This is a very late review. I guess I’m doing this to defend MRC from all those idiotic emo-haters.
I really don’t consider myself emo (though my bestfriend say I probably am because I love to whine) because they don’t even have a clear definition of emo. And besides, if it really boils down to it, MCR is the only “emo” band I actually shout to the world I’m listening too. I have my share of guilty pleasures… well, I do admit that I listen to my guilty pleasures but I don’t really like admitting it though. That goes to bands like All-American Rejects and Yellowcard, presumably emo. Come to think it, any band that plays instruments and sings about love, sadness or violence are called emo. They’re not punk-pop anymore. If Avril Lavigne and Simple Plan boomed today, I guess they’ll call them emo too. And they’re actually saying it. That’s not what they said before.
So, the deal is, because of MCR’s popularity out there in emo-trend worlds, a lot of people hates them and trashes their music. Yes, they’re idiots.
I don’t care if they want to bury Gerard Way alive because he already looks like a dead woman (though frankly, I don’t know how that became an insult; I mean Gerard makes a hot woman! And the looking dead thing is just a plus!) just as long as they keep their minds straight and admit that Gerard has talent. He may not be Jesus but Gerard, and the whole band for that matter, has effing great talent.
I know how overrated MCR is out there in emo-trend worlds. I know that they’re tired of hearing MCR every damn day on the radio but if you hear Nirvana everyday, won’t they get tired too? There are real emo-haters and there are emo-haters just in it for the cool factor like lots of “emo-kids”. They’re in the same boat. They feel like they’re so cool because they’re not joining the fad. Well, good for them.
Just keep your snobbish hands off my boys.
I don’t hear their songs on the radio everywhere and my country is not yet fully in the emo-trend phase. So hear me please.
MCR is different from all those “emo” bands coming out everywhere. Basically, because of their frontman, Gerard Way. He knows how to write and leads the whole band to great music to accompany the whole mood. They haven’t change the whole world. Yet. But I am praying that they quickly do it already. Because they can.
Alanis Morissette made only one really, really, really, great album, Jagged Little Pill (I’m not saying her other albums are not great, but let’s face it, they’re crappy compared to the best thing she did) and she was able to affect the world because she’s a woman. It’s a feminist thing really. If a man were to make the album, it would make history but then what?
So like other MCR fans, I’m waiting for their third album and hope that they don’t do an Alanis, meaning their talent and creativity keeps on climbing until they do a world charity thing or self-destruct (yes, I’m evil, but if Kurt Cobain lived, would he still make greater music? You really should just die while you’re at your peak if you want to leave a big footprint. Look at Monroe.). Their first album, I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love is fantastic but Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge is… just… it… makes me speechless.
That’s the other reason why I wasn’t able to make a review last year. I mean, all I could say is how hot Gerard is and they’re music is “sooooooooo cool”. That was idiotic. Look for yourself, I actually did two song reviews and I didn’t even try to give their music justice.
So forgive me and let me try.
Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge is cinematic. Gerard Way’s words are so visual that you feel like watching some movie in your head. If one does not understand the lyrics, the music will help you through the ordeal and lets you feel that stories are being read to you, captivatingly. And if that doesn’t help and one absolutely can’t understand the lyrics, don’t worry. The whole delivery of the song is extremely passionate that one should just suck in all the energy and let it blow your mind. The whole album in short, is positively exhilarating.
And when I say whole, I mean whole. This includes the concept, the inlay, the music, the videos, and the performances. Everything connected to the album.
I saw live concerts of MCR in the net and wow; it’s like you could touch the energy and put it in your mouth, chew it then swallow. I wonder how it feels to be actually be there. (Okay, that was another misplaced MCR review, back to the album.)
The album inlay contains goth/anime/despair/romantic/edgy/action/gory feel. It fronts lovers, man and woman about to kiss or being deprived of that kiss… or wanting to kiss but stopping themselves that pleasure. At the back of it is a sort of summary of the album:
The Story of a man. A woman. And the corpses of a thousand evil men… (The sort of clue story of the album that puts the all the songs in line is about a man coming back from hell by making a deal with the devil to kill a thousands in exchange for his “traitor” girlfriend. This is mainly depicted in the song It’s Not A Fashion Statement, It’s A Fucking Deathwish and I guess, Cemetery Drive. I think the album is a part two of Demolition Lovers from the first album.) Then, the artwork presented inside is a dead woman, well, actually, a woman lying on a morgue-like bed covered only by a blood stained white blanket. The CD has a rosary drawing on it as well as the space where one can read the lyrics.
Now, all this falls into place when you listen to the songs.
HELENA- Song about death. The song deals about letting go and holding on at the same time. Every stage in dealing with death of a loved one is captured in this piece. The video is incomparable. Gerard face flashes every emotion and the ballet dancers were a nice touch. I felt like watching a painting of demons/angels dancing. The song is about Gerard and Mikey’s grandmother. The best song the band ever made. Maybe because this is the closest thing to the author’s heart. When I die, this song will play at my funeral.
