1000 Hurts

Shellac | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 8, 2000)
• Original Release Date: August 8, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Touch & Go Records
• ASIN: B00004UEGT
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #164,044 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a STRANGE record, September 13, 2000

By 

Daniel A. Brockman (Boston, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: 1000 Hurts (Audio CD)

On one fo the lesser tracks on this album "New Number Order", drummer Todd Trainer leads a strange spoken word soliloquy on a changing of number order "to... make... it... more... in... ter..est.. ing..."

Always striving to be "interesting" is what Shellac, and Steve Albini, are all about. A somewhat minimalist rock trio, they throw together elements of gang of four, wire, ac/dc, zz top, and killing joke, among others, to form a strange sound. They defnitely have a signature sound that has changed littel since their incredibly awesome early singles for touch and go.

On their last album, "Terraform", they tried to shake that formula up a bit by throwing some interesting curveballs. That album's 12-minute opening exercise in frustrating monotony was for many Shellac fans a mis-fire. I loved it, and still think it's one of their best tracks. On the new album, "1000 Hurts", they go even more out on a limb.

The most "traditional" Shellac song on the record is the final song, "Watch Song". It has their trademark of tense, sharp arrangements and angry, confrontational lyrics. A masterpiece, it's only flaw may be it's similarity to some of their older tunes.

My personla favorite on the album is track 2, "Squirrel song", which showcases Albini's underappreciated and truly bizarre sense of humor. A song that is actually about squirrel's, the lyrics about the observations of the life of a squirrel are swallowed up by the propulsive rhythms and pummeling guitar work. The song explodes with Albini's parting cry: "This isn't some kind of metaphor/this is real", echoing his sentiments in "Terraform"'s anti-art-school screed "This Is A Picture".

In short, this is a truly head-scratching record, and not one I'd recommend to one who is hearing Shellac for the first time. But I am truly impressed by this band's continued musical inventiveness and their ability to keep it interesting every time.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 9 out of 10, if you like this genre..., June 16, 2005

By 

T.A. "washingmachinemouth" (South Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 1000 Hurts (Ltd) (Audio CD)

I've had this CD since it's release, and I can't see how people can go out of their way to do a review and bash it. First of all, one reviewer on this page bashes fans of the CD, too, as though there is something chemically wrong with anyone who likes Shellac or frontman Steve Albini, the studio genius. Guess he doesn't know how to play the guitar or drums, because anyone who does knows how exceedingly difficult this music is to play.

If you like Jesus Lizard, Big Black, Helmet, Slint (to some extent), Evil Mothers and old Pigface (1990-1992), what some people may loosely include in the "mathematical music" category, then you should love all of Shellac's stuff, and you probably already have their 3 CD's. All three are spectacular, all three are similar, and each just barely outdoes the previous. All of those bands I just listed include Steve Albini in some manor, whether it be playing, writing or producing.

Each song is a little different. On "1000 Hurts," they trio actually add some melodic music to the mix ("Prayer To God"). "Ghosts" highlights the album, in my opinion, maybe his best piece of writing to date. "Song Against Itself," "Shoe Song," "Squirrel Song" and "Watch Song" are also great songs, as good as any the band have recorded on previous CD's. If you're expecting "power ballads," or something "dancy" go elsewhere. I believe that some listeners are expecting something that doesn't deliver, in a sense. Hey, Shellac is a three-man percussion band. Even the bass and guitar are used as percussive rhythm-setters throughout Shellac's 3 CD's (1000 Hurts' "QRJ" for example). If that's not what you like, don't buy their albums! It's like someone reveiwing this CD, and saying, "You know, I really love Shania Twain, Bush, Jessica Simpson and Linkin Park, but I cant stand this CD...don't buy it." Obviously!!!!

It's so easy to tell if a reviewer is an uniformed non-musician with no ear for music--they are the ones who don't recognize it when a full-time studio producer forms a band for a short time and experiments with music. I like to compare Albini to Chris Goss (Masters of Reality, Queens of the Stone Age). Both are well-respected producers (doing records for QOTSA, Nirvana, PJ Harvey, and all the above mentioned bands) who have side project bands that really kick ass...but they are very different, even from what we call "alternative." By reading some of the reviews here, you will see how angry people get when they don't understand music, and can't tolerate anything that gets away from the norm. Pity.

Check out Shellac, and the other Albini bands listed at the top. If you like hard-driving drums constantly changing time and loud, pounding, odd guitar chords (other than those of the "power" variety) you won't be sorry, gauranteed.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A welcome progression from a minimalist standpoint..., August 9, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: 1000 Hurts (Audio CD)

Okay, this isn't "At Action Park." There will never be another one and that's just the way it goes. But it is a broadening of horizons, and for a band like Shellac that can be a dangerous thing. This is the first Shellac release to contain layered guitars (obviously overdub or some sort of delay), and is also the first that Bob sings lead vocals on. Both work out to the band's advantage.

There are some classic Shellac-style songs, like "Canaveral" and "Watch Song," but there are also some unexpected moments. The songs "New Number Order" and "Shoe Song" make one wonder if Slint hasn't been reincarnated in the Electrical Audio studios, while "Ghosts" boasts an intro straight off a Man or Astroman? record.

The true highlight of this record is obviously the opener, "Prayer To God." A Johnny Cash meets Math Rock ballad in which Steve asks God to kill his ex and her new lover - "Her she can go quietly, by disease or a blow.... him just f##king kill him... f##king kill him..." The last phrase is repeated twenty-some times during the end of the song, and it's not one to listen to right before getting out of the car. The dark image of God making the guy "cry like a woman" will be stuck in your head all day, this song is so catchy.

So to make this long review... well, end, this record is very good. Not legendary, but good. Every Shellac fan needs it, and any other fans of interesting sounds should give it a listen. Plus the packaging (a reel-to-reel box) is nice.