Soon, you’re screaming along with Adam Lazzara. It soars on the triumphant guitar riffs from John Nolan and Eddie Reyes. That mosh pit of emotions, which were extra raw in those angst-ridden days, starts with the driving rhythms from Mark O’Connell’s drum and Shaun Cooper’s bass. He continues, “The feelings that Tell All Your Friends conjures up don’t even have to come from the hyper-literate lyrics, from a thousand clever lines unread on clever napkins. But how many songs can you name about wanting to be the one to betray your ‘best friend’ to ensure his downfall? What about the power of frenemies?” We can all name a dozen love songs right now, sure. In his liner notes, Gamboa argues that the album’s songs “capture universal feelings that don’t generally get much play. Relatable, angsty, and cathartic, Taking Back Sunday’s music touched a nerve with a new generation of alt-rock fans. Released in March 2002, the album delivered a blend of hardcore, punk, and pop-forward anthemic melodies with heartfelt lyricism and an emotionally charged delivery. Not long after, the band entered New Jersey’s Big Blue Meenie studio with producer Sal Villanueva (Thursday, Murphy’s Law) to record Tell All Your Friends.
![go tell your friends taking back sunday go tell your friends taking back sunday](http://d1j5qahb4i7iud.cloudfront.net/600/VR176-LP-SLORVN.jpg)
After solidifying their line-up in 2001 and recording a five-song demo, Adam Lazzara (vocals), Eddie Reyes (guitar), John Nolan (guitar + vocals), Mark O’Connell (drums), and Shaun Cooper (bass) caught the ears of Victory Records, who signed them promptly that December. Yet, as the Long Island band readied to record their debut, their expectations were modest-evidenced by the album’s tongue-in-cheek title. Originally released in 2002, Tell All Your Friends not only propelled Taking Back Sunday to global stardom but also became a defining album in the alt-rock canon. A bit more on the legacy of this particular record and its importance to the scene, per a news release: