They Liked You Better When You Were Dead

They Liked You Better When You Were Dead is the debut EP by English rock band Fightstar, released on 28 February 2005 through Sandwich Leg Records. The release proved a critical success, in spite of the cynics' initial expectations of the band. It has been said that the EP helped "present Fightstar as a British rival to the East Coast alternative rock scene".[1] Alex Westaway, the band's lead guitarist and co-lyricist drew the artwork based on Edward Norton for the inlay of the booklet,[2] as the record was inspired by author Chuck Palahniuk and the film adaptation Fight Club.[3]

They Liked You Better When You Were Dead
EP by
Fightstar
Released28 February 2005
RecordedNovember 2004
StudioCriterion Studios, London, England
Genre
Length25:39 (Original)
38:39 (Extended)
Label
ProducerMark Williams
Fightstar chronology
They Liked You Better When You Were Dead
(2005)		 Grand Unification
(2006)
Singles from They Liked Better When You Were Dead
  1. "Palahniuk's Laughter"
    Released: January 2005

The UK version contained 5 tracks (including a sixth hidden track), meaning the EP was ineligible for the UK Singles Chart. However, the release proved popular enough to warrant a reprinting on 23 March 2005. The music video for "Palahniuk's Laughter" enjoyed heavy rotation on music channels and spent many weeks in charts based on video and radio requests.[4] The EP was released in April 2006 in North America through Deep Elm Records[5] as an extended mini-album.

Background, writing and recording

During 2003, when Charlie Simpson was still an active member of successful pop trio Busted, he met fellow songwriter-guitarist Alex Westaway and drummer Omar Abidi at a party. He was by this stage becoming increasingly frustrated by the music he was performing in Busted and stated he had "all of this creativity pent up inside and I just needed to vent it somewhere, and I was writing a lot of songs but I couldn’t play them, because I didn’t have anyone to play them with".[6]

Westaway subsequently moved into Simpson's spare room after dropping out of university and the pair began writing together. Over the next six months, the EP had been written.[3] Alex later invited school friend, bassist Dan Haigh, to practise with the band and the foursome soon began booking regular rehearsal sessions together.[6] Later, after Simpson had decided to focus on Fightstar full-time, the band entered Criterion Studios in London with producer Mark Williams to begin tracking.[6] Recording sessions were often interrupted as during this period Simpson was in the middle of a sold-out stint of Wembley shows with Busted.[7] Commenting on recording period, Simpson later stated:

This EP was all I cared about. It consumed my mind. It was the first time I'd recorded anything that I loved. I was 18 and we were just kids having fun. It was the most innocent record because we weren't thinking about how it might be received at all. We just wanted to record some songs. There were no limitations: we were just doing it for ourselves. It was such a fun time. I'll always remember those days. We didn't have a care in the world.[7]

The song "Mono", named in honor of the Japanese band of the same name, was recorded during a thunderstorm. Shortly before the track's heavy finale, it's possible to hear the sound of Simpson screaming in the rain after he ran outside, unaware the studio's room mics were capturing his antics.[7] The video for promotional video "Palahniuk's Laughter" was directed by bassist Dan Haigh and was released to music stations shortly after Simpson's official departure from Busted.

Reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[8]
Aversion[9]
Kerrang![8]
MusicOMH(favorable)[10]
Punknews.org[11]
Rock Sound9/10[8]
Sputnikmusic[12]

Following much scepticism during the band's emergence due to Charlie Simpson's past, things began to turn in the quartet's favour. A string of positive reviews to early live shows were followed by acclaimed reaction to the EPs release.

Allmusic were highly favourable, awarding four stars. They wrote, "At a time when post-hardcore's torch seems to have been almost completely passed to succeeding generations of screamo bands, Fightstar stand firmly enough on the mother country of their genre to do well by the legacy of groups such as Fugazi and Helmet. Vocalists Al Westaway and Charlie Simpson utilize a distinct sound that reaches total catharsis. Train-like guitar work also adds strength to the record, creating drama and tension in the key moments. The driving force behind most of the songs, however, is the rhythm section. The tight bass lines and tighter drumming are what lead each track through its arc, shirking convention when things start to get clichéd".[8]

American music website Aversion awarded the album four stars in their review. They commented; "Few can really channel an obsession with a celebrity into something truly productive – bedroom shrines and mashed potato monuments are just creepy. But four North Londoners known as Fightstar have done just that with their infatuation with Fight Club author, Chuck Palahniuk. Through passionate musicianship that's equal parts serenading melody and jarring punch, these blokes unleash a welcome roundhouse kick to the face of overly sensitive emo rock, triggering crying fits and bloodying scarves".[9]

British rock publication, Kerrang!, awarded an "excellent" four K rating in their review. They wrote, "They Liked You Better When You Were Dead delivers. Articulate rage, barbed guitars and epic choruses recall the likes of Thursday or Brand New. 'Palahniuk's Laughter' floors the listener with a mammoth-rolling riff. 'Speak Up' builds into walls of noise and anguished vocals. The six and a half minutes of 'Mono' are simply majestic, featuring barely audible swirling guitars and whispered vocals that grow into a momentous, bludgeoning roar. Simpson and Westaway play like they have been in the same band for years, weaving intricate soundscapes and dark passages of crushing noise. Stunning post-hardcore."[8]

