5 comments about Emo.

1. This is the finest music ever record by human beings. If you don't listen to it every day of your life there is really no point at all in living.



2. When I bought this in '99, I saw the sunflowers and the title, and thought that they were just making fun of mopey, "sensitive" emo bands, and that this'd be just another weasel album. Then I put it on. In light of the the subject material, the album title is sorta like where it says "Beer" on a beer can. Bark Like a Dog is one of the best last songs on an album that rock has ever seen. Feel free to scream along with it. Don't buy this album if you don't wanna feel. Ben Weasel weaves his tale of regret, apathy, persecution, and frustration, then reminds you that there is reason to care. And did I mention that as songs, all the tracks are great, raw, and exciting? buy this.



3. Emo is a Punk Rock classic. The lyrics are heartfelt and thought provoking while the music is raw and mid-paced pop punk that compliment each other perfectly. If you don't have this record get it, you won't be sorry.



4. THIS MAY BE ONE OF THE FINEST ALBUMS EVER RECORDED BY ANYBODY IN THE HISTORY OF PUNK MUSIC. LYRICALLY, THIS ALBUM TELLS THE STORY OF A LIFE THAT WE'VE ALL EXPERIENCED AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER AND BEN WEASEL PERSONALLY SUMS UP THE WAY WE ALL WISH WE COULD EXPRESS THOSE EMOTIONS. THE MUSIC SHOWS THE INFLUENCES AND THE RAW/LIVE FEEL, NOT SEEN IN A WEASEL ALBUM IN MANY YEARS. THESE TWELVE TRACKS ARE FILLED WITH INTENSITY AND WILL HOPEFULLY SOMEDAY BE CONSIDERED PUNK ROCK CLASSICS. A NECESSARY ALBUM FOR YOUR COLLECTION.



5. Wow, what a change. Similar to Lagwagons early move from metal riffs to more melodious punk and quality lyrics...this album is not what Screechin Weasel originally set out to do, and probably alienated a bunch of fans in the process...but damn is it a change for the better. They traded catchy choruses and humour for gut and emotion. Punk rock at it's best.

5 comments about I Blow Minds for a Living.

1. Although originally released in 1991, during the first Gulf War, the first half of this album is more relevant and rings more true today than it did in 1991. The first half or so of the album is an excellent poetic rant against the war in Iraq and the neocons, even before the term "neocons" was widely used (he describes them accurately, without using the "neocon" label). His poetic rant against the war in Iraq has references to the oil industry, U.S. aid to Israel, the falling U.S. petrodollar, loss of civil liberties in the U.S., U.S. media, and the unwelcome reception the U.S. is receiving in Iraq for spreading "democracy". And just as this album states 14 years ago, the Democratic party has proven ineffective against the Republican war machine. Jello Biafra's words sound prophetic, 14 years later. My only criticism is that in one piece, Biafra puts too much faith in democracy. As we saw in the recent anti-gay marriage referenda, and the questionable election returns, too much democracy can be dangerous (mob rule). A must-have for anyone against the Iraq war, and anyone concerned with the future of America.



2. For all those who have yet to hear Biafra's satiric social commentary, this collection is a great palce to start. The 1st two pieces, "The Pledge of alleigence" and "Die For Oil" make this set well worth the money alone. And both are just as relevent today in our post 9-11 police state posture as they were when first released at the onset of the Operation Desert Storm, i.e., the holy war for oil. For as Biafra points out, quoting the famous social philosopher George Santayana, "Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repaet it." And that is precisely what this copuntry is poised to do with another round of attacks against Saddam Hussein and the Iraqi people, which is just a pretext for assuring control of Middle East oil reserves and Isreal's contimuing disspossession of the Arab people.

   Aside from these serious issues, Biafra also rails against the hypocrisy of censorship and its essential threat to freedom, his own journey from pacisist to advocate of direct action, the possibility of electoral reform, which after the "election" of Bu$h all can see is nothing more than a fanciful, albeit immobalizing, illusion. In addition to his comments on political participation he also gives a sardonic recounting of his own run for mayor of San Francisco, which is both hilarious and revealing of America's so-called democratic process. This is commentary and protest as only one should expect from the frontman of ther Dead Kennedys and as these disc's show, Jello is just as independent, serious, brash and entertaining as he was when singing "Califronia Uber Alles", only know he does so without the accopnaying music. This along with his other works can also be obtained directly from alternative tentacles and AK press. DIY and get involved now, before its too late.




