Box Car Racer (2002) is a political concept album about the eventual destruction of the earth by Box Car Racer, a side project of blink-182 members Tom DeLonge and Travis Barker. It is the lone album from the defunct project

The bassist for blink-182, Mark Hoppus, provided guest vocals on "Elevator" as did Tim Armstrong and Jordan Pundik, of Rancid and New Found Glory respectively, on "Cat Like Thief".

Track listing

• All songs written by Tom DeLonge and Travis Barker

1. "I Feel So" - 4:29
2. "All Systems Go" - 3:15
3. "Watch the World" - 3:54
4. "Tiny Voices" - 3:27
5. "Cat Like Thief" - 4:24 (featuring Tim Armstrong and Jordan Pundik)
6. "And I" - 3:13
7. "Letters to God" - 3:16
8. "My First Punk Song" - 1:01
9. "Sorrow" - 3:28
10. "There Is" - 3:18
11. "The End with You" - 3:10
12. "Elevator" - 2:45 (featuring Mark Hoppus)
13. "Instrumental" - 1:58

Singles

• I Feel So was released in April 2002 as the first single from this album. Following a delicate piano intro the song delves into a frantic, upbeat rhythm. Strong drum beats followed by thrashed power chords add a real sense of meaning and intent to this song. Quiet interludes once again lower the tone of the song but are soon overpowed by immense power within the guitar strums. The lyrics deal with heartbreak and turmoil as the protagonist explains how he would like to be in an ideal world.

• There Is, the second single released from the album and featured the guitar and vocals of Delonge and a very intriguing drum loop by Barker. A music video was released which portrayed band members being arrested for playing the track late at night, in the rain. The band played "There Is" on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

Personnel

• Tom DeLonge - vocals, guitar, bass guitar
• Travis Barker - drums
• David Kennedy - guitar
• Anthony Celestino - bass guitar

Additional notes

• On the inside spine on the Box Car Racer CD case, the words "'Chaos breeds life, when order breeds habit.' Henry Brook Adams (1838-1918), The education of Henry Adams, 1907" are written. The quote is the same as the one tattoed aroung Travis Barker's neck.
• On the back of the CD insert, in faint text is says "LN W 13 01 1". Which means longitude west 13 01 1 degrees, but with out the latitude, it is impossible to pinpoint an exact location on a globe.
• The album's original title was "Burning In The Sun".

Charts

2002 albums | Pop punk albums | Debut albums