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)
Not Exactly| Posted July 10, 2007
Though there are a few songs on this album that I thoroughly enjoy, there isn't much substance, I'm afraid. Mmhmm is still my favorite Relient K album, and I think that's how it will always be.
I mean, Crayons Can Melt On Us For All I Care was funny, and Deathbed was great, but that's about it.
Disappointed| Posted July 04, 2007
I've listened to this CD several times through but honestly, I was unimpressed and disappointed. None of the songs really stuck out to me, except for "Crayons Can Melt On Us For All I Care" (which is like a 12 second song) and "Deathbed" (the last track).
Mmhmm was an amazing CD and I guess I was expecting something more. To me, it sounded like Relient K was running out of ideas, especially listening to "Faking My Own Suicide." I can see how it could be a cute song, but seriously...faking your own suicide is just...cruel.
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