Favorite Albums: 2000-2004
22. Rival Schools, United By Fate
Original position on my Stylus ballot: n/a
When learning what a freak I am about trimming the fat in my music collection (I only keep 20 entire albums per year), some have said they’d be worried about getting rid of songs that they’d appreciate later. It hasn’t come up very often, but one big example is this album, which I owned on vinyl (another radio promo - the most recent purchased LP I own is Bratmobile’s Pottymouth) and voted for in Pazz’n’Jop, only to sour on it a few short years later, tacking a few highlights onto a mix tape. After all, how much anonymous if action packed, hi-test post-grunge released five years too late does a guy need?
About an album’s worth, apparently. With the Smashing Pumpkins too full of beans to make a satisfying full-length, and most similar radio staples wishing they were the Smashing Pumpkins, United By Fate could only be improved by a Greatest Generic Alt-Hits Of The Mid-90s CD-R with 16 songs by the original artists. Go back in time, stick “Used For Glue” on Razorblade Suitcase and watch it sell another million. Are you sure “So Down On” wasn’t by the Verve Pipe? Bet they wish it was! Unfortunately, 2001 was a little late for the guy from Quicksand to find his inner Vertical Horizon, though the album slowly earned its cult and the brand was deemed worthy of a belated follow-up earlier this year. I bet it’s better than Bush’s first album in a decade too.
