Scars & Stories | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | February 7, 2012 | |||
Recorded | March–June 2011 in Nashville, Tennessee | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 45:01 | |||
Label | Epic | |||
Producer | Brendan O'Brien | |||
The Fray chronology | ||||
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Singles from Scars & Stories | ||||
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Scars & Stories is the third studio album by American alternative rock band The Fray. It was released on February 7, 2012.[1]
- 3Reception
Background[edit]
Noontec media player review. Scars & Stories was recorded beginning in March 2011, and concluded in July 2011. Unlike their debut album How to Save a Life and their self-titled second album, which were both produced by Aaron Johnson and Mike Flynn, their third album was produced by Brendan O'Brien.[2] During a performance at the Hard Rock cafe in Boston, Massachusetts, Isaac Slade stated that the album Scars & Stories was named after a B-side that did not make it onto the third record. He went on to explain that each of the band members have been through a lot of hardships, but collectively they were able to pull through.
'We've been through a lot of stuff personally, and as band we're still together, and I think we like the idea of scars you know, because they're healed you know. They are not like wounds necessarily, but they're still kind of a road map of where you been, and sometimes kinda point to where you want to go.'[3]
The album artwork was revealed on November 16, 2011; following the video premiere of the first single, Heartbeat.
The album was made available to pre-order on October 18, 2011 on the band's website.[1] On December 20, 2011 the deluxe edition of the album became available for pre-order on iTunes, featuring 5 bonus tracks; all covers. In addition, the band made the single 'The Fighter' available for download.
Writing and recording[edit]
During an interview with Vevo the band revealed that they used part of the album's budget to travel and see the world before writing and recording songs for Scars and Stories. The band wrote over 70 songs, and narrowed it down to what they hoped were the [best 12 songs], most of which were heavily influenced by their travels abroad.[4] For instance, the first single 'Heartbeat' was inspired by a trip to Rwanda. Slade talked about his encounter with an expatriate woman who was talking about the genocides in Rwanda. In the midst of their conversation she held his hand, and he could feel a pulse, but was unable to tell if it was his pulse or hers.[5]
Also the song the sixth track titled '1961', personifies the Berlin Wall, as two brothers that are at odds with each other, but it makes you wonder about the third brother mentioned, America:
'We wrote that song about The Berlin Wall and the division it represented in regards to one unified city becoming two cities still under the covering of a country. They're both German, but in a sense, they were as far from each other as they could possibly be. I think that's how our relationships can be sometimes. Not to sound cliché, but we all as people build these walls that don't really come down until someone comes into our lives, tears them down, and says, 'Enough!'[6]
In addition the eight track on the album titled 'Munich' follows the same mode of inspiration, as it is inspired by a particle collider in Switzerland. During an interview Slade mentions that '..they're looking for the God Particle, basically, the particle that holds it all together. That song is really just about the mystery of why we're all here and what's holding it all together, you know?'[6]
—Sputnikmusic's review of the album.[7]
Joe King explained 'You pull from different locations and places. There’s the cultures and the different people you meet living life..You have to live life, you have to have experiences in order to be able to write stories.”[8]Such stories served as the inspiration for the tenth track entitled '48 To Go'. During an interview with Jim Shearer on VH1's Big Morning Buzz Live Slade revealed that inspiration for this song came from a road trip he and his wife, Anna took (while they were just dating) from Denver, Colorado to Los Angeles. During the road trip they stopped multiple times to 'make-out'; as a result they became lost and ended up 600 miles off course; as Isaac Slade put it '..[we were] two states in and forty-eight states to go'.[9]
