'Take It Away' The Used (Throwback Thursday)

Where do I begin with this song, or even this album?

I remember the first time I saw this video I was hooked! I wasn't a very big fan of the Used at the time, but the visuals and the lyrics to the song sucked me right in.

The big pop, starting the song off with a shot gun blast into a heavy and fast guitar rift that simmers down into the descriptive fight in oneself. "I'm lying to myself and this dagger's my excuse." Then when it hit the chorus, "Burn the Sun, burn the light, take take take take take it away. Take my hand, take my life." As one Youtube commenter said, "This escalated quickly." The song is super intense, especially in the "brothers and sisters..." part.

Oh yeah, and Bert McCracken is an over all great vocalist switching between guttural screams, soft whiney whispers, and aggressive sing alongs.

2004's In Love and Death came out during the peak of similar sounding band's (My Chemical Romance, Brand New, Taking Back Sunday, Silverstein...) best albums and yet like most of the others was able to stand out on it's own. The Used exploded off of this album, especially when they released "All That I've Got." The song was in constant rotation on KRock and Fuse (when both played music.)

Over the last couple of years I kind of lost track of The Used, but I know they are still out there making great music and still have a loyal fan base. However, I won't soon forget the first time I heard "Take It Away," and the rest of that record, which could easily be in contention for one of the best albums to come out in the mid 2000s in rock.

So check it out below, and take a trip back to 2004.