Customer Reviews

All Systems Go, Vol. 3

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have been a RFTC fan for quite some time, but I never thought their studio albums(and I own 'em all except RFTC) caught the frenzied greatness that lies inherent in this band... that is with the exception of their All Systems Go I and II! These two albums capture, by far, RFTC's rawest energy this side of live. I think the reason why these albums really pop is that the songs don't try to neatly fit together into a neatly packaged 'album/concept' and that these two albums, being the lovely b-side comps that they are, don't get lost in over-production... ASG II contains numerous musical gems... of the ones you can listen to above, I'd highly recommend 'Tarzan', 'Bird-Man' and 'Ciao Patsy'... some other greats include the poppy 'Cheetah', the furious 'Turkish Revenge', the fantastic 'Strangehold', the rich 'Hot Heart', the cool 'I Drink Blood', the covered 'Who Needs You', etc, etc, etc...

Listening to this brilliant album makes Reis' decision to put Drive Like Jehu(Now, those are GREAT albums!) on hold for RFTC a lot less baffeling... great album at a great price!

This is the sequel to "All Systems Go" obviously, and it contains the singles released by Rocket From the Crypt while they were releasing their last two albums. The songs range from almost radio friendly (Tarzan) to completely radio hostile (UfoUfoUfo). There are also a number of cover tunes, which the band handles with their usual enthusiasm. Less noisy then ASG volume one, ASG volume two is still a celebration of loud guitars, pounding drums, honking horns, and amplified vocals.

Why are all the reviews above attached to this album?!! In case you haven't noticed, they are all talking about All Systems Go 2 not this fantastic third installment to the series!! When Rocket released their fantastic break-up live disc RIP earlier this year many of us feared we had heard the last from this great band. Lucky for us however, Speedo had this gem waiting in the wings!! Made up almost entirely of never before released Rocket songs, this rough and ready collection of demo's is a more than welcome entry into the bands excellent catalogue of indie punk rock. A must have for any fans of this great band!

Great CD. all the songs are vintage rocket from the crypt. If you are a fan, this is a must have.

As one other reviewer has kindly pointed out, 4 reviews tagged to this product are actually for All Systems Go Vol. 2. (The Red One) Here is my take on this one (The Yellow One)- Not the Blue One.

If you are anything like me and were disappointed when Speedo decided to call this band quits, this is a must have for any RFTC fan. The songs are described as "lost masters" recorded at their practice spot on 8 track. Speedo's linear notes sum it up well. This is a snapshot of a band at a particular time when they were at sort of a crossroads. Atom was to leave after most of these were recorded. Knowing now that Atom ended up in Angels & Airwaves makes me laugh.

The actual Lo-Fi'ness adds to the charm. The sound still jumps out of my speakers (especially during Canyon Killer). Performance wise, they are energetic as always (even if Speedo was sitting down for vocals!).

The album starts out well and continuously gets better as you listen through. Highlights include Falling Down Stairs, Canyon Killer, Don't Wanna Be Touched, Man Down, Summer Survivor, Luck is the New 13, Dynamite!, The Whip, This Way Out. I also really liked the energy in the takes of When in Rome and Dick on a Dog.

Not the place to start for those new to the Crypt, but once you have been initiated, this is a must have.

For a B-sides collection, this is some pretty impressive stuff. There's definitely some gold buried in amongst the rubble here. Some great songs from the RFTC sessions with Holly Golightly on background vocals, some tracks where they tweak with the knobs for some bass-blowout or ultra-crunchy guitars, the prerequisite covers. With so many tracks, and the fact that they are all b-sides, there is some subpar filler here. But the good material is too good to miss.

Certainly, a lot of the stuff on here is expendable, but for the 9 or 10 songs that are great, it's an amazing deal for $6.62.

If you liked the Holly Golightly appearance on "RFTC," you'll be happy with her guest vocals on four songs on this disc.

Great cover of a Real Kids song. Why isn't "Tarzan" a million-seller? It's RFTC at their best.