Their debut album, "Everything Sucks" (1995), was an underground hit and led to a deal with Mojo Records (see also Mojo), an indie label. "Turn the Radio Off" (1996) established the band in the underground music scene, and they began touring throughout the USA. After the single "Sell Out" began breaking into the mainstream, including MTV, the album made an appearance on the charts. The ska revival was short-lived, however, and "Why Do They Rock So Hard?" (1998) did not lead the group to the mainstream.
Reel Big Fish released "Cheer Up" (2002) which began a movement into harder rock and pop sounds, with much less ska than the previous albums. The song "Where Have You Been?" was aimed at a wider audience, trying to drop the less popular ska sound, but was met with little mainstream success, despite the video. Their second most recent studio album was "We're Not Happy Until You're Not Happy" (2005).
They recently released "Our Live Album is Better Than Your Live Album" (2006) which includes 2 discs worth or their own tunes and a few covers of popular songs along with a DVD. They have worked on the soundtrack to BASEketball, which included a cover of A-Ha's Take On Me.
In 2006, they split from Jive records, who produced a "Best of" album against the will of the band, who could not prevent the release. The band has made a campaign to try and stop people buying the album.
Their 7th album "Monkeys For Nothing and the Chimps For Free" (2007) includes some songs that were previously recorded and released on other albums. It was also the first album with the band's new label, Rock Ridge Records.
In 2009, they released "Fame, Fortune, and Fornication" an album composed of covers of older songs, including "Won't Back Down" by Tom Petty, and "Nothin' But a Good Time" by Poison.
In 2012, Reel Big Fish released "Candy Coated Fury", which is their second album on Rock Ridge Records. This album was met with heavy amounts of criticism from fans and reviewers alike. PunkNews.org gave the album a 2/10.
in 2014, they released "Happy Skalidays", a holiday themed EP.
Their current release is 2018's "Life Sucks... Let's Dance!", which gained generally positive reviews from fans and critics.
Current members:
Aaron Barrett - guitar, lead vocals (1992–present)
Dan Regan - trombone, backing vocals (1994–present)
John Christianson - trumpet, backing vocals (2004–present)
Ryland Steen - drums (2005–present)
Derek Gibbs - bass guitar (2007–present)
Past members:
Ben Guzman - vocals (1992–1994)
Zach Gilltrap - keyboards/synthesizers (1992–1994)
Lisa Smith - guitar (1992–1994)
Eric Vismantes - trumpet (1994)
Stephan Reed - saxophone (1994)
Robert Quimby - trombone (1994–1995)
Adam Polakoff - saxophone (1994–1995)
Grant Barry - trombone (1995–1998)
Andrew Gonzales - drums (1992–1998)
Tavis Werts - trumpet (1994–2001)
Carlos de la Garza - drums (1999–2003)
Tyler Jones - trumpet (2001–2004)
Justin Ferreira - drums (2003–2005)
Matt Wong - bass, backing vocals (1992–2007)
Scott Klopfenstein - trumpet, guitar, keyboards, backing vocals (1995–2011)
Down In Flames
Reel Big Fish Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You don't own me, but you paid and that means alot to you, well,
You never listen, but I know that's what you think that you do,
And everybody wants a change, but this time it'll be the same,
Watch us go down in flames
Its all right, it's ok, it was gonna happen anyway,
We had our chance, we made our point, but you're not gonna take that
Radio, commercials, tv shows, and front page ads,
Photos, and interviews, they'll make sure it's the latest fad,
Pay attention, cuz you know you'll have to pay either way,
And they tell you that its the new thing, but we know that it hasn't changed,
Watch us go down in flames
It's all right, it's ok, it was gonna happen anyway,
We had our chance, we made our point, but you're not going take that away
When this blows over, and the main stream coughs up another shell,
Will you let us back in your underground, well I guess that's a no,
And it's just as well, cuz you never supported us,
All you wanted was to see us fail, and they tell me that it's the new thing,
So I better get out of the way, watch us go down in flames
It's all right, it's ok, it was going to happen anyway,
We had our chance, we made our point, and you're not gonna take that,
It's all right, it's ok, it was gonna happen anyway,
We had our chance, we made our point, you're not gonna take that away,
You're not gonna take that away, you're not gonna take that away,
You're not gonna take that away
The lyrics of "Down In Flames" depict a situation where the singer, who is assumed to be a member of a band, is in a living room of someone who has paid to see them. The situation seems inauthentic and fake to the singer who feels that the viewer hears but does not listen to what they say. It appears that the audience wants change, but the change they ask for is the same as they had before. The singer then warns the viewer about the music industry as it presents fake ideas in their ads and shows. The lyrics also state that when the band goes, they probably won't come back because they feel that the viewers never care, to begin with.
In conclusion, the song displays a feeling of disconnection that the band has with its audience. The audience does not listen to their music and may not appreciate authentic music. The lyrics warn of the fakeness of the music industry and encourage people to connect with what matters to them most.
Line by Line Meaning
You don't know me, but here I am in your living room,
I am present in your living room, but you don't have any idea about me.
You don't own me, but you paid and that means a lot to you, well,
You paid me, but you don't have any control or authority over me.
You never listen, but I know that's what you think that you do,
You pretend to listen, but you never really do.
And everybody wants a change, but this time it'll be the same,
Everyone desires something new, but it will end up being the same as before.
Watch us go down in flames
Watch us fail spectacularly.
It's all right, it's ok, it was gonna happen anyway,
It's acceptable because we knew it was inevitable.
We had our chance, we made our point, but you're not gonna take that
We had an opportunity to prove ourselves, and we did it, but you can't take that away from us.
Radio, commercials, TV shows, and front-page ads,
Different ways people use to spread awareness and attract others.
Photos and interviews, they'll make sure it's the latest fad,
Interviews and photos that will make sure people know it's the new thing.
Pay attention, cuz you know you'll have to pay either way,
Be alert, as you'll have to bear the consequences, whether you accept it or not.
And they tell you that it's the new thing, but we know that it hasn't changed,
Although people tell you it's a new thing, it reality it hasn't changed.
When this blows over, and the mainstream coughs up another shell,
Once this loses its hype, and public forgets about it.
Will you let us back in your underground, well I guess that's a no,
Will you accept us in your community again? Probably not.
And it's just as well, cuz you never supported us,
It's fine because we never received your support anyway.
All you wanted was to see us fail, and they tell me that it's the new thing,
Your intention was to witness our downfall and they still tell me it's the latest trend.
So I better get out of the way, watch us go down in flames
I should move out of the way because you're about to witness our significant failure.
You're not gonna take that away, you're not gonna take that away,
You can't deny us our achievements or our hard work.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CAITLYN ELIZABETH SMITH, GORDIE SAMPSON, CHRIS ISAAK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Krish Shanmugam
on Everyone Else is an Asshole
dont