GIVE ‘EM HELL KID- Up to now, I still don’t know what this is about. All I know is someone got killed here but I guess that’s not enough since everybody got killed in this album (except maybe, the song I’m Not Okay, we’ll get to that…). Also I think that the lead character here is a woman. And what the hell is Ephedrine for? And then I read somewhere that this is about getting pregnant. Anyway, I don’t care what this is about. The music is fantastic. It’s street actiony. Go figure.
TO THE END- A story about a couple. They don’t love each other but they’re stuck with each other. The man’s gay. The woman’s some famous celebrity or something. Obviously, they’re not happy with lines like “If you marry me, would you bury me?” Before, I thought that the man was the one who committed suicide but then now, I’m not so sure…
YOU KNOW WHAT THEY DO TO GUYS LIKE US IN PRISON- Ah, the homoerotic piece. Prison experiences descriptions plus homo relationships? As Mr. Burns will say: Excellennnnt….
I’M NOT OKAY (I PROMISE)- Basically, a teeny-boppy song that I believe was made to promote the band into mainstream. But what do I know? This song deals mostly with the band’s high school angst. The title’s funny in a good kind of way for me since it deals with high school immature mishaps. The video was okay too, I guess. Especially because the band suggested the waltz dance at the part where the music goes soft and Gerard lets out a scream. And of course, when Frank kissed Gerard. These two scenes were the saviors of the video. Song-wise, the best part is when Gerard let out “I’m not o-fucking-kay!” Just as you thought that the song was too redundant with telling the world he’s not okay, the curse comes in. I was like, yeah, yeah, you’re not okay so wha— whoah! I’m sorry, I’m sorry! You are not okay!… So, it is true. One “fuck” can change everything.
GHOST OF YOU- They say that this is about the war. But this is another song I don’t fully understand yet. Along with I’m Not Okay, this goes at the bottom of my ranking list. This is the most boring song. Of course, this is just comparatively speaking. If I go out of the album, this is not boring at all.
THE JETSET LIFE IS GONNA KILL YOU- As my bestfriend puts it, a dominatrix song. Love it, love it, love it! Woman on top rules! Anyway, this song reminds me of the noir movie Sunset Boulevard. Now, I won’t get gushy about that fantastic film so I’ll put all the gushiness on this piece. This song is about a man possibly in love but more of entranced with a powerful woman. Ala femme fatale. The woman is somewhat a celebrity and he of course, is nothing. The relationship negatively affects both sides. Still, affairs are so sexy. The feel of the music sends you to the hotel itself and puts you in the excitement and nervousness the lovers feel. Depressingly erotic.
THANK YOU FOR THE VENOM- Actiony, gory, and just plain disgusted. A song attacking religion more on the Christian side. The complain on religion is made concrete by portraying a murder of a nun. Lots of sweet lines in this one like “Sister, I’m not much a poet but a criminal and you never had a chance.” “Love is the red the rose on your coffin door.” “Black is the kiss the touch of a serpent son” “I keep a gun on the book you gave me. Hallelujah! Lock and Load!”—gave me shivers. (Well, every song gave me shivers.)
HANG ‘EM HIGH- Actiony still (I think I invented a word…) and somehow, I can’t explain it, nostalgic. I guess maybe it’s because it’s based on an old western action cowboy scene/film. I thought this was about a friendship/love story between a man and a woman but after watching Jon Stewart’s stint on the Academy Awards, I want to interpret this as a homosexual piece too (You should check out Jon Stewart…). Western films have lots of homo subtext in it. Well, that’s what I want to believe in.
IT’S NOT A FASHION STATEMENT, IT’S A FUCKING DEATHWISH- Goth, bloody gore and everything in between. The first line was taken from a Neil Gaiman comic book, nothing surprising since the band’s geeky and loves comic books. Song about love, betrayal, death, revenge, hate, and ultimately, obsession. Another one fantastic example of their storytelling talent. Very well executed like everything else in this album. You will be part of the confusion going in the head of the lead character, weighing his emotions between love, betrayal, etc. Can someone tell me the connection of the title to the song?
CEMETERY DRIVE- I guess this song is a continuation of the previous one. Aftermaths of killing (I’ll even try to go further that when he came back from the dead, it’s not too literal. He haunted the girl until the girl went crazy and killed herself. A great way to murder, don’t you think?): regret, sorrow, satisfaction, and just plain missing his lover. And also, you can feel the lead character going crazy with all of these feelings. Unlike other songs where the verses go soft and the chorus wails, MCR really has purpose for the wailing part. It depicts the torn emotions between satisfaction and sorrow.
I NEVER TOLD YOU WHAT I DO FOR A LIVING- Thriller, suspense, gore (what did you expect?) and ironically, some bits of happiness and satisfaction. Also, lots of brooding guilt balanced by the giddy beat so it won’t be too angsty. According to a friend, another one inspired by a comic book (Neil Gaiman?). Basically, an assassin who has orders to kill his lover. Sucks to be him, right?
MCR takes a lot of inspiration from other artworks and make it their own. Also, they have talent in connecting these storylines to the audience, be it live or not. Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge is bittersweet and if one cannot see it for what it is because of the emo-trend, the hotness of the band, the cheesiness of their whole popularity out there, you’re really just a total wannabe I’m-cool-because-I’m-not-emo idiotic poor fool.
