Customer Reviews

Baby 81

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'd never heard of these guys till I went to the Rolling Stones concert in Missoula, Montana last October. BRMC opened for the Stones, and I have been hooked on them ever since. They are literally the only modern band that gets any play time on my mp3 or stereo system (I own mostly vinyl). This group is good, old-fashioned rock and roll, heavy on the layered, fuzz-box/acoustic sound of the sixties but still able to put a modern, alternative spin on the old-school rock. The fact that the Rolling Stones asked them to open and spoke highly of them is quite a plug.

I read the reviews of this album this morning before buying it at Best Buy for under eight bucks, and found that some reviewers found this effort to be mediocre or a reversal to their older sound. Personally, I like their older sound better. This is a solid, eclectic and highly enjoyable rock album.

If you like old-school, talented rock and roll, like the Stones, the Doors, the Who, even some of the heavier Beatles or Badfinger, these guys are a nice surprise. On a couple of songs, you can almost hear John Lennon and shades of 'Sgt. Pepper' or 'White Album'. I also appreciate that they don't feel the need to screech or whine like most modern alternative bands.

Great album. Keep rocking, BRMC.

I am a big fan of this band. Really terrific live. Talented, passionate musicians. I loved their sound from the first album, but they did such a great job with Howl that I almost wanted them to stay in that genre. The second album, in the style of the debut, was pretty forgettable to me. I think this is their most balanced, consistent effort. It contains some very good stand-alone tracks like Berlin, Weapon Of Choice, All You Do Is Talk, Lien On Your Dreams, Killing the Light, and Am I Only.

If you liked Howl and thought that's where they were headed, think again. Great album, but that was their Exile On Main Street. I think that album contributed to the growth evident in this release. Read the liner notes: Baby 81 was written, performed, and produced by B.R.M.C., with production help from frontman Robert Been's father, founder of 80's Bay Area band The Call. This is B.R.M.C., and thankfully they are here to stay.

I'm seeing a lot of reviews that demonstrate how misunderstood this record is, already. There's a lot of talk of BRMC taking a step "backward" or retreating, or reverting. Certainly, the sound is more akin to the rest of their catalog than it is to Howl, but I don't see it as anything other than their next record. The recording sessions were fairly close to those for Howl, and several of the songs were written, and performed live at least contemporary to that record. Plus, during Howl, they were down one man. So, it seems to me that if you are a fan of what BRMC are about, this will be a welcome addition, but if you're not, and really want them to be something they aren't, you'll misunderstand.
What BRMC are is pretty simple: a rock and roll band. This is a rock and roll record.

Being exposed to Black Rebel Motorcycle Club many times since their debut hasn't made anything stick. But now, after hearing Baby `81, it's apparent this trio of hard-workin rockers are hell-bent, and fully able, to impress. There are a few flaws here & there, combined with cover art making it hard to discern from a new offering by Jet. But their music owes as much to British bands. I hear echoes of (a menacing) Richard Ashcroft in one tune, then--3 songs later--inflections of a less-slick Stereophonics...This roughly means that BRMC are better, and clearly more interesting than most American (or British) contemporaries. Even if their "garage-y" classic rock sound never drew me in before, they've developed a remarkable skill for psychedelic ear candy; its subtle use being one of the things keeping them far ahead of the pack. Just listen to the tail end of "Cold Wind," and you'll know what I mean. Though BRMC have been destined to toil on the edges of obscurity, one would never guess because they keep their `rock songs' free from dusty stagnation and alive with sonic layering both beautiful and disturbing.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club return with possibly the best album of their career. These guys seem unable to make a bad album, and after surprising everyone with their third release, Howl, they go back their Jesus and Mary Chain-inspired roots. Howl had some great songs and showed them expanding their sound and maturing as a band, but I've always preferred their more raucous, electric side. There is a refreshing honesty in this record, especially since so many indie hipster bands are so afraid of just rocking out and including political commentary in their music the way that BRMC does in Baby 81.

The cover prominently and appropriately displays the guitar, telling the world that BRMC is back and plugged in. Fans of "Whatever Happened to my Rock N'Roll" and "Spread Your Love" will find plenty to love. You can count the potential singles on two hands on this Baby, starting with "Weapon of Choice". Why this song isn't being played on every single rock station in the country is beyond me. Other great songs include "Berlin", the menacing, drugged out "666 Conducer", "Lien on Your Dreams", and the 9-minute-plus "American X".

I saw these guys twice on their current tour for this album (with the Black Angels as openers!), in San Diego and L.A. and they do not disappoint. Do yourself a favor and get this record, and catch them live if they come to your town.

