Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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74 of 82 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Punk cabaret is a "perfect fit", April 27, 2004
Old porcelain toys are what come to mind when you hear the name of the "Dresden Dolls." But their faces and their music sure won't make you think of toys. It's very different from what I had expected, with its raw lyrics and complex piano'n'drums music, and left me expecting future great things from the most original new group in eons.The sound of a piano builds up to a crescendo in the pummelling, jerky "Good Day," a barbed, sarcastic little ditty. It's not a funny song, but has a dark humor that shines through in the deceptively simple, searing "Bad Habit," the jazzy, self-examining "Perfect Fit," and the quirky, funny "Coin Operated Boy." Some songs are a little more downbeat, like the chillingly creepy "Slide," with its bogeyman line "the orange man got you." Perhaps the best song on the album is "Girl Anachronism," a fast'n'furious, punkish song about a psychiatric patient. The Dresden Dolls can catch your eye as no other band can, with their face paint and striking black-and-white clothing. And they can back up their unusual look by being just as musically interesting, with a strange mix of piano and drums that somehow weave together seamlessly. The piano at the start sounds like a dusty music box, coming form the corners of a dark, neglected attic. But that illusion is shattered as the album progresses to songs where the piano is as percussive as the hard drums. Amanda Palmer's neurotic whirl of ex-boyfriends, razors, wind-up boy toys (literally!), black jeeps and not-cured psychiatric patients set the tone of the album. "Sappy songs about sex and cheating/bland accounts of two lovers meeting/make me want to give mankind a beating," she snaps. Her versatile voice can be high and girlish, or boom through the room. Cabaret punk-rock sounds like some kind of novelty act, but the Dresden Dolls are the real thing: punk piano rock that is sexy, dark, twisted, and deliciously original. A must have.
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24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I'm Not Sadistic!, September 20, 2006
Hello all. This review is to help you decide whether or not you want this album, right? Well. i have to tell you, you're stupid if you don't buy it. but apparently. you need more than just an insult to convince you. so....On with the show. I'll rate the songs by tracks.But First, what you have to realize about the Dresden Dolls, is that their is only 2 members. Amanda is piano/keyboard/toy piano/Vox, and Brian is percussion/drums/guitar/vox. Their sound is VERY UNIQUE, there is no other sound like them. It's a mix of Punk/Cabaret/Rock. Now, you may think that if it's only got a keyboard and drums, then it can't be rock. it can't be viscious, it can't be head-bangingly beautiful. You're wrong.
1. Good Day-4.5/5-Starts slow, but gets into it halfway through.Catchy chorus. Great opener track to ease you in to what they call "Punk Cabaret"!
2. Girl Anachronism-5/5-My favorite track on this album, hands down. The lyrics alone are incredible. but the dueling piano and drums gets to be too much to handle, it's that good. I find myself singing it at work, and i head-bang during the first minute while driving. Kinda hard to do, but...
3.Missed Me-4.0/5-A Great song about pedophilism. It plays like a musical song. Reminds you of cabaret, but viscious. A Truly great song.Catchy tune.
4.Half Jack-5/5-This is another favorite on the album. It starts out kinda slow like "Good Day" but then gets powerful later on. Lyrics are beautifully connected to one another.
5. 672-3/5-Its a 1 1/2 minute intermission. It has few lyrics, but good piano. I'd listen to it just to get to Coin-Operated Boy.
6. Coin-Operated Boy-4.5/5-The song is about a girl who wants a coin-operated boy, to "play" with. So she won't be alone. it's romantic really. It was the first song i heard by the Dolls. It gets sorta old after you hear it a zillion times.
7. Gravity-5/5-Another great track. Great lyrics. AWESOME CHORUS! I see myself cruisin on the countryside, hand out the window. just chillin' with this song. A+
8. Bad Habit-4.5/5-Fast paced and great. One of the better songs on this album.
9. Perfect Fit-4.5/5-This is the one of those songs you skip because it's slow, but later realize, it's truly an important part of the album. You want to scream the lyrics at the end. Very catchy.
10. Jeep Song-4.5/5-This song is hilarious. It's a nearly 5-minute song about how all she sees are Jeep Cherokees in town. How she'll "skip Town till the cars go out of style". It's very funny, and great instrumental accompanyment.
11. Slide-5/5-This song is the CREEPIEST thing i've ever heard. It's about this orange man,(maybe an escaped convict?or...*correct me if i'm wrong) who's going to kidnap a "red little girl" from a slide. At the very end when she's screams "The Orange Man's Got You!" I freaked out (i'm driving by the way), and got a little disoriented, because it sent chills all over my body. Pedophilism. Only Dresden can do a song, and make it stick.
12. Truce-3.5/5-This is the 9-minute epic on the album, and the last track. It's tune you can't get into for very long as it changes constantly. But the Violin solo at the end is mind-blowing. "You can fake it for the papers, but i'm on to you, i'm on to you!"
And then when you thought it was over you hear Amanda's mother or grandmother i'm guessing. "Amanda...You're telling me a fairytale."
Then that's it. A Great Album! Listen to the samples on Amazon. They really do help. Rate MY REVIEW! It's mY FIRST!
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23 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A unique and interesting debut, March 27, 2005
The Dresden Dolls self-titled debut is a refreshing album that should please most people who are looking for something new and original. The Dresden Dolls consist of the very talented duo, songwriter Amanda Palmer (piano, vocals), and Brian Viglione (drums). They play cabaret music with a modern twist.
Even if you're generally not a fan of cabaret and/or avant-garde music, you may find yourself captivated with this album. Amanda Palmer has written a collection of very dark songs that create a haunting atmosphere that stay with you long after the CD has ended.
After one listen, I was drawn to this album, but this CD defiantly grows on you. The songs are somewhat off-center and therefore not instantly catchy and assessable. They are, however, quite mesmerizing and captivating. If you stick with this CD, the songs tend to grow on you with each successive listen.
One thing that really works for this album is its off-center pacing. The songs go from mid-tempo, to manic, to soft-spoken, to a fast pace, to mid-tempo and so on. The listener never knows what to expect. The album's haunting melodies and morose themes never loose momentum or get tedious.
If your looking for something offbeat, refreshing and original, the Dresden Dolls debut album is highly recommended.
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