Customer Reviews

Bark Like Dog

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

 

 

This is of my favorite Screeching Weasel albums and possibly one of my favorite pop-punk albums of all time. The production and song writing is polished and slick. It's a must have album for any pop-punker. High points include the song "Cool Kids" which has of of the catchiest organ solos ever written, and "Your Named Is Tattooed on my Heart" which is a softly sweet pop-punk ballad. This is the last album with what I consider to be the best line up of Screeching Weasel. It is also a great Screeching Weasel starter. And above all it is a great album.

On 'Bark Like A Dog,' Screeching Weasel deliver a strong album of melodic punk rock tunes. Lyrically, Ben Weasel's at the top of his game. The quiet desperation of "It's Not Enough" and the carpe diem sentiments of "The First Day Of Summer" both inspire. The keyboard riff in the snide "Cool Kids" will have you dancing around your room while the comical "Phasers on Kill" will surely evoke a smile. As usual, bassist Dan Vapid adds superb backing vocals that turn good songs into great songs. The album culminates with the tender ballad "You Name Is Tattooed On My Heart." Overall, 'Bark Like A Dog' is a stellar release and one of the finer moments in the vast Screeching Weasel catalog.

The vocals on this album are so poppy, whiny, and juvenile that as a fan of bands like Rancid, AFI, and Weezer, I should definitely hate this album. Yet, I can't. The "whoahhh" filled songs are so catchy and the awesome melodies so constant that I can't help liking this. In fact, it's one of my favorite cds ever. All the songs are awesome, particularly #2 and #6. If you've ever liked Blink or NOFX and you don't care about what the lead singer's talking about, then this album is a must-buy.

This is a great collection of pop-punk songs, every one is memorable and they're all varied enough where they don't start to sound the same by the end of the album.

Highlights:
"Cool Kids" -has that fantastic organ riff, it just makes the whole song
"Phasers On Kill" -Snotty and the lyrics are sung like a playground-chant, but somehow I really like it anyway. Its a funny song with a great hook.
"Handcuffed To You" -Hilarious lyrics, yet manages to come off as oddly sweet.
"(She Got) Electroshocked" -Especially Ramones-y (though the whole album is, really), but the intensity and energy elevates it to a new level. It bowls you over.
"Your Named Is Tattooed on my Heart" -A very sweet ballad.

But really the whole album shines and there isn't one track that even approaches mediocre.

Which is more than I can say for most pop-punk. I love this type of stuff, really I do, but upon hearing "Bark Like A Dog" I realize that this is head and shoulders above most of the competition. Outside of a handful of Ramones albums, "Cool To Be You" by the Descendents, and "Death By Television" by the Lillingtons, I don't think I've heard a pop-punk album this good.

Screeching Weasel ranks third on my list of the greatest pop punk bands, behind only the legendary Buzzcocks and the immortal Descendents (with an honorable mention to Shonen Knife). As the title of this review indicates, I view this album as SW's last great hurrah before completely fading into the history books.

Screeching Weasel really didn't change a whole lot during their reign of terror, so If you have heard their music before, this will not surprise you. The only noticable difference, as other reviewers have pointed out, is the more professional sounding production that graces the 12 tracks on this, their Fat Wreck Chords, debut. While it does slightly neuter their trademark aggressive-in-your-face-snot-nosed delivery, the fact that a majority of these compositions are both well thought out and executed provide for a very entertaining listen.

In regards to the songs, the only one I really consistently skip over is (She Got) Electroshocked. It's not even a bad song, I just like the surrounding material so much more. My favorites are 'Cool Kids' with that sweet organ, 'You'll Be in My Dreams Today' instantly makes your toe tap, and "Get Off my Back" is a great way to open the album. The sleeper track is the awesome 'Handcuffed to You' with its funny, yet strangely sweet lyrics.

Although 'Bark Like A Dog' does not have the impact of 'Anthem for A New Tomorrow' or 'My Brain Hurts', I do consider it a very good entry into a hit-or-miss Screeching Weasel music catalog. And it's short, so even if you don't like it, it's not like you wasted too much time.

Reforming after their second break up following their album "How to Make Enemies and Irritate People," a slightly new lineup finds Ben Weasel and Jughead surrounded by some newcomers, and the result is a band that sounds more like a Weasel cover band than the real deal.

Having signed to Fat Mike's Fat Wreck Chords Label, the band opted for a slightly slicker production sound than on their prior releases. Although this turned many fans off, the songwriting, however, carries this album. Cool Kids, I Will Always Be There, and First Day of Summer are songs that might not sound out of place on My Brain Hurts had they been recorded back then.

Acting as a bit of an indicator of where their career was heading, Bark Like A Dog is a decent release worth at least hearing. Not as strong as Anthem, but certainly not as weak as Emo, this is definitely classic Screeching Weasel tailor made for any fan of catchy three chord nose thumbing music

I love this! I'm getting the whole album for my b-day in october

If the Beach Boys were a pop punk band in the 1990's, then this is exactly the way that they'd sound. This is not exactly a classic Screeching Weasel record, but it is not entirley bad either. If you are a newcomer to the band, then this disc would be an excellent start (either this or My Brain Hurts)
This record is the most California-esque Screeching weasel album, with each song polished with catchy pop melodies and the famous Weasel humor. After listenning to this record nearly a thousand times, the aspect that draws me back are the lyrics. Almost every song's tempo is quick and powerful, except for "Your Name Is Tatooed On My Heart" & "It's Not Enough," which I believe is the best song on the record. This song gives an early glimpse at what is to come in later records, such as "Emo." Overall, the record is very easy to listen to, but the lyrics keep it from being watered down so much that you'd start to feel like you were going to puke.

POLISHED UP AND GREAT! THE LAST RECORDINGS WITH VAPID AND PANIC AND IT COULDN'T HAVE BEEN A BETTTER END. STRAIGHT UP TUNES ABOUT GIRLS AND JUST GOOD OLD FUN! THE SONG "IT'S NOT ENOUGH" IS BEAUTIFUL AND DISPLAYS THE TREMENDOUS VOCALS OF VAPID AS WELL. YOU ALSO GET COOL TRACKS LIKE "GET OFF MY BACK" AND "YOU'LL BE IN MY DREAMS TODAY"....THIS IS GREAT FROM THE BEGINNING TO THE END. FANTASTIC SONGS AND AS GOOD AS ANY OF THEIR ALBUMS. BEN WEASEL SHOULD BE CONSIDERED A PUNK ROCK GENIUS.

This Cd has some of Screeching Weasel's best tunes such as Cool Kids and Stupid Girl. If you like punk, and especially Screeching Weasel this is their one CD you must get if any other.