Customer Reviews

Anthem for a New Tomorrow

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

After, in his mind, the relative failure of Wiggle, Ben Weasel set out to write a proper follow up to the highly successful My Brain Hurts. What he came up with was to be the high point of the band's stint on Lookout! records, as well as an almost concept album about what it was like to be a punk in the mid-90's.

With his girlfriend providing him with a seemingly endless supply of song material regarding unhappy relationships, the punk scene around him showing a mix of solidarity and polarity that seems impossible to imagine if you weren't there, and a natural knack for love songs that the average subcultural guy could relate to, Ben Weasel hit all of this topics and more on the head with Anthem.

The overall simplicity of the musicianship allows the melodies to carry the songs, and the lyrics to take front seat. If you buy only one Screeching Weasel album, make it this one, and you too can find the Peter Brady inside of you.

this cd is a pop-punk staple that for me personally stands out to symbolize the early 1990's Lookout! Records era of greatness. no filler, just like most of those bands, PLUS guest vocal by FAT MIKE from NOFX! why NOT buy this album?

In my opinion this is not only the greatest SW album, but one of the top 5 pop/punk albums of all time. It takes the listener on a roller coaster ride through a wide range of emotions, utilizing clever lyrics, catchy hooks, and great melodies. Many will argue that the B-Side is not as good, but I disagree. This is an album I can listen to all the way through over and over again. Falling Apart, Every Night, and Inside Out are 3 of the best tracks on here, but my all time favorite is the title track in which they close this 3 chord master piece. To me it's more than just simple entertainment or music, these are songs that can change the way you look at life. This album is a lot deeper than many critics give it credit for, and a must have for anyone who is into this new generation of pop/punk influenced bands such as Blink 182. If you like the new wave of pop/punk inspired pretty boys who are dominating the charts, give this record a go, and see where those bands came from. I promise your eyes will be opened to a whole new world of music you've been missing out on.

7 STARS !!!

BUY NOW !!!

BUY 2 !!!

I have been a Screeching Weasel fan for years and Anthem for a New Tomorrow is their best disk. Short, fast, and melodic punk songs with guest vocals from Fat Mike from NOFX and Joey Vindictive from the Vindictives to name a few. Ben Weasel and company know how to write punk songs with the best of them and this disk captures the guys at the top of their game. A modern classic!

When I first bought this album, I wasn't impressed. Songs like "Cancer in my body" turned me off to the beauty i would later discover. About three or four years later, I listened to every single Compact and Longplaying i owned. Wow. This is, without a doubt, the best punk album, ever. Definitley the Best SW, and one of the best albums all together. I've gotten tired of albums like "Daisies of the Galaxy"(Eels) and even Pink Floyd's "The Wall". But I listen to THIS album EVERY DAY! I Usally prefer more sophisticated stuff like "Nirvana" and "Queen", and I hate "NOFX", but the normal whining of Ben Weasel from albums like "Boogadax3" and "Thank you very little" now sounded beautiful, and I couldnt think of any other way to vocalize these songs. Even bringing in Fat Mike (NOFX) for "Peter Brady" was a good choice. This is Punk for the ages. It is an indie version of "The Wall". I bought this album TWICE after it was stolen the first time. Songs like "Inside Out" and "Every Night" may sound incredibly similar, but it doesnt matter, this is a good thing. Even songs like "Panic" and short songs like "Im gonna strangle you" which are made into seemingly complex tunes by Ben Weasel, bring a nice touch to the Disc. It's like these untalented musicians thought up some riffs, and played them, but some Moses-type figure brought it to a new level. And maybe this Moses was their drummer? I dont know. This drummer is one of my top five favorites. He is SUPERB. Of course, there is the lovely closing track,(which was an exellent choice for this Story type Album), which brings the opera to a close with multiple shrill voices, Heavily Distorted Power chords, incredible lyrics, and of course, the horse racing radio announcements through out.

If you like any kind of rock, punk, classic, and yes, even (Gakk!) Emo, you ABSOLUTLEY MUST own this album. Youll never be the same.

Most people who know who Ben Weasel is have a pretty strong opinion about him. Some see him as a beleaguered spokesman, standing up for the last vestige of punk. Most people, however, see him as a world-class jerk. Which is pretty understandable, considering the incendiary nature of some of his lyrics and his Maximum Rock 'n Roll column.

