McFly- Radio:ACTIVE

Hey, y'all! It's time for me to talk about another CD on my shelf! As always, I put my iTunes on shuffle, and the CD containing the first song that played is the one I'll be talking about!

Also, just wanted to give you a heads up that this is a super special post. You'll find out why further down on this post!

Release Date: September 22, 2008

Genre: Alternative, Pop Punk

When I bought the CD: If I remember correctly, I bought all of McFly's discography in either December 2008 or January 2009, so that's when I got this.

Track Listing

1. Lies
2. One For The Radio
3. Everybody Knows
4. Do Ya
5. Falling In Love
6. POV
7. Corrupted
8. Smile
9. The End
10. Going Through The Motions
11. Down Goes Another One
12. Only The Strong Survive
13. The Last Song

(Also, side note- once again I just listed off the track listing perfectly without looking at my iTunes. Clearly, I've listened to this CD a lot)

McFly is:
Tom Fletcher- lead vocals, guitar, keyboard, piano, ukulele
Danny Jones- lead vocals, guitar, harmonica, producer
Dougie Poynter- bass guitar, vocals, guitar
Harry Judd- drums, percussion

L-R: Dougie, Tom, Danny, and Harry

About McFly: 
I've talked about McFly several times in past CDs On My Shelf posts, so most of this is copy/pasted from past posts...
They were formed in 2003, and have had the same lineup for a decade. They've released 5 studio albums: Room On The 3rd Floor (2004), Wonderland (2005), Motion In The Ocean (2006), Radio:ACTIVE (2008), and Above The Noise (2010). Their other albums are soundtracks, live, and compilations. Each of their CDs has a distinct sound. Room On The 3rd Floor, their debut album, actually broke a Beatles record in 2004. McFly became the youngest band whose debut CD debuted at #1 on the UK charts. A little obscure and seemingly unimportant, but it's a small victory. This album definitely has a Beach Boys vibe. 2006's Motion In The Ocean & 2008's Radio:ACTIVE are the most similar of their albums, and are my personal favorites (Radio:ACTIVE is my personal favorite album ever). These two definitely showcase the band's rock side. Above The Noise, their 2010 release, is more of an electropop album, and the weakest, in my opinion.

My Opinion about McFly:
(Once again, mostly copied from the last one) As I said on my last post, they're my absolute favorite band. Not many Americans know about them, but I love them. I actually first saw them when they were in Just My Luck. I forgot about them and then in 2007 (my Jo Bro obsession time) I was watching an interview with the JoBros where Nick said his favorite song was Transylvania by McFly. I watched the video and thought it was weird, and again, I forgot about them. (Transylvania is now among my all-time favorite McFly songs!). It wasn't until I discovered that the Jonas Brothers got their song, Year 3000, from the band Busted that I actually started listening to McFly. The Busted guys are close friends with McFly, which is how I really discovered McFly. And when I realized that they were the band in Just My Luck, everything really clicked. Anyway, long story long, it was a weird winding road to discovering them, but I really love them, and I love all of the members. Tom is my favorite, though. Yes, Tom of the wedding speech fame. I've told everyone for years that Tom is perfect, and now people understand. McFly is also the exception to the dumb blonde rule. Tom, the only natural blonde, is the brain, and Danny, the only one who's been brunette for 99% of the time he's been in the band, is the lovably dim-witted front-man. (OK, he's not really dumb, but it IS a running joke that he's the slow one... Because he thought an egg was a vegetable. Poor boy)

About the CD:  

This is one of the two McFly CDs that have what I consider to be the "McFly" sound. They've gone through several different sounds, but this one is their more alternative/ rock sound, and it's my favorite of their sounds. This is also their first CD that they released on their own record company, Super Records.

IMHO: 
OK, are you ready to know why this post is so special? It's because Radio:ACTIVE ... is my favorite CD of all time. EVER. So yeah, this post is pretty special. And this'll probably be my favorite CDs On My Shelf post.

As always, I'm going to give each song a rating out of 10 and then give a brief explanation of why it got that rating. 

---------------------------------------------------

Lies- 10/10. This is my favorite McFly song, and I find that kinda funny because Danny sings most of it and I prefer Tom's voice. But I love the brass, and I super love the bass solo. I just really love this song and I think it's a really great opener.

One For The Radio- 10/10. Oh, you don't like McFly? Guess who has 8 thumbs and doesn't give two craps? McFLY. Very sass. Much love. "Don't pretend you hate us and then sing our songs."

Everybody Knows- 10/10. I generally prefer the music to the lyrics in pretty much any song, but in this one especially. The music really makes this song. I really love the guitar. And that cowbell tho.

Do Ya- 9/10. Originally, this was one of my favorite songs on the CD, but it has since fallen down on my list of favorites, partially due to how repetitive it gets. But I do really love all the harmonies it has in it. Also, this song will forever make me think of Christmas because of the music video. And also zombies. But you should probably just watch the video.

Falling In Love- 9.5/10. This is actually the opposite of Do Ya. Originally, I wasn't a big fan, but it's become more and more of a favorite. It's certainly not the most complex McFly song, but it's very chill and I really enjoy it. Also, the harmonies are cool again. That's one of my favorite things about McFly- they always have great harmonies.

POV- 9.5/10. This one was right on the bubble as far as rating, but I put it up instead of down. I really like the piano part. It's really recognizable. The chorus is definitely the star of the song, and it's a nice contrast between the emotional chorus and the very soft verses. I really like this one.

Corrupted- 9.5/10. This one is interesting. The verses have an almost creepy vibe, probably just because of the way Tom is singing, and its sound is unlike any other McFly song. However, the chorus has a very "McFly" sound. The juxtaposition between the two is really cool.

