Customer Reviews

The Donnas

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

i don't understand the lack of respect for this album. i get the hunch that the other reviewers are a bit more into pop music than punk rock. this album is the most raw and purely punk than the others. this definitely has a ramones feel as well as some of the better lofi garage bands out there. the donnas seem to have gotten away from this sound which is a shame because this album is a gem and i was hoping the following stuff would be more of the same.

In my opinion this is much better that American Teenage Rock n' Roll Machine. The songs are raw and don't suffer from overproduction. The songwriting is awesome and they just seem to have more spirit on this one. This is one of my favorite albums ever: every song is great. Some of them could have been recorded better, but this is the catchiest stuff they've done (although I haven't bought the new one yet). Many of these songs (i.e., Lana and Stevie, I Don't Wanna Rock N' Roll Tonight, High School Yum Yum ...) are classics in the girl punk pop genre. Very worth buying.

The above reviews are far too harsh. This album is pure punk, in style and spirit. Their later albums veer more towards KISS and AC/DC which is all well and good. But here you will hear essential and entertaining grrl punk anthems like "i'm gonna make him mine tonite" and "i don't wanna go to school"

I have to agree with previous reviewers in that this is not the place to start with The Donnas. Oddly enough, though, this was my first Donnas CD. Not only that, but after listening to it, I immediately went on Amazon and bought all of their other albums. So in only a couple of weeks, I owned all 6 albums.

The Donnas are known as the "female Ramones." Well, this is the reason why. This CD is a complete Ramones rip-off CD. But this is NOT a bad thing for one glaring reason - The Donnas are very, very good. It already shows in this, their first album. It sounds vastly different from their other efforts - little soloing, faster playing, and an overall high school anti-cheerleader sort of sound and feel. Great songs such as "Hey, I'm Gonna Be Your Girl," "Let's Go Mano!," and "Get Rid of that Girl" play through my speakers about once a day. The great, simple yet inspired songwriting that these girls show is subtle in this album, but it's strong enough that you can hear it and say to yourself "these girls are good."

So why only four stars? Well, like I said, this isn't a place to start for most people unless you are a '77-punk admirer. It captures that sound to a T, even down to the recording. The recording quality actually varies across the album, with some songs sounding like they were recorded on a handheld pocket recorder, and others sounding just perfect. That may throw off some people, too.

Overall, 23 songs, only 41 minutes - what's there to hate? If you hate the song you're hearing, it'll be over soon. And with this kind of music, the more the better.

I'll give it 3 1/2 stars.In the last half dozen or so years,I've heard much now and again about this all-female band.This is apparently their debut effort,which has twenty-three songs that runs a total of forty-one minutes.The music is good,rebellious and upbeat punk.If you haven't heard this CD yet,check it out and TRY and convince me they're NOT ripping off The Ramones.Which can be a good thing,if it's done correctly.The Donnas have achieved that goal.Tunes like "Let's Go Mano","Teenage Runaway","I'm Gonna Make Him Mine","Friday Fun",their Beach Boys cover "Drive In" and the Phil Spector cut "Da Doo Ron Ron" show us the Donnas mean business.Should appeal to fans of Kitty,Courtney Love,Muffs,The Runaways and L7.

The Donnas are a truly awesome band. They are cool, they are edgy, they are unique. They know how to rock and aren't afraid to do so. Their music isn't bubblegum teenybopper pop like so many other "girl bands"-- they're real rock 'n' roll musicians with a lot of talent and a lot of attitude. This CD is for those of you who aren't afraid of doing your own thing and going against the norm; for you guys out there who aren't afraid to be yourselves and have a good time! I reccomend this CD wholeheartedly. It is a great find!

If you are considering this album for your introduction to the ... female rock band "The Donnas", enter the words "Donnas", "Rock", "Roll", & "Machine" in the search box and hit go. Forget this one for now. The album's sound is very raw. The production and the musicianship is extremely poor (not that the Ramones, Joan Jett or Clash are/were virtuosos, but this very is weak). The Donnas are obviously influenced by the previously mentioned bands, along with a little Ace Frehley/Kiss thrown in. This release, however, does not really reflect those influences very well. The songs really do sound the same (my mommy said that about Judas Priest & Black Sabbath). Some of the songs at times are even unlistenable. I doubt anyone but an ... fan would play this disc more than once; and only then because they're too lazy to get up & click off the repeat button. My advice it to start with "American Teenage Rock 'n' Roll Machine" and just get every Donnas album after that in one swift "super-saver" purchase. The bands progress from this album to "R 'N' R Machine" is tremendous...

The Donnas self-released their debut album in 1997 (it was re-released a year later by Lookout! Records). It's amazing to see how in a matter of 5 years the Donnas have musically matured from this to the 2002 album "Spend the Night".

"The Donnas" (23 tracks, 41 min.--and that's not a typo!) is in essence one long track, as all the songs pretty much feature the same three chord riff. For that reason it's difficult to point out highlights, although the 2 covers (the Beach Boys' "Drive-In" and Phil Spector's "Da Doo Run Run") are hilarious. The sound is definitely low-fi, and in a strange way it's quite fitting with the overall feel of the album.

In all, this is a fun, but certainly not an essential album for anyone who, like me, thought that "Spend the Night" was a great album. The Donnas show us how the Ramones live on!

After seeing The Donnas performance in the movie "Jawbreaker", I immediately went out and got this cd. At first I wasn't that impressed and thought most of the songs sounded the same and the production was prettly lame on a few. But on repeated listenings this cd has really grown on me and become one of my current favorites. From beginning to end, these dolls put you through the wringer and never let up. Their sound is Ramones but their attitudes are badder than The Runaways.

I am an lazy electronica lover, and didn't hear the Donnas till 2011. But I was listening to the Donnas' influences before the Donnas were born.

This, their first album, knocks those influences out of the ring and puts them in the hospital. This is a uniquely great album.