Customer Reviews

Give It Back

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

 

 

...and let's be thankful that the Brian Jonestown Massacre is around to provide the soundtrack. As of their latest full-length (Strung Out In Heaven), BJM is yet to repeat themselves stylistically, and Give It Back! stands out as the band's paen to all things good about mid-late 60s-inspired music. From the toe-tapping pop splendor of "This Is Why You Love Me" to the foot-stomping psychedelia of "Satellite" to the smarmy boogie of "Not If You Were The Last Dandy on Earth," Give It Back! doesn't disappoint.

Anyone looking for a polished, radio-friendly, "modern rock" product should look elsewhere, while anybody sick and tired of the glossy veneer of today's records should look no further. While not exactly "retro," the album is decidedly lo-fi. A must-have for any fan of the BJM, and a very high recommendation for anyone into a mixture of "drone," psychedelia and brit-pop, past and/or present.

For drug-drenched, psychedelic modern alternative rock, you just can't beat the BJM. Well, almost. Their pals, the Dandy Warhols come pretty close. I think this is one of the BJM's strongest efforts. "Sue" is my favorite track from this album. It's Anton's homage to the Velvet Underground's "Heroin". Yes, it's a long one but not a minute is wasted. Some of the BJM's albums tend to be hit and miss affairs so it's a good idea to listen to the samples provided by Amazon.com. but this one is quite consistent.

This one has 'Whoever You Are', 'The Devil May Care (Mom and Dad Don't)', '#1 Hit Jam' and 'Last Dandy On Earth', which are all featured prominently in the movie Dig!

I especially love 'Whoever You Are' for it's Beatle-tinged ("let me take you down"), psychedelic gvoove. It never ceases to amaze me.

If you're like me and was "turned on" to The BJM by Dig!, you will have to have this. Just buy them all like I did. I appreciate the motive(s) to put them up on the web for free but I just had to have the actual CD's. Take that RIAA.

It took me a few weeks of listening to it to really get into this album, but I now love it. It really puts together alot of the elements of their past albums perfectly. My favorite song off of it at the time is "The Devil May Care (Mom & Dad Don't)". Every other song is good too, besides the last track which i rarely listen to. Great Cd by one of the best groups out there.

This CD opens up with the beginning of the Dandy Warhols' Come Down... and then veers off into a much more interesting and unexpected place. Tablas, a droning sitar, and industrial-sounding guitars and organs add a sinister touch. "This is Why You Love Me" is a pretty, Byrds-like tune. There is a definite eastern vibe to the CD, but not in a pretentious Kula Shaker-way. Some standouts: "Sue", "Servo", "Whoever You Are". And don't forget "Not if you were the Last Dandy on Earth" -a sarcastic ode to the band of Warhols.

What a fantastic album. Every track has the merit enough to hold its own as a single. In a time where modern albums can, at the most, have one to two descent songs; The Brian Jonestown Massacre rips another one out that simply spits in the face of the corporit music business. Buy this album, and the rest of the BJM collection. My recommendations: Methodrone, Their Satanic Majesty's Second Request, and if on a budget, Tepid Peppermint Wonderland.

Every album by The Brian Jonestown Massacre is fresh and unique, but still somehow within their classic sound (until recently). Each album sounds different than the previous, yet instantly recognizable as BJM--there's no mistaking the hazy, mid-60s sounding jangly guitars, sitars, and "weird chinese [crap]" combined with Anton Newcombe's gift for timeless songwriting. Within the first 5 seconds of any song, you know who you're listening to.

Released during the latter part of their most creative and prolific period in which they put out five albums in two years, 'Give It Back!' combines all the best qualities of their four previous albums, making it, pound for pound, the best album of their career imo. It's definitely my go-to album when turning on the uninitiated, and it hasn't failed me yet. You get shoegazy bliss (Sue, Whoever You Are), stoned country-folk (#1 Hit Jam, (You Better Love Me) Before I Am Gone), head-bobbin BJM-style punk (Not If You Were the Last Dandy on Earth), and one of the saddest, most beautiful songs of Newcombe's career in The Devil May Care (Mom & Dad Don't). Not to mention songs that sound like nothing you've ever heard, like Servo. No one rocks the flute quite like The Brian Jonestown Massacre.

Out of every BJM album, and there are more than a couple certified classics, this is the one I come back to most, and the one I'd recommend to a new fan after their career retrospective 'Tepid Peppermint Wonderland.' While it's one of their shorter full-lengths at a still hefty 56 minutes, 'Give It Back!' is jam-packed with absolutely essential songs that deserve recognition, and there's nary a dud here at all. I have a feeling that, many years from now, this album will be considered a classic, and it, along with the rest of BJM's vast catalog, will inspire legions of 14 year-olds to pick up guitars and try to become the next BJM. Good luck with that, as I doubt there will ever be another band quite like them.

Took me a few turns to fully appreciate. If you are into BJM, this is a must. Anton sez "Dignity > Fame"

Respect.

-awedefile

the bjm are an amazing band.

give it back is their 5th album, and is probably the most mentioned and played in the recent film "dig!". Personally, my favortite bjm album is take it from the man, but i'm reviewing give it back because i think it's the easiest accessable record of theres for new listeners. Give it back doesn't have much character to it like the other albums do, instead it's got a little bit of everything. Giving the listener the whole "brian jonestown experience"

The album kicks off with super sonic, with it's infinite number of sounds, i feel like i just get buried in the twinging sounds of the sitars. After super sonic, you get "this is why you love me" a sweet song by anton. Then after that's satellite, and awesome song. Then there's malela, an eerie campfire story almost, and a great song. Then we gt something totally different from malela as salaam kicks in, a very indian like song, with sitars and who-knows-what-other-instruments. This is a great soothing instrumental. Then comes "whoever you are", a much more built song, and almost more pop sounding with a much more recognizable sound. This is a great, mystifying song. Then there's sue, which is 8 and a half minutes long, but its still a good song, not the best though. Just a "massive concussion of rock and roll" i'd say...heh.

Then we have "you better love me before i am gone" which is probably the sweetest song on the record, featuring beautiful female vocals (miranda richards?). Then we have the oh so famous "not if you were the last dandy on earth". Awesome rock and roll song, followed by number one hit jam, another great bjm signature song. Then there's servo, my favorite track on this record. Your ears just get lost in it's awesome sound. THen to end it off, you have "the devil may care (mom and dad don't). A BEAUTIFUL and saddening song (this is in dig, when anton's recording by himself. best scene in the movie, my friends.). Then there's "their satanic majesties request" which uh... i dunno, go buy the album and see for yourself.

(...)

Being the fan of the Rolling Stones I picked up this CD thinking it was something similar. Well they do try to emulate the stones sound but fail miserably. They have no originality or heart in their music who ever lets them make CDs should be forced to listen to it. If you buy this you are either a masochist or an idiot.