Smile- 9/10. I like that the beginning is a capella and that the vocal accompaniment continues throughout the song. Also, the brass. My only complaint is that it tends to be just the slightest bit cheesy.

The End- 9/10. This one is my least favorite on the CD, but that's not really saying to much, given that all of the songs are really great. I still enjoy the song and know every word. I think the reason that it didn't get higher is just because as far as McFly songs go, it's very predictable. There wasn't anything particularly new or surprising.

Going Through The Motions- 9.5/10. This is probably one of McFly's most "rock" songs. This must be really fun to play live because it's just constant excitement and speed and intensity, both instrumental and vocal. Harry's probably exhausted after this song. But it's really cool.

Down Goes Another One- 9/10. This song is the sequel to "She Falls Asleep," an orchestral/vocal song from McFly's Wonderland CD. She Falls Asleep is one of my all-time favorite McFly songs, and I've always been incredibly impressed by it because Tom Fletcher composed it when he was my age or slightly younger. I wish I had that skill. Anyway, I just don't think that this quite lives up to the original (as sequels tend to do). It's good, of course, but I don't love it quite as much as She Falls Asleep.

Only The Strong Survive- 10/10. Just yesterday, I discovered that this song was added onto the CD just to make it 13 tracks, and that makes me really sad because it's one of my favorite songs on the CD, as well as one of my favorite McFly songs, and it's clearly one that they don't care about much at all or think is very good. That bums me out. Anyway, I still really enjoy it. Especially that bridge.

The Last Song- 10/10. This one and Only The Strong Survive go back and forth for the second place spot on Radio:ACTIVE, but currently, I think that The Last Song has it. This one is kinda what sparked my love for this CD. For a long time, I skipped this song whenever it came up on my iPod, because the slowness of it didn't interest me too much, but one day I actually ended up listening to it all the way through and fell in love and wanted to listen to the rest of the CD. This song was written with the mind-set that if you were going to sing one last song, you'd want it to have a little bit of everything, and that's what this has. It's really epic, and such a great ending to the CD. 

---------------------------------------------------

This time, rather than to name the top and bottom songs, I'm going to just list them in order from favorite to least favorite. But they're all beautiful.

Lies. The Last Song. Only The Strong Survive. One For The Radio. Everybody Knows. Going Through The Motions. Falling In Love. Corrupted. POV. Down Goes Another One. Smile. Do Ya. The End.

Video! 

Here ya go. The full CD. Enjoy.

Rating: 10/10. It's not like I could give my favorite CD any less!


Hope you liked my newest "The CDs on my Shelf" post! Have any questions? What are your opinions on McFly? Let me know in the comments. If you like my posts, I'd really appreciate if you'd subscribe/follow, because it lets me know y'all are liking them! Hope you enjoyed! Comment, comment, comment! I love feedback! Thanks for reading!

20 Day Favorite Band Challenge

Hey, y'all! It's once again time for a One Day Tumblr Challenge! Today, I'm doing the 20 Day Favorite Band challenge. This is going to be just a little different, because I have two favorite bands. So, what I'm going to do is to do it twice, once for each band. Let's get started! 

McFly

1) Band basics

The guys in McFly are (from L-R in the picture): Dougie Poynter, Tom Fletcher, Danny Jones, and Harry Judd. Danny is technically the front man although he and Tom are both considered to be the lead singers of the band. Danny and Tom also share guitar duties. Tom does the majority of the songwriting, although all three of the other guys (especially Danny) also write. Tom also does the piano/keyboards for the band. Dougie is the bassist and occasionally gets lead vocal parts. Harry plays the drums and any other percussion necessary. The band has been together since 2003 and has released 5 studio albums, as well as several compilations and live CDs. Their style has gone through many stages, from a Beach Boys-esque style, to some orchestral songs, to more rock, to more electronic pop. 

2) First song you heard

Well, there are kinda two answers to this question. The first time I heard of them was when they were in the Lindsay Lohan movie, Just My Luck. So technically, the first song I heard by them was Five Colours In Her Hair. However, I didn't put this into my long-term memory at all and didn't even know they were a real band and I completely forgot about them. 

Oddly enough, back in middle school, when I was obsessed with The Jonas Brothers, I watched an interview where they were asked what their favorite song was. Nick responded with Transylvania by McFly. Nick was my fave, so I went and checked out the song. At the time, I wasn't a fan. I thought it was a little weird and just didn't really like it. Now, it's one of my all-time favorite McFly songs. Anyway, at that point, I just didn't connect the dots between the two. When I actually started listening to the band (and I can't remember when that was), I finally connected all the dots upon rewatching Just My Luck and the Jonas Brothers interview. It was really interesting. 

3) Your favorite song

There are so many. I'll just give you my top 5 so that I don't ramble forever: Lies, Sorry's Not Good Enough, Five Colours In Her Hair, That Girl, and Transylvania.

4) Your favorite album

Radio:ACTIVE, their 2008 CD, is just absolute perfection. I have trouble calling any song on this CD my "least favorite on the CD" because they're all so great.

5) Your favorite band member

Tom Fletcher! Honestly, he's my #1 celebrity crush ever. So many things about him are what I want in a guy. Not only is he an extremely talented musician, but he's also extremely intelligent. He's very mature- he was the first of the guys to settle down and start a family- but he's also basically just a big kid. He collects Disney toys, and has tons of action figures... he even has a Buzz Lightyear action figure on his nightstand. Oh, and he also named his son Buzz Michelangelo... after Buzz Lightyear and Michelangelo from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I mean, just look at this picture...

He's basically just a big dork and I really love that. He's just so incredibly great. I love him. I hold so many guys to him as a standard.

6) Your favorite song title

Hmmm... Most of their titles are very straightforward, so it's hard to really pick a favorite. Maybe Silence Is A Scary Sound? Just because I definitely agree with that statement.

