Customer Reviews

Bring Your Own Stereo

5 star:		(40)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

In my excitement over "Do Right," I eagerly purchased this cd, hoping the rest of the tracks would be equally amazing and upbeat. Personally, other than "Lazy Boy Dash," the rest of the tracks are rather slow paced, dull, and repetative. If you liked "Do Right," you would probably be better off finding a single somewhere, or if you're REALLY curious, listen to a friend's cd before spending your money. This cd is definitely not what I'd expected. Though I wouldn't be surprised to hear "Lazy Boy" on the radio soon.

Okay, before I begin, I would like to point out I am a die-hard fan of JCS and have been for some time. It was in a time when the music industry was about to belly up and we were about to have Rap take the crown from good ol' Rock and Roll. Then, I saw Jimmie's Chicken Shack... and I saw the light at the end of the tunnel. I couldn't believe my ears when I heard the sweeping melodies and harsh guitar sounds that I would never be able to label. The band was not only the most entertaining band I had ever seen, but their beats and their riffs and Jimi HaHa's vocals were able to actually MOVE the crowd. And so I eagerly awaited the coming of their 4th (2nd on a major record label) album, anticipating more unearthly rowdiness from beyond.

And what do we get? Well, let's see... There's a bit of 311 in there, a bit of, uh, Sugar Ray... oh yeah, definitely some Everclear... Guys, I have two words for you: Sell Out. JCS has totally conformed into just another top 40s band just so they can get radio play. I really hope I'm wrong, but I would've thought JCS to be the last band in it for the money. A word to Jimi- Dude, this can't go on. Well, if you really want to hear what JCS is all about, buy one of their other albums, like "Pushing the Salmonella Envelope" or "2 For 1 Special." Buy this album only if you want a really expensive frisbee. Adios

I have just been turned on to Jimmies Chicken Shack and what better way to start than with Bring Your Own Stereo! The bands lyrics and melodies are awesome on it, especially on Waiting For You, I think I've listed to that song about 500 times today! I definitely recommend this CD, I don't buy that many CDs but when I do, it has to be great!

When I heard Jimmie's Chicken Shack's last album, Pushing The Salmanilla Envelope, I was impressed by the band's songwriting and musical ability, thinking they would go on to be the next Tool (not because they are similar in sound, but because they were a rocking nonconformist band willing to push boundaries). Unfortunately, their new album Bring Your Own Stereo seems like it was designed solely for radio play and commercial appeal, a disappointment from one of the few bands that provided light in the current dark age of music.

While I won't go far enough to say the music on this album is horrible (or even outright bad), I will say that JCS lost everything that was once distinctive about them and sound like every other band now. The "mutt rock" hybrid has been replaced by a mediocre and homogeneous sound that many bands have done before - granted, JCS does it OK, but a band with their talent should not be conforming just for the sole purpose of selling albums. If you are a fan of Sugar Ray's new album you might like BYOS (there's quite a resemblance there - mediocre ska-pop is quite prevalent on both releases), but those looking for a mind-blowing sound with meaningful lyrics should get PTSE instead, which blows this out of the water. Jimmy McD was 1,000 times the guitar player that Double D is - check it out if you don't believe me.

I can only name about 3 CDs that I am able to listen to the entire way through - and Bring Your Own Stereo (BYOS) is definately one of them. This band might seem silly, or weird, or boring, or stoner-ish, but when you listen to this CD, you can tell they're so much more. Frankly, I love this CD!

I listen to everything from jazz to classical to Coldplay and Fiona Apple. But in the end, this CD is in my player more than any of those. There's just something about this CD... I'm not even sure I can describe it. It puts my feelings and thoughts to words and music. At the same time, it's creative and original (especially the lyrics). BYOS is a great release of emotion and energy; cranking it up all the way and singing the lyrics as loud as I can is some sort of weird therapy.

I think it's strange that I like Jimmie's Chicken Shack, but I do. Give them a chance. You probably will, too.

Jimmie's Chicken Shack's "Bring Your Own Stereo" is an enjoyable album because it does a great job of combining what is great about reggae, ska, and punk into a unique sound. It is clear that this group's influences are eclectic to say the least, and they pay homage to each genre well.