3. Being an avid fan of Jello, I regret saying that this album was less than you can usually expect from him. This is 2 CDs jammed full of preaching to the choir. The only spectacular item on this album is "Running for Mayor", which I thoroughly enjoyed. If you're a fan, you should have this for the classics like "Die for Oil, Sucker" and "Grow More Pot". (WARNING: Alternative Tentacles and Jello will get more money if you order straight from them!) www.alternativetentacles.com



4. I am going to make this short but sweet: I have to wonder where Jello Biafra got the idea that it is my view that cultural tradition has never contributed a single thing to the advancement of knowledge or understanding. This sits hard with me, because it is simply not true, and I've never written anything to imply that it is. To plunge right into it, he proclaims at every opportunity that he'd never put a sinful spin on important issues. The gentleman doth protest too much, methinks. The next time he decides to test another formula for silencing serious opposition, he should think to himself, cui bono? -- who benefits? "I Blow Minds For A Living" says that the worst types of crass louts there are are all inherently good, sensitive, creative, and inoffensive. What he means by this, of course, is that he wants free reign to exploit the public's short attention span in order to fill the air with recrimination and rancor.

   His methods of interpretation always follow the same pattern. He puts the desired twist on the actual facts, ignores inconvenient facts, and invents as many new "facts" as necessary to convince us that he has achieved sainthood. I, not being one of the many peevish anthropophagi of this world, acknowledge freely and make no apology for the fact that I once considered it reasonable for malicious ostentatious big-mouths to put shiftless pettifoggers on the federal payroll. But now I know that ancient Greek dramatists discerned a peculiar virtue in being tragic. "I Blow Minds For A Living" would do well to realize that they never discerned any virtue in being ruthless. So, sorry for being so long-winded in this review, but the reservoir from which Jello Biafra draws his accomplices is primarily the masses of stupid obstinate blackguards.




5. There's always room for Jello, especially when it's got some extremely important content. A little old, talking about Bush, but still valid.

5 comments about Group Sounds.

1. Yet another example of a band that should be better known than they are. I found out about these guys when I read a little blurb in Blender about "Live From Camp X-Ray". RFTC's "Group Sounds" is a flat-out, non-stop, straight forward, kick you-in-the-teeth killer rock record. The 13 tunes scream by in about 35 minutes. A lot of the tunes are two minutes or under but that's mostly due to the fact that there are really no solos to speak of. Their use of horns to accent the tunes is done to perfection.

   RFTC's sound is a mix of punk and rock with tremendous melody. The horns really set them apart from a lot of other bands in that category. Speedo's vocals have a slightly rough edge, but not unbearably so. The lyrics are very interesting, ex 'Buffalo soldier break dance with knives stuck in your back. Holy Water pours out of the stretch marks from our past', from "Straight American Slave". Not sure what it means but it sure sounds cool when he sings it.

   Not all the songs are blistering rockers; "Dead Seeds" slows it down a little as does "Ghost Shark". You also get your fill of Na Na's and Oh-Oh-Oh's. Definitely give these guys a listen.

   If you're going to be in the Boston area on 3/22/03 head on over to the Middle East in Cambridge and check out RFTC live.




2. Everyone's already said enough, I'll just add that RFTC are the best LIVE band around as well. Go see em whenever you can. They flat out ROCK!



3. This is IT. This is rock n roll at its fiery, explosive, utmost potential. Rocket from the Crypt's GROUP SOUNDS is a wreckingball to the ribcage, a sledgehammer to the senses. This is kicking down the door at a firebreathers' convention. This is what's crackling though the air while the natives walk over hot coals. This is a striped cobra striking at you at the foot of an erupting volcano. "Venom Venom" is an attack so firece, it bites twice. "White Belt" will give you blisters on body parts you never knew you had. Rumor has it, all six band members injected rocket fuel in their veins to create the frenetic "Spitting." "Heart of a Rat" will give little Suzy strange, new, exciting feelings. "Carne Voodoo" is what the boys room smokers are singing at the top of their lungs. "Ghost Shark" slowly brings you out the other side of the wringer, where you're left gasping for air in a cloudy haze with dancing shoes soddered to your ankles. Normally an album as good as GROUP SOUNDS would make a legend, but RFTC reached that plateau a long time ago.