During a performance at the University at Buffalo, Isaac Slade mentions that he wrote the song 'The Fighter' while on a 'getaway' in a cottage, located in the mountains of Colorado. The song was inspired by a picture called 'Strictly a Sharpshooter' by Norman Rockwell that he saw in a book he purchased. The painting depicts a boxer who has succumbed to his opponent, and a female companion by his side.[10]
Reception[edit]
Commercial performance[edit]
Scars & Stories debuted at number 4 on the Billboard 200 charts, with first-week sales of 87,000 copies.[11]
Critical reception[edit]
Professional ratings | |
---|---|
Aggregate scores | |
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | (56/100)[12] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
Absolute Punk | (7.5/10) [13] |
Allmusic | [14] |
American Songwriter | [15] |
The A.V. Club | (D)[16] |
Billboard | (favorable)[17] |
Entertainment Weekly | (C+)[18] |
Rolling Stone | [19] |
Sputnikmusic | [7] |
Upon its release, the album received generally mixed reviews from music critics, and holds a Metacritic score of 55/100, indicating 'generally mixed reviews'.[12]Stephen Thomas Erlewine from Allmusic gave to the album three stars out of five and opined that 'O'Brien helps them articulate their ideas, giving them definition and muscle, attributes that are appealing when the songs lack distinct hooks.[14] A positive review came from Ryan Gardner writer of Absolute Punk, he stated that they 'definitely take a different approach this time around, welcoming producer Brendan O’Brien to the boards, which brings a more rock and roll sound to this record.'[13] He concluded the review, examining that 'As Scars & Stories comes to a close, it sums up everything The Fray have been about the past seven years. While they don’t throw any curveballs or stir the pot too much, the band definitely stays true to their core, crafting yet another memorable piano pop-rock record with these stories.'[13] Rusty Redden wrote a positive review for American Songwriter, praising the album for being their 'most-produced and boldest album yet.'[15] He also mentioned that the band 'achieves a bigger sounding record as Coldplay or Switchfoot, but does so in a way that is unmistakably their own.'[15]Sputnikmusic's review was also positive, saying that the album 'chooses to defend the band’s empire instead of pushing towards newer and greener pastures.'[7]Billboard's Gary Greff wrote that the album 'pushes things perceptibly forward.'[17]The A.V. Club gave a negative review, saying 'Ultimately, these mid-tempo, mid-volume tunes flounder in mediocrity.'[20] Jon Dolan, reviewing for Rolling Stone magazine, gave a similar review, stating 'They're still pumping American-Coldplay ballads full of sky-groping choruses and symphonic rushes.' He went on to pan the lyrics, saying 'If it were a Lonely Island parody of an earnest rock band it'd be kind of funny. Unfortunately, the Fray are terrifyingly serious.' and gave the album 2 stars out of 5.[21]
Melissa Maerz wrote a mixed review for Entertainment Weekly that the band is 'too serious' and that 'even producer Brendan O'Brien can't save Scars & Stories from generic TV-soundtrack mediocrity.'[18]
Singles[edit]
The lead single from the album is titled 'Heartbeat'. It was released to radio October 8, 2011, and surfaced online via radio music ripping. Shortly after it was officially released for download on October 11, 2011.
The music video for the second single, 'Run for Your Life' was released on March 11, 2012.
Track listing[edit]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | 'Heartbeat' | Isaac Slade/Joseph King | 3:41 |
2. | 'The Fighter' | Slade/King/David Welsh/Ben Wysocki | 4:20 |
3. | 'Turn Me On' | Slade/King/Welsh/Wysocki | 3:03 |
4. | 'Run for Your Life' | Slade/King | 3:59 |
5. | 'The Wind' | Slade/King/Welsh/Wysocki | 4:15 |
6. | '1961' | Slade/King | 3:54 |
7. | 'I Can Barely Say' | Slade/King | 4:20 |
8. | 'Munich' | Slade/King/Welsh/Wysocki | 3:57 |
