Customer Reviews

Dos Dedos Mis Amigos

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It's true, they don't. This music is from a small period in the early 90's. About the same time NIN released Downward Spiral. For me, it brings back memories, but this is some really good stuff.

Like others, I was introduced to PWEI through a single viewing of the "Ich Bin Ein Auslander" music video. It's an a great anarchic song, dense with noise and surprisingly danceable. By the time the female chanting kicks in at the end, everybody is far beyond grooving.

Speaking of groovy, "Familius Horribilus" is a surprisingly funky addition to this CD. Sure, it's about the royal family of the time, but ignore the lyrics and get down with the boogie. (Get down with the boogie?)

There are other standouts on this CD. "Fatman" has one of the cruelest choruses I've heard in a song. ("Pretty little people grow up to stay thin.") "Home" and "Everything's Cool" are both darkly melodic, driving tunes. "Cape Connection" is the best of a sort of techno no longer made. "Babylon" still gives me chills.

As I've alluded, this music isn't timeless. It's part of a very specific time. (Listen, I remember playing the original Doom to this CD.) But for what it is, it's very good. Sort of a link between late 80's early 90's techno, and the darker, more industrial NIN. If you enjoy any of these brands of music, you owe it to yourself to give this CD and this group a listen.

I have not heard PWEI's other work, but from what I have heard, this is their most serious album. Ich bin ein Auslander is a great track that caught my attention on the radio a few years back. I left this CD on the bottom of a stack for some unknown reason and now I can't get it out of my CD player. Reasonably hard or more psychedelic guitar riffs tie in nicely to infectious beats on nearly every track. As noted by other reviewers, the lyrics are solid and insightful. The first two tracks are very energetic, and familus horriblus is all out funky. Underbelly and Fatman are both guitar driven and full of social commentary. Home is more tripped-out and techno but still enjoyable. Cape Connection has a very hard driven beat and would be good in a club. Meanoffearthereaper is SOOOO cool and funky -- occasional spoken word over yet another great beat, with added keyboards to keep it interesting. Everything's Cool is another rocker, and a good one at that. RSVP is my least favorite track; it really seems to be filler to me, though it is tolerable. It is more punk than the rest of the CD and doesn't fit in. The closing track is a slow ambient song that is mellowing if not outstanding. Overall, the quality contained in the first nine songs is great and the last two songs are, well, ok, but they don't detract from the rest of the album. Pertinent lyrics, combined with solid riffing, and terrific beats -- not many albums can claim that. If you can find it, GET IT IMMEDIATELY.

Dear God, I can't believe a band this good never got popular. "Dos Dedos Mis Amigos," PWEI's last album, is an exercise in genre-bending brilliance, sometimes furious, sometimes funky, and often both. The hard-edged sound of industrial is most prominent, but there's also an obvious hip-hop influence and some dashes of metal thrown in just for good measure. Of course, none of these qualities lend themselves to commercial success, but "Dos Dedos Mis Amigos" is easily one of the most intelligent albums I've had the pleasure of hearing in a long time. To steal a quote from Forrest Gump, this album is like a box of chocolates: you never know what you're going to get. And did I mention that they're British? For some strange reason, everything seems to sound better with a British accent.

The politically-charged opener "Ich Bin Ein Auslander," and "Fatman" are ominous in both sound and lyrical content, with aggressive raps backed by thunderous industrial beats that should have Ministry fans grinning from ear to ear. In contrast, the smooth rapping and jazzy tone of "Familus Horribilus" slow things for a more laid-back, even funky, feel. The electrified rave-up of "Cape Connection" is actually danceable, and it's nicely followed up by the dub-tinged atmospherics of the seven-minute "Menofearthereaper." On the masterful "Everything's Cool," Clint Mansell and Graham Crabb alternate their menacing voices over a dizzying musical background complete with snatches of distorted metallic riffage. The angular rhythms of the anthemic "R.S.V.P." are sure to get heads banging in no time, while "Babylon" closes out the proceedings with a quiet, though still eerie, sound.

In conclusion, all I can say is that albums don't get much better than this one. Mainstream music seems to be getting stupider by the minute, so it's really too bad these guys didn't catch on. We could use them right about now. I also recommend Ministry and Strapping Young Lad for fans of this album.

i saw this band open for NIN in 1994. they are amazing. the drums are the heart of this band and there are some phat beats and wicked music here. they lyrics are very dark (note to reviewer moforising: the lyrics to FATMAN are "pretty little people throw up to stay thin")
there are other lyrics i love such as "convinced by the mirror that her figure's getting bigger"(from the song underbelly) and "if they come to ethnically cleanse me, will you speak out & will you defend me? freedom of expression doesn't make it allright, trampled underfoot by the rise of the right" (from the song ich bin auslander)
now you see the tone of lyrics. it might not be your cup of tea. it is very bleak but i like that. the music is industrial but still retains a rock edge and is melodic without losing that edge. i highly reccomend this album

Wow. PWEI was moving in this direction with Looks or Lifestlye, but with Dos Dedos they injected a bit of Sabbath or Pantera (or whoever you like) into it, while maintaining their sound. This and Cure for Sanity are their best because this was the loudest album while Sanity was the funkiest.

