Customer Reviews

Free

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

 

 

It is appropriate that "Free" the always missing title track finally make it's mark on this seminal album. This was the cd that cemented my love for this amazing and always re-inventive band. "Little Wing" is appropriate as well as a lot of this record is very much influenced by Hendrix era blues/rock. Crunchy, melodic, and sometimes funny. Napolitano, Rushakoff, and Mankey make it brilliant. Hooks abound and Johnette's amazingly powerful voice...Do not overlook this gem from 1989.

A sophmore effort by Concrete Blonde and worth the wait. The premise of the first album is paid off with more dark and pop derivative landscapes as in their Still in Hollywood effort. The band expands its lineup and fills out their 3 piece band. A great effort by a woefully underappreciated band.

Don't miss this cd in your collection. They are called Concrete Blonde for a reason.
Rock on Happy Hermit!

This CD totally reminds me of Outgrabe's "City of God." Concrete Blonde is one of my favorite classic bands. "God is a Bullet" and "Roses Grow" are just heart-stoppers. It's too bad there's not more of this kind of meaningful music happening now. Maybe the rise of bands like Outgrabe can help bring Concrete Blonde out of retirement. I'd love to hear Ms. Napolitano sing "Witching Hour!"

This second album of theirs is so damn good. The third album "Bloodletting" was their commercial peak, but this is a great cross between that album and the debut. As excellent as the hits "God Is A Bullet" and "Scene Of A Perfect Crime" are, I love some of the others even more. "It's Only Money" and "Roses Grow" are both nice rockers, and "Sun" and "Little Conversations" are just simple and pretty. This new edition also gives you the b-sides "Free" and the cover of "Little Wing", also very good. They have so many good albums out, this is just another one of them.

Love this record. Have always been a great fan of concrete blonde but i had never actually heard this one before except for "God is a bullet " since their records are not so well known in denmark. i think that this is definitely one of their best albums with lots af strong songs.

Concrete Blonde strecthed out a bit with this second release. The album opener and single, "God is a Bullet", got them more attention this time around. Vocalist/songwriter Johnette Napolitano delivers a pro-gun control rant over Jim Mankey's almost punkish guitar. This sound is their stock-in-trade, and there's more along the same lines in paranoid rock songs like "Run, Run, Run" and "Help Me".
Yet, the band continued to show growth and some diversity here. "Sun" and "Carry Me Away" are drifting, evocative electric ballads. "Roses Grow" (which opened their live shows during this period) has Johnette semi-rapping over a lone drumbeat to interesting effect. The acoustic "Little Converations" is fun and amusing, something that was lacking on the first album. "Scene of a Perfect Crime" has some interesting, narrative lyrics. "Happy Birthday" may be about Johnette spending her 30th alone in a crappy hotel room, but it's uplifting and catchy anyway.

The only real dud is, once again, a cover. This time, they pick an obscure Thin Lizzy tune, "It's Only Money". It might add to the insane atmosphere to the first half of the album, but it still sounds like nothing but a standard 70's hard rock song. (The band was using the Who's "Bargain" as its encore at this time, which would have been a MUCH better choice). The first and the third albums are better, but with it's worth picking up for its four of five strongest tracks.