7) Your favorite album title

I really like that they named their greatest hits CD Memory Lane, not just because of the actual meaning of the phrase but because that's the name of one of the songs on their 2005 CD, Wonderland... So the title itself is even a throwback. I just think that was a great naming decision.

8) Your favorite lyrics

I'm not sure I can choose just one single lyric. There are just too many great lyrics to just choose one. So maybe I'll go with "Galaxy Defenders stay forever" from Star Girl. The McFly fanbase started to be called the Galaxy Defenders after that song was released, so it's taken on a meaning past what anyone planned it to be.

9) Your favorite photo of the band

Honestly, my favorite picture of the band is usually whatever picture is current where they all look good... which is why I chose the picture of them above all of these questions. So basically that picture is my current favorite of them. 

10) Your favorite album cover

I've always really liked this cover... regardless of the feelings I have about the actual CD. It just looks so dynamic and I think it looks super cool and I love that Tom is the most prominent one rather than Danny. Above The Noise is also one of my favorite McFly album titles.

11) Best song-related memory

I'd probably have to go with a Christmas-time road trip where I first really fell in love with McFly. I'd had their music on my iPod, and they were in my top 10 bands, but on one road trip I listened to some of the songs I'd just skipped over before and really fell in love. After that, they quickly rose to become one of my favorites. 

12) Worst song- related memory

When my Grandpa passed away, I spent the entire 8 hour car ride sitting in the car and just listening to McFly to try to make myself feel better. Usually, I spend road trips reading or watching a DVD, but I couldn't really do anything except for just sit and listen to McFly. It was a really upsetting time for me, but McFly really helped me feel better. 

13) Best song

I think that technically speaking, their best song is She Falls Asleep (Both Parts 1 &2). It's so beautiful with the orchestra and Tom's vocals. I think it's just so beautiful.

14) Worst song

I don't think I could really name a "worst" song, because even the ones I don't like as much are still good songs. But the one I would say is probably my least favorite McFly song is Hypnotised from their debut (2004) CD, Room On The 3rd Floor. I just don't really listen to it or like it as much as some of their other songs. 

15) Best album

Honestly, I think that Radio:ACTIVE is not only my favorite CD, but their best CD. It's really cohesive, but also has variety that keeps it interesting. It's just a great CD.

16) Worst album

Yep, their most recent studio album (how sad is it that 2010 is their newest?!) is the one that I think is their worst. It's just too overproduced. Even they said they weren't happy with the way the album was produced. I just hope that they rebound from this CD when they release their 6th album... whenever we finally get it. 

17) Most-played song

On my iTunes, the most played McFly song is Lies. However, on my old iTunes, I think it was second to Five Colours In Her Hair. But either way, Lies is the most played song on my iTunes currently. 

18) Least-played song

I went with just the ones on the studio albums, and of those, the least played is Party Girl from Above The Noise. I think on my old iTunes, the least played was The Ballad of Paul K from Wonderland, but I definitely like that song better than Party Girl.

19) Most popular song overall

I'm taking this as the most commercially popular song by McFly, which is definitely Five Colours In Her Hair. It was the song that launched their career, and it's definitely a fan favorite. Also, it turns 10 this year, which is just mind-boggling. 

20) Why is this your favorite band?

I don't even know where to start with this. Obviously, I love their music, but I also really love all four of the guys (especially Tom). I feel like they're all great guys, but they're also extremely talented musicians. I love that they're all so incredibly committed to the band. They've stated that they'd never replace a member who left the band, and they each have stated that they wouldn't leave. I feel like they're one of those bands who will continue on for years and years and years. I just love them so, SO much. They hold such a special place in my heart. 

All Time Low

1) Band basics

The All Time Low guys (from L-R in the picture) are: Rian Dawson, Alex Gaskarth, Jack Barakat, and Zack Merrick. Alex is the lead singer and guitarist, Jack is lead guitarist, Zack is the bassist, and Rian is the drummer. Their parts in the band are much more defined than in McFly. Alex is the only one who ever sings (except when they have a guest vocalist). Alex does the vast majority of the lyrics writing, and often writes the entire song, but the rest of the guys also write the music as well. The band came together in 2003, when they were all still in high school. To date, they've released five studio albums, as well as an EP and an extended version of one of their CDs. Although they have released five CDs, their first CD, The Party Scene, is often overlooked as part of their discography. It's not even on iTunes. I tend to not even include it when talking about All Time Low's CDs, and often call So Wrong It's Right their first CD. 

2) First song you heard

There are a few songs that come to mind when I think about what my first All Time Low song was. I'm not sure what the exact song was, but I'm sure that Coffee Shop Soundtrack, Six Feet Under The Stars, and Dear Maria Count Me In were the first few. I'm sure that Poppin' Champagne was also up there in the first few that I listened to.

3) Your favorite song

It's really hard for me to choose a favorite, and unlike McFly, I haven't ever actually sat down and ranked all of All Time Low's songs from favorite to least favorite. (I know, I'm weird). I've always said that Weightless is my favorite song, not just from All Time Low, but out of all songs. However, I'm not sure that's necessarily true anymore. But I do really love Weightless. I love Shameless, Poppin' Champagne, So Long Soldier, and Lost In Stereo. I'm not sure if those five are necessarily my top 5, but they're all definitely up there. 

4) Your favorite album

I've already done a CDs On My Shelf post about this CD, which you can see by clicking HERE. This got the first 10/10 that I've ever given to a CD. For the longest time, So Wrong It's Right was my favorite All Time Low CD, but then in 2012, they released this CD and I fell head over heels in love. It was so much better than I could've ever hoped for, especially after how disappointed I was with their 2011 release. Much like with my favorite McFly CD, it's hard to say that any song on the CD is worse than any other. They're just all extremely great.  