What can I say? I love this album. I was originally hooked by Ich Bin Ein Auslander, but after a few listens I realized that the rest of the disc was just as incredible, if not more so. My personal favorite is Everything's Cool (wonderful visions of where the world is headed), although several songs are tied for number two (Ich Bin Ein Auslander, Cape Connection, menofearthereaper, R.S.V.P.). They've come a long way since the late 80's, and I definitely approve.

I first read about the poppies in the August 94 edition of Rolling Stone, with Trent Reznor on the front--the same issue that mentioned a then little known band - Marilyn Manson. I didn't see PWEI until December of that year, but by then, I was hooked. From the racist put-down of Ich Bin Ein Auslander to the bust on the royal family (remember, this was 1994) Familus Horribilus, this is probably the poppies best album, an infusion of trance, hip hop, light industrial...an influence felt even today..check in used cd stores..it WILL turn up.

This is one of my all time favorite albums. My first exposure to PWEI was through seeing the Ich Bin Ein Auslander video on MTV by complete chance. I liked what I heard so I went out and bought the record, and I consider it one of my lucky rare finds. Since then I have purchased other PWEI CD's and I like them all, but this one is still my favorite. Both musically and lyrically this is way more sophisticated than their earlier material. The music is a perfect almost totally unique mix of rock/metal with ambient/techno and even some hip-hop influence thrown in. It could be classed as industrial I guess, but it doesn't really sound like any of your typical industrial bands. Songs like "Home" and "Cape Connection" especially reveal the way these guys can maintain a fully ambient sound while simultaneously rocking out. The song writing here is also great with memorable melodies and choruses. The lyrics follow in the PWEI traditon of sticking up for the underdog although with less goofiness than on previous records. The album could have been sub-titled "PWEI Looks at Modern Life" as all the songs deal more or less with aspects of life in the modern world from the serious (racism in Ich Bin Ein Auslander and mass media manipulation in Underbelly and Fatman) to the humorous (Familius Horrilibus and Home). The great thing is that even on the serious stuff PWEI still display a sense of humour which keeps them from falling into the trap of being overbearingly preachy. The album concludes with a great ambient track "Babylon" which fittingly finds the band bidding farewell to a dying western culture and hoping for better days ahead. I own a lot of CD's, but this is one that seems to find it's way into the player more often than most. Unfortunately, it is now out of print so if you want a copy you will have to find it used. If you find it, don't pass it up! There is also a Japanese import version now available that contains four extra tracks, and cost around $30.

Okay, so it's been established that PWEI is not everyone's cup of tea. But this, their final album, is the crowning achievement of a very subdued career.

Dos Dedos Mis Amigos (Two Fingers My Friends) is about anarchy, pollution, and fast food. And that's about it.

Despite its short running time, the album fits together quite nicely. There's a heavy, thrash metal opening with tracks Ich Bin Ein Auschlander and Kick to Kill, and then anarchic rap banter with Familius Horribilus, which is about the Royal Family (this only reaches maximum impact if you have a great memory as to what was going on in the early-to-mid nineties). The center-piece of the album, Everything's Cool (listen to the lyrics and you'll discover the irony in that title) is a haunting, screaming machine about the end of civilisation as we know it. The final track, Babylon, is a slice of melancholy well worth waiting for.

Try, if possible, to find the remix album, TWO FINGERS MY FRIENDS, which has remixes by Jah Wobble, Transglobal Underground and The Orb, as that is a much more approachable album to listen to.

It's a shame that the band split after producing this and the remix album, as their talents were starting to shine through. Of course, whether or not you enjoy DOS DEDOS MIS AMIGOS depends on your tastes, but I would recommend this to anyone who likes to keep their music away from the norm.

*Nine Inch Nails fans might be interested to know that Trent Reznor helped out with producing this album, and that the PWEI's lead guitarist was responsible for that thrashing guitar on NIN's STARFU**ERS INC.*

I love all their work, but they really nailed it with Dos Dedos. This album would appeal to the more rock/industrial inclined listener, but it's still a great album all-around. Too bad it's out of print. . .

Dos Dedos is, and will always be, one of my favorite albums.