End Is Forever

Last updated
End Is Forever
The Ataris - End Is Forever cover.jpg
Studio album by
The Ataris
ReleasedFebruary 20, 2001
RecordedJune–July 2000
Studio The Blasting Room, Fort Collins, Colorado;
Orange Whip and The Crank Lab, Santa Barbara, California
Genre Pop punk
Length41:01
Label Kung Fu
Producer Joey Cape, Jason Livermore
The Ataris chronology
Blue Skies, Broken Hearts...Next 12 Exits
(1999)		End Is Forever
(2001)		 So Long, Astoria
(2003)

End Is Forever is the third studio album by American rock band The Ataris, released on Kung-Fu Records in 2001. The album features a mix of punk and pop punk similar to the band's previous works along with catchy pop rhythms. It contains lyrics that span nostalgia, growing up, love, relationships, and singer Kris Roe's childhood. End is Forever is notable for its many pop culture references and numerous lyrics that Roe describes as having "hidden meanings" encoded within.

Contents

Background and production

In April 1999, the Ataris released their second studio album Blue Skies, Broken Hearts...Next 12 Exits . [1] They promoted the album with tours alongside Blink-182, Home Grown, and MxPx. [2] In April 2000, the band released a split album with Useless ID. [3] Between June 15 and July 20, 2000, the band recorded End Is Forever at The Blasting Room in Fort Collins, Colorado, with producers Joey Cape and Jason Livermore. Additional recording was held at Orange Whip and The Crank Lab, both in Santa Barbara, California with additional production from Angus Cooke. [4]

Composition

Musically, the sound of End Is Forever has been described as pop punk, [5] [6] with themes revolving around Roe's relationships, and being lonely while on tour. [7] [8] Roe considered it "a little bit more dynamic" than their previous album, with "a little bit more intricate" song structures, incorporating the use of cello and piano. [9] The opening track "Giving Up on Love" channels the style of the Foo Fighters. [6] "Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start" talks about staying young; its title is a reference to a cheat code from the video game Contra (1987). [7] [10] "Song for a Mix Tape" incorporates country blues guitar licks within its pop-punk chord progression. [11] "How I Spent My Summer Vacation" was originally included on the split with Useless ID; it was re-recorded for inclusion on End Is Forever. [12] "Teenage Riot" features references to "Longview" (1994) by Green Day, and "West End Riot" (1999) by the Living End. [13] "Song #13" is about turning the other cheek when someone says disparaging comments about another person. [9] The album closes with the acoustic song "Hello and Goodbye". [7]

Release

The Ataris appeared on the second leg of the Fat Wreck tour, and performed on the east coast dates of the Warped Tour. [14] In October 2000, the band supported the Vandals on their tour of the UK. [15] On October 8, "Song #13" was made available for free download through the band's MP3.com profile. [16] After initially being planned for released in October 2000, [14] End Is Forever was eventually released on February 20, 2001, through Kung Fu Records. The Ataris held a release show for it at the band's own store Down on Haley; the music video for "Teenage Riot" was filmed at the show. The band toured Australia and then went to the UK. After returning to the US, they went on a tour with Lagwagon, and the Vandals. [17] In April, the band played in Japan, before going to New Zealand, Australia and the UK; One Dollar Short appeared on the Australian dates. [17] [18]

After returning to the US in May, the band supported Blink-182 for a few shows. On June 18, the music video for "Summer Wind Was Always Our Song" was filmed at Down on Haley. [17] At the end of the month, guitarist Marco Peña left the band amid to creative and personal differences; he was replaced by guitar tech John Collura, formerly of the band Beefcake. [19] Following this, the band performed on the Warped Tour until August. [20] Later in the month, the band played three shows in the UK as part of the Extreme 2001 festival. [21] On August 27, the "Summer Wind Was Always Our Song" music video was posted on Kung Fu Records' website. Following the stint, the band played a few European festivals, before embarking on another US tour. In November and December, the band went on a west coast tour with All, before taking a break until early 2002. [17]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [22]
Chart Attack Favorable [5]
Drowned in Sound 6/10 [6]
Exclaim! Favorable [13]
Modern FixFavorable [7]
Ox-Fanzine Favorable [23]
Sputnikmusic6/10 [10]