Black Rebel Motorcyle Club released a very unlike BRMC-like album in 2005, "Howl", which I described as a band sitting on the back porch in the deep South and strumming some accoustic songs. "Howl" was a terrific album, making my "top 10" of albums that year. It begged the question then, where would BRMC go from there? Well, now we have the answer.

"Baby 81" (13 tracks, 60 min.) abandons the accoustic sound of "Howl" and marks a return of the heavy sound of the band's first 2 albums. OK, no problem with that. The album starts of with a terrific guitar riff and dives into "Took Out a Loan", reminiscent of "Red Eyes and Tears", just great. "Berlin" and first single "Weapon of Choice" follow and are just a great. However, then there is a sharp drop-off with forgettable songs like "Windows", "Cold Wind", and "Need Some Air",among them. Things pick up again with "666 Conducer" and "Lien On Your Dreams". THE highlight of the album for me is the 9+ min epic "American X", towards the end of the album, a heavy droner that is irresistable, one of their best songs ever.

My qualified 3.5 star rating of this album comes as result that "Baby 81" is simply not as good as the first two albums, not enough memorable tunes like "Whatever Happened To My Rock 'n Roll", "Spread Your Love", "Stop" and "Six Barrel Gun", and too many mediocre tunes. That said, this album is miles better than most of the stuff being released these days. And as a live act, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club is one of the best, bar none. I can't wait to see them in concert next month when they come to Ohio.

I'm ashamed to admit that I remained unaware of BRMC until earlier this year. Even more embarrassing is that someone in the UK turned me on to them! That's because they're bigger in Europe than they are here, even though they're a California-based band. (They're on the road so much that it hardly matters where they "live", though.)

Comparisons to T-Rex and Jesus and Mary Chain, with maybe a little Stone Roses thrown in, are valid. The band is fantastic live-- if they're coming your way, make it a point to go. I don't understand why they seem to have very little traction in the US. If the song "Berlin" doesn't hook you, try "Spread Your Love" from BRMC or "Ain't No Easy Way" from Howl. If you like guitars, you should love this band.

I was a big fan of BRMC's 1st cd, found the 2nd a little less exciting & "Howl" was just lost on me. When I heard this latest cd , I instantly loved it. In fact, I would say that I am enjoying it as much (if not more than) their 1st album. It seems as though they've perfected a laid-back, narcotized blues-based rock guitar sound with psychedelic textures. Their lyrics straddle a balance between melancholic disillusionment & individualistic defiance. Better still is the fact that the melodic hooks are more infectious, but not at the expense of the unique sound that sets them apart from their contemporaries - the songs are catchy, but in no way do they sound like they've " sold out " to pop sensibilities. Comparisons to Jesus & Mary Chain are still fair, one song even sounds as if it could be a nod to the late Elliot Smith. Overall, the affect is hypnotic, driving & manages to scratch a certain rock n' roll itch that no other band seems able to reach. It's rock played loose, but solid... & for a basic "power trio" it's an amazingly "big" sound.

After changing their sound from Garage Rock to nearly Folk Rock, BRMC is back with a killer sound. I think fans will welcome back this sound. The band will gather more followers with a more polished album then "Take Them On, On Your Own" and their self-titled release "B.R.M.C.". Despite the return to form on "Baby 81," the album still manages to maintain the material explored in "Howl."

The band doesn't completely abandon that acoustic southern blues rock style heard on their third album. They simply combined everything that they have learned over their past 3 studio albums and smashed it all into this release--- in turn creating an awesome rock album with a one killer song after another. Once you near the end of the album, one track will stand out with 9 minutes of rock. Baby 81 is a 12 inning baseball game with American X being the closer.

I got into B.R.M.C. quite by accident, but what has drawn me to this band is the fact that smart, solid, unpretentious rock and roll is so hard to come by these days.

It seems far too many popular bands today toil either in the poppy and superficial, or the absurdly inaccessible and needlessly complex.

Given that dichotomy, Black Rebel drives it right down the middle of the fairway (an analogy the band would probably hate). "Baby 81" is smart enough to have meaning, but accessible enough to get heads moving and fists pumping.

For those about to rock, enjoy tracks like "Took Out A Loan", "Berlin", and "Lien On Your Dreams." Although slower tempo tracks like "All You Do Is Talk" and "Killing the Light" are also worth a listen.

The highlight tracks, however, are the first single ("Weapon of Choice") and, for many, the anthem of the album ("American X"). Both are simply brilliant: the former a concise and energetic three minutes and the latter a thundering nine-minute condemnation of the contemporary American mindset. Both act as musical genius and incisive social commentary, at the same time.

Content to share the role of frontman, both Peter Hayes and Robert Levon Been get the job done. Either could carry the show, but the alternating leadership with each song makes for an interesting texture to the album.

As with the rest of their catalog (four albums to date), this is highly, highly recommended.