9. | 'Here We Are' | Slade/King/Welsh/Wysocki | 3:32 |
10. | '48 to Go' | Slade/King/Welsh/Wysocki | 3:23 |
11. | 'Rainy Zurich' | Slade/King | 3:48 |
12. | 'Be Still' | Slade/King/Welsh/Wysocki | 2:49 |
Total length: | 44:35 |
iTunes Deluxe edition bonus tracks (all cover songs)[22] | |||
---|---|---|---|
No. | Title | Originally recorded by | Length |
13. | 'Maps' | Yeah Yeah Yeahs | 3:18 |
14. | 'Ready or Not' (featuring Stacie Orrico) | The Fugees | 3:50 |
15. | 'Why' | Annie Lennox | 4:00 |
16. | 'Boulder to Birmingham' (featuring Emmylou Harris) | Emmylou Harris | 5:07 |
17. | 'Streets of Philadelphia' | Bruce Springsteen | 3:49 |
Wal-Mart Exclusive bonus tracks[23] | ||
---|---|---|
No. | Title | Length |
13. | 'Heartbeat' (Wal-Mart Soundcheck Performance) | |
14. | 'You Found Me' (Wal-Mart Soundcheck Performance) | |
15. | 'Run For Your Life' (Wal-Mart Soundcheck Performance) | |
16. | 'Turn Me On' (Wal-Mart Soundcheck Performance) | |
17. | 'The Wind' (Wal-Mart Soundcheck Performance) |
Target bonus tracks[24] | ||
---|---|---|
No. | Title | Length |
13. | 'Streets of Philadelphia(Bruce Springsteen Cover)' (Acoustic) | |
14. | 'The Fighter' (Live) | |
15. | 'You Found Me' (Live) | |
16. | 'How to Save a Life' (Live) |
Japanese bonus tracks[25] | ||
---|---|---|
No. | Title | Length |
13. | 'The Fighter' (Live at Filmore) | |
14. | 'Streets of Philadelphia(Bruce Springsteen Cover)' (Acoustic Version) |
Personnel[edit]
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Charts[edit]
Chart (2012) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums Chart[27] | 18 |
New Zealand Albums Chart[28] | 39 |
US Billboard 200[29] | 4 |
References[edit]
- ^ ab'The new studio album Scars & Stories from The Fray, produced by Brendan O'Brien. Every pre-order comes with an instant download of the new single 'Heartbeat'!'. myplaydirect.com. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
- ^'Isaac Slade on the Fray's new album, working with Brendan O'Brien and opening for U2'. Westword.com. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
- ^'The Fray, Hard Rock Cafe- Boston, MA. 10.17.11'. YouTube.com. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
- ^'A Chat With The Fray'. Marilyn.ca. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
- ^'The Fray- Heartbeat'. TheFray.net. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
- ^ ab'The Wayman Tisdale Story and Scars & Stories: Conversations With Director Brian Schodorf and The Fray's Isaac Slade'. Huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
- ^ abcDon, Jolan (February 7, 2012). 'The Fray - Scars and Stories (staff review) - Sputnikmusic'. Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 2012-02-16.
- ^'In The Office: Candy, Chips and Overseas Chatter With The Fray'. Vevo.com. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
- ^'October 18, 2011: The Fray Interview'. Vh1.com. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
- ^'The Fighter Live - The Fray'. YouTube.com. Retrieved 22 December 2011.
- ^Caulfield, Keith (15 February 2012). 'Adele's '21' Hits 20th Week at No. 1, Van Halen Debuts at No. 2'. Billboard. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
- ^ abScars & Stories (2012): Reviews. Metacritic. Retrieved on 2012-02-16.
- ^ abcGardner, Ryan (February 7, 2012). 'Fray, The - Scars & Stories - Album Review - AbsolutePunk.net'. Absolute Punk. Retrieved 2012-02-16.
- ^ abErlewine, Stephen Thomas (February 7, 2012). 'Scars & Stories - The Fray - Allmusic'. Allmusic. Retrieved 2012-02-16.
- ^ abcRedden, Rusty (February 7, 2012). 'The Fray: Scars & Stories - American Songwriter'. American Songwriter. Retrieved 2012-02-16.
- ^Lewis, Catherine P. (February 7, 2012). 'The Fray: Scars & Stories - Music - Music Review - The A.V. Club'. The A.V. Club. Retrieved 2012-02-16.
- ^ abGraff, Gary (February 7, 2012). 'Album Review: The Fray, 'Scars & Stories''. Billboard. Retrieved 2012-02-16.
- ^ abMaerz, Melissa (February 7, 2012). 'Scars & Stories review - The Fray Review - Music Reviews and News - EW.com'. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2012-02-16.
- ^Don, Jolan (February 7, 2012). 'Scars Stories Album Reviews - Rolling Stone'. Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2012-02-16.