The staff of Chart Attack wrote that End Is Forever "doesn't stray far from previous Ataris releases ... wrap[ing] melodies in chunky guitar riffs, working solid song arrangements with tight stop-start coordination." [5] Modern Fix writer Michael Moriatis said the record was "more mature and definitely more produced, almost to a fault, than previous Ataris’ albums." [7] Randy Flame of Ox-Fanzine found the album "[p]erfect both in the songwriting and in the production". [23] Exclaim! 's Rob Ferraz said the band "serve up a tasty buffet of melancholy pop punk" with End Is Forever. He added, "[i]f you enjoy songs about heartbreak, falling in love and making mixed tapes for that special someone, then this is the record for you." [13] Brian Kruger for Ink19 said the "playing, singing, and production are perfect. Too perfect, in fact. That’s what I don’t like about The Ataris — they’re too bright and shiny". [11]

AllMusic reviewer Vincent Jeffries wrote that the band "offered up the dynamic, dangerously non-punk End Is Forever." He noted that listeners that knew the band's earlier works wouldn't be "surprised by End Is Forever as Roe's quickly developing, gifted writing had always been the outfit's defining factor". [22] Mat Hocking of Drowned in Sound noted the lyrical themes of "girls, love, broken hearts, teen frustrations and er, girls", before asking, "[w]hich isn't really anything new is it?" He said that "[c]ompared to previous albums this is pretty average and a lot tamer". [6] In a retrospective review, Sputnikmusic staff member Atari said the record was "their most consistent album to date." He added, "[i]t's an underappreciated and often overlooked album". [10] Punk Planet reviewer Kyle Ryan said track three alone was "enough for me to give the Ataris a gold star of cleverness". Though, apart from this, the band managed to "pull [the pop punk sound] off occasionally, but they don't make it work the whole time". [24]

It reached No. 14 on the Billboard Independent Albums chart and No. 24 on the Top Heatseekers chart. [25]

Track listing

All songs by Kris Roe, except "Giving Up on Love" by Roe and Jasin Thomason. [4]

  1. "Giving Up on Love" – 2:53
  2. "Summer Wind Was Always Our Song" – 3:56
  3. "I.O.U. One Galaxy" – 2:00
  4. "Bad Case of Broken Heart" – 1:58
  5. "Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start" – 3:01
  6. "Road Signs and Rock Songs" – 2:45
  7. "If You Really Want to Hear About It..." – 2:45
  8. "Fast Times at Drop-Out High" – 3:39
  9. "Song for a Mix Tape" – 3:08
  10. "You Need a Hug" – 3:49
  11. "How I Spent My Summer Vacation" – 3:22
  12. "Teenage Riot" – 2:58
  13. "Song #13" – 2:25
  14. "Hello and Goodbye" – 2:22

Personnel

Personnel per booklet. [4]

Charts

Chart (2001)Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA Charts) [26] 81

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Vandals</span> American punk band

The Vandals are an American punk rock band, established in 1980 in Orange County, California. They have released ten full-length studio albums, three live albums, 3 live DVDs and have toured the world extensively, including performances on the Vans Warped Tour. They are well known for their use of humor, preferring to use their music as a vehicle for comedy and sarcasm rather than as a platform for more serious issues. Kung Fu Records, founded in 1996 by Escalante and Fitzgerald has signed and launched many punk rock bands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Ataris</span> American rock band

The Ataris are an American punk rock band from Anderson, Indiana. Formed in 1996, they released five studio albums between 1997 and 2007. Their best-selling album is So Long, Astoria (2003), which was certified gold. Their high-charting single is their cover of Don Henley's "The Boys of Summer" from So Long, Astoria. The only constant member throughout their history has been singer/songwriter/guitarist Kristopher "Kris" Roe.

<i>So Long, Astoria</i> 2003 album by The Ataris

So Long, Astoria is the fourth studio album by American rock band The Ataris, released on March 4, 2003. The album's title song alludes to the 1985 film The Goonies, which is set in Astoria, Oregon.

<i>The Art of Drowning</i> (album) 2000 studio album by AFI

The Art of Drowning is the fifth studio album by American rock band AFI. It was released on September 19, 2000, through Nitro Records.

