Famous Last Words | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | October 30, 2007 (CAN) May 12, 2009 (USA) | |||
Studio | Rock Beach Recording (White Rock) Hipposonic Studios (Vancouver) The Warehouse Studio (Vancouver) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 43:35 48:33 (USA Release) | |||
Label | ||||
Producer | ||||
Hedley chronology | ||||
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Singles from Famous Last Words | ||||
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Alternative cover | ||||
Famous Last Words is the second full-length album by Hedley released on October 30, 2007. It debuted at number three on the Canadian Albums Chart upon release. In the United States, the album is known as Never Too Late and was released on May 12, 2009. The album only includes 8 tracks from the Canadian release and contains 5 tracks from Hedley, which replaced the missing tracks from Famous Last Words.[2] Unlike Famous Last Words, Never Too Late has a blue background on its album cover, whereas the Canadian release has a red background on its cover.
Background and recording
The group began working on their second studio album in May 2007 with producers Dave Genn and Greig Nori.[3] The album was recorded at Hipposonic Studios and The Warehouse Studio in Vancouver, British Columbia and in Rock Beach Recording in White Rock, British Columbia.[4] According to Hoggard the album took a long time to finish.[5]
Singles
The first single from the album, "She's So Sorry", was released to radio on August 21, 2007. The video was shot in Toronto, Ontario on August 30 and premiered on MuchMusic on September 20, 2007. The album's second single, "For the Nights I Can't Remember", was released in November 2007. The song peaked at number six on the Canadian Hot 100.[6] The third single, "Never Too Late", was released in April 2008, and peaked at number four on the Canadian Hot 100.[6] The fourth single from the album, "Old School" was released in August 2008, and peaked at number 10 on the Canadian Hot 100.[6]
Critical reception
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [7] |
Melodic | [8] |
Starpulse | [9] |
TuneLab Music | [10] |
Famous Last Words was received with mixed to low reviews. Andrew Leahey of AllMusic gave the album a 2.5/5 star rating. He said, "Famous Last Words delivers the same kick of Hedley's innumerable pop-punk colleagues, relying on a blend of snot-nosed vocals and guitar muscle that evokes the likes of SR-71 and Hot Topic in the same breath. He ends off stating, "Famous Last Words does sound destined for airplay as a result, proving that Jacob Hoggard knows how to stay in the spotlight better than he knows how to craft original music.[7] Nick of Tunelab.com gave the album a 5/10 star rating. He stated, "If you are familiar with Hedley’s sound, then their often times hard to take seriously and borderline sugarcoated approach shouldn’t come as a shock."[10] Kaj Roth of Melodic called the tracks "For the Nights I Can't Remember" and "Dying to Live Again" as "modern rock version of Hanson."[8] Adrian Mack of The Georgia Straight stated that the group, "abandoned any effort to distinguish itself from the network of tatty Canadiana it finds itself caught up in, settling for an almost mathematically perfect melding of Treble Charger and Sum 41."[11]
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "She's So Sorry" |
| 3:36 |
2. | "Hand Grenade" |
| 3:04 |
3. | "Dying to Live Again" |
| 4:18 |
4. | "Narcissist" |
| 3:10 |
5. | "Bones Shatter (Never Say Never)" |
| 3:19 |
6. | "Old School" |
| 3:41 |
7. | "Been There Done That" |
| 3:16 |
8. | "For the Nights I Can't Remember" |
| 4:02 |
9. | "Brave New World" |
| 3:58 |
10. | "Dear Blank" |
| 3:26 |
11. | "Can't Go Back" |
| 4:01 |
12. | "Never Too Late" |
| 4:00 |
Total length: | 43:35 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
13. | "Lose My Number" (iTunes preorder bonus track) | 3:14 |
14. | "Alison Wonderland (Afraid)" (Rogers Music Store bonus track) | 3:14 |
Never Too Late (USA Release)
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "She's So Sorry" | 3:34 |
2. | "321" | 3:45 |
3. | "Trip" | 4:04 |
4. | "For the Nights I Can't Remember" | 4:02 |
5. | "Never Too Late" | 3:59 |
6. | "Gunnin'" | 4:12 |
7. | "On My Own" | 3:29 |
8. | "Bones Shatter (Never Say Never)" | 3:19 |
