Five Score And Seven Years Ago is the fifth full-length album by the Christian rock band Relient K. It was released on March 6, 2007, and is the first full-length album by the band to feature bassist John Warne and guitarist Jon Schneck. It is also the first Relient K album released without longtime bassist Brian Pittman. Pittman did leave the band before the release of the album Mmhmm, but recorded most of tracks with the band.
According to lead singer, Matt Thiessen, the album was created with a "Five" theme, as it is their fifth album, and for the first time Relient K has five members on an album. The "Seven Years Ago" links with the fact that their first album was created seven years prior to the release of this album, making for five albums in seven years. It also ties in with the famous line, "Four score and seven years ago", delivered by Abraham Lincoln in the Gettysburg Address. Lincoln is addressed in the first track, "Plead The Fifth". A poster advertising a concert for the band around the album's release depicted a cartoon Abraham Lincoln on it as well.
The cover of the album depicts the five band members staring up in the sky from a sidewalk, and they are all wearing parkas. Jon Schneck stands behind Matt Thiessen, so there are four shadows crossing the shadow of the curb, creating five in tally marks. Capitol Records released a promotional image about a month before the album's release, and the band's manager announced that it was not the album cover. The official cover was confirmed on the Gotee Records website. The promo image showed five sticks made into tally marks, with seven leaves either on the sticks, or falling off of them. This image was on the back of the promo insert that advertised the new Relient K fan club that came with the CD.
A special edition of Five Score And Seven Years Ago was also released, including a bonus DVD with roughly thirty minutes of acoustic performances shot in the Capitol A Studios and including track-to-track interviews with the band. Also included is a making-of feature on the "Must Have Done Something Right" music video as well as the video itself, which was directed by Marc Webb (who produced videos for My Chemical Romance and The All-American Rejects). The album's cover also came with a special slip-cover that outlined the band members in orange drawings.
Five Score And Seven Years Ago debuted at number six on the U.S. Billboard 200, selling about 64,000 copies in its first week.
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0.
Up and Up (Acoustic Version) (Walmart exclusive bonus)
01.
Plead The Fifth
02.
Come Right Out And Say It
03.
I Need You
04.
The Best Thing
05.
Forgiven
06.
Must Have Done Something Right
07.
Give Until There's Nothing Left
08.
Devastation And Reform
09.
I'm Taking You With Me
10.
Faking My Own Suicide
11.
Crayons Can Melt On Us For All I Care
12.
Bite My Tongue
13.
Up And Up
14.
Deathbed (feat. Jon Foreman of Switchfoot)
28.
Sloop John B (iTunes exclusive bonus)
29.
Fallen Man (Acoustic Version) (Best Buy exclusive bonus)
30.
Devastation and Reform (Video)(Walmart exclusive bonus)
The best of Reliant K| Posted November 02, 2009
Reliant k has been known for several hit songs over the years. This is definitly their best so far. I rate it only 4 stars due to the lack of spirituality on a couple of songs. Now, of course I may be misinterpreting this. Faking my Own Suicide doesn't exactly scream, "I'm a good Christian" in the face of the world. However, the smash hit(on Christian rock broadcasters) "I Need You" is a perfect example of how we all fall into the pit of our own despair and, in the end, end up crying out to God "I NEED YOU
!". I love, though, how they interwine faith based themes into their punk rock/power pop style.
They start out the album how they start out a lot of their albums, with a fun, nonsensical anthem in the form of "Pleading the Fifth". Then the punk rock comes in. "Come Right Out and Say it", "Up and Up", and "Taking you with me" all give you the music to dance to as well as music with a powerful message. They really rock out too! You might think that your listening to a kutless song in "I Need You". Overall, this album is the perfect mix of Reliant K genres.
In the end, I think that this album is a great example of how sometimes, in the midst of lifes troubles, we need to hang on to whats important in life. Again, this is all my opinion. I'm no expert on music. Everyone gets something different out of this album. I can't tell you how many times me and my brother have listened to this c.d. and found ourselves having a blast. I absolutely recommend this piece of musical mastery to any fan of fast, poppy, "rock out for God" music. Oh, by the way, " Crayons could melt on us for all I care" is an awesome idea for a song.
Best Yet!| Posted August 30, 2009
Definately thier best record to date! If you dont want to get the whole CD get I Need You, Devistation..., Give Until..., The Best Thing, and Must Have Donw Something Right!
Five Stars for Five Score| Posted July 22, 2009
Will the genius, wit, and talent of the boys in Relient K ever end?
Five Score And Seven Years Ago is so far and by far, the best album Relient K has released. It covers the entire spectrum of their talents for songwriting, from the giddy romanticism of Must Have Done Something Right to the clever nonsense of Crayons Can Melt On Us For All I Care, all the way to the reassurance of Forgiven to the story of heartfelt reflection in Deathbed. They have a song for every emotion, everyday, and every person.
Completely amazing!!!| Posted July 12, 2009
This is by far one of the best CDs ever written. I wasn't sure if they could keep up the pace after MmHmm, but they certainly did! The album opens with an acapella intro called Plead the Fifth. Going straight into an upbeat track called, "Come Right Out and Say It". The next track (one of my personal favorites), "I Need You" has heavy guitar riffs, catchy vocals, and meaningful lyrics. Throughout the album there is other great tracks such as "The Best Thing", their chart-topping single "Must Have Done Something Right", as well as a rock ballad called "Forgiven". The album wraps up with an upbeat track "Up and Up" and their 11-minute song "Deathbed". Meaningful, uplifting lyrics, creative instrumentation,strong vocals and more can be found on this fantastic album!
WOW| Posted July 02, 2009
Maybe not thier best, but still really good. The album, like all other ones, has an amazing sound to it. The songs are full of lyrics that make me want to keep listening. These are not your typical songs, no, they are much better. Really good music.
Rating Says It All...| Posted March 07, 2009
Got this CD when it first came out and it kind of got lost in the shuffle, pulled it out and popped it in the disc player the other day and realized why I love this band so much.
They ooze talent and they are some of the realest people you will ever meet.
Give, Deathbed, Taking You With me are three of my favorite.
Five Score and Seven Years Ago-Relient K's best| Posted February 07, 2009
I recently bought the new Relient K album "The Bird and the Bee Sides" and it was alright, but it didn't compare to Five Score and Seven Years Ago. Relient K is very unique and speaks to a teenage audience mostly about what goes on in our lives. Their music rocks, and I just love this CD.
Keeps Getting Better| Posted November 14, 2008
I liked Relient K after I heard "Pressing On",but I became a Relient K FREAK after I heard "Be My Escape." And it keeps getting better! This cd is definately the best we've heard from RK to date! My favorite songs are: Devastation and Reform, Up and Up,Bite My Tongue,Come Right Out and Say It,and the amusing,Crayons Can Melt on Us For All I Care.
good| Posted November 06, 2008
this is a pretty good cd. I never liked relient k a few years ago, but i am beginning to like them ! I like their older stuff better , but over all this is great!!!!!!!!!
A+| Posted June 26, 2008
Over all the Albums from Relient K, this one is the BEST so far. Matty went really into more mature topics, rather than just his high school expiriences and whatnot. In an interview, he did say that his goal for this CD was to show the audience the other side of him.
This is an awesome CD!! Definitely not your average Album, the lyrics are amazing. They're all simple words but have a deep meaning to it. It was so good, that they became my favorite band of all times :D My favorite song is in there, "Devastation And Reform". I just love what it talks about, basically what every Christian has to go through. "Up And Up" is another great song, very catchy. But all the songs are awesome anyways. A MUST buy!!
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