- ^http://www.avclub.com/articles/the-fray-scars-stories,69178/
- ^https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/scars-stories-20120207
- ^'Scars&Stories (Deluxe Version)'. iTunes Stores. Retrieved January 25, 2012.
- ^'Scars & Stories (Walmart Exclusive)'. Wal-Mart. Retrieved January 25, 2012.
- ^'The Fray Scars & Stories - Only at Target'. Target. Retrieved January 25, 2012.
- ^'THE FRAY Scars & Stories (2012 Japanese 14-track CD album)'. 991.com. Retrieved January 25, 2012.
- ^http://www.warrenhuart.com/album_new.html
- ^http://www.ariacharts.com.au/pages/charts_display.asp?chart=1G50
- ^http://charts.org.nz/showitem.asp?interpret=The+Fray&titel=Scars+And+Stories&cat=a
- ^'Adele's '21' Hits 20th Week at No. 1, Van Halen Debuts at No. 2'. Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. February 15, 2012. Retrieved February 15, 2012.
External links[edit]
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Fantastic news for fans of The Fray : this fall, the band has a best-of coming, plus a brand-new tour with American Authors .
Through the Years: The Best of The Fray , out November 4, is the Colorado group's first compilation, and in addition to hits like 'Over My Head (Cable Car),' 'How to Save a Life' and 'You Found Me,' it includes three brand-new songs. One of those, 'Singing Low,' will be released September 9.
As for the tour, it kicks off October 15 in Seattle, and runs through Thanksgiving weekend. Tickets go on sale this Friday, and if you buy them, you'll get a free digital download of the new album. The Fray's last major tour was last summer, when they were on the road with Train and Matt Nathanson .
It's hard to believe it's been more than 10 years since The Fray first broke through with their song 'Over My Head' and then really hit the big time with their biggest hit, 'How to Save a Life.' Lead singer Isaac Slade says even though they've played that song countless times over the years, their most devoted fans -- some of whom have seen the band 20 times or more -- feel that it's constantly changing.
'One of 'em said that every single time they've seen 'How to Save a Life,' it's different,' Isaac tells ABC Radio. 'And they've seen it 20 times, or 25 times, something like that.'
'We don't do that consciously or purposefully, but when we're playing it we're just trying to dig into the song as much as we can,' he adds. 'If I had to guess one of the things that keeps us going is that, you know, we're singing it for real.'
Here's the track listing for Through the Years:
'Over My Head (Cable Car)' – from How To Save A Life (2005)
'How To Save A Life' – from How To Save A Life (2006)
'Look After You' – from How To Save A Life (2007)
'All At Once' – from How To Save A Life (2007)
'You Found Me' – from The Fray (2008)
'Never Say Never' – from The Fray (2009)
'Heartless' – single (2009)
'Heartbeat' – from Scars & Stories (2011)
'Love Don’t Die' – from Helios (2013)
'Singing Low' – NEW SONG from Through the Years (2016)
'Corners' – NEW SONG from Through the Years (2016)
'Changing Tides' – NEW SONG from Through the Years (2016)
And here are the tour dates with American Authors:
10/15 -- Seattle, WA, Moore Theatre
10/16 -- Portland, OR, Crystal Ballroom
10/18 -- San Francisco, CA, Masonic
10/20 -- Phoenix, AZ, Comerica Theatre
10/21 -- Cabazon, CA, Morongo Casino
10/22 -- Las Vegas, NV, The Foundry Hall at SLS Casino
10/24 -- Los Angeles, CA, Wiltern
10/27 -- San Antonio, TX, Aztec Theater
10/28 -- Houston, TX, House of Blues
10/29 -- Dallas, TX, House of Blues
10/30 -- Austin, TX, ACL Live Moody
11/4 -- Boston, MA, Orpheum Theatre
11/5 -- Wilkes-Barre, PA, Mohegan Sun Pocono
11/6 -- Cleveland, OH, House of Blues
11/7 -- Madison, WI, Orpheum Theater
11/9 -- New York, NY, The Beacon Theatre
11/11 -- Chicago, IL, The Chicago Theatre
11/12 -- Nashville, TN, War Memorial Auditorium
11/13 -- Atlanta, GA, Tabernacle
11/15 -- Washington, DC, The Fillmore Silver Spring
11/16 -- Philadelphia, PA, Fillmore
11/18 -- Detroit, MI, Fillmore
11/19 -- Battle Creek, MI, FireKeepers Casino
11/20 -- Toronto, ON, Sound Academy
11/22 -- Minneapolis, MN, Orpheum
11/25 -- Boulder, CO, Fox Theatre
11/26 -- Denver, CO, 1st Bank
Copyright © 2016, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
The group's second self-titled album, released in 2009, debuted at number-one on the Billboard charts and was certified gold in the United States, Australia and Canada. It was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album in 2010. While both the albums were commercially successful, critical reception was mixed. The Fray was ranked No. 84 on Billboard's 'Artists of the Decade' list.