<i>Pump Up the Valuum</i> 2000 studio album by NOFX

Pump Up the Valuum is the eighth studio album by the American punk rock band NOFX. It was released on June 13, 2000, on Epitaph Records, their last through the company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Further Seems Forever</span> American rock band

Further Seems Forever is an American rock band formed in 1998 in Pompano Beach, Florida. Over its initial eight-year run the band experienced several lineup changes, resulting in a different lead vocalist performing on each of their first three studio albums. Original singer Chris Carrabba recorded The Moon Is Down (2001) with the group before leaving to start Dashboard Confessional. He was replaced by Jason Gleason, who performed on How to Start a Fire (2003) but left the band the following year. Former Sense Field vocalist Jon Bunch joined Further Seems Forever for Hide Nothing (2004). The band broke up in 2006 but reunited four years later with Carrabba on vocals. Their fourth studio album, Penny Black, was released in 2012.

<i>The Moon Is Down</i> (album) 2001 studio album by Further Seems Forever

The Moon Is Down is the debut album by the Pompano Beach, Florida rock band Further Seems Forever, released in 2001 by Tooth & Nail Records. It was the band's first full-length album. Vocalist Chris Carrabba had already decided to leave the band to focus on his new project, Dashboard Confessional, but joined them in the studio to record the album. Dominguez left the band the following year to start the record label Pop Up Records. The two were replaced by Jason Gleason and Derick Cordoba, respectively, for the band's next album How to Start a Fire. A music video was filmed for the song "Snowbirds and Townies."

<i>Blue Skies, Broken Hearts...Next 12 Exits</i> 1999 studio album by The Ataris

Blue Skies, Broken Hearts...Next 12 Exits is the second studio album by the American pop punk band The Ataris. It was released on Kung Fu Records on April 13, 1999. The album cover is the neon sign for the Blue Skies Mobile Park in Santa Barbara, California, taken by Roe. In December 1999, the band went on a midwest/west coast tour with MxPx.

<i>Hitler Bad, Vandals Good</i> 1998 studio album by The Vandals

Hitler Bad, Vandals Good is the seventh studio album by the southern California punk rock band The Vandals, released in 1998 by Nitro Records.

<i>Pennybridge Pioneers</i> 2000 studio album by Millencolin

Pennybridge Pioneers is the fourth album by Swedish punk rock band Millencolin, released on 22 February 2000 by Epitaph Records. The album was their first album to move away from their ska punk elements in favor of a more alternative rock sound. It was also the band's first album recorded outside their native country of Sweden, and their first to be certified gold in sales after selling over 35,000 copies in Australia.

Tsunami Bomb is an American punk rock band from Petaluma, California. They were formed in 1998 by bassist Dominic Davi, with keyboardist/vocalist Oobliette Sparks and later joined by drummer Gabe Lindeman. With vocalist Emily Whitehurst aka "Agent M" they would become a staple of Warped Tour and toured extensively throughout the United States, Europe, and Japan, going through a number of lineup changes until they disbanded in 2005 after releasing two full length albums and a number of EP's. In 2015 the band reformed with new vocalist Kate Jacobi and later guitarist Andy Pohl and has remained active since, touring and appearing on a variety of festivals.

<i>Stay What You Are</i> 2001 studio album by Saves the Day

Stay What You Are is the third studio album from American rock band Saves the Day, released in 2001. The album received positive reviews from critics at the time of its release and remains an influential album in the emo and pop punk genres. It has been described as "channel[ling] the thrill of pop punk, the intellect of indie rock, and the raw emotion of emo all at once." Lead single "At Your Funeral" charted in the United Kingdom and Scotland.

<i>Look What I Almost Stepped In...</i> 2000 studio album by The Vandals

Look What I Almost Stepped In... is the eighth studio album by the southern California punk rock band The Vandals, released in 2000 by Nitro Records. It was recorded in April 2000. It was the band's final album for Nitro, as they moved to their own label Kung Fu Records the following year.

<i>How to Ruin Everything</i> 2002 studio album by Face to Face

How to Ruin Everything is the seventh studio album by the punk rock band Face to Face, released in 2002.

<i>Welcome the Night</i> 2007 studio album by the Ataris

Welcome the Night is the fifth studio album by American rock band the Ataris.

<i>Borders & Boundaries</i> 2000 studio album by Less Than Jake

Borders & Boundaries is the fourth studio album by ska punk band Less Than Jake. It was released October 24, 2000 on Fat Wreck Chords. The album was recorded at Grand Master Studios in Hollywood, CA, with producer Steve Kravac, and is the final studio album to feature saxophonist Derron Nuhfer and trombonist Pete Anna. The name of the album can he heard in a lyric from the opening track, "Magnetic North."

