Customer Reviews

Drenched

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

 

 

Miracle Legion is a group of songwriters who over the years have been looked over. They have been critized as "REM clones". The similarities are there but they are not clones. Though in the early years you could tell they borrowed ideas from the group. But if you listen to this CD you can tell they have began to develope there own sound, and boy does it sound good. Drenched
is filled with wonderful songs with surreal lyrics about child innocents, romance, and religion. The songs continue with great folky melodies along with firm bass and drum lines. And personally I think old Mark Mulcahy beats the pants of Mike Stipe any day.
If you can get your grubby mits on this CD, then by all means...get it!

Miracle Legion's only album available on cd is a collection of songs that are bursting with energy. The opening track hits you hard and keep you tapping your feet. The album quickly loses steam after that song but luckily regains it jsut as fast with "So Good" and "Everything is Rosey." On Velvetine Mark sings with a fever rarely heard from is usualy soothing voice and its an entralling experience since his voice is one of the best in the genre. Though fans of Surprise, Surprise, Surprise may feel a little left out since these songs lack the darkness found in the previous albums, Mark's sonngwriting has only grown stronger. Perhaps the production is to blame for the lighter feel of these sonngs. Not to say it is at all bad, the glossy production gives new light to instruments that often were lost in the mix on their earlier albums. So while it feels these songs dont have the depth that their earlier work has, it is only because there is greater focus.

I would say that this particular album is exactly what I need sometimes. It's calm, but not. It's fun, but not simplistic. It's what I would call emblematic of how I saw the times I grew up in (the mid-nineties).

It does, however, have its weak points. Some songs are musically weak and uninspired, which detracts from the album as a whole. However, if you're a fan of the lo-fi and The Adventures of Pete & Pete, you'll probably like this album.

I'm listening to Drenched rite now. This must be the 1,000th time I've heard it, and it still kicks me in the teeth evry time!!I got turned on to Miricle Legion while I was searching for some obscure Frank Black. This one turned up used and I decided to take a chance on it. The whole thing rocks and I can't recomend it highly enough. Sooner kicks it off with a slow build to an explosion of sound, hard as hell bass drums and some very pretty quitar with lyrics that seem to werstle with and at the same time achieve a unity with the driving force of the music that creats a wall of sound, with gun-ports! Fast to slow and back agin with some piano for class. This one is all over the place. Next up, Sea Hag, this gem provides the inspiration for the cover photography, and slows it up some so you can appriciate how good it is and sing along with the chorus, and you will. Snacks and Candy opens with some astute sampling of big Al Sharton. Then it steps on your neck with lyrics belted out so fast and smooth they'll confuse the dopest of the amphetamine rappers, and gives up enough ax to satisfy the heaviest of mettle heads named Randy, because ther always is one. I could go on about evry song on this disk. They're all great, so I'll stick to my favorites. Which brings us to Out to Play. A song with apeal to anyone who who ever felt love and feared loss. and still manges to connect with the romanticism of those who have yet to be disillusioned by em. From there they kick you out of reverie and into high gear. Just in time to recapture and feed Randy's need for speed with Velvetine. The disk winds down with a religious crituque called Waiting Room that features forcfull background vocals by the Friendship Choir. This one's a real foot stomper. To wrap it all up is short ditty called Maybelline that adds a harmonica and tamborine to the mix. The addition of these two instrumants add a freshness that'll have you playing the whole thing over agin. Each and evry one of the songs on this remarcable disk build and break with a renewed enthusiasm all its own. Go and find it. That's my advice to you. You won't be sorry.

Although Drenched isn't my favorite ML album, it's still really good. The first time I listened to it, I was kind of disappointed. I, being the hopeful idiot, was hoping for another Surprise Surprise Surprise. Weird thing is, though, that when I first listened to SSS awhile back, I was also disappointed then for unknown reasons. Then I continued to listen to the album, and when I realized how great it was, it made quite an impact on me.

My experience with listening to Drenched is almost the same thing; at first I only liked a small handful of songs, but on repeated listens, I began to like every song quite a lot.

Drenched, in my opinion, sounds like the Polaris stuff mixed with ML recordings from the very late eighties (mainly "Me and Mr. Ray"). While not as good as either of those albums, it still holds up very well.

"Velvetine" is probably the best song on here; and is definetely one of ML's best songs, ever. It's a hard rocker filled with tension and anger, and always gets the listener's attention immedietely. "Sooner" is a fantastic opener, great to sing along to. "Snacks and Candy," the more popular track off this album, is very well written (lyrically) and is a pleasure to listen to.

Other standout tracks: "With a Wish," "Out to Play," "Waiting Room," and "Maybelline."

Although I love the old ML sound better (Surprise Surprise Surprise, The Backyard EP), this album is still better than nearly 99% of the crap being released nowadays. It'd be wise to pick this one up. You will most probably be hooked.

I bought the Polaris cd because it was from my favorite show Pete and Pete. That is great, but then I saw Drenched in a used cd bin for TWO DOLLARS. It was obvious that I had to get it, and I did. once I listened to it, I couldn't stop. Great music, great lyrics, and Mark Mulcahy has a great voice. A MUST HAVE!!

To summarise; good song writing from Mark & Ray with a disappointing final production. Classic case of the record label getting to involved creative process. Four or five of the songs became classic live numbers at Miracle Legion shows in late 80's and early 90's, however, the album eventually put out by Morgan Creek was sadly over-produced. Regardless, this album deserves a place in every Music Fans CD collection as it simply still beats 99% of albums available since its release! So few of Miracle Legion's records are actually available today (i.e. Surprise, Surprise, Surprise and The Backyard were never put out on CD!)! Without doubt the Legion were a great band unfortunately appreciated by so few people! Stand out tracks on this album are "With a Wish" and "Out to Play"..

If you do not have this album, buy it. It is simply fantastic. Every song... from Sea Hag, to So Good, to Snacks n' Candy are awesome, powerful pop songs. These gems translated so well to the live set that it's hard to believe ML didn't become a huge hit across the US. To those of you who watched them grow through the years you will undoubtedly agree when I say that Miracle Legion is one of the great bands of the 80's/90's that were able to truly rock the house!

Of all the albums i've either misplaced or damaged, this is the one i miss the most. Miracle Legion is unbelievable. The songs still haunt me to this day; i can't believe that there isn't a person in the world that still has Drenched available. Viva la Miracle Legion! Je l'adore.

If you are here, you are looking to buy. Do it. I wish Icould give you a copy of this album and countless other songs by thisband, but I also wish you would support a band that ranks above thousands in my musical retinue. Buy, buy, buy- what is $15 for joy?