Cons: Disappointing Packaging and Lack of Bonus Features
The Bottom Line: Buy this for its music if you're going to buy it. Don't expect gobs of nastalgic extras. It's the three CD's it advertises. If you don't have them, buy this!!
zorrothepiking's Full Review: The Early Years: 1997-2000 by Switchfoot
Switchfoot's The Early Years is a box set of the three original Switchfoot Albums: Legend Of Chin, New Way to be Human, and Learning to Breathe. So should you run out and buy this? Well... uh... it kinda depends.
Layout
If you're a longtime Switchfoot fan and collector looking for a way to round out your collection, you may want to take a hold off. This is not exactly a collector's edition. There is no additional media beyond what the three albums contained even down to the album sleeves. You get all three sleeves separately just as if you had bought them individually and the disks share one think jewel case. In my opinion, the only reason to buy this is if you lack 2 or 3 of these albums, in which case I definitely recommend it! Prices on older music are hard to predict, but I expect you can get a good deal by buying this package.
Why It Matters
I'm not going to give you a detailed analysis of each individual album, and there are two reasons. First, I've already done so and you can find them using the links above. Second, you're not buying three individual albums. You're buying a set, so I think it appropriate to look at the albums from a set perspective. What do these albums represent? How do they compare to the new music Switchfoot has done? What does it reveal about the evolution of the band? Is the music even good?
The debut album, Legend Of Chin, is probably the least popular of all the Switchfoot albums, likely because of their lack of infamy at its release. New Way to be Human was better received, and Learning to Breathe was the first time I think they were considered a popular Christian Rock Band. Their maturation as a band was both lyrical and musical, and I think both deserve attention.
Musical Revolution Legend of Chin was a really interesting album. There sound is very raw, as is the case with most new bands. They also have a jazzy feel to them, and an overwhelming dark sound throughout most of the songs. I call it dark-rock-jazz. The album had a good mix of slow and fast, upbeat and morose, and rock and ballad, but it is really heavy musically. This is probably the most experimental of all their work.
By New Way to be Human they swing really wide the other way. dark-rock-jazz becomes upbeat-rock-pop. The muddy and dark sounds of Legend of Chin are replaced by a much crisper and more rarely muddy sound. The electric guitar plays a huge part in this album, as they seem to search for a sound that will show they deserve respect and popularity. From a strictly musical perspective, this album is a little less unique than many of their others. This upbeat rock sound will show up again in all of their later work, laying the foundation for huge hits like Dare You to Move, Meant to Live, and Stars. Unfortunately, I think this album has a tendency to lack diversity. Although the sound is fun and engaging, the songs often lack dynamics, and some of the songs are indistinguishable from others. They do slow down a couple of them to break things up and show some versatility, but there is definitely more diversity in Legend of Chin and...
Learning to Breathe!! There is a reason Switchfoot has the fame they currently enjoy, and it really began here. Pulling on the unique sounds and experiments of Legend of Chin and the trendy California Rock of New Way to be Human, Switchfoot produces a great sound that will keep you glued to your earphones (sounds painful) for the whole album. The mix of sounds from song to song is really great. They do a good job of showing versatility, but no songs really deviate except maybe Poparazzi. It's strong and distinctive, an album that found widespread acceptance in the Christian Rock scene and served as a sort of template of for Beautiful Letdown - 2003 and Nothing is Sound - 2005.
Listening to these albums back to back can give you a real appreciation of where this band has come from and how they got to where they are. The shift from Legend of Chin to New Way to be Human was pretty drastic, and they settle somewhere in the middle with Learning to Breathe. Looking at just these three albums, Learning to Breathe is the culmination of the first two. Looking at the entire Discography, Learning to Breathe is simply the first installment of the sound that will rocket Switchfoot to infamy. The sound is here, but not as developed as will find in later work.
Lyrical Evolution
There has also been a thematic progression through their work. Much like the music, The Legend of Chin is a little dark, focusing on despair and loss in a lot of their songs. There are also some songs about a mysterious female and the difficulty in caring about her. Some have gone as far as to call this album depressing, but I wouldn't go that far. There are happy lines throughout and a focus on doing right and finding good even in the hard times.
New Way to be Human is appropriately titled. This album lays out the Switchfoot recipe for being a good Christian. Some songs focus on Sacrifice, others focus on finding contentment. Still others focus on pushing through to that next level of committment.
As if to admit putting the cart before the horse, Switchfoot goes back and explains how this new way of being can be obtained. In Learning to Breathe we hear about what steps must be taken to become this person. It tracks logically from its predecessor, taking a day-to-day approach to achieving this greater humanity and spirituality. As an analogy, New way to be Human would describe the perfect painting, while Learning to Breathe teaches you to paint. Suddenly, the titles make more sense! :)
To Buy or Not to Buy
A question, indeed. If you want to fill a gap in your musical repertoire, I definitely recommend this set. You'll gain a whole new appreciation of Switchfoot, as well as just getting three fantastic albums. If you already have this music and are thinking about adding to your Switchfoot shrine, you might be disappointed with what you get. I was hoping for some bonus tracks or extra content, but alas. Of course, if their success continues like it has, we'll have more options than we know what to do with, what with greatest hits albums, DVD versions (already are some!), their "never before released" work, and the associated lunch boxes. :)
RATING DISCLAIMER: I've given it 5 stars based on its quality as a collection of music, not it's value as a collector's item.
Between 1997 and 2000, San Diegos Switchfoot released three critically acclaimed albums, each a unique musical statement and showcase of their compell...More at Christianbook.com
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