Customer Reviews

As Good As Dead

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This was a surprise when I bought it. Yeah, i picked it up because of the damn "Bound for the Floor" hit thing, and cursed myself going home for being suckered into buying a one-hit wonder's album that was surely going to be bad in comparison. Lo and behold, it wasn't, and the CD started going on repeat after repeat. I anxiously picked up their next "Pack Up the Cats," a couple of years later (which is also terrific). Sounded then, as it does now, stangely out of time with its preservation of grunge aesthetics, but still a fairly pummeling and wild ride nevertheless. The guitars are loud and screaming, the drums flailing, and that's about all you even need. Repeating what tons have said before, it's amazing that such a sound can come out of two guys. They seem to have a good humor too, unlike most of their angsty bretheren. The only real problems with it are the lyrics can be kind of amateurish sometimes (case in point "High Fiving MF," which I still don't mind terribly). If you love rock do yourself a favor and get this blinking album!!!

Local H were one of the better post-nirvana bands that emerged in a sea of bush's, candleboxes and silverchairs. They still have the typical self deprecating lyrics but thier is a sense of quirkiness and humor behind them which makes Local H all the much better and more sincere. "Bound for the floor" was a good hit, but the blistering fury of songs like "I saw what you did and i know who you are", "nothing special" and "fritz's corner" made Local H come into thier own as 90s hard rock masters rather than just being pale 5th rate nirvana imitators. This band really should have been bigger than they were. As Good as Dead is just good pure hard rock n roll, lots of fun.

Local H is one of the first bands that I got acquainted with strictly through my own curiosity: I saw "As Good As Dead" at the store, and I bought it. I didn't know any of the songs, and was able to appreciate the album immediately for what it is: a great collection of wonderful music. Each track on this album could be a hit.
What is most amazing is the great versatility of this band. A well-written, tender "Eddie Vedder" is juxtaposed with the hard, screaming vocals of "Back in the Day." What's most amazing is that I enjoy each of these songs equally.
This album is everything I love about Local H in one album. While I may not play it as much as "Hamfisted" or "Pack up the Cats," this album still contains their catchiest, most well-written songs, and is a great introduction to this band if you are yet to experience their tremendous talent.

Local H's As Good As Dead feels like middle ground between their evolving sound. From the straight ahead grunge attack of their competant but nothing special debut Ham Fisted to their sonically experimental and most rewarding CD(Pack Up The Cats), As Good As Dead stands perfectly in the middle of those two albums. Like its predecesor, As Good As Dead is a loose concept album about a dead end life in a dead end town in the heart of the middle of nowhere (which in this case happens to be Zion, IL. About an hour from where I live).

As per usual, Lucas rips through songs with lacerating, low end guitar sound. While he would later perfect his tecnique and make it signature, here Scott remains raw and unglossed. Infact most of this album contains the heart of Fisted due to less flashy production and far less restrained energy (Back In The Day anyone?). His riffing is not only memorable, but sets the tone perfectly for this often bleak and depressing album.Lucas's partner in crime Joe Daniels still remains a monster behind the kit as usual. While not deeply intricate in style, he makes up for it with a pounding presence. He knows that a great drummer is the heart of rock music and he helps hook some the songs in your mind (That openning drum beat on High Fivin' Mofo is one of the most distingishable in recent years). Want another reason to buy this CD? Its got that "cophectic song" on it. Its called Bound To The Floor and please, stop asking!

The general tone and theme is about failure and hopelessness. Lucas and Daniels pull it off with is much grace as one possibly can in dealing with this subject. While some of the album is delievered in sort of dark and dank feel, there are plenty of smirking moments to keep it from just being another depressing grunge album of the time. While grunge was on its way out around the time of the release of As Good As Dead, it still stands above the heads and shoulders of most of its peers in its heyday. Hell, I like H more than Soundgarden.

At first, I was skeptical of this album. The sticker on the front advertised not good music, but gratuitous use of "the F-word." Island never knew how to promote Local H, a truly first-rate band with incredible range. I still don't know how two guys are able to pack such a punch without help from outside, but Scott and Brian are pros at the game.

"Bound for the Floor" is a perfect anthem for the 1990s, but other singles like "Fritz's Corner" and the brilliant "Eddie Vedder" are just as good. If you can't see the band live and hear unreleased classics like "Baby Wants to Tame Me," then at least get yourself this album. Otherwise, you'll miss out entirely on some phenomenal music.

This is one of my favourite records. In terms of honesty, I doubt you'll be able to find a rock band that deconstruct themselves the way Local H are able to do here. There is a strong thematic drive (escaping Zion) but what is most incredible is the progression of the album; it begins with some ferociously cruel songs ("Don't you hate it when people are in love?/I want to cut you down") and someone who only listened to the first few tracks might be prepared to condemn the band for their narrowmindedness. However, the album becomes more liberal as it goes on, and in the end finally collapses: the climactic songs are suicidal in their intense self-hatred. Certainly, it's not an optimistic album, but the solitary line in the final song betrays the record's true intent: "You're on to something good/but it can't be all that matters."