5) Your favorite band member

Alex Gaskarth! He seems like such a nice guy and is extremely hilarious and a really talented musician. He has some of the best, most epic tweets ever. Plus, to make things even better, he's a huge Harry Potter nerd, which is always a great trait! I don't have the same intense love for Alex that I have for Tom, but he definitely has a special place in my heart. I also really love Jack. He makes me laugh endlessly.

6) Your favorite song title

Definitely The Irony of Choking on a Lifesaver. It's really funny, and I really want to know how they chose that name, because although it evokes the theme of the song, it's never mentioned in the song.

7) Your favorite album title

It's not necessarily the title itself, but I really loved what they did with the advertising for Nothing Personal. They'd put funny insults on a poster and then put "Nothing Personal" below it. I thought it was really cool. 

8) Your favorite lyrics

I really love all of the lyrics in Weightless, especially these two: "Turn a page, I'm a book, half unread" and "maybe it's not my weekend, but it's gonna be my year, and I'm so sick of watching while the minutes pass as I go nowhere."

9) Your favorite photo of the band

Once again, the photo I used at the beginning of this section of the post is the one that's probably my favorite picture of the band. 

10) Your favorite album cover

I really love the red/black combo, which is why I have this as the album art on my iTunes even though I have the deluxe CD (which has a blue background rather than red). I just realized that this is a recurring theme- my favorite covers are the CDs I'm not as big of a fan of!

11) Best song-related memory

Honestly, just driving around and blasting Don't Panic. I love it. 

12) Worst song- related memory

It's not necessarily bad, but it was pretty embarrassing and is a really funny story now. So, the day before Dirty Work was released (June 8, 2011), I got my first car. So going to get Dirty Work on the morning of the 8th was my first drive by myself in my car. I was being over-careful and following the drivers ed rules more than I'd ever followed them before, so when I got back into my car, I locked the car behind me (one of the first things drivers ed says to do when getting in the car) but I did it with my key remote. I wasn't aware that doing that would cause the car alarm to start blaring the second I tried putting my key in the ignition. I frantically pushed every button I could find, and finally realized I just had to unlock the car. So embarrassing. But at least I got to listen to the CD!

13) Best song

I'd say that their technically best song is Remembering Sunday. It's so raw and acoustic, and really great.

 

14) Worst song

Worst... Hmm. I don't think I have a single worst, but I'm not a huge fan of No Idea, Return The Favor, or Too Much

15) Best album

Once again, I honestly think that Don't Panic is their best CD. I think it really demonstrates how much they've grown over the years.

16) Worst album

My least favorite album is actually different than what I consider to be their worst CD. I definitely think that Dirty Work was their worst CD. It was really basic and poppy. However, that also makes it really easy to listen to and to enjoy, even though I think it's technically their worst CD. However, Put Up Or Shut Up, their 2006 EP is definitely the one I listen to the least. I don't think the songs on it are bad at all, but I just don't tend to want to listen to them as much. 

17) Most-played song

So Long Soldier and The Irony of Choking On A Lifesaver both have the same number of plays. However, on my old iTunes, before I got my laptop, Weightless had more than 100 plays. If it wasn't the most played song on my iTunes, it was at least in the top 5.  But on the current iTunes, the entire Don't Panic CD has more plays than any other songs do.

18) Least-played song

Of the studio albums, the song with the least plays is Holly (Would You Turn Me On?). That one is one of my least favorite songs by All Time Low, so it definitely makes sense that it has so few plays. 

19) Most popular song overall

Commercially, I think that Dear Maria, Count Me In and Weightless are the two most popular songs. I have friends who aren't really All Time Low fans or even pop punk fans who enjoy Dear Maria.

20) Why is this your favorite band?

A lot of the same reasons that McFly is... again, obviously I love their music. The guys all seem like really great guys, and they're really funny and talented. They're all really devoted to the band, and once again, the fact that they've been a band for almost eleven years without a single lineup change really shows how committed they all are to the band. They're all best friends, and I think that if one member left the band, they would decide to call it quits rather than continuing on without an important part of their lineup.

So, there you go, my 20 Day Favorite Band Challenge! I hope you enjoyed learning about both of these bands, and if you haven't heard of them, I think you should definitely give them a listen, because they make some great music. 

There are a lot of exciting things happening in the next couple weeks on From Kristen's Brain...! Tuesday, I'll be posting my series of the month post. Thursday, I'll be making an announcement about the project I'm doing this summer. I think that my April wrap-up that I discussed doing will be posted on May 8th, but I have both a Secret Lightning Scar chapter and a CDs On My Shelf post between now and then. If you want to keep up with my posts, I'd love it if you'd subscribe/follow, since it keeps you up-to-date and lets me know that you enjoy what I'm doing!

Thanks for reading! Hope to see you back here soon!

McFly- Wonderland

Hey, y'all! It's time for me to talk about another CD on my shelf! As always, I put my iTunes on shuffle, and the CD containing the first song that played is the one I'll be talking about!

