Bring Me to Life

First off Id just like to say, everyone is correct when they say that BMtL really exposed Evanescence, and the sad thing is, theyve been the best band ever since way before that. But seriously, you cant be dissing Pauls vocals, I dont see you selling millions of albums, and he has so hes got talent. Even without record sales, Paul can belt out almost everything. I wouldnt say that BMtL is better without Paul, becuase Pauls voice is so unique it just adds an extra kick to the already excellent music.

While this CD eluded me for some time, I stumbled upon it at a department store while on vacation just south of Richmond, Virginia. Ever since purchasing "Fallen" over a year ago now, I've been longing for any new Evanescence material I can get my hands on. This has been my only gem so far. "Farther Away" is quite a song both musically and lyrically. Then there is the somber "Missing", which makes this single so sought after because it was replaced by the "Bring Me To Life" video in later pressings. "Missing" is a slow quiet song, as with the style of "My Immortal" and "Hello" from the Fallen album. Both of these B-sides (not album tracks as the listing would make you believe) would have made great additions to the Fallen album, but probably with the sacrifice of one of the 11 tremendous tracks that did make it to the album. However, all that aside, the one thing that makes this single so special for me is actually the "Bring Me To Life" bliss mix. Like many others, airplay of "Bring Me To Life" is what brought Evanescence to my attention, but unlike many others I was not overly enthused by the male vocal sections. This is by no means a reflection of Paul McCoy, as I think he did a wonderful job, it just didn't add anything to the song for me. I often wondered to myself how much more I would like the song if the male parts were removed. Well, much to my delight that is exactly what the Bliss Mix is; the same track with the male vocals completely removed. This version has secured "Bring Me To Life" as one of my all-time favorite songs. If you ever have the chance to obtain this single without paying an insane price, I recommend you do so.

I've been a fan of Evanescence since 2000 when my friend played me a demo CD he'd got hold of. He slapped it on and Evanescence's Origin began to thunder through my ears. It was breathtaking. Their songwriting was different to the usual angry edge most rockbands take. The music was meaningful and different...but what I rememeber mostly was Amy Lee's stunning voice.

Then, nearly three years later, they re-appeared again. Somebody had finally discovered them and thrust them into the limelight and this was what they produced. I'd downloaded a demo version of this song and thought it was breathtaking...but remixed, with orchestration, I've got to say without a doubt, Bring Me To Life is one of the most amazing pieces of music I have ever heard. The desperation in Amy's voice is heart-wrenching, the guitars crunch and the string line soars. A lot of people don't seem to like 12 Stone's Paul McCoy's additional vocals, but I think they compliment Amy's haunting, pseudo operatic voice well. The bridge before the final climactic chorus sent a shiver down my spine. It's easily one of the greatest songs of all time.

The Bliss mix is great - without Paul's vocals you suddenly hear elements of the song you didn't realise were there (Amy whispering 'don't let me die here' had previously been lost on me). Farther Away is an amazing track. Again, the desperation of her voice and the stunning subtlety of their lyirics is amazing.

The single definitely loses something without the beautifully haunting Missing (as does the album), but it's still a great CD. If you appreciate why this song is so breathtaking, buy it immediately.