4. Flat out one of the best albums I've heard in 2001. The title says it all. A group so tight that they keep sending the listener to the next level track for track. I am nearly wordless to express the joy that this album ilicits. Remembering that punk rock isn't a museum, they gleefully pillage all and spit out the essence of all that is vital. Songs like Carne Voodoo, Venom Venom, & Ghost Shark let out for exciting territory. Straight American Slave, White Belt, & Dead Seeds recast the band's trascendent moments in exciting new forms.Clearly the band could give a damn about keeping up with current trends. This is what makes them timeless. Namecheck til you pass out it comes down to one thing. They have torn a page from the book of music and it is rock! A pure moment. There is no song that doesn't add to the overall effect, there is no member that doesn't do his part. Simply a classic!



5. The first seconds of "Group Sounds" explode with a guitar wailing and gritting it's teeth before exploding into a riff lifted from The Music Machine's "Everything Is Everything," and pummel that sucker into the ground in less than two minutes, and call it "Straight American Slave." In other words, RFTC aren't effing around anymore. "Group Sounds" is their hardest, tightest, most consistent work ever, building on the foundation brought to frutition on their three (!) 1995 records, "Scream Dracula Scream," "Hot Charity," and "The State Of Art Is On Fire,"; tough-as-nails punk rock topped with blaring horns and anthemic vocals. In fact, one of the more melodic tracks is given the title "Out Of Control," if that's any indication, the rest of these songs are completely insane. My favorites are the mid-tempo (by RFTC standards) snarler, "Return Of The Liar," the Turbonegro-esque "Savoir Faire," and "S.O.S.," a great rocker in the "Burnt Alive" vein. There isn't a really a bad song here, though, all thirteen tracks are pure, adrenalized, middle-finger rock and roll. Amen.

5 comments about Enjoy the Silence.

1. This is a song that has aged very well over its 17 years of existence. Someone who hadn't experienced this song during its release in 1990 may very well mistake it for a much newer song. The Hands and Feet Mix is the strongest one on here and the two instrumentals that aren't Enjoy the Silence--Sibeling and Mephisto--are also worth a listen. They're in minor keys and are perfect for those days that are just a bit dark, or for those moments when you need a dark undercurrent. All the mixes are good, as is the original. The words are thought provoking, which is something I value highly in a song.
   
   Normally I pay little attention to disc covers, but the artwork of the flower on this one is just plain awesome. It's simple yet elegant. It reminds me of something an upscale shopping mall would use, and that's definitely a good thing. It also is something I can incorporate into the picture the song paints in my head, which is rare for me--some very good albums have pictures on the cover that I can't quite place into any song on the disc.



2. This is my favorite song by Depeche Mode (hands down!) I'd give it 20 stars if I could. Good versions, a great CD single at a great price, get your copy, place it in your player and just press the "Repeat Disc" button and forget about it. Five stars...



3. For fans of DM's darkest sounds, you must listen to the song Sibeling. It's not a well known song at all, and I'm sure most people have never heard it before, but it is my second favorite DM song (Little 15 being my first). Although it is an instrumental piano ballad, it is one of the most incredible songs I've ever heard. It has that enchantingly dark melody that only DM could do so well. People who have never heard this song are missing out, so if you can find the single for Enjoy the Silence, pick it up. It will be well worth the 5 or 6 bucks you pay for it!!!



4. This is the CD single of Depeche Mode's biggest hit. Great song, with six remixes. Some of the remixes are more interesting than others, with the versions without most of the lyrics being least enthralling. The other tracks here are "Sibeling" and "Mempisto", which are piano instrumentals that sound like horror movie themes. They are decent, but nothing great, really.



5. I never noticed the Remixes of Enjoy The Silence (ok, not literally)
   
   I got this disc for the b-sides.
   
   I had "Memphisto" back in the day on the back of the 45 record (yes, kids, those were what came before cds!). But until recently, I had never heard of "Sibeling". I checked out the sample on this site, and was hooked!
   