Release Date: August 29, 2005

Genre: Pop Rock, Alternative

Track Listing

1. I'll Be OK
2. I've Got You
3. Ultraviolet
4. The Ballad of Paul K
5. I Wanna Hold You
6. Too Close For Comfort
7. All About You
8. She Falls Asleep Part 1
9. She Falls Asleep Part 2
10. Don't Know Why
11. Nothing
12. Memory Lane

McFly is:
Tom Fletcher- lead vocals, guitar, keyboard, piano, ukulele
Danny Jones- lead vocals, guitar, harmonica, producer
Dougie Poynter- bass guitar, vocals, guitar
Harry Judd- drums, percussion

L-R: Danny, Dougie, Tom, Harry

About McFly: 
I've talked about McFly several times in past CDs On My Shelf posts, so most of this is copy/pasted from past posts...
They were formed in 2003, and have had the same lineup for a decade. They've released 5 studio albums: Room On The 3rd Floor (2004), Wonderland (2005), Motion In The Ocean (2006), Radio:ACTIVE (2008), and Above The Noise (2010). Their other albums are soundtracks, live, and compilations. Each of their CDs has a distinct sound. Room On The 3rd Floor, their debut album, actually broke a Beatles record in 2004. McFly became the youngest band whose debut CD debuted at #1 on the UK charts. A little obscure and seemingly unimportant, but it's a small victory. This album definitely has a Beach Boys vibe. 2006's Motion In The Ocean & 2008's Radio:ACTIVE are the most similar of their albums, and are my personal favorites (Radio:ACTIVE is my personal favorite album ever). These two definitely showcase the band's rock side. Above The Noise, their 2010 release, is more of an electropop album, and the weakest, in my opinion.

My Opinion about McFly:
(Once again, mostly copied from the last one) As I said on my last post, they're my absolute favorite band. Not many Americans know about them, but I love them. I actually first saw them when they were in Just My Luck. I forgot about them and then in 2007 (my Jo Bro obsession time) I was watching an interview with the JoBros where Nick said his favorite song was Transylvania by McFly. I watched the video and thought it was weird, and again, I forgot about them. (Transylvania is now among my all-time favorite McFly songs!). It wasn't until I discovered that the Jonas Brothers got their song, Year 3000, from the band Busted that I actually started listening to McFly. The Busted guys are close friends with McFly, which is how I really discovered McFly. And when I realized that they were the band in Just My Luck, everything really clicked. Anyway, long story long, it was a weird winding road to discovering them, but I really love them, and I love all of the members. Tom is my favorite, though. Yes, Tom of the wedding speech fame. I've told everyone for years that Tom is perfect, and now people understand. McFly is also the exception to the dumb blonde rule. Tom, the only natural blonde, is the brain, and Danny, the only one who's been brunette for 99% of the time he's been in the band, is the lovably dim-witted front-man. (OK, he's not really dumb, but it IS a running joke that he's the slow one... Because he thought an egg was a vegetable. Poor boy)

About the CD:  

Compared to the rest of McFly's CDs, Wonderland has a lot more of an orchestral sound, and actually includes an orchestral piece composed by Tom. Around the time this CD was being made, the band was in the movie Just My Luck, and much of the music from this CD is also in the movie.  

IMHO: 
Of McFly's 5 CDs, this one ranks at #4 for me. It's a great CD, but three of their CDs are just better. It seems like I've been saying this quite a bit lately, but this CD has some of the best McFly songs ever. However, it also has quite a few of my least favorite McFly songs.

As always, I'm going to give each song a rating out of 10 and then give a brief explanation of why it got that rating. 

I'll Be OK- 8.5/10. This was one of their singles from this CD, but I wasn't incredibly impressed.
I've Got You- 8.5/10. This was one of the biggest singles from Wonderland, and it was definitely VERY prominent in Just My Luck, but I really just don't think it's one of their best songs.
Ultraviolet- 9.5/10. I really like how the verses have a really unique sound and how they contrast with the choruses. It's definitely one of their more unique songs.
The Ballad of Paul K- 8/10. This is honestly one of my least favorite McFly songs... ever. Obviously, I don't dislike it, because it's 8/10, it's just not their best.
I Wanna Hold You- 9.5/10. I really enjoy the chorus of this song. To me, it's one of the most fun songs on the CD for sure.
Too Close For Comfort- 9.5/10. This is definitely a fan favorite, and there's a reason. It shows off Tom and Danny's ranges and is a little slower for them, and really impressive.
All About You- 10/10. This song is simple adorable. Tom wrote it to be a Valentine's gift for then-girlfriend (now wife!), Giovanna. But it ended up becoming a McFly song, and one of their best songs. I especially love the use of the orchestra in this.
She Falls Asleep Part 1&2- 10/10. This is one of my all-time favorite McFly songs. Tom Fletcher composed this orchestral piece when he was only 19 or 20 and it's absolutely beautiful. It has such a deep meaning and his voice shines. I wish I could write such a great piece of music!
Don't Know Why- 9/10. I really like the verses in this song. So cool!
Nothing- 8.5/10. I really like the harmonies on this song. It's really great.
Memory Lane- 8/10. It's not exactly the most interesting song on the CD.

Favorite Songs: She Falls Asleep, All About You, I Wanna Hold You, Ultraviolet, and Too Close For Comfort

Least Favorite Songs: The Ballad of Paul K and Memory Lane, definitely!

Video! 

All About You music video

She Falls Asleep live

Rating: 9/10. The average is spot on a 9, and I definitely think that's accurate. I love it because it's McFly, and because some of my favorite McFly songs are on this CD, but overall it's not their best CD.

Hope you liked my newest "The CDs on my Shelf" post! Have any questions? What did you think of McFly? Let me know all of this in the comments. If you like my posts, I'd really appreciate if you'd subscribe/follow, because it lets me know y'all are liking them! Hope you enjoyed! Comment, comment, comment! I love feedback! Thanks for reading!

