Customer Reviews

Hell Below Stars Above

5 star:		(43)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Toadies were one of the great mysteries of modern rock music. How could such an incredible band have been almost completely overlooked by the media, and in turn the general public? I still consider this the best CD of 2001, yet not one of the big three music mags (Rolling Stone, Spin, or Alternative Press) ever reviewed it, or even MENTIONED that it had been released. I got into a nasty email fight with A.P. publisher Jason Pettigrew after sending a furious letter lambasting them for having Limp Bizkit on the cover while totally ignoring the Toadies.

The general public's loss, however, is the discerning listener's gain. From start to finish, this album rocks, rolls, and occasionally relaxes. Fans of straight ahead guitar driven rock with rip-roaring vocals, sterling guitars and tight-as-a-drum rhythms will not want to miss this. And just as with Rubberneck, Todd Lewis manages to craft one great hook after another - along with more clever lyrics. "Heel" for example; the lyrics about training a dog are delivered in such a way as to almost suggest a much more sinister subject matter. Meanwhile, "Pressed Against The Sky" shows that even a kickin' rock band can play a ballad with conviction.

Sadly, the total neglect suffered by this outstanding quartet led them to call it quits shortly after this album was released. In fact, they broke up three days before I was going to see them in St. Louis, and I am still bitter. But at least we have two great albums and one very good EP ... and "Hell Below" is the best of the bunch.

And although I have yet to read a THING about it in any music rag, Todd has a new band called the Burden Brothers, and they are great. Very similar to Toadies really. Get their debut album "Buried In Your Black Heart" now!!! Close your eyes and you could easily convince yourself it's more great Toadies music!

WHY WHY WHY! WHY does the music biz ignore Todd, aka Vaden, Lewis' incredible talent? Not only is he a songwriter par excellence, he has the best friggin' voice in rock and roll as far as i am concerned. He's perfected the art of screaming in tune.

...These are my words on the band: These days, rock comes with a bit of a stigma. It's a stigma that's not particularly deserving. Bands like Limp Bizkit, Korn, Slipknot and Linkin Park have paved the way for countless imitators trying to fit rock music into a different groove. Some bands add hip hop grooves, turntables, rapping... others tune their guitars way down and turn way up. There's nothing inherantly wrong with that... but it seems ever since the grunge scene left, nobody on the radio has been playing good old fashioned straight ahead rock, aside from a couple standouts here and there. Where has the passion gone? Must rock be lost on pop culture? NO!

This is where the Toadies came in. Their sound was modern yet vintage... aggressive yet passionate. Nobody can scream-sing like Todd Lewis. The tonality of his voice fit right into the groove his guitar paved in the musical landscape... it was rough and ready to rumble but he NEVER turned hardcore on us. Clark, the other guitarist, had a gift of making bizarre lead harmonizations that weren't what you'd expect, but work none the less (in an odd almost Primus sort of way). They both were talented in their roles. Lisa, the bassist, was a ball of fire. She rocked up on stage, wagging back and forth, and never let the beat drop for a second. She wasn't out in front, spitting on the audience, but she definately was the centerpiece of the band. Mark's drumming was incredible. His beats exuded the punk energy we've come to enjoy from modern music, but he's got a style of his own. They were rock... pure, unadulterated rock. Amen.

From the first slam of Plane Crash, you know this album is ready to tear you to shreds. The groove of The Toadies is undeniable. Each song on HB/SA moves forward with intensity and overflows with energy. The guitar sounds from Todd and Clark's setups are thick and juicy. It's everything a rock guitar could be... and the whole album is wonderfully mixed and mastered. Every instrument is clear and distinct. I love it. Push the Hand, their single from the album, is truly a good tune. But, I don't think it's the best one of the bunch... it bounces very nicely on the offbeats. Little Sin grooves in a steady 5/4... an odd time, for sure... but they pull it off very, very well. Motivational is a perfect example of the "off" harmonization that the band throws into the mix. The chord progression just keeps moving and doesn't stop... it's hard to tell where a musical phrase stops or starts. It's genius. Heel is just a whirling vortex of flame. It's all about intensity. It's probably the hardest song on the album... Todd's screaming is delicious. You'll Come Down is a solid rock tune... not filler, for sure. The slower tune, Pressed Against the Sky, builds in wonderful crecendo. What We Have We Steal just starts rockin' and won't stop. Jigsaw girl is the songwriting champ of the album, well versed and melodic, it evens the album out a bit. The riffs of Sweetness can't be ignored. They're infectious. The punky titular track is an odd one that breaks into a gospel jam. But, the most amazing track is definitely Dollskin. Like Tyler before it, the slow jam resonates in beautiful polish.