   I enjoy DM's instumental "mood tracks" and these two are perfectly suited for your "vampire movie of choice". (except possibly for the original "Buffy" flick)
   
   It was nice to get a clean, digital version of Memphisto after all these years, but my record tends to be a little spookier. The hole is ever-so-slightly off-center, producing a slight distortion, which IMO adds to the mood. But, all things said, it's not the way it was intended to sound.
   
   The remixes are good too, if you like those :)

No comments about A Profound Hatred of Man.

5 comments about Construction Time Again.

1. People are People is a better choice than this one. It has the good songs from it and doesn't include the bad. The Landscape is Changing is beyond overripe. More Than A Party is... um...



2. CONSTRUCTION TIME AGAIN, Depeche Mode's third album, was as large a step forward in evolving the band's sound as much as A Broken Frame had from their debut. No doubt, new member Alan Wilder was a crucial part in honing Depeche Mode's new development, as well as Martin Gore flexing a stronger songwriting muscle for this album. CONSTRUCTION is the most focused effort of the earliest Mode albums, being more musically consistent than either Frame or it's much-praised successor Some Great Reward, with a integration of industrial (emphasis on the lower-case "i") sounds and textures used throughout. Many of these tracks, in retrospect, are early templates for more overtly Industrial-inspired songs to come such as "People Are People", "Blasphemous Rumors", and "Stripped".
   
   Like many early 80's electronic records of it's day, CONSTRUCTION utilizes much synthesized horns, with "Love In Itself" being the most glaring example (not one of my fave Depeche songs anyway). "Told You So", on the other hand, uses this same sound quite inventively. This album's most notable track, the single "Everything Counts", is among the band's greatest songs of all time (... at least in my opinion). A fluid track from start to finish it features great percussion and catchy hooks all around. (Check out the enthusiastic crowd participation it received in the Depeche tour documentary, 101.)
   
   Fans of this particular album should consider Rhino Records' deluxe reissue of this CD. The noticeable difference being that the deluxe version is based on the original UK tracklisting, and concludes with a very brief reprise "Everything Counts" instead of an extended remix. The deluxe version also includes a DVD featuring a highly-informative documentary on the making of this album as well as additional non-album tracks and B-sides (including the extended "Everything Counts" and the excellent single, "Get the Balance Right"). Also remember when making your decision that the bonus music on the Rhino version is only accessible on the DVD (as well as double the price).



3. Depending on who you are, the first two DM records may be viewed as some kind of false start for the synth-pop group. This is not really my favorite album by the group at all, but stands as a worthy inclusion of the album. I actually like most DM albums over this, but there is stuff that brings it together.
   
   It's still kind of minimalist, but here the song-writing has improved. It's like a distant cousin to Some Great Reward, less developed and not quite as consistently good, but it's not really a bad album. It takes a little bit to get into, since apart from the singles, it's kind of indistinguishable. I'd probably give it three stars if not for "Love, In Itself" and "Everything Counts," which still stand up as Depeche classics. The former is kind of quirky in its construction but shows the band's expermentation into acoustic guitars and piano samples here and there. I like Gore's simple lyrics here. Where on A Broken Frame he seemed like he wanted to prove that Depeche could continue as the band they were, that was kind of the transistion from the beginning to here. The record in retrospect is kind of underproduced; you have to turn the volume up pretty high to hear the songs in even the sound they are on The Singles 81>85. In this case I may recommend you get the remastered version of the group's third LP (now, if only they'd make a standard version). There's also more Alan Wilder-penned tracks here than on any other Depeche Mode album, even if it's merely two songs.
   
   If you're new to DM, I suggest you trying one of their other albums first, but if you love what you've heard from them, particularly "Some Great Reward," I think that this would be worth checking out. Besides, it's fairly cheap as it is.



4. This album remains one of my favourites in the dM catalogue.
   
   With this album the band pretty much leave behind the purely pop-oriented songs of their early days, and instead transition fully into a unique industrial sound with a more experimental feel. (Here I mean industrial in its true sense with sampled metallic sounds, etc.) Brilliant use of sampled sounds accented by instruments such as metallaphones keep the songs fresh and interesting. The album's tracks really do have a unique vibrancy and texture to them.
   
