Customer Reviews

Eight Hours Away From Being a Man

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

From the opening squeal of feedback to the final caught cymbal crash, "Sperm Ridden Burden" pretty much defines the harder side of Roadside Monument. The song is brief, brutal, raw, and so agonizing (it's about an unwanted pregnancy) that Jonathan Ford was rarely able to get through it live.

From the cycling guitars and swelling horns and strings to the spoken reading of Dostoevsky's "White Nights," "Iowa Backroads" and "Apartment Over the Peninsula" pretty much define the lush side of Roadside Monument. They are capable of breathtaking beauty as few peers could even imagine.

Most songs fall somewhere in between. "Kansas City" is the single best thing here. Its roaring end section--bass and drums pinging and banging like a garage door spring in a cement mixer, Ford's slightly out of tune voice cutting through weakly--is sheer brilliance. "Crop Circles" features an intriguing section where the drums and bass are in 3/4 while the guitar is in 4/4, creating a swirling, off-kilter mess that only lines up every 12 measures, almost like a storm-tossed boat settling in a trough before being swept onto another crest. Then in chimes Ford, howling from the back of the studio, almost as an afterthought, "Where are all my friends?" "Tired of Living With People Who Are Tired of Living," the best title in recent memory, is almost pop, except for its extended, meditative middle. "My Hands Are the Thermometers" positively roars, a pulsing, cacophanous trainwreck of ideas. "Sunken Anchor" is the most harrowing account of salvation since St. Francis of Assisi. No one said pushing the boundaries was easy.

Jonathan Ford and Doug Lorig both have weak, brittle voices at best--witness Ford's voice cracking horrifically when he screams "I will survive!" on "Sperm Ridden Burden"--but that's all part of the effect. Matt Johnson lays down a beat, be it steady and affecting or ripsaw brutal, and they just build up from there. It sounds so simple on paper. It's the way bands used to do it all the time. Nothing processed. Nothing pretentious. It's the sound of a handwritten, chickenscratch lyric sheet, written on a receipt and set to music, long before writing your lyrics in a chickenscratch fashion became faux cool.

Helmet meets Sunny Day Real Estate meets Rites of Spring meets June of 44 meet Slint meets......? Maybe so.

But this is not "Emo." This is not "Math Rock." This is music as it should be done: heart, instruments, and no boundaries. Stop listening for the perfect harmonies. They're not here--they're all on the pop CDs. Stop listening for the guitar solos. I think you're looking for Journey. Just listen.

This Cd is one of the best CD's I have ever heard. I'm one of those old hardcore kids who has been listening to emo for the past 2 years, and let me tell you this is oe of the best and underrated CD's out there. It's a great CD to read a book and enjoy a cup of coffee to, if you like bands like Sunny Day, buy this CD.

The first time I heard this album, it didn't even sound like music! Simultaneously minimalist and abrasive, the songs sounded tuneless - but intriguing. The fourth time I listened, I realized that this is an awesome album. It combines the things I like best about SDRE and Helmet (from the Meantime era), as I mentioned in my one-line summary. This is really good stuff!

One of the best indie records of all time in my book. It makes my top ten actually. I remember hearing "Sperm Ridden Burden" for the first time and being just blown away by the intensity and emotion dripping from the off key guitars and Doug's voice screaming "Carry your..." The second song I heard was "Sunken Anchor" Just as emotional, but subtle. The way the song goes from quiet to loud is kind of akward at first, making you take a step back. But when you listen further on, you realize it's very well constructed. The album is very solid, very well written. It's sad this band broke up, although we have their other efforts to appease the appetite.

That would sufice this record greatly for me.

Beautiful clashes with ugliness and chaos to create not only the best record in tooth and nail libary (like it would take much). It is also one of the best indie records of the 90's.

Do yourself a favor and pick this one up right now.

matt.

Roadside Monument is without a doubt the most creative band around. All the members are extreemly talented musicians-a trait that too many emo bands lack. They certainly stick out amongst indie rock bands as the most unique and creative (I cannot stress the word 'creative' enough to properly describe this album!) Roadside Monument is an extraordinary band, and 'Eight hours away from being a man' is definately their best work.

Roadside Monument mixes hard guitar parts with soft slow melodys. Although the singing isnt all that great the cool guitars make up for it. Listen to tracks "Sunken Anchor" and " Apartment Over the Peninsiula" and you'll like what you hear.

My first encounter with Roadside Monument was at my friend's house in Seattle about two years ago. It was a small spur of the moment party/concert thing. The whole show was very surrealistic, and Roadside played a incredibly intense set. After the show I bought this CD out of their trunk. It captures their live intensity perfectly.

I spend a great amount of time on the road, and I always bring this album with me. Its a great roadtrip album because it can lull you with its soft beauty then, with out any warning, it launches into a heavy sonic jam session. It keeps you on your toes but it is very relaxing at the same time.

buy it now! buy it now! i have this on double vinyl and its the best dang album i own. its too incredible to explain.... if you like emo....get this.

This album has two sides: ugly and beautiful, as a fellow reviewer mentioned. (Hi reviewer!) Some of the songs in here are brilliant and some of the best I've ever heard, while others are little bit harder to swallow.

If you want to hear music being taken to its most beautiful limit, listen to tracks 5 and 9. Both intrumental, these songs could be the soundtrack for the most wonderful movie. Track ten starts out in a very haunting way, with some lady leading a prayer group or something. But man, I keep going back to 5 and 9! Track five starts out very nice, with a guy reading a poem, but then builds up into a truly amazing trumpet-and-electric-guitar melody. Wow.

The bad thing about this album is that many of the songs are just simply not up to quality. Jonathan Ford's voice is so muted on too many songs, which is surprisinging since this didn't seem to be a problem on their first and third albums. I mean, his singing voice isn't perfect, but it seems like he was almost too embarissed to make it loud. The other thing about this album is that it's a pretty hard thing to get used to. Roadside Monument really has their own way of writing music, structure-wise. There are some songs in here that I can definitely hear brilliance, but it can be VERY tough sometimes.

I think the best way to describe Roadside Monument's music is "classical rock," as in the way classical music is. Classical music isn't something you can just nod your head to and show to your friends; you have to really listen to classical music and enjoy it, almost as an art. Same with Roadside Monument. I wouldn't be surprised if many of the group's fans are into art, independent movies, and things like that (I am, and I really like this group).

The three-star rating is for the average listener. But if you enjoy music that is different, unique, and not Britney Spears, here's your holy grail. Don't expect a smooth listen; prepare to be challenged. I like it when music does that.