There are some albums that you buy because you are a dumb stupid fan, and some albums you hang on to because you see the true value and merit of the content. Then you find yourself having to defend that album, which you can do with ease just by talking about how fun some of the songs really are.
Let me start by saying that this is a Punk album. This is the album that essentially created Pop Punk, but they did it right. Basically The Spaghetti Incident was a resonably produced album that had a budget and studio available that most classic Punk bands could have dreamed of. So what you get are a bunch of songs that sound great originally because they were these raw balls of pure energy and attitude, being covered by a band that was all attitude, and on a downward spiral from self destruction, with nice sounding modern audio qulity. Basically an album designed to be enjoyed years later in retrospect.
Some of the songs on this album I knew before hearing them on here, others I got to hear later, and the rest I still only know the versions found on this album. The main reason being that I'm not the biggest Punk fan, and after a while I find it gets pretty boring. There's very little experimentation in Punk. I may use this review as a stepping stone to check out some of the original bands, now that I have youtube to help me experiment first.
As one last thought, I really think this album would have more appeal to modern kids than it did for me and my friends when we were kids. At least kids that still listen to music that isn't digitally synthesized.
The album opens with Since I don't Have You. This is the song that killed this album. It was the only single, and it was complete bullshit and crap. Punk bands should not do songs like this, unless it's the Ramones, because they can't sing them right. Axel sounds like a complete joke, and I'm hoping it was done on purpose. Musically the track is performed decently, but it's also just a really basic and boring song. Seriously, I hope the idea was to put a giant pile of steaming turd at the front of the album, just to get it over and done with. Some one really should get bitch slapped over this one.
Duff can't sing, unless Duff is singing Punk, and that's why New Rose works. This works well as an album filler, and a decent track the whole way around. It almost sounds like the band was actually playing together when they recorded the track. I can honestly say I like this song much more now than I did when I first heard this album.
Down On The Farm should have been the lead off track on this album. It should have been the first single, and it should have been the track that was used to really push this album. I mean this is the track that really brings it home, and is totally bad ass. This is one of those songs that makes me think I ought to go back and check out The U.K. Subs. The best part about this song is that the energy is totally there, and I really can't help but singing every word with my own fake British accent. "All I need is some inspiration / Before I do somebody some harm / I feel just like a vegetable / Down here on the farm / Nobody comes to see me / Nobody here to turn me on / I ain't even got a lover / Down here on the farm / They told me to get healthy / They told me to get some sun / But boredom eats me like cancer / Down here on the farm / Drinkin' lemonade shanty / Ain't nobody here to do me harm / But I'm like a fish out of water / Down here on the farm / I wrote a thousand letters / Till my fingers all gone numb / But I never see no postman / Down here on the farm / I call my baby on the telephone / I say come down and have some fun / But she knows what the score is / Down here on the farm / I can't fall in love with a wheatfield / I can't fall in love with a barn / When everything smells like horse shit / Down here on the farm / Blue skies and swimming pools / Add so much charm / But I'd rather be back in Soho / Than down here on the farm / On the fucking farm! / Are you born in a fucking barn or what? / Baaaaaah! / HOLD STILL".
Have you ever listened to the Lies album? Do you remember how all the live tracks sounded? If you answered no to either of those questions, please go listen to that half of the album before continuing with this review. Human Being, sounds like it would be right in that mix. Some where between Move To The City and Bad Boys. In fact if I were making a G'N'F'n'R mixed tape for a road trip I would put this on there right after Move To The City, for that fun Rock N' Roll vibe.
Raw Power is a song that I discovered the orginal after hearing this version, thanks to Matthew "Doc" Kell. I grew to like the Iggy And The Stooges version, once I was able to hear the album on a blasting stereo. As for this version of the song, I still don't care for it. I'm not sure why there's piano for starters. It's distracting, annoying and takes away from the song. There's no piano in Punk. If you removed the piano the song might be a lot better. I mean seriously the piano really really wrecks this song.
If you haven't listen to this album in years, you need to seriously go back, grab a beer, something to smoke, crank this next track and try not to get excited and emotional. I mean I really do enjoy Ain't It Fun a shit ton more here than I did years ago. This is one of those songs I think needs to be aged to enjoy, like a shot of Jamison's Whiskey.
Buick Makane (Big Dumb Sex) is a combination of T. Rex tune and a Soundgarden track. It's a decent album filler, and enjoyable while just letting the album play.
The one song I knew inside and out before I ever heard this album was Hair Of The Dog. Is this the original Nazareth version, nope, it's a little too evenly balanced for that, but it's still a pretty decent cover. The timber of Axel's vocals lend perfect to the original vibe, and as for the musicianship, well, I'm always a sucker for a song that uses a talk box.
When it comes to The Misfits one of the greatest parts about them was Glenn Danzig's vocals. His Elvis like ghoulish sneer makes all their songs sound awesome. The Guns N' Roses cover of Attitude does not have Glenn singing. Also this is G'N'R' not Metallica, so that won't work either, so this cover never stood a chance. You have to have the right sound and walking monster like vibe to do The Misfits.
I've always liked Black Leather. Oddly I don't know the original, but all the same this Steve Jones/Sex Pistols cover works for me. As far as I'm concerned this track could be song from the original Appetite recorded sessions. It would have fit on there with Out Ta Get Me or Nightrain, to which many people right now are going what the fuck is he talking about. But while you are thinking about it, seriously break out the three Mp3's and play them in a row, it works. I know I've tried it.
You Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory was never meant for this album. I mean that seriously. Duff had recorded it for a solo album. Once again this is a track that would have worked on Lies. It would have been a great bridge between the Accoustic set and the live one.
The album finished with I Don't Care About You officially. Unofficially there's still another track. However, the last listed track is a good way to finish the album. It's a typical shitty ass punk song, with very singable lyrics, and even a little meaning, if you need to get something off your chest. "I'm from South Philadelphia up on Avenue C / I've seen empty hands that was waitin' to freeze / Up from the power at home / I don't care about you / Fuck you! / I don't care about you / Fuck you! / I've seen Hollywood Boulevard / Welfare hotel / And I spent the night in jail / At the Wilcox Hotel / I don't care about you / Fuck you! / I don't care about you / I've seen an old man have a heart attack in Manhattan / Well he died while we just stood there lookin' at him / Ain't he cute? / I don't care about you / Fuck you! / I don't care about you / I seen mad rollin' drunks / I seen bodies in the streets / I saw a man who was sleepin' in his own puke / And a man with no legs crawlin' down / Fifth Street tryin' just to get somethin' to eat / I don't care about you / Fuck you! / I don't care about you / Fuck you! / I don't care about you / Fuck you! / I don't care about you / Fuck you! / [spoken] Uh, that hurt man / Alright / Perfect".
The actual last track on the album is an accoustic number written by Charles Manson. Yes, that one. Since that's the type of guy Axel is, sportin' his Manson shirts and singng soft accoustic numbers called Look At Your Game, Girl. You have to wonder what the fuck type of stupid publicity was he going for.
Sometimes, on certain songs, when the moon is right, and the sky is full, the cosmic alignment comes together and a whole song works. The rest of the time I really think the issue with the album is that most of it wasn't recorded as a band and you can hear it. Most of Slash's solos sound punched in, the vocals aren't blended very well into the mix. I would love to hear this album re mixed from the ground up from the master tapes, because I think it could be greatly improved with much better care.
6/10 - content
5/10 - production
7/10 - personal bias
No comments:
Post a Comment