McFly- Motion In The Ocean

Hello, again! Did you miss me? First of all, you may have noticed that this blog has been moved to a new account. YES, it is still me! This is simply my normal account. Putting it on my main account makes it easier for me to get it written. And I can cross-promote my blogs easier as well ^-^ 

Release Date: November 6, 2006

Genre: pop rock, pop punk

Track Listing

1. We Are The Young
2. Star Girl
3. Please Please
4. Sorry's Not Good Enough
5. Bubble Wrap
6. Transylvania
7. Lonely
8. Little Joanna
9. Friday Night
10. Walk In The Sun
11. Home Is Where The Heart Is
12. Silence Is A Scary Sound (Hidden Track)

McFly is:
Tom Fletcher- lead vocals, guitar, keyboard, piano, ukulele
Danny Jones- lead vocals, guitar, harmonica, producer
Dougie Poynter- bass guitar, vocals, guitar
Harry Judd- drums, percussion

About McFly: A lot of this is copied from my post about their Greatest Hits album. They were formed in 2003, and have had the same lineup for a decade. They've released 5 studio albums: Room On The 3rd Floor (2004), Wonderland (2005), Motion In The Ocean (2006), Radio:ACTIVE (2008), and Above The Noise (2010). Their other albums are soundtracks, live, and compilations. Each of their CDs has a distinct sound. Room On The 3rd Floor, their debut album, actually broke a Beatles record in 2004. McFly became the youngest band whose debut CD debuted at #1 on the UK charts. A little obscure and seemingly unimportant, but it's a small victory. This album definitely has a Beach Boys vibe. 2005's Wonderland is definitely a lot more orchestral, and actually includes an orchestral piece composed by Tom. 2006's Motion In The Ocean & 2008's Radio:ACTIVE are the most similar of their albums, and are my personal favorites (Radio:ACTIVE is my personal favorite album ever). These two definitely showcase the band's rock side. Above The Noise, their 2010 release, is more of an electropop album, and the weakest, in my opinion.


My Opinion about McFly: (Once again, mostly copied from the last one) As I said on my last post, they're my absolute favorite band. Not many Americans know about them, but I love them. I actually first saw them when they were in Just My Luck. I forgot about them and then in 2007 (my Jo Bro obsession time) I was watching an interview with the JoBros where Nick said his favorite song was Transylvania by McFly. I watched the video and thought it was weird, and again, I forgot about them. (Transylvania is now among my all-time favorite McFly songs!). It wasn't until I discovered that the Jonas Brothers got their song, Year 3000, from the band Busted that I actually started listening to McFly. The Busted guys are close friends with McFly, which is how I really discovered McFly. And when I realized that they were the band in Just My Luck, everything really clicked. Anyway, long story long, it was a weird winding road to discovering them, but I really love them, and I love all of the members. Tom is my favorite, though. Yes, Tom of the wedding speech fame. I've told everyone for years that Tom is perfect, and now people understand. McFly is also the exception to the dumb blonde rule. Tom, the only natural blonde, is the brain, and Danny, the only one who's been brunette for 99% of the time he's been in the band, is the lovably dim-witted front-man. (OK, he's not really dumb, but it IS a running joke that he's the slow one... Because he thought an egg was a vegetable. Poor boy)

 About the CD:  It was released in 2006, just a year after they released Wonderland and the soundtrack to Just My Luck. Motion in the Ocean shows a relatively large change from the sound of Wonderland. In my opinion, the Motion in the Ocean sound is the one that they held onto the longest, and the one that I consider to be "their sound." Both this CD and their 2008 CD, Radio:ACTIVE, have more of a rock sound than either of the ones before or after.   

IMHO: It's my second favorite McFly CD, after Radio:ACTIVE. I do, however, feel that it has some really high highs, and some pretty low lows. For example, of the 12 songs, 4 of them are among my top 15 (if you want the breakdown, 2 of them are in my top 5, 1 is in 6-10, and 1 is in the 11-15 range). HOWEVER, about 3 of them find themselves among my all-time least favorite McFly songs... which still isn't a bad place to be, since I love all of their songs, but there is quite a distinct range there.

Favorite songs: Sorry's Not Good enough and Transylvania are both in my top 5 McFly songs ever ('Sorry' finds itself at #2, and Transylvania is #4). Star Girl is either 6 or 7. Bubble Wrap falls somewhere between 11 and 15, but I can't remember where. All four of those are just amazing. 

Other gems: I absolutely LOVE Little Joanna. Friday Night is also a fun one. I also like Please, Please and We Are The Young.

Video!

Sorry's Not Good Enough music video

Transylvania music video

Rating: 9.5/10. This is one of my all time favorite CDs. Some of my all-time favorite songs are on it, and it's just overall really awesome. Even the worst songs on the CD are really good.

Hope you liked my newest "The CDs on my Shelf" post! Are you glad to see me back? Want to know more information about the CD? Less? or just different info? Or is what I put good? What did you think of McFly? Let me know all of this in the comments. If you like my posts, I'd really appreciate if you'd subscribe, because it lets me know y'all are liking them! Still taking comments on the time they're posted, because if you haven't noticed, I schedule them to post at the same time, as I'm either asleep or at work at noon! Hope you enjoyed! Comment, comment, comment! I love feedback! Thanks for reading!

McFly- Memory Lane (The Best of McFly) [Deluxe Edition]

Finally, a CD I love... My favorite band's newest Greatest Hits CD!!!

