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21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Solid, energetic, frenetic, and worth some bouncing around in your living room, November 15, 2007
I rarely give something brand new a 5-star rating, only because I tend to think that an item has to stand the quality test of time before I can comfortably say, "I love it!", but The Hives have quite simply secured my vote with their musical attitude.
I first saw the Hives on one of those sinful MTV shows (movie awards? music awards? is there a difference?) and one of the corporate trend-analysts-cum-vee-jay was talking about the rise of the 'The' bands, and the next feature (after commercial) was to be a classic 'Battle of the Bands,' featuring The Hives and The Vines.
As soon as the commercial break was over, and the so-called Battle began, it became quite clear who were MTV's boys. The Vines played in the center of the ungodly large stage, and The Hives were set up in the furthest corner of stage right. The 5 Hives were crammed together and of course played a tight rendition of "Hate to Say I Told You So" through an equalizer set-up that was probably done by the lowest intern on the food chain, while the 3 Vines strutted about in their MTV mansion and the singer did everything he could to make sure we thought that he didn't want to be there. Of course, the cramped quarters worked wonders for The Hives, for a band that stands close together plays close together, while The Vines were trying too hard to not look like corporate lapdogs.
Immediately, I knew that The Hives had something special going on, a purist energy that was both serious and playful, self-effacing and lacking the quality of giving a hoot about it, while The Vines were going to have a short career that would spiral into pretension and tediousness. The Vines wanted to be a mix of Kim Gordon and The Beatles, while The Hives were there to play, damn the consequences and who might be listening (or not wanting to listen). The kitschy matching suits, the bravado of their image (this album titles each band member His Royal Highness Prince)--all of it shows a desire in The Hives to make fun of themselves in their bravado, so that the real focus is always the music itself.
While previous albums carried themselves on their tight, energetic, basement sound, this album has a little more refinement--but not so much to lose track of the fact that these guys are quite simply the most balls-to-the-wall band in the popular limelight right now. From the head-bobbing energy of the first single, "Tick Tick Boom," to the vocal meltdown into wordless energy in "Return the Favour," The Hives have freneticism in spades. There are, of course, some attempts for new direction with the lounge-meets-Zelda "A Stroll Through Hive Manor Corridors" and the almost disco drive of "T.H.E.H.I.V.E.S." and the Swedish-country gallop of "Giddy Up!" These are interesting tracks, especially since The Hives merely remind us that they think about their sound and are willing to try out something new, as long as it remains fun.
By the time I finished my first listen, I wanted to go back to the beginning and go through it all again. That is rare enough, I find, for a new release, so high marks for this release from a band that is here to remind us that US pop has already become an overspecialized dinosaur, and that we need to start listening to some real Garage rock again.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
This is one fun album to listen to..., January 18, 2008
The Hives' "Black and White Album" is exactly what you think it's going to be...a series of catchy, manic songs crisply played with abandon.
The album roars from the start, with the terrific one-two punch of "Tick Tick Boom" and "Try It Again". "Tick" kickstarts everything with a fake-tune-up, wandering-around-the-stage snippet of noise, before launching into howling "Yeahs!" Churning guitars back up the ping-pong vocals, and the sudden silent brake stops are thrilling. LOOOOOVE the "booms". It's a kick.
"Try It Again", with plenty of power chords to pogo to, just blasts out of speakers. The sassy cheerleading backups somehow work...this is modern rock that has an equal chance of making you smile as make you dance.
As other reviewers have noted, there's a "sameness" to many of the tracks, and they proudly wear their influences on their collective sleeves. That's fine with me. I listen to a Hives song to get exactly this sort of vibe and energy, and they are perfectly happy to supply me with some. Smart bands know how to incorporate their history with their "art". I find it fun to pick out the "Devo" moment, or their Midnight Star crib.
"Midnight Star" you ask? Well, I have to admit, during the song, "T.H.E.H.I.V.E.S." I couldn't get the "Z.O.I.D.S." spelling chant out of my head, from the song, "Freak-a-zoid." But the chorus also has an 80's New Wave sound as well...
"Square One Here I Come" is another headlong sprint of a rock song, with an irresistible guitar hook. Actually, the song has like FOUR guitar hooks...man, if this song had been around for those Airband Mock Rock contests back at UCLA in the early 80's...
This is one fun album to listen to...
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not just singles and filler, this is a ALBUM., November 13, 2007
Hi friends.
Above average Hives fan, keep that in mind.
It's 2007, folks. People are downloading singles or buying albums designed to be full albums. The Hives know this and give (as always) the biggest bang for the buck: fourteen songs priced for EVERYONE to afford, which sound BEST all together, and in chronological order.
You have got the classic Hives songs for the familiar: Tick Tick Boom, Try It Again, You Got It All... Wrong, Hey Little World, Won't Be Long, Return the Favour, Square One Here I Come, Bigger Hole to Fill. Great, fast, upbeat songs. Lots of places to sing along by the time you get to the second chorus, they are THAT catchy. Guitars sound great, some wonderful piano accompanying songs, bass is deep and prominent.
The amount of excellent classic Hives songs on this album meets or exceeds the number of standout tracks on their other great CD's, so right off the bat, this CD is very satisfying. I've asked other Hives-loving friends of mine how they feel for the album, and while we all have different favorite songs from the classic sounding tracks, we dig them all.
But here's where it becomes an album, the songs in between: Well All Right! (zoot suit big band sound), A Stroll Though Hive Manor Corridors (a droning instrumental organ song that makes Won't Be Long TEN times cooler when listened back to back), T.H.E.H.I.V.E.S. (turns into the most self-absorbed cheesy AND FUN disco song, right up there with their superiority complex), Giddy Up! (a lusty DEVO-like disco track), You Dress Up For Armageddon (fun, swinging rocker) and Puppet On a String (slow, droning piano track).
These fun, experimental new tracks, when listened to in proper CD track order, make the album so much more fun. You get a fun smile about how different or kooky these oddball tracks are, and then before you wonder if the Hives have "lost their touch", you get a KILLER classic sounding song immediately afterwards. And, by the time you listen to the album 3x through, you come to love the oddball tracks for themselves.
The classic songs are astounding, the non-classic sounds are damn fun and kooky, but when they're all together, it's a full start-to-finish satisfying music experience. I'm so glad that The Hives are able to do what they do: evolve and make their music and shows affordable for everyone. With three long years between albums, I would want the band to mature, branch out and IMPROVE. I think they did all three with this.
I also recommend buying the UK version with the bonus track: Fall Is Just Something That Grownups Invented. It's 100 mph of Hives fun, and (since the track order of this album is key to its enjoyment) goes perfectly after Bigger Hole To Fill.
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