How to Save a Life (album)

Last updated

How to Save a Life
The Fray - How to Save a Life.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedSeptember 13, 2005 (2005-09-13)
Recorded2005
StudioEcho Park Studios (Bloomington, Indiana); Sony Music Studios (New York City, New York); Coupe Studios (Boulder, Colorado); FTM Studios (Lakewood, Colorado).
Genre Alternative rock, pop rock
Length45:56
Label Epic
Producer Aaron Johnson, Mike Flynn
The Fray chronology
Reason EP
(2003)
How to Save a Life
(2005)
Live at the Electric Factory: Bootleg No. 1
(2006)
Singles from How to Save a Life
  1. "Over My Head (Cable Car)"
    Released: October 7, 2005
  2. "How to Save a Life"
    Released: March 26, 2006
  3. "Look After You"
    Released: February 6, 2007
  4. "All at Once"
    Released: June 2007

How to Save a Life is the debut studio album by American alternative rock band The Fray. Released on September 13, 2005, through Epic Records, the record charted in the top 15 on the Billboard 200 and was a top ten hit in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand and the UK. Its first two singles, "Over My Head (Cable Car)" and "How to Save a Life", led the album to commercial success and the band to mainstream recognition. [1]

Contents

Critical reception to the album was mixed, with some critics complimenting its similarities in style to British piano-driven bands like Keane and Coldplay, but in turn disparaging its unoriginality and derivation, as well as schmaltzy and self-pitying lyrics. The album was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, and was also certified platinum in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the UK; it became the best-selling digital album of all time until Eminem's Recovery (2010), breaking the record held previously by Coldplay's X&Y (2005). [2] [3] [4] Billboard listed the album on their Best Digital Albums of the Decade list – at number 21. [5]

Background

After independently releasing two EPs, The Fray were looking for a record company to release a full-length album. The band released their song "Cable Car" to Denver radio station KTCL, and the song saw significant airplay. [6] Denver alternative newsweekly Westword named the band "Best New Band" in 2004, and this prompted Epic Records A&R man Mike Flynn to sign the band to a recording contract on December 17, 2004. [7] The album was recorded over six weeks in Echo Park Studios in Bloomington, Indiana, and was produced by Aaron Johnson and Mike Flynn. [8] Former bass guitar player Dan Battenhouse left the band a year before entering the studio; Jake Smith, former lead singer and guitarist of the band The Mysteries of Life, took over bass guitar duties.

Track listing

Original release

All tracks are written by Isaac Slade and Joe King, except where noted

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."She Is" 3:56
2."Over My Head (Cable Car)" 3:58
3."How to Save a Life" 4:23
4."All at Once"Slade, King, Aaron Johnson 3:48
5."Fall Away"Slade, King, Dan Battenhouse4:23
6."Heaven Forbid" 3:59
7."Look After You" 4:28
8."Hundred"Slade, Monica Conway4:13
9."Vienna"Slade, King, Battenhouse3:51
10."Dead Wrong"Slade, King, Mike Flynn3:05
11."Little House" 2:30
12."Trust Me" 3:22
Total length:45:56

Bonus track

In later editions, an extra track was added:

  1. "Unsaid" – 3:05

Bonus CD

  1. "Over My Head (Cable Car)" (Live at the Gothic (May 20, 2005))
  2. "How to Save a Life" (Live for MTV.com & VH1.com (July 14, 2005))
  3. "Look After You" (Live at Red Rocks (08.12.2005))
  4. "Heaven Forbid" (Live at Red Rocks (08.12.2005))

Bonus DVD

  1. How to Save a Life (The Story)
  2. On The Road 2006 (Documentary)
  3. "Over My Head (Cable Car)" (Music Video)
  4. "Over My Head (Cable Car)" (Making the video)

Personnel

The Fray

Additional musicians

Production

Release

The album was released on September 13, 2005 by Epic Records. While the album did not make a splash commercially or critically initially, the success of "Over My Head (Cable Car)" propelled the album from the Top Heatseekers chart to the top 20 of The Billboard 200 chart. The release of the second single, "How to Save a Life", a world-wide smash, helped the album enter the top 5 in several charts across the world, and brought The Fray mainstream popularity. [9] The song remains the band's best known and most successful song to date.

Singles

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [16]
Blender Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [17]
Entertainment.ie Star full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [18]
Entertainment Weekly C+ [19]
HM Magazine Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [20]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [21]
Stylus Magazine D [22]

Overall, critical reception for the album was mixed. The piano-oriented sound of the album drew comparisons with British piano-rock band Keane, and Coldplay (whose music – although classified as alternative – is driven by the piano). [21] [23]

AllMusic, whilst giving the album a modestly positive review, stated that the band "lacked originality" and the album itself lacked any "inspiration and excitement". [16] Stylus Magazine gave the album a negative review, stating "The Fray, as a rule, are moribund, emotionally strained, uninvolving, and have a tendency to sound like The Cranberries fronted by a man." [22] Rolling Stone and Blender echoed many of these statements, both giving the album three stars out of five. [17] [21]

Awards and nominations

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [48] Platinum70,000^
Canada (Music Canada) [49] Platinum100,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ) [50] Platinum15,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [51] Platinum300,000^
United States (RIAA) [52] 4× Platinum4,000,000

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

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