And that reputation may seem well-deserved if one looks at some of the songs on Anthem For a New Tomorrow. Screeching Weasel has always been a band with snot dripping off its albums - songs like "I'm Gonna Strangle You" and "I Don't Wanna Be Friends" are as snotty as ever. But what really stands out on this record is the *emotion*. Although not as brazenly emotional as the aptly-titled 1998 record Emo, the lyrics from this record would easily fit into that genre. Songs like "Falling Apart", "Every Night", and "Claire Monet" show a soft side that portend nicely Screeching Weasel's later work and Ben's solo album. "I, Robot" especially is a deeply emotional look at mindless autonomy.

But just because there is emotion in the lyrics doesn't mean that the tracks don't rock. Expect the same three-chord madness, one-two-three-four beats, and celerity you'd get from any Ramones-influenced band. There's even a hint of social commentary -- "A New Tomorrow", the closer and title track, is a sardonic look at a far-off utopia. In short, everything necessary to fall into the elite category known as 'punk' is included on this record, probably Screeching Weasel's best. It's emotional, yes, but it's not whiny.

In the early 90's, Screeching Weasel really was a force to be reckoned with. The band's front man, Ben Weasel, was a columnist for Maximum Rock 'n Roll, and his opinionated, bitter writings gave his band a blast of notoriety within the punk scene. It didn't hurt that the band had released an almost perfect pop punk record on Lookout Records called "My Brain Hurts", and that almost all of the label's roster was getting tons of attention from the success of Green Day. Ramones influenced, pop punk was the sound of the day, and Screeching Weasel were leading the pack.

Coming off the disappointment of the band's fourth album, "Wiggle", which sounded bland and uninspired, Screeching Weasel set their sights on topping the previous achievement of "My Brain Hurts". They managed to put together, arguably, the best album of their existence with "Anthem For a New Tomorrow". While "My Brain Hurts" featured some of the best songs the band had ever written, it lacked the cohesiveness of a truly great album. There was nothing tying the whole thing together, no common thread among the songs. Their fifth album would change all that.

"Anthem For a New Tomorrow" focuses on a vision of the future. The songs portray a slightly hopeful look at a world bursting at the seams with rapid technological growth and decaying infrastructures. The song "A New Tomorrow" says it best: We don't need protection against what anyone might say/ We know that the government can't improve our lives anyway/ We don't need to drug ourselves anymore to keep the boredom away/We don't need anything except relying on ourselves for a change. This is the thread that holds this album together. Sure, you'll find a couple of songs about girls and relationships. But, the whole thing fits together so nicely, that you can't help but really enjoy this record as a whole. Instead of writing a few remarkable songs and constructing an album with some filler material, Screeching Weasel was able to make a record that stands out, in a genre that is noted for its mediocrity.

If you're not familiar with the band's previous efforts and sound, I can only refer you to the Ramones as an influence. You might hear a bit of the harmonizing of the Beach Boys in there, maybe a tad bit of that 50's pop song vibe as well. The intelligent, sometimes sarcastic, biting lyrics are delivered with a little sneer and attitude. Just enough to give everything a good, gritty edge.

This was the last album the band made with this line up, and stands as a testament to the overwhelming influence that spread throughout the punk music scene. There must have been thousands of imitators practicing in garages and basements across the country after the release of this album. Luckily, a lot of that has been forgotten, and this record sounds just as good today as the day it was released.

this cd is wonderful......i am a robot

If you like Green Day, Pinhead Gunpowder and Rancid, You will love this album. From beginning to end this is truly a punk pop master piece. Ben Weasel is truly one of punks most underated artist. Buy this now!

I happen to love punk rock. I happen to love Screeching Weasel. And it just so happens, that this album stands as one of the greatest single justifications for my love of the band, and of the genre. This is one of those albums that, if you write or aspire to write music, makes you hurt inside. It hurts you like a hot cramp in the gut because you know that you can never create anything as great, anything as singular. This album is so distinguished in style and tone that it stands out in a sea of mostly mediocre pop punk like a lighthouse on fire. If I could have one wish, it would be that this album would become a lady so that I could make passionate love to it. Buy this album. If you do not like it, it may be because you are dead inside.