Archived from the original on December 4, 2002. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
  27. "News (page 3)". The Starting Line. Archived from the original on June 11, 2004. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
  28. "News (page 4)". The Starting Line. Archived from the original on June 11, 2004. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
  29. "Tourdates archive (page 5)". The Starting Line. Archived from the original on December 23, 2003. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
  30. "Tourdates archive (page 6)". The Starting Line. Archived from the original on April 10, 2003. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
  31. "News (page 2)". The Starting Line. Archived from the original on June 11, 2004. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
  32. "News (page 3)". The Starting Line. Archived from the original on June 11, 2004. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
  33. Edwards, Tom (June 29, 2003). "Single Review: The Starting Line - The Best Of Me / Releases". Drowned in Sound. Silentway. Archived from the original on July 16, 2018. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
  34. "Tourdates". The Starting Line. Archived from the original on June 6, 2003. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
  35. "Final Band List Announced". Warped Tour. February 6, 2003. Archived from the original on October 3, 2003. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
  36. "FMQB Airplay Archive: Modern Rock". Friday Morning Quarterback Album Report, Incorporated. Archived from the original on June 2, 2013. Retrieved October 30, 2016.
  37. MTV News Staff (August 12, 2003). "For The Record: Quick News On Justin Timberlake, Paris Hilton, Kelly Osbourne, Glassjaw, Elvis Costello, The Cure & More". MTV. Viacom. Archived from the original on June 1, 2017. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
  38. "News (page 6)". The Starting Line. Archived from the original on June 13, 2004. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
  39. "News (page 5)". The Starting Line. Archived from the original on June 11, 2004. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
  40. Morris, Kurt. "Say It Like You Mean It - The Starting Line". AllMusic. All Media Network, LLC. Archived from the original on February 12, 2017. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
  41. Considine, J.D. (August 14, 2002). "The Starting Line: Say It Like You Mean It : Music Reviews". Rolling Stone. Jann Wenner. Archived from the original on October 1, 2007. Retrieved July 16, 2017.
  42. Wippsson, Johan (July 18, 2007). "New Video From The Starting Line!". Melodic. Archived from the original on July 22, 2018. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
  43. Wippsson, Johan (October 3, 2012). "The Starting Line's "The Early Years" To Be Released For The First Time". Melodic. Archived from the original on July 16, 2018. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
  44. Paul, Aubin (July 16, 2012). "The Starting Line (10th Anniversary)". Punknews.org. Aubin Paul. Archived from the original on August 3, 2017. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
  45. Wippsson, Johan (March 27, 2014). "The Starting Line's "Say It Like You Mean It" Out On Vinyl May 27". Melodic. Archived from the original on July 16, 2018. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
  46. Bird, ed. 2014, p. 72
  47. McMahon ed. 2015, p. 20
  48. Rousseau, Rob (February 23, 2016). "The 13 best albums from the emo/pop-punk boom". A.Side TV. Blue Ant Media. Archived from the original on February 22, 2018. Retrieved July 16, 2018.

Sources

  • Bird, Ryan, ed. (September 2014). "The 51 Most Essential Pop Punk Albums of All Time". Rock Sound. London: Freeway Press Inc. (191). ISSN 1465-0185.
  • McMahon, James, ed. (September 19, 2015). "51 Greatest Pop-Punk Albums Ever!". Kerrang!. London: Bauer Media Group (1586). ISSN 0262-6624.
  • Snook, Jordan (November 5, 2002). "The Starting Line Shows Great Potential in Its Debut". Reading Eagle. Reading, PA.
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