I loved this band... and this album will never die in my cd player and my heart. They inspired both me and my band (...) to no end and we will...with the tee shirts we bought and the cds we'll pump on our way to work in the morning. God bless the Toadies.

Back sometime in '94, the Toadies released their major-label debut in Rubberneck. Their most popular single continues to get heavy rotation on radio stations nation-wide (Possum Kingdom)... unfortunately, even most people who have heard that song have no idea what band sings it.

HB/SA will hopefully change this for the better. Like Rubberneck before it, it will take a few listens to get used to this album. Soon after, it will have you hooked. Todd's lyrics have matured, and the new Toadies lead guitarist, Clark, churns riffs and burns out solos unheard of in Rubberneck. I am a guitarist of about 5 or 6 years, and this album presents many challenges to me, even after many listens and attempts at transcribing the tunes.

Radio friendly tunes such as "What We Have We Steal" and "You'll Come Down" will reel you in, while "Push the Hand" and "Sweetness" have that raw Toadies angst that can only be fully appreciated at one of their live shows. Old Toadies fans will be happy that this is basically the same band, but the music is much more well-rounded than their debut.

If I could give this album a 10 I would. Don't pay attention to any reviews from people who just bought the album. Listen to the ones who have heard it quite a few times already. I'm sure they will agree, this is going to be one of the surprise hits of 2001.

My expectations of this album were very high... my high school band back in '97 became more or less a Rubberneck cover band once we realized we all held the album as one of our top 3. I could tell you this album is awesome and you should go buy it, but would that really tell you anything?

This album is stripped down rock... no bells, whistles, strings, horns... just two guitars, bass, and drums. In that regard it's just like Rubberneck. The songwriting and arrangement has matured a lot, songs change course halfway through and lyrics don't reveal the complete idea until the end, so you aren't bored and waiting for the next track after 2 minutes. Pop music? Hardly. Todd's not out to make you sing along after the first chorus, and the initial listen to this album had me sulking that lyrics are not found in the liner. I will admit though, rage has not in many years been so cleverly woven... I can't think of a better way to survive all the boy band/rap metal destruction of modern music than to record an album in 1998 and sit on it for 3 years. Perhaps the label troubles that kept this album from being released any earlier has made it that much more valuable in a rap-infested world of rock today.

This album is a nod to the mid 90's style of rock... if you loved Ten and wonder what happened to Pearl Jam since, you are ready for Hell Below/Stars Above. If you're afraid that all the grunge cliches will be found in this post-mortem recording, you are far from justified... this album sounds perfect today and is not a symbol of a band past their prime in any way.

The Toadies, Fort Worth's greatest export since the Fire, command a rock sensibility rare to 21st century radio, and they capture the entire range of rock goodness in their long-awaited sophomore release. Hell Below / Stars Above opens with a deadly riff-heavy "Plane Crash," boldly announcing that "we know what you really want." They deliver ten-fold, thanks to the tight production of Rothrock and Schnapf and the devilishly catchy rock. Tour-tested hits include "Push the Hand," "Heel" & "Sweetness," each of them maintaining their live appeal. Tracks like "Pressed Against the Sky" and "Dollskin" are powerful enough to become the next cult hits, much like "Tyler" & "Away" did from Rubberneck. Assuming you've grown tired of rap-core artists on the radio (and who hasn't), this album will redeem your faith in the power of rock music.

This is one of the best albums of 2001, and it's too bad that Amazon's critic probably only gave it a quick once-through before she reviewed it. The Toadies rose far above the sounds that the Warped Tour had to offer, crafting loud, offbeat songs that veer out of standard major/minor scales and 4/4 time. To me, their sound is more Pixies than grunge, with a unique Texas swagger that showed just a bit of worship for blues-rock guitar riffs. Todd Lewis' lyrics eschew whining self-indulgence for heartfelt glimpses into the minds of quirky, sometimes psychotic characters. Every song on the album is great; my favorites are "Sweetness," "Plane Crash," "Jigsaw Girl," "What We Have We Steal," and especially "Dollskin," the power ballad that closes the album as satisfyingly as anything since NIN's "Hurt." Buy it, and good luck prying it out of your CD player.