<i>Internet Dating Superstuds</i> 2002 studio album by The Vandals

Internet Dating Superstuds is the ninth studio album by the southern California punk rock band The Vandals. An independent music video was filmed for the song "43210-1."

Useless ID is an Israeli punk rock band, formed in Haifa in 1994.

Audio Karate is an American rock band from Rosemead, California.

<i>How I Spent My Summer Vacation</i> (album) 2001 studio album by the Bouncing Souls

How I Spent My Summer Vacation is the fifth studio album by American punk rock band the Bouncing Souls. It was recorded in November and December 2000. It was released on May 22, 2001. This was the first album to feature new drummer Michael McDermott, formerly of Murphy's Law and Skinnerbox. The song "Manthem" is featured in the video game Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4.

References

Citations

  1. ↑ Jeffries, Vincent. "Blue Skies, Broken Hearts...Next 12 Exits - The Ataris | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Archived from the original on June 7, 2019. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  2. ↑ Cornelius, David. "The Ataris | Biography & History". AllMusic. Archived from the original on June 7, 2019. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  3. ↑ "Let It Burn - The Ataris | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Archived from the original on October 28, 2020. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  4. 1 2 3 End Is Forever (booklet). The Ataris. Kung Fu Records. 2001. 78782-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  5. 1 2 3 "The Ataris — End Is Forever". Chart Attack. February 21, 2001. Archived from the original on February 23, 2018. Retrieved February 23, 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  6. 1 2 3 4 Hocking, Mat (March 12, 2001). "Album Review: The Ataris - End Is Forever / Releases". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on February 18, 2018. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Moriatis, Michael (April 2001). "CD Reviews". Modern Fix. Archived from the original on January 13, 2003. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
  8. ↑ White, Adam (December 24, 2000). "Ataris New Abum [sic]". Punknews.org. Archived from the original on July 3, 2019. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  9. 1 2 Benwell, James (October 22, 2000). "The Ataris - Nothing to do with computers!". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on November 12, 2004. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  10. 1 2 3 Atari (September 29, 2012). "Review: The Ataris - End is Forever". Sputnikmusic. Archived from the original on October 25, 2020. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
  11. 1 2 Kruger, Brian (June 27, 2001). "The Ataris End Is Forever". Ink19. Archived from the original on July 18, 2019. Retrieved November 25, 2021.
  12. ↑ Jordan (May 14, 2008). "The Ataris". Pastepunk. Archived from the original on December 17, 2021. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
  13. 1 2 3 Ferraz, Rob (June 1, 2001). "Ataris End Is Forever". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on February 18, 2018. Retrieved February 18, 2018.
  14. 1 2 Paul, Aubin (April 12, 2000). "Ataris are Busy". Punknews.org. Archived from the original on July 3, 2019. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  15. ↑ Paul, Aubin (August 23, 2000). "Vandals, Ataris and Bigwig Hit the UK". Punknews.org. Archived from the original on July 3, 2019. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  16. ↑ Paul, Aubin (October 8, 2000). "Check Out the Ataris New Single". Punknews.org. Archived from the original on February 14, 2021. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  17. 1 2 3 4 "News". The Ataris. Archived from the original on December 21, 2002. Retrieved February 18, 2018.
  18. ↑ White, Adam (March 8, 2001). "New One Dollar Short Single". Punknews.org. Archived from the original on February 9, 2021. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  19. ↑ Roe, Kris (August 7, 2001). "What happened to Marco Pena, the old guitar player?". The Ataris. Archived from the original on April 9, 2002. Retrieved February 1, 2018.
  20. ↑ Vanhorn, Teri (March 13, 2001). "Warped Tour Adds Rollins Band, Lists Dates, Cities". MTV. Archived from the original on February 26, 2018. Retrieved February 25, 2018.
  21. ↑ "The Jake's Gonna Be On You!". NME . May 1, 2001. Archived from the original on November 6, 2022. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
  22. 1 2 Jeffries, Vincent. "End Is Forever - The Ataris | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Archived from the original on April 13, 2020. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
  23. 1 2 Flame, Randy (March–May 2001). "Reviews: Ataris / End Is Forever". Ox-Fanzine (in German). Archived from the original on October 28, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2019.
  24. ↑ Ryan 2001, p. 122–3
  25. ↑ "The Ataris". Allmusic . Retrieved June 10, 2010.
  26. ↑ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (pdf ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 19.

Sources

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.