The Fray's use of the piano as the lead instrument in their music has led critics to compare the band with English piano-driven bands like Coldplay and Keane. However, the band lists its influences as The Wallflowers, Counting Crows, Better Than Ezra and U2
Scars & Stories (album) by The Fray
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The Fray bestography
Scars & Stories is ranked 4th best out of 5 albums by The Fray on BestEverAlbums.com.
The best album by The Fray is How To Save A Life which is ranked number 4534 in the list of all-time albums with a total rank score of 384.
Listen to Scars & Stories on YouTube
Scars & Stories track list
The tracks on this album have an average rating of 77 out of 100 (8 out of 12 tracks have been rated).
# | Track | Rating | |
---|---|---|---|
/ | |||
1. | Heartbeat | 77/100 (4 votes) Comments: 0 comments | |
2. | The Fighter | 76/100 (1 vote) Comments: 0 comments | |
3. | Turn Me On | Not enough data Comments: 0 comments | |
4. | Run For Your Life | Not enough data Comments: 0 comments | |
5. | The Wind | 78/100 (1 vote) Comments: 0 comments | |
6. | 1961 | 77/100 (1 vote) Comments: 0 comments | |
7. | I Can Barely Say | 76/100 (1 vote) Comments: 0 comments | |
8. | Munich | 77/100 (3 votes) Comments: 0 comments | |
9. | Here We Are | 77/100 (1 vote) Comments: 0 comments | |
10. | 48 To Go | 76/100 (1 vote) Comments: 0 comments | |
11. | Rainy Zurich | Not enough data Comments: 0 comments | |
12. | Be Still | Not enough data Comments: 0 comments |
Related links:top tracks by The Fraytop tracks of the 2010s, top tracks of 2012.
Scars & Stories rankings
Show:All charts | Overall charts | Decade charts | Year charts | Custom charts | My charts
All 4 charts that this album appears in:
Year | Source | Chart | Rank | Rank Score |
---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Source | Rank | Rank Score | |
2019 | AwaitingAndrew | Top 25 Music Albums of 2012 | 24/25 | 0 |
2018 | gtroda | Top 84 Music Albums of 2012 | 82/84 | 0 |
2016 | labvakar | Top 50 Music Albums of the 2010s | 30/50 | 8 |
2012 | BilboBaggs | Top 40 Greatest Music Albums | 10/40 | - |
Total Charts: The total number of charts that this album has appeared in. | 4 | |||
Total Rank Score: The total rank score. | 8 |
You can include this album in your own chart from the My Charts page!
Scars & Stories collection
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Scars & Stories ratings
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At this point, you know what you’re going to get for an album by The Fray. At first they were interesting, somewhat different, but now they’re starting to grow stale. A band needs to change and progress over time. The same thing has happened with Daughtry. At first they were interesting, but now after doing the same thing for three albums, it’s getting boring and predictable. This whole album is just soaring with mediocrity. The songs aren’t terrible by any stretch, but they certainly aren’t good. If you happen to already be a big fan of The Fray, you’ll probably enjoy this album as it is not different from their past two.
The Fray Scars And Stories Youtube
This album is good but not their best piece of work. The good thing about The Fray is that they are staying true to their original sound. Great piano melodies wiith nicely produced music. But there is nothing special about this album, it's lead single 'heartbeat' is average and I think a better single could of been chosen. Some of my favourites are 'I can barely say', '1961' and 'The Fighter'. Worth buying though.
The Fray Scars And Stories
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