Customer Reviews

California Crossing

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Worthy follow-up to 2000's 'King Of The Road' disc.Fu Manchu has apparently road-tested their heavy guitar riffing.Sort of reminds me of early AC/DC,which is a good thing.'California...' appears to be maybe more melodic,that might be because the CD was produced by Matt Hyde(Porno For Pyros,Monster Magnet).Tunes that I liked best are "Mongoose","Whiz Kid","Squash That Fly" and the skateboard friendly "Downtown To Dogtown".'California Crossing' and the band's efforts here after just COULD land them to a wider audience.Let's hope so.

Fu manchu is categorized as stoner rock which is fine but i dont think a lot of people realize fu manchu is just good old fun osunding rock sort of like ac/dc. get this or action is go

About a year ago, I wrote a review of Fu Manchu's The Action is Go in which I argued that the Chu could easily become fixtures on rock radio if they were to just tighten up their songwriting and clean up Scott Hill's vocals a little, changes I figured (and hoped) they would never consider. With their latest album, however, the Chu proved me wrong on both counts. On California Crossing, they seriously polished up and sanitized their sound, yet continued to be ignored by rock radio just like before. If you are new to the Chu, these changes aren't going to bother you - you didn't know them before and California Crossing is still a fine album. Unfortunately, long-time fans of the Chu are likely to view this album as something of a sell-out. Who knows why they did it? Perhaps hearing their stoner rock compatriots Queens of the Stone Age on the radio elicited some envy from the boys in the Chu. Whatever the reason, the days of complex arrangements and blistering axe work seem to have come to a close. If you were raised on the seering guitar solos of In Search Of and The Action Is Go, California Crossing may leave you with a bitter aftertaste - try swallowing a mefloquine after devouring a tasty taco at that Chinese taco dump on West 72nd Street and you'll know what I mean.

I'm not saying California Crossing isn't a good album - believe me, there are a lot of catchy songs here including "Bultaco", "Squash That Fly", "Thinkin' Out Loud", and "Ampn". Heck, "Mongoose" is smoking enough that it kind of makes me wish I studied mongooses instead of monkeys - nah, not really, but it is a darn good song. Still, the new sanitized Fu Manchu seems to be lacking in the charisma department. The old Fu Manchu didn't always settle for the verse, chorus, verse, chorus, solo, chorus template. Blazing guitar solos used to erupt out of nowhere, now they seem to arrive just when you most expect them. Again, if you are new to Fu Manchu, California Crossing will probably go down smooth, like a cold Hank's root beer on a hot summer day. But for long-time fans, who know what they are missing out on, there will be that same twinge of disappointment when they hear California Crossing that you feel when you realize you've got a Hank's in your hand instead of an IBC. Let me put it to you this way, if In Search Of is as strong a 4-star album as you'll find and The Action is Go is a solidly 4-star album, then California Crossing just barely earns that 4th star through generous rounding up. Whether that's strong enough praise to make you want to buy California Crossing is entirely your decision. I can't make all of your decisions for you.

After all these years Fu Manchu is still as heavy and as raw as when they started. This band rocks!!! Sorry to you losers out there, they won't sell out. This band puts alternative rockers to shame.

I saw this band in Baltimore in 2003(?) on tour to promote this album. We got spots next to the stage, and all I remember clearly from that show was how LOUD it was! After the first song, my ears had a distinctive ring that I had never heard (keep in mind that I had been been going to several dozen shows a year for at least 15 years at that point). At that point, the lead singer pointed to the sound guy and told him to turn it UP! After the show, my buddy, a diehard Fu fan, chatted with the lead singer about how great the show was. His response? "Well Goddamnit, thankyou very much".

That experience to me sums up Fu Manchu. Very loud stoner rock, with a slight taste of mischief, and a lead singer who likes to say "goddamn" a whole heck of a lot.

This particular album's got some hooks on it that will leave the average stoner rock fan craving for more. TO me, the top song on this album has got to be the rockin' "Squash that fly". The screaming chords and sarcastic vocals on these songs will leave you wanting to see these guys live, a show that is well worth every penny.

I know California Crossing isn't Fu Manchu's best, but it still gets a five-star rating from me. It's just another fine example of heavy, groove-filled stoner rock from one of the best bands doing this. Every song rules, but I especially love "Thinking Out Loud," "Downtown in Dogtown," and "The Wasteoid." The whole Fu Manchu catalog is required listening, and this one shouldn't be ignored.

Fu Manchu is to stoner = AD/DC is to metal = Budweiser is to beer.
You know what your going to get before you even pop the top.
Consistency, quality, riffage and a flat out mean buzz.
Brant Bjork is just one cool drummer. A must have for an Fu
Man-Fan and a great place to start for anyone interested in starting a stoner collection.

BEWARE! The new Fu Manchu CD might melt your CD changer! In this day and age of the term "rock" being tacked onto every possible thing that is not (see "rage rock", "new rock") it's refreshing to hear a recording like "California Crossing". Fu Manchu has an uncanny ability to pull all the best and over-the-top aspects of classic 70's rock and punk, and produce a very listenable, impressive CD. If you are a fan of rocking guitars that don't need to be tuned down 12 octaves to sound "bad", somewhat male-machismo lyrics, and riff's that stick in your head the way the Motor City Madman used to prescribe, then this is worth a look.

Chevy may have discontinued the Camaro this year, but Fu Manchu can still provide the right soundtrack to make your summers worthwhile.

"California Crossing" is my third Fu Manchu album, following the epics "In Search of" and "King of the Road." Like those previous albums, "California Crossing" seems to have been made for driving with the window down and the stereo turned way up. The band's trademark sludgy riffs are present as always, and while they're not quite as devastatingly thick or heavy as on "In Search of," they still propel the songs forward effectively when matched with Scott Hill's wailing vocals. The songs here are also slightly faster and catchier than on previous efforts, and lead single "Squash That Fly" has even gotten some airplay on my local active rock station. With "California Crossing," Fu Manchu seem to be attempting to reach a wider audience without compromising their sound or alienating older fans. Although any band attempting such a feat walks a fine line, Fu Manchu accomplish it admirably.

This cd is great. This is my first fu manchu cd and after hearing this cd it definelty won't be my last! I love Scott Hill's voice! It's a very unique and a very good voice! Their music is just so fun to listen to! Has a upbeat quality to it. Sounds very fun. Plus, it has guitar solos. The lead guitar work is pretty good. The songs are catchy yet diverse. When you listen to them you get into a good mood and think of happy thoughts. I've been wanting fun cd like this as i listen to some depressing stuff. I bet it sounds great when in the car while drivng. I'll find out tomorrow :D I guess you would call them hard rock or maybe a hardrock-punk band or something. Great cd.I'm glad to say that i'm now a Fu Manchu fan! Great work,guys!