Vik Bansal of MusicOMH was also very positive in his review. With regards to Simpson abandoning his former pop career, he stated, "They Liked You Better When You Were Dead is such a good debut EP that the fact Monsieur Simpson used to be part of a heinous crime against humanity's ears is an irrelevant piece of history that will soon be consigned to pub quizzes and trivia board games". He picked out "Mono" as a stand-out track; "'Mono' is the centrepiece of the EP - a brooding slowie that builds into a swathing crescendo of weighty power chords and will have you reaching for the repeat button as soon as it's over".[10] Rock Sound were also full of praise in their review, scoring the album at 9/10; "Fightstar clearly demonstrate that they can hold their own in a world of heavy, emotional rock. Anyone who likes Muse, Biffy Clyro, Radiohead and even Scissorfight will find something to be absorbed in here. Brilliantly executed".[8]

Adam Knott of Sputnikmusic said during his review that the album was, "one of the most surprising first impressions I've ever heard". Awarding an "excellent" four out of five rating, he added; "The combination of grit and beauty is most prominent on 'Until Then', which morphs from an all-out rocker to a softly crooned middle section and back again, and it's this duality which lends itself to multiple listens. To say that Fightstar's debut EP showed promise or potential would be a disservice - They Liked You Better When You Were Dead is in and of itself a release well worthy of a place on any discerning music-lover's bedroom shelf".[12]

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Charlie Simpson and Alex Westaway; all music is composed by Fightstar[13].

Original EP
No.TitleLength
1."Palahniuk's Laughter"4:10
2."Speak Up"3:27
3."Mono"6:26
4."Lost Like Tears in Rain"4:07
5."Amethyst" (contains the hidden track "Hazy Eyes")7:19
Total length:25:39
Mini-LP
No.TitleLength
1."Paint Your Target"3:18
2."Palahniuk's Laughter"4:10
3."Amethyst"4:20
4."Lost Like Tears in Rain"4:06
5."Speak Up"3:27
6."Until Then"4:40
7."Cross Out the Stars"5:02
8."Hazy Eyes"3:10
9."Mono"6:22
Total length:38:39

Personnel

The following personnel contributed to They Liked You Better When You Were Dead:[13]

Fightstar
Production
  • Mark Williams — producer, mixing
  • Eric Broyhill — mastering
  • Alan Butterworth — photography
  • Amy Cooper – photography
  • Charlie Hodgson – photography
  • Craig Jennings — A&R

Release history
Region Date Label Type Format Catalogue # Ref.
Japan 25 February 2005 Universal EP Digipack UICI1043 [14]
Europe 28 February 2005 Sandwich Leg EP Digipack CID887 [15]
North America 12 April 2006 Deep Elm Mini-LP Compact Disc DER-453 [16]

References
  1. "INTERVIEW: Fightstar". Yorkshire Evening Post. Archived from the original on 15 February 2009. Retrieved 29 January 2009.
  2. "Fightstar's "Making Palahniuk's Laughter - Post production"". Fightstarmusic. Retrieved 19 September 2006.
  3. "Fightstar - Liverpool - 02/05/09". Crowdsurfer.net. Archived from the original on 4 August 2009. Retrieved 2 May 2009.
  4. "Band Biography for Fightstar". Leeds Gig Guide. Retrieved 25 October 2009.
  5. "Deep Elm Records signs Fightstar". Alternative Press. 20 December 2005. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
  6. Guest, Los. "I Am Fightstar..." Kerrang! Radio. Archived from the original on 8 September 2009. Retrieved 5 August 2009.
  7. "Charlie Simpson's Treasure Chest - An Intimate Portrait of A Life In Rock", Kerrang! (1264), p. 40, 3 June 2009
  8. "They Liked You Better When You Were Dead > Fightstar". Deep Elm Records. Retrieved 17 April 2007.
  9. Barr, Josh. "They Liked You Better When You Were Dead". Aversion. Retrieved 17 April 2007.
  10. Bansal, Vik. "Fightstar - They Liked You Better When You Were Dead EP (Sandwich Leg)". MusicOMH. Archived from the original on 14 December 2006. Retrieved 28 May 2005.
  11. Shultz, Brian (14 April 2006). "Fightstar - They Liked You Better When You Were Dead". Punknews.org. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
  12. Knott, Adam. "Fightstar: They Liked You Better When You Were Dead". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 8 July 2007.
  13. They Liked You Better When You Were Dead (Digipack). Fightstar. Sandwich Leg Records. 2005. CID887.CS1 maint: others (link)
  14. "FIGHTSTAR They Liked You Better When You Were Dead (2005 Japanese exclusive)". EIL. Archived from the original on 7 June 2011. Retrieved 22 September 2009.
  15. "FIGHTSTAR They Liked You Better When You Were Dead (2005 European limited edition 5-track CD EP)". Eil. Archived from the original on 7 June 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2006.
  16. "They Liked You Better When You Were Dead (Import) by Fightstar". 11 April 2006. Retrieved 17 April 2007.
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