Release Date: November 26, 2012

Genre: pop rock, pop punk

Track Listing
Disc 1:  

1. Love Is Easy 
2. Shine A Light 
3. Party Girl 
4. Falling In Love
5. Do Ya 
6. Lies                                                               
7. One For The Radio                                        
8. The Heart Never Lies                                    
9. Transylvania                                                  
10. Friday Night                                                 
11. Star Girl
12. Don't Stop Me Now
13. I'll Be OK
14. All About You
15. Room On The 3rd Floor
16. Obviously
17. Five Colours In Her Hair
18. Do Watcha
19. Cherry Cola
20. That Girl (Original 2003 Demo)
21. Obviously (Original 2003 Demo)
22. Memory Lane

Disc 2:

1. Umbrella (Studio Version)
2. Lola
3. The Guy Who Turned Her Down
4. Get Over You
5. You've Got A Friend
6. No Worries
7. Silence Is A Scary Sound
8. Sunny Side of the Street (Home Demo)
9. Memory Lane (Original 2003 Demo)
10. Surfer Babe (Original 2003 Demo)
11. Ignorance
12. Down Down
13. Mess Around You (Unreleased Demo)
14. Rockin' Robin
15. POV
16. She Loves You
17. Mr. Brightside
18. Little Joanna
19. Bubble Wrap
20. Five Colours In Her Hair (US Version)

McFly is:
Tom Fletcher- lead vocals, guitar, piano, ukulele, songwriter
Danny Jones- lead vocals, guitar, harmonica, producer, songwriter
Dougie Poynter- bass guitar, backup vocals, occasional lead vocals, songwriter
Harry Judd- drums, percussion

McFly, L-R in both pictures: Dougie, Tom, Harry, Danny

About McFly: I could say way too much about these guys, but I'll try not to. They were formed in 2003, and have had the same lineup for a decade. They've released a lot of CDs, but generally I just say 5 because those 5 are the regular studio albums. The others are soundtracks, live, and compilations. Each of their CDs has a distinct sound. Room On The 3rd Floor, their debut album, actually broke a Beatles record in 2004. McFly became the youngest band whose debut CD debuted at #1 on the UK charts. A little obscure and seemingly unimportant, but it's a small victory for Galaxy Defenders (I'll explain this term in a bit). This album definitely has a Beach Boys vibe. 2005's Wonderland is definitely a lot more orchestral, and actually includes an orchestral piece composed by Tom. 2006's Motion In The Ocean & 2008's Radio:ACTIVE are the most similar of their albums, and are my personal favorites (Radio:ACTIVE is my personal favorite album ever). These two definitely showcase the band's rock side. Above The Noise, their 2010 release, is more of an electropop album, and the weakest, in my opinion.

My Opinion about McFly: They're my absolute favorite band. Not many Americans know about them, but I love them. I actually first saw them when they were in Just My Luck. Yeah, that Lindsay Lohan movie from back in 2005. My boys were the band in that. And Harry almost hooked up with Lindsay in real life. And their song Please, Please is about her. But that's a whole different story... moving right along! I forgot about them and then in 2007 (my Jo Bro obsession time) I was watching an interview with the JoBros where Nick said his favorite song was Transylvania by McFly. I watched the video and thought it was weird, and again, I forgot about them. (Transylvania is now among my all-time favorite McFly songs!). It wasn't until I discovered that the Jonas Brothers got their song, Year 3000, from the band Busted that I actually started listening to McFly. The Busted guys are close friends with McFly, which is how I really discovered McFly. And when I realized that they were the band in Just My Luck, everything really clicked. Anyway, long story long, it was a weird winding road to discovering them, but I really love them, and I love all of the members. Tom is my favorite, though. Yes, Tom of the wedding speech fame. I've told everyone for years that Tom is perfect, and now people understand. McFly is also the exception to the dumb blonde rule. Tom, the only natural blonde, is the brain, and Danny, the only one who's been brunette for 99% of the time he's been in the band, is the lovably dim-witted front-man. (OK, he's not really dumb, but it IS a running joke that he's the slow one... Because he thought an egg was a vegetable. Poor boy)

About the CD:  Memory Lane is the 2nd Greatest Hits album they've released, and includes a lot of demos/ unreleased songs, along with a few new ones. The opening track, Love Is Easy, is their most recent single. I believe it's also their only single that was not from a studio album.

IMHO: I love the nostalgia of some of my favorite tracks, but some of the best were left off. And I'm not so sure about some of the new ones. My favorite new one that they've been performing, Red, isn't on here. So it had better be on their next studio album or I will have a heart attack.

Favorite songs: Lies is my all-time favorite McFly song. Transylvania is in the top 5, as is Five Colours In Her Hair (NOT the US version).  

Other gems: Love Is Easy, Falling In Love, Star Girl, Obviously... OK, just 1-17 on the first disc... minus 2&3. All 17 are from studio albums... 2&3 are Above The Noise tracks that I'm not as fond of. Sunny Side of the Street. I'm not sure why POV, Little Joanna, and Bubble Wrap are randomly near the end of this CD, but those are also from McFly studio albums and those are really good as well.

Video!

 Music video for Love Is Easy

Acoustic Love Is Easy, Dougie version!

Red live. Sorry, not the best quality. There's a much better one on youtube, but I couldn't get it to link on here.

About the Galaxy Defender thing I mentioned earlier: it comes from a line in Star Girl. "Galaxy Defenders stay forever". It has basically become the saying of the fans of McFly. McFly's fans are Galaxy Defenders, and we stay forever!

Rating: 9/10. I love all of McFly's songs. The only reason it's only 9 is because I'm frustrated that they released another greatest hits when all their fans really want is a new CD. And because the 2nd disc is a bit of a repeat of their earlier Greatest Hits.



Hope you liked my newest "The CDs on my Shelf" post! Sorry if I said a bit too much, but I just really love McFly!!! What did you think? Want to know more information about the CD? Less? or just different info? Or is what I put good? What do you think of McFly? Let me know all of this in the comments. Also, any opinion on the time? I have them automatically set to post at 12. Unless I get any other preferences or info, they'll be posted at 12- maybe not every day, but many days. Hope you enjoyed! Check back at noon tomorrow to see if there's a new post! Thanks for reading!





30 Day McFly Challenge

I really couldn't help myself with this one. McFly is my favorite band, and I can't just waste an opportunity to obsess over them! So here it goes!

My boys, from L to R in both pics: Dougie Poynter, Tom Fletcher, Harry Judd, Danny Jones.  The older one is from about 2004/05, the newer one is... sometime in the last couple years.