   While "Everything Counts" is indeed a classic, my favourites on this album are the darker tracks: Pipeline, Shame, Two Minute Warning, and The Landscape is Changing (the latter two of which are under-rated rare compositions of Alan Wilder).
   
   The lyrics of the album give it a somewhat young and naive feel, intermixed with a sense of injustice. In this way, the raw sentiments behind the lyrics match the interesting and sometimes erratic feeling of the instrumentation.
   
   The album cover and title bring together the blue-collar, industrial theme of the album, a marked improvement over dM's somewhat unfocused previous album "A Broken Frame".



5. En 1983, Depeche Mode volvio a ser un cuarteto; con la incorporacion de Alan Wilder no solo como tecladista sino como un gran arreglador y vital en el lapso que seguiria hasta 1995. Comienzan a experimentar nuevas cosas, como sampleos (que era algo muy poco usual para la epoca) y tambien una evolucion importante en las letras de Martin Gore, basadas en la teoria marxista; cuyo resultado es el disco "Construction time again" de 1983.
   
   El disco parte con dos temas muy comunes; "Love in itself", una excelente anti-cancion de amor y "More than a party", que es una semejanza (en mi punto de vista) contra la droga. Lo novedoso es que se incorpora nuevos sonidos que nunca se habian escuchado en los dos discos anteriores; para lo que el album se espera mas; y es asi, sorprendiendo con "Pipeline" una cancion para el obrero trabajador; cuyos sonidos son minimalistas, sonidos de cañerias, por ejemplo. Luego, para terminar la primera parte, esta el clasico "Everything counts" una cancion que hasta el dia de hoy se mantiene en el repertorio clasico del grupo.
   
   La segunda parte del disco comienza con una cancion compuesta por Alan Wilder: "Two minute warning" que habla sobre la energia nuclear. Luego "Shame", una cancion critica contra los mandamases de la epoca por los niños desnutridos en Africa; "The landscape is changing", otro tema de Wilder, en el cual habla sobre como los paisajes se convierten en edificios, centrales hidroelectricas, etc. "Told you so", un tema que podria haber sido tercer sencillo de este disco, con una vision ironica del mundo por parte de Martin Gore; y al final "And then...", cuya tematica es el futuro mundial a modo de Depeche Mode.
   
   Tal vez para la gente que no esten de acuerdo con la politica izquierda y marxista o la politica en general, no le gustaran este disco. En mi opinion, creo que es uno de los clasicos perdidos; me parece que es uno de los mejores discos de DM, pero al mismo tiempo, no esta a la altura de "Some great reward", "Black celebration", "Music for the masses", "Violator" y el mismisimo "Playing the angel". Musicalmente mostraban una evolucion que perduro en los siguientes discos, innovando mas sonidos.

1 comments about Expand the Hive.

1. Logical Nonsense were one of the best bands I have ever heard. Expand The Hive is their best record in my opinion. Well recorded but not too clean, driving rhythms and intense vocals right from the get go, incredible record all around. Anyone who likes intense grinding devil-music should not be without this album. The vinyl is best if you can find it, as it sounds better with the raw recording, and the album art is really beautiful.

No comments about Live at the Witch Trials.

4 comments about Fly the Flag.

1. It seems whatever is being pushed aside these days..I tend to embrace it. As with this record...I only had it recorded on a dollar tree tape and I played it until it broke. DBL are experimenting, yes...but if you liked Last of the sharpshooters...you'll like this one. It's a good album not as good as "last of the..." but a strong representation of a band who will make change for no one...if you believe in the music DBL has created for 15 years now, you won't turn your back.



2. I can't think of too many times I was more disappointed with an album. I like old Down By Law and have been a big Dave Smalley fan since his Dag Nasty days, but this release is practically unlistenable. Avoid it at all costs and don't buy into that "new mature sound" .... Trust me, it's complete garbage.



3. this is one awful album, has absolutely nothing on it, silence is better believe me. they all sound like filler songs for a pop album. please avoid



4. Critics in the biz may have judged this effort by one of Califirnia's best punk bands as a mature step forward. I agree, Down By Law are trying differnt things and writing better songs while slowly decrusting their hardened sound. A mature thing to do I suppose. The results of this growth do not however make for better listening. A few tracks work while but too many do nothing for me.

No comments about L' Eau Rouge.