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Sawdust
by The Killers

The Killers reviews
Critic Score
Metascore: 65 Metascore out of 100
User Score  
7.6 out of 10
based on 17 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
based on 30 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album

The collection of b-sides and remixes also features Lou Reed on one track.

LABEL: Island
RELEASE DATE: 13 November 2007
DISCS: 1 disc
GENRE(S): Rock, Pop

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

80
Billboard
While it doesn't have the cohesive impact of "Hot Fuss" or "Sam's Town," it's an appealing set that brings a bit more breadth and depth to the group's catalog.
Read Full Review
80
Uncut
A collection that aims to sweep up the moments when the spotlight isn't on, Sawdust, therefore, might just be their defining document [Jan 2008, p.91]
75
The Phoenix
In spite of its self-depreciating title, this odds-and-sods collection of the usual B-sides and other spare tracks lives up to some of the best material the Las Vegas foursome have delivered.
Read Full Review
75
Entertainment Weekly
Like the band itself, Sawdust is erratic, though at times, gratifyingly great. [30 Nov 2007, p.131]
67
The Onion (A.V. Club)
Some of Sawdust's best moments are "Sam's Town" rejects that sound like they were discarded for sounding too much like "Hot Fuss."
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65
Hot Press
A respectable collection which raises the question: why do the Killers pad their albums out with mediocre filler, when they have at least some decent alternative material to spare?
Read Full Review
60
Prefix Magazine
The tunes don’t vary much from the originals, but the band renders them with vigor and style.
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60
Blender
It’s easy to see why these songs didn’t fit on their record but, while a full listen turns unrelentingly dour, they’re better than discards have any right to be.
Read Full Review
60
Q Magazine
This ragbag of an album suggests the tying up of loose ends before impending reinvention. [Jan 2008, p.118]
60
All Music Guide
Sawdust does indeed contain some moments of grand pomp, but its scattershot nature works against the band as it winds up emphasizing the lingering question from "Sam's Town," that the group has a hell of a lot of ideas but they just don't know what the hell to do with them.
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60
NOW Magazine
There's enough decent material on Sawdust to exempt Brandon Flowers and his Vegas boys from cynical gap-filler accusations.
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60
musicOMH.com
A nice Christmas present for that hardcore Killers fan in your life, but most casual observers will be happy to give this a miss and wait for the third album.
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60
Rolling Stone
The cover of Joy Division's 'Shadowplay' should have stayed in the vaults, but it's hard to deny Brandon Flowers' melodic gifts.
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60
Slant Magazine
Sawdust will still fill in the void for fans--to which the album is dedicated, natch--while they wait for a new LP.
Read Full Review
60
New Musical Express
Sawdust reveals a band with a healthy blueprint for success, sure, but "The Masterplan" it ain't.
Read Full Review
55
Pitchfork
Overall, there's a strong sense of exploration on Sawdust; if the Killers don't seem to have much intuitive understanding of balance and songcraft, the overproduction at least suggests a strong musical curiosity underlying their obvious career ambitions.
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50
PopMatters
Sawdust is an interesting look at other aspects of the Killers’ sound, but as a standalone disc, it’s largely hit-or-miss.
Read Full Review

What Our Users Said

Vote Now! The average user rating for this album is 7.6 (out of 10) based on 30 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Lici M. gave it a10:
Releasing the B-sides in a collection was a great way to get the songs to the fans who don't have the opportunities to purchase all of the singles individually. Tranquilize is another one that highlights Brandon's song-writing talent and the Abbey Road Sam's Town version also shows his awesome talent on the keyboard. My Boys give yet another treasure of timeless tunes!

Eric C. gave it a5:
Dang, I was shocked at how good that track with Lou Reed was (Tranqulize). But the rest of these tracks just don't impress me. Which is too bad. I've followed the Killers from the beginning, and they always seemed ready to release a classic, unarguably good album. They should be the ones who make mainstream, radio-friendly rock that's actually good (not to sound snobbish). But they can't seem to reach that level. But when they finally do, well. I can't wait.

Music M. gave it an8:
If you like the Killers, you should definitely pick this up. If not, this isn't going to change your mind. The quality varies widely, as one might expect on a b-sides collection, but there are many songs that compare favorably with their biggest hits. Many of them date back to the Hot Fuss sessions (although some have been re-recorded). In addition, they cover artists as diverse as Joy Division, Dire Straits, and Kenny Rogers. They even bring in Lou Reed as a guest on the leadoff track. All in all, a treat for fans.

Michael S gave it an8:
Good album until we get the latest and greatest. Hot Fuss is a 9 and Sam's Town is a 10. Sam's Town does not get the credit it deserves but there is not one bad song on that album. In fact they are mostly phenomenal. Fans would appreciate the genius of Sam's Town by downloading the album into their Ipod and walking the streets of New York.

Marcin K. gave it a5:
This album wasn't bad, but it wasn't worth buying. The best songs were previously released on Sam's Town or Hot Fuss. I was disappointed.

Pahlo gave it a10:
I'm generally not a huge fan of compilation albums, whether its best of albums (useless) or b-side collections (oftened sounding scattered), they're usually quite boring. Sawdust, however, is a very good compilation from The Killers. I've been waiting for them to record Shadowplay which they've been playing live for quite a while now. other covers include Romeo and Juliet and Ruby Don't Take Your Love to Town. the rest are b-sides, unreleased/new tracks and remixes/live recordings. especially two unreleased tracks, Leave the Bourbon from Hot Fuss era, and Sweet Talk from Sams Town sessions were real gems. this is a definite buy for any Killers fan.

Roger L. gave it a10:
Wonderful, essential album for Killers lovers...Or not!

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