Fallen (Evanescence album)

Fallen
Studio album by Evanescence
Released	March 4, 2003
Recorded	2002-2003 Track Record Inc. & NRG Recording Studios, Ocean Studios, Conway Recording Studios.
Genre	Alternative metal, nu metal[1]
Length	48:55 (latest version)
Label	Wind-up
Producer	Dave Fortman, Ben Moody
Professional reviews
Allmusic link Blender link Entertainment Weekly (B-) link Rolling Stone link
Evanescence chronology
Mystary EP (2003) Fallen (2003) Anywhere but Home (2004)
Singles from Fallen
"Bring Me to Life" Released: April 22, 2003 "Going Under" Released: September 9, 2003 "My Immortal" Released: December 8, 2003 "Everybody's Fool" Released: June 7, 2004

Fallen is the debut studio album by American rock band Evanescence. It was released through Wind-up Records on March 4, 2003. The album is the band's most successful album to date, with more than seven million copies sold in the United States,^[2] and over fifteen million copies worldwide. This album also earned the band five nominations at the 46th Grammy Awards; Album of the Year, Best Rock Album, Best Rock Song and Best Hard Rock Performance for Bring Me to Life, and Best New Artist. The band went on to win Best New Artist and Best Hard Rock Performance.

Recording

The album was recorded at Track Record Inc. & NRG Recording Studios (both in North Hollywood), Ocean Studios (Burbank), Conway Recording Studios (Hollywood), all in California. The strings were recorded at The Newman Stage, 20th Century Fox.

Reception and sales

Fallen spent 104 weeks on the Billboard 200, with 58 of those weeks in the top 20. It peaked at #3 on June 14, 2003.^[3] After falling out of the Billboard 200, Fallen remained on the Billboard Top Pop Catalog chart for over 223 weeks.^[4] Fallen reentered the Billboard 200 for the week of March 13, 2010 at a rank of #192. Fallen placed at #19 on Billboard's Best of the 2000s Billboard 200 Albums list, as ranked by sales for the decade.^[5]

In the United Kingdom, the album spent 33 weeks on the Top 20, and 60 weeks on the Top 75, reaching #1 on the charts. Fallen reentered the UK charts at #35 during week 41 of 2006, the week that The Open Door opened at #2.^[6] The album advanced to #34 the following week, before again leaving the Top 40 two weeks later.^[7][8]

In the U.S., the album was certified platinum by the RIAA in April 2003 (having also gone gold earlier in the same month), double platinum in June 2003, and triple platinum in October 2003. It would go on to become seven times platinum by June 2008.^[9]

Fallen was the eighth best-selling album in the U.S. in 2004, with about 2.6 million copies sold that year.^[10] The album has gone on to sell over seven million copies in the U.S. as of July 2009,^[2] and over fifteen million copies worldwide.^[11]

Lyrical themes

Amy Lee said in an interview in Australia MTV's The Lair, that she never wrote together with Ben; she always started on her own, then presented her ideas to Ben and did arrangements. However, they were Amy's feelings that inspired many songs on Fallen. "Going Under" is about a previous emotionally and physically damaging relationship. This was the last song written for Fallen and would have been the first single had "Bring Me to Life" not been put onto the Daredevil soundtrack. It became the second single.^[12]

"Bring Me to Life", also written by Amy Lee, is inspired by an incident that occurred while she was sitting in a restaurant.^[13] Lee has also recently stated that the song was written about her old friend, and now husband, Josh.^[14] Amy's sister, Carrie Lee, had a fascination with pop stars such as Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, and it was the inspiration for "Everybody's Fool". Amy Lee said that Carrie, 8 at the time, started to dress as those two superstars and that it angered Amy.^[15]

"My Immortal" was written by Evanescence's former guitarist, Ben Moody, with Amy Lee adding the bridge. Like all songs written by Moody, the lyrics are based on a short story he wrote. According to Moody, the song is about a spirit staying with you after its death and haunting you until you actually wish that the spirit were gone because it won't leave you alone. Ben also stated in the Fallen booklet that he dedicated the song to his grandfather, Bill Holcomb.^[16]

"Haunted" is based on a story written by Ben Moody that served as an inspiration for Amy Lee to write the lyrics. The story is about a little girl that gets trapped in a mansion that turns into a decaying mess. This story was posted by Moody at EvBoard.com.^[17]

"Hello" is written in memory of Amy Lee's sister, as is "Like You" on The Open Door. As of November 2008, neither song has ever been performed live by the band.

"Tourniquet", written by Rocky Gray for his band Soul Embraced, is a song coming from a Christian standpoint within the concept of suicide. It is literally from the perspective of someone who has just committed suicide.^[18]

Track listing

Charts

Personnel

Evanescence

• David Hodges — piano, keyboards, string arrangements
• Amy Lee — vocals, additional vocal layers, choir arrangements
• Ben Moody — guitars, percussion, co-producing

Additional musicians

• Francesco DiCosmo — bass guitar
• Josh Freese — drums
• Paul McCoy — guest vocals on "Bring Me to Life"
• Millennium Choir — background choir on "Everybody's Fool", "Haunted", "Imaginary" and "Whisper"
• Graeme Revell - string arrangements, orchestral conduction
• David Campbell - additional string arrangements

References