9. | "Old School" | 3:41 |
10. | "Narcissist" | 3:10 |
11. | "Hand Grenade" | 3:04 |
12. | "Dying to Live Again" | 4:04 |
13. | "Villain" (Bonus Track) | 4:10 |
Total length: | 48:33 |
Personnel
Adapted from the Famous Last Words booklet.[12]
- Hedley
- Jacob Hoggard – Vocals and piano
- Tommy Mac – Bass and backing vocals
- Dave Rosin – Guitar and backing vocals
- Chris Crippin – Drums and backing vocals
- Additional musicians
- Brian Howes – Guitar solo (on "She's So Sorry")
- Greig Nori – Guitar solo (on "Brave New World")
- Ray Garraway – Drums (on "Never Too Late")
- Gillian Mott (Violin), Joshua Belvedere (Violin), Bernard Kane (Viola), Alexandra Sia (Cello) – Strings (on "Old School" and "Dying to Live Again")
- Sal Ferreres – Percussion
- Dave Genn – Guitars, string arrangements, piano, keyboards, additional production
- Ben Kaplan – Additional keyboards
- Elaine Shepherd, April White, Carly "Charly" Campbell – Back-up singers
- Production
- Mike Fraser – Mixing
- Dean Maher – Engineering
- Brian Gardner – Mastering (Bernie Grundman Mastering; Los Angeles)
- Alex Aligizakis – Additional recording
- Dave Ottoson – Pre-Pro recording, mixing
- Shawn O'Hara – Assistant engineer (Rock Beach Recording)
- Brendon Brown, Brock McFarlane, Chris Michael – Assistant engineers (Hipposonic Studios)
- Eric Mosher – Assistant engineer (Warehouse Studios)
- Artwork
- Garnet Armstrong – Art direction, design
- Matt Barnes – Photography
- Simon Paul – Design
- Steve McArdle – 3D illustration
Charts
Chart (2007) | Peak position |
---|---|
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[13] | 3 |
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Canada (Music Canada)[14] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Release history
Region | Date | Format(s) | Edition | Label | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Canada | October 30, 2007 | Digital download | Standard | Universal Music Canada | [1] |
iTunes bonus track | [15] | ||||
November 6, 2007 | CD | Standard | [16] | ||
United States | May 12, 2009 | Digital download | USA Standard | Fontana | [2] |
References
- 1 2 "Famous Last Words - Album by Hedley". Apple Music. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
One part finely produced, highly infectious pop music and one part head-banging, face-melting hard rock, Hedley's second studio album is an onslaught of muscular guitars and emo-style vocals.
- 1 2 "Never Too Late (Bonus Track Version) - Album by Hedley". iTunes. Archived from the original on March 9, 2010. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
- ↑ Johan Wippsson (May 6, 2007). "Hedley Working On New Album; Produced By Greig Nori". Melodic. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
- ↑ "Famous Last Words - Hedley Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
- ↑ Stephanie Joudrey (December 11, 2008). "Hedley Prepare Their Famous Last Words". Chart Attack. Archived from the original on May 30, 2010. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
- 1 2 3 "Hedley Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 18, 2021. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
- 1 2 Leahey, Andrew. "Famous Last Words - Hedley". AllMusic. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
- 1 2 Kaj Roth (November 8, 2007). "Hedley - Famous Last Words". Melodic. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
- ↑ "Hedley − Famous Last Words − Starpulse Review". Starpulse. Archived from the original on April 26, 2008. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
- 1 2 "TuneLab Music review". Archived from the original on August 31, 2011. Retrieved June 22, 2009.
- ↑ Adrian Mack (November 7, 2007). "Famous Last Words by Hedley". The Georgia Straight. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
- ↑ Famous Last Words (booklet). Hedley. Universal Music Canada. 2007. 0251745232.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ↑ "Hedley Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 17, 2021. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
- ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Hedley – Famous Last Words". Music Canada.
- ↑ "Famous Last Words (Bonus Track Edition) - Album by Hedley". Apple Music. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
- ↑ "Famous Last Words - Hedley Releases". AllMusic. Retrieved August 4, 2023.