As I've said in many other reviews, 2001 was just plain [bad] for music. We were knee high in Britney Spears, NSync, Jay-Z, and other mind-numbingly repetitive acts.

Finding this CD in 2001 was like finding a 20 dollar bill in a pile of vomit. I love this CD, it is amazing.

It starts off with the power you know the Toadies are masters of injecting into your eardrums (Plane Crash. From there it only gets better. "Push the Hand" and "Heel" are genius in their simplicity. The point of this album, in my opinion, comes from tracks 5 through 8. "Little Sin", based on a bluesy riff, is a masterpiece of simplicity and power. The quirky "You'll Come Down" is one of my favorites. "Jigsaw girl" is a love song that only Todd Lewis could write and deliver. "What We Have We Steal" is....just.....beyond words. The album stays strong toward the end also, delivering a mixture of styles and techniques that leaving me angry that the Toadies didn't see fit to make this a double CD.

Better than Rubberneck? Without a doubt.
Why? Better songwriting, better songs. I love Rubberneck, but I can find weak points in that CD, I cannot in this one.

The Toadies were an amazing band, anyone unfortunate enough not to have discovered them and this CD should stop listening to music because they're obviously listening to the wrong stuff.

What can I say that others before me haven't? After waiting a long 6 years, the Toadies have come back better than before. For those skeptics that said that the Toadies were washed up and they could never produce an album as great as their debut "Rubberneck", they're wrong! "Hell Below, Stars Above" is equally as great as the original. With songs like "You'll Come Down" and "What We Want We Steal" the Toadies prove that they are a band to be reckoned with. For all those people out there who enjoyed the first album, listen to me, get this album! Just like the first album, it does take some listening to, but after a few times, you'll be hooked. For those of you, who have only heard 1 or 2 songs from them, what are you waiting for? I strongly urge you to purchase both their albums: Rubberneck and Hell Below, Stars Below. Happy Listening!

The seven-year gap between "Rubberneck" and this CD's release obviously accounts for its lack of recognition. Either critics and radio were upset with having to wait so long for a follow-up or they might have assumed they the band was a "one CD wonder" in their struggle to produce an equal. Whatever the reason, fans of the band who happened to stumble upon this album are greatly rewarded and can attest to this being one of the strangest stories in the history of rock.

Rock bands typically either produce one great song or album and quickly fade away or they mature and develop over time and peak slowly. The Toadies proved with this CD that they were capable of improving on the brilliance of "Rubberneck" and then unfortunately called it quits I guess after "Hell Below/Stars Above"'s universal snubbing. "You'll Come Down" and "Pressed Against the Sky" are the two best songs the band has ever produced and if you want to see if those two songs can be improved upon, you'll have to check out the Burden Brothers CD, which I haven't.

The thing I love the most about the obscurity of this amazing CD is that when I play it for friends or at gatherings, people always get confused because they recognize the sound with Todd's distinctive voice but don't recognize the songs and then are dumbfounded and feel jipped that they don't know about it. This album remains a hidden treasure and thus the jewel of my CD collection.

I have to admit that at first I didn't like this CD, I felt let down. I think "Rubberneck" is one of the best straightforward rock CDs I own and certainly that I've heard; it would get an easy five stars on this rating system. And of course with a seven year gap between records, expectations are going to build, I would say in this case to an unfair level. So, at first, I didn't like it. But a few months after buying it I started to listen to it more, at first just the second half, and then gradually the whole thing. Now, aside from "Plane Crash" (which is just OK) and "Heel" (which I used to love, and now find somewhat boring), I think the rest of the CD is excellent, excellent excellent. Good rock music. Wish I could've seen them live before they broke up; they came through town twice on the last tour but I never had any money or school was the next day or what have you. But, at least the music lives on. Hehe. That sounds corny but it's true.

In any case, if you liked Rubberneck and you haven't bought this yet or you have this and don't like it as much as the first CD, just give it some time to grow on you. The same could be said for all CDs. Yeah!