Customer Reviews

Believe (Limited Edition)

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1997's Believe was another impressive release from Canadian melodic rockers Harem Scarem. With Believe, the band continued to refine their modern melodic rock sound. Where many melodic rock bands opt for a Journey/Foreigner-based style, Harem Scarem's music has a more modern, radio-friendly sound. Think Goo Goo Dolls or lighter Foo Fighters, only much more consistent and enjoyable.

The Special Edition version of Believe was exclusive to the Japanese market. It contained several remixed versions of tracks on Believe as well as a few bonus b-sides. I don't really have an ear for various mixes, so the remixed songs didn't add much for me. The full band version of "Rain" was a nice touch though. The bonus tracks - "Cages," "The Mirror" and "Surrender" - are good additions as well. "Cages" and "The Mirror" were previously available on the Karma Cleansing EP, but "Surrender" (a spirited cover of the Cheap Trick classic) is exclusive to the Believe Special Edition. Unfortunately the high price and relative scarcity of the Special Edition puts it beyond all but the most dedicated Harem Scarem fans' reach. I got lucky and found a cheap used copy; otherwise I'd never have heard it.

Edition Notes: Wounded Bird reissued Believe (Special Edition) in 2010, making this long out of print CD available and affordable once again. This is good news for Harem Scarem fans.

The track listing is as follows:

1. Believe (remix)
2. Die Off Hard
3. Hail Hail (remix)
4. Stay Away (remix)
5. Baby With Nail Gun
6. Morning Grey (remix)
7. Victim of Fate (remix)
8. Rain (full band version)
9. I Won't Be There
10. Karma Cleansing
11. Cages
12. the Mirror
13. Surrender

Canadian melodic rocker Harem Scarem is one of the finest rockers in the world yet to be given right status in the U.S. They captured fervent melodic rock appreciators with their second and one of the finest melodic rock albums of all time, Mood Swings, in 1993. Their music employs dynamism of classic power pop such as Queen, upbeatness of punkish rock such as Goo Goo Dolls and Ataris. And they use "shuffle" techinics changing the tempo of the song from calm to aggressive and vice versa quite often. Their music style is like a pendulum swing from gloomy to upbeat an to melancholic just like unstable human mind. MORNING GREY shows what they are truly good at showing dynamism, shuffles, melancholic beauty. RAIN is one of the finest example of moody slow ballad, somewhat like those in Mood Swings. BELIEVE is modern punk rock styled uptempo rocker. And their instrumental BABY WITH A NAIL GUN is really nice.

Recommended for classic and modern power pop and melodic rock fans.

Get it these kick some kajor ass