WOW! Local H just simply have what I am looking for. I debate what is better-this or Pack up the Cats. Songs on here aren't exactly as origional as the songs on "Pack up the Cats," however, this is one hell of an overlooked cd. It is probably thier biggest commercial success, as little as that is. I have a friend who saw them live when this came out, opening up for stone temple pilots. Man, I was jealous, I would go to the show and look forward to Local H more (though I like STP too.) My favorite song is "Eddie Vedder," which probably ties with "Kid's are right" (off "Cats") as my favorite Local H song. Other great songs include "Freeze dried flies," "No Problem, "High Fiving motherf---er, the Manifest Destinies, short yet good, and of course, the radio friendly "Bound for the floor." If you like bands such as Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Stone Temple Pilots, or even AC/DC, this is the album for u! Don't let me down H!

Really cool album! It has some hits you may not even know you've heard like Bound For The Floor and Eddie Vedder. Especially fun is High-Fiving MF, which my dad hates.. (wonder why? I put this song on as loud as I can every time). Blow 'em off and buy this album and tell your friends....Check out other cool stuff from Monster Magnet (Ego, The Living Planet), Offspring (Bad Habit), and even Nine Inch Nails (Wish).

As Good As Dead is the sophomore effort from the Zion, IL rock duo Local H. Frontman Scott Lucas uses bass pickups on his guitar to give the band a fuller sound - hey, if they can get the job done with two people, why not? They might not have the most original sound in the world (it's reminiscent of bands like Nirvana and Pixies, with some classic influences like AC/DC thrown into the mix), but they more than make up for it with their imaginative, witty songs that explore a multitude of topics.

Local H managed to move leaps and bounds above their debut effort Ham Fisted with AGAD. The sound is essentially the same as before, but it benefits from a more polished production that suits this type of music better, and an altogether better group of songs, including the one that the band is best known for, "Bound For The Floor".

It also represents something we didn't see much of in the '90s - it's a concept album. It follows a cynical pessimist who will stop at nothing to get out of Zion. The track that best sums up the central character's view of the world is the misanthropic "Nothing Special". An air of resignment permeates the few slower tracks on the album, like "O.K." - this is a song that can be interpreted in many ways, either within or outside the context of the album. The punkish furor of "Fritz's Corner" (named for a bar in Zion) is another highlight, as is "Lovey Dovey", one of the best anti-love songs I've ever heard. To grasp the concept of the album, it's best to listen to it from beginning to end; however, if you're having a day where nothing goes right, you could just crank up a song like "High Fiving MF" or "Back In The Day" - that's just what the doctor ordered.

In summary: More contemporary sounding and with more diversity than their later efforts, As Good As Dead is Local H at their creative apex, and the beginning of the concept album trend which was followed by Pack Up The Cats and their latest release, Whatever Happened to PJ Soles? After the former album was released, drummer Joe Daniels left the band and was replaced by Brian St. Clair, who is more of a drummer in the "big rock" tradition, which led the band's fourth album Here Comes The Zoo in more of a '70s classic rock direction (though not completely). I have yet to hear the new one, so I don't know if it's a continuation of the HCTZ sound or not, but this album is a tough one to top. If you haven't checked out Local H yet, this would be the best place to start.

This CD was a turning point in the rock scene not only for Local H, but for fans everywhere. "The Copacetic Song" as it was called, was popular, yet no one seems to know about this CD or even the band. So here's an overview of the entire CD, song by song:

1. Manifest Destiny Pt. 1 -- Writing a song to start CD with purpose always works. Even though it's only 51 seconds, and not really a song, it works well here.

2. High-Fiving MF -- My favorite Local H song to see live. The lyrics are hilarious, yet they still obtain some sense of direction and seriousness. It would've probably been more popular than Bound had radio allowed its release. But that only makes it better.

3. Bound For The Floor -- Or should I say: aka The Copacetic Song. This is the one that started it for Local H. I just wish people would have more respect for it.

4. Lovey Dovey -- I think some anger management may be in line for Scott here, but that's just me.

5. I Saw What You Did... -- Grundge rock and its best. It's hard to find a song like this one now-a-days.

6. No Problem -- A great slow song, not the best on the CD though...

7. Nothing Special -- Good lyrics, good melody. Negativity seems to be working for Local H here.

8. Eddie Vedder -- Another single that never really made it. But nevertheless, it is a single. And a good one at that. Don't skip over this one.

9. Back In The Day -- Great live. Scotty could've toned it down a notch on this one. Still good, though.

10. Freeze Dried (F)lies -- My least favorite song on the CD, but it's decent.

11. Fritz's Corner -- You gotta love this song. It's just plain great. It could've been another big single.

12. O.K. -- Here's the best slow song on the CD. It's almost 7 minutes long and every minute is great. The lyrics are so unbelievable. It's a good one to get your girlfriend into Local H. It might make her cry, though.

13. Manifest Destiny Pt. 2 -- I'm sure you saw that one coming. Anyways, O.K. would've made a better ending.

Make sure you get this CD if you like the big, popular single. It's awesome, so just buy it.