Day 01 – Your favourite song: 

Lies!

Day 02 – Your least favourite song:
Hypnotized.

Day 03 – A song that makes you happy:
I would have to say that Love Is Easy makes me happy really easily!

Day 04 – A song that makes you sad:
She Falls Asleep. It's absolutely beautiful, and I can't believe Tom composed it when he was 19/20. It's such a beautifully sad song.

Day 05 – A song that reminds you of someone:
Honestly, I can't think of any songs that make me think of someone specifically. One For The Radio makes me think about all the people who bash McFly. But that's about it.

Day 06 – A song that reminds you of somewhere:
Every time I listen to The Last Song, it takes me back to my sophomore year of high school, sitting in a car late at night on a long car ride. That was the first time I listened to the whole song. Before that, I'd only ever listened to the first bit and got bored and skipped it. When I heard the fast part, I fell in love with it, and that's what caused me to fall in love with that whole CD. 

Day 07 – A song that reminds you of a certain event:
I listened to End of The World quite a bit on 12-21-2012 haha ;)

Day 08 – A song that you know all the words to:
Uh... That would be every single McFly song. Not even kidding. 

Day 09 – A song that you can dance to:
I guess Shine A Light. But that shouldn't be an accomplishment, boys!

Day 10 – A song that makes you fall asleep:
I actually often fall asleep to their music because the more familiar something is, the more I can listen to it and fall asleep to it. And I usually just turn on Radio:ACTIVE on shuffle.

Day 11 – A song where you love the vocals:
I'll Be Your Man... the stripped down version. Not the album version. The album version totally ruined it. Seriously.

Day 12 – A song where you pay more attention to just one instrument:
Definitely Five Colours. That guitar intro is just awesome. Also, their new song Red... I'm currently obsessed with Tom's guitar part on that. It's brilliant. 

Day 13 – A song with embarrassing lyrics:
I'd have to go with Please, Please, because it's about Lindsay Lohan. 

Day 14 – A song that no one would expect you to love:
Well, my first instinct is to say none, because everyone knows my obsession with McFly... but I guess if I had to choose one, I'd say Nowhere Left To Run. Above The Noise is clearly their weakest album, with as poppy as it is, but Nowhere Left To Run is my favorite on that one (If we're not counting I'll Be Your Man's overproduced album version).

Day 15 – A song that describes you:
Hmm... I guess Smile? Or Only The Strong Survive? Or We Are the Young

Day 16 – A song that you used to love but now ‘hate’: 
I don't 'hate' any McFly songs, but I definitely lost quite a bit of love for Above The Noise. When it first came out, I was willing to accept the change reluctantly, but at this point, I don't like the change. Uhhh... I guess the biggest one apart from that would be Do Ya. It was one of my favorites on Radio:ACTIVE when I first started listening to it, but now that I'm really familiar with the album, it's one of my least favorites on the album. 

Day 17 – A song that you hear often on the radio:
I'm American, and they don't get played in America :(

Day 18 – A song that makes you feel proud of them:
Hmm... as far as their growth, definitely Red. Out of their recent songs, that one stands out above them all, because I feel like the quality is way better than Above The Noise, and even Love Is Easy, and certainly better than the two newer ones from Memory Lane. But as far as overall... probably Bubble Wrap, because it's one of their best slow songs, and it's so emotional. 

Day 19 – A song from your favourite album:
Everybody Knows, off of Radio:ACTIVE, which just happens to be my all-time favorite CD ever.

Day 20 – A song that you listen to when you’re angry:
Only The Strong Survive or Going Through the Motions.

Day 21 – A song that you listen to when you’re happy:
Hmmm... Little Joanna... Star Girl... yeah :)

Day 22 – A song that you listen to when you’re sad:
Definitely She Falls Asleep.

Day 23 – A song that you want to play at your wedding:
So, obviously everyone's gonna say All About You, but I'm gonna take a different path. I'd want I'll Be Your Man acoustic (or maybe my husband singing it to me?) and The Heart Never Lies. 

Day 24 – A song that you want to play at your funeral:
The Last Song. Maybe A Walk In The Sun... I think it's fitting, but it's not one of my favorite McFly ones. 

Day 25 – A song that makes you laugh:
That Girl, because during the guitar solo, I always picture Danny in the music video breaking the ceiling... and also Please, Please because of its music video... and Star Girl because of its music video... and Transylvania because of its music video. 

Day 26 – A song that you can play on an instrument:
I can do the intro to Five Colours on guitar. 

Day 27 – A song that you wish you could play:
All of them! But I am learning the ukulele and I want to be able to play Love Is Easy by sometime soon.

Day 28 – A song that makes you feel guilty:
Guilty? I never feel guilty listening to my boys!

Day 29 – The first song you ever heard of them:
This is a tricky one, because I'm not sure of the timeline on this. I have like... 3 separate incidents.
#1- Five Colours, because I saw Just My Luck before I started listening to them.
#2- I was watching a Jonas Brothers interview (I loved them so much) and Nick (my favorite) said his favorite song was Transylvania by McFly and so I looked it up. I thought it was weird. Idk if this or me seeing JML came first, but I know that I didn't mentally connect the incidents until I actually started listening to them.
#3- Through the Jonas Bros, I discovered Busted and fell in love, and just like all of my music obsessions, I found them on youtube and then watched suggested youtube videos, including McFly! I think the first one I heard by them through this was Five Colours. So I'd say that overall, my first McFly song was Five Colours.

Day 30 – Your favorite song at this time last year:
Still Lies. Lies has been my favorite for a long time. I also love Sorry's Not Good Enough, Five Colours, Transylvania, and That Girl. Those are my top 5. But I love all of their songs. Seriously.