The reggae feel is clear on songs where the lyrics are echoed and the guitar plays the laid back high-string upbeats, and as the tempo increases and the vocals become more deliberate you get the feel of ska instead of reggae although little has changed. That's the important thing to notice about this group: they only hint at these sorts of sounds, never committing to any one solely, and never letting one dominate them. This is why they remain a unique group that is hard to categorize. It is also why I'd say that a fan of any of these styles that claims to like many other kinds of music would have to enjoy this CD.

With a combination of tested and true musical techniques, deliberate and honestly catchy lyrics with clever rhetorical devices, and a very lively beat, "Bring Your Own Stereo" is an album that you can play over and over without tiring of it. Give it a shot if you are entrenched into any of the fundamental styles like punk, ska, or reggae and are looking for a new sound with familiar overtones.

When i first heard their last album, I was hooked. It had a heaviness and lightness to it that balenced off and was great. Then I saw the "Do Right" video and loved the song, so picked this up as quick as I could. When I listened to it I was dissapointed. They changed. Their style is different, and it's not as good as their previous albums. This CD is still good, but it's not the JCS I know. There's a parental advisory on it and there's nothing offensive in the CD, minus, like, 3 words. A dissapointment from what used to be a much better band.

I was skeptical at first when I heard the new album was coming out. I've been a fan since 1995 and prayed that they wouldn't lose their edge. Well, they haven't and B.Y.O.S. is one of the best cds I've bought this year. I heard their first single "Do Right" and loved it. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I liked the other songs on the cd even better like "Lazy Boy Dash" , "Fill in the Blank","Trash" and "Face It". Just because they got popular doesn't mean their music isn't as good as it once was...

This is not the band I know and love. This is a totally inferior effort from what used to be one of my favorite bands. They used to play complicated and diverse hard rock, and every song had an important message, yet managed to be humorous at the same time. Now they come out with an album of (mostly) watered down ska-pop that sounds like Sugar Ray's latest album "14:59".

People should be aware that this band is not Jimi HaHa and three other guys. Two of the original four members have left the group since their last effort "Pushing The Salmanilla Envelope", and you can hear a significant difference. Double D knows about half the chords that former guitarist Jimmy McD knew. Sipple's straightforward drum pounding doesn't come close to filling the shoes of Jimmy Chaney and his jazzy, progressive style of playing. Add to that some pointless songs like "Oooh", "Let's Get Flat", "Lazy Boy Dash", and the huge hit (go figure) "Do Right", and you are left with a halfhearted release that doesn't even approach the standards set by the Shack's previous work. I can only hope that Jimi and Che decide to reunite with Jimmy & Jimmy, and the band can go back to creating the magic of the original Shack sound. Until then, they've left at least one of their fans, becoming a pale shadow of their former selves. Check out the previous JCS releases like PTSE or the awesome live album "Giving Something Back" to see what I'm talking about.

Yes, I am a longtime Jimmie's Chicken Shack fan, and I do agree they were better before, but this record is really good. This is a situation where you have an album full of pop songs perfect for radio play, but it is dwindling in sales, and the band remains unheard of by most of the mainstream. What's not to like? The songs are catchy, alternative funk metal, and the record is very optimistic and hopeful. It is funny at certain parts too, and Jimmy is a very impressive singer once again. Che is an excellent bassist, as always. That is where the talent ends. As much as I do like Double D., he is definitely not as good as Jimmy McD. Sipple's drumming isn't very good, but it holds together tightly eventually at the end of the record. I see where older JCS fans like myself may be filled with dismay when they see the new lineup. But I like this record, they don't have much funk on it, but it is great and it works in my mind. They haven't dreadfully sold out yet? Oh no! They made a few pop songs! Come on, I know some of you must like this; listen to what you want, not necessarily what is being played on commercial radio and MTV. This was only on both of the two for only a month at most, and "Do Right" didn't do anything on the charts anyway. Enjoyable, fun, and I can't wait for the next record. Suggested tracks: "Spiraling", "Waiting", "String of Pearls", "Trash", "Do Right". Suggested bands: Sugar Ray, Incubus, 311. Suggested albums: Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Californication", 311's "Soundsystem", Incubus' "Enjoy Incubus" EP. Highly recommended.