22-20s

22-20s | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 19, 2005)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Astralwerks
• ASIN: B0007ZSGXG
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #156,054 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Like their musical grandfathers the Rolling Stones, this UK-based garage-rock act have the common sense to name themselves after a great old blues song, Skip James' "22-20 Blues." The constantly touring four-piece has a lot going for them: swaggering vocals, revved-up slide guitar playing, and a strong rhythm section. The real problem with the 22-20s is that every single riff the band plays has been raved-up a hundred thousand and one times before, often with more energy, wit and invention. The band is definitely good, really good in fact, as the most cursory listen to "Devil in Me" or "Why Don't You Do It for Me?" reveals. But when you tackle this kind of up-tempo, distorted guitar on top of Bo Diddley beat with lyrics about love and loss schtick, you go up against the Yardbirds and Gun Club and Gories and White Stripes. So let's hope that next time out, these boys rock harder, weirder, or just you know, more rocking-er. --Mike McGonigal

Product Description

22-20s deliver a sonic blast of guitar-drenched blues and thunderous rock n’ roll, all with a focus on songwriting rarely seen from such a young, raw talent.

See all Editorial Reviews

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great, May 28, 2005

By 

alexander laurence (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 22-20s (Audio CD)

This is a band that I have heard about for a while. I heard their EP a few months ago and it was okay and then easily forgotten. Now we have a full album and the story is different. Now I think that I know what people were reacting to. Some music just comes out good, when played right, that you don't have to fix or try to hard. Rock and Roll and Blues have been important music for almost 70 years now. Bands that get the blues, can't relate to what is supposed to be important pop music. The 22-20s are like many British bands, from Cream on, that have a fascination with the heaviness and power of the blues. Jet and The Datsuns have fizzled out for me. The 22-20s are the real deal. The Hiss where one band that made cool sounds. The 22-20s have taken over. Songs like "Devil In Me" and "Baby Brings Bad News" are great songs. The intensity of "22 Days" is impressive. They must be a good band to see and have a little party.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic Potential, May 9, 2005

By 

Rx "Buzz" (Arlington, VA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 22-20s (Audio CD)

Nowadays I find it difficult to find much appeal in the music of a lot of bands. Catchy hooks and riffs, a danceable beat, etc. are fine, but I also look for something that moves me and makes me feel like it has staying power. In my opinion, the music of the 22-20s fits all of these categories. This is the first band I've heard come out of the U.K. since Radiohead that I think has the potential to have some staying power. Their music has been compared favorably with that of The Rolling Stones and The Doors, but I find that the 22-20s sound has more in common with a band like Cream or Aerosmith circa 1972 than with the first two bands. Most of the tracks are driven by powerful drum work and overlaid with plenty of distorted guitars and solid bass lines. This is music with passion and fire. This is a return to the days of the British blues explosion of the 1960s, but with a 21st century edge to it. If you like no-nonsense, balls-to-the-wall rock this is a CD for you. And if my recommendation isn't enough, consider this: The Black Crowes asked the 22-20s to open for them on a leg of their U.S. tour. That says a lot about the kind of music they play and kind of heart they bring to that music. Buy this disc!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Some very good garage rock you could probably live without - if you have the album, though, it's pretty cool - 4.5 stars, January 4, 2006

By 

C. Cross - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: 22-20s (Audio CD)

22-20s' "22-20s" is an album that's very good at what it's meant to do - deliver some incredibly catchy albeit kind-of-forgettable tunes. These songs aren't interesting enough musically and lyrically to truly be worth your while, though - we at least know that they are capable of crafting very catchy hooks and grooves. So while tracks like "Devil In Me" and "22 Days" are incredibly catchy, they lack longevity. You WILL be satisfied if you got this album, but you won't LOVE it. The singer does a good job matching the band's style as his voice is rough enough for the garage rock sound. Lyrically the songs are usually subpar- "I got the devil...inside of me...inside of me..." is but one example of the lyrics that don't really say much of anything (you could argue that Talking Heads lyrics were also nonsensical, and this is true - they WERE, however, very original, funny, and fit the musical style perfectly). Sometimes, however, the lyrics DO have some meaning ("Shoot Your Gun" is an example). This album just does not have the pizazze of a White Stripes album, for example. It has SOME mass appeal which helps things. The saving grace for this album, and the reason it got 4.5 stars, is that, except for 2 songs, the ENTIRE album is good. Overall you will be pretty satisfied if you got this CD. Recommended.

Highlights include:
everything but "The Things That Lovers Do" and "I'm The One"