Here Comes the Zoo

Local H | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 5, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Palm Pictures (Audio
• ASIN: B00005Y1T4
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #58,014 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #96 in Music > Indie Music > Alternative Rock > Rock

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Branching Out and Growing Roots, March 18, 2002

By 

"rbatty024" (Cleveland, OH USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Here Comes the Zoo (Audio CD)

I waited forever for the new Local H, and after countless delays I must say it was worth every second I had to wait. Here Comes the Zoo harkens back to the times of old time rock and roll, yet at the same time Scott Lucas adds his own flavor to it. Throughout the album you can hear rock influences from the past thirty years, but infused in these songs are Lucas' own personality: bitter, self-loathing, and a sense of ironic intelligence. While Local H is for the most part paying homage to his roots, (the name of the album is from a Iggy Pop song and Bryn-Mawr Stomp is a sly Led Zeppelin allusion)they are also branching out into new territory. Two of the songs (My Baby Wants to Tame Me and What Would You Have Me Do) are of epic length. It's refreshing that Local H can offer up something new with each and every album while being consistent(I love every album they've released).
There's one thing that every Local H fan would like to know about Here Comes the Zoo: does Brian St. Clair match up with Joe Daniels? Well, no. He certainly has the skill, after listening to this album there's no doubt about that, but he doesn't have the presence that Joe did. This makes the band more of a vehicle for Scott, but I'm not complaining. This is one of the most refreshing albums that has come out to date. It's intelligent and emotional while delivering everything you'd expect from Local H plus a few new surprises.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Same as it ever was - part deux, March 5, 2002

By 

Brently C. Davenport (Missouri City, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Here Comes the Zoo (Audio CD)

I have been listening to this CD for the past 3 months (via a friend, i got a pre-release.) being a big Local H (and Chicago scene) fan I of course was looking forward to March 5th so I could get my grimmies on the studio release. So the day is here and you know what, I love it now as much as I did 3 months ago. But it didn't start this way....

When I first heard Here Comes The Zoo I knew right away that it was a departure from Scott Lucas' attempts at secular acclaim (which I think are highly evident in Pack Up The Cats.) After the split of Joe Daniels and the recruitment of Brian St. Clair (from defunct Chicago superband Tripl3FastAction,) I could tell in one listen that this was a throwback to the energy that gave us As Good As Dead. But you know, I wasn't that impressed. After two listens I was still just not feeling it. About the fifth go round it started to sink in. If As Good As Dead was Local H's twenty-something anthem...about life in the mid-90s (corporate America, growing up in the middle-class disenfranchised suburbs, and self-loathing, etc) then Here Comes The Zoo is the bible to all those feelings and more; this is Scott and Brian, the older brothers, realizing that everything that...about our 20s just gets worse in your 30s. You are older, wiser...

Here Comes The Zoo is strong. It's not a "love" album and after playing it enough you will want to give the finger to all that it rails on: corporate rock, modern love and relationships, selling out personal life aspirations for comfort, ad infinitum. Stand out tracks like "Fifth Ave Crazy", "Creature Comforted" (with its chorus of "We're all defanged and declawed, creatured comforted.") and "What Would You Have Me Do?" all tell the same story: life wasn't supposed to be like this, somewhere we got lost, somehow we got co-opted and used. Yes folks, you won't be snapping your fingers and singing these songs like good ol' Clear Channel wants you to; it's highly doubtful we'll see Clear Channel even pony up for this ride.

So, what gives? Is it worth owning? In the pantheon or Local H albums, here is my personal rank (your mileage may vary):
1) As Good As Dead
2) Here Comes The Zoo
3) Ham Fisted
4) Pack Up The Cats
I am close to ranking it as a tie for first, but I think ties are for the feeble: pick a winner and move on, so I did. Still, this album is concise and strong. I cannot say enough that it is as tight as any other Local H disc and Brian is a perfect match for Scott's wail and rock. Is it a progression or a regression? Well, yes. It both harkens back one generation (and thus I am sure some will draw some Nirvana influences in the songs and messages) and forward another (as the latest in a rash of "stoner rock" anthems and bands...and that ain't a bad thing.) Enjoy!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Look at the plane up in the sky!, March 5, 2002

By 

Ksmith (Lincoln, Ne) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Here Comes the Zoo (Audio CD)

thats not a plane! its the heroes of Rock and Roll tossin out their new disc 'here comes the zoo.' but watch out, this rock will land harder than a 3 ton brick on Carrot Top.

This album is what you would call ROCK. its a music genre thats gone the way of disco and skat. But its all going to change as of today. With such rock epics as Baby wants to tame me and What Would You Have Me Do, you will be left with wanting more of the H love. but do not feel troubled young sir. there are eight other exquisite tracks for your listening pleasure. This album covers all the bases. the slow rocker "Hands on the Bible" to the speedy "Bryn Mawr Stomp."

if you looking for that disc to wash away those ... song blues, or you want to know if the H still has it, then you must buy this album and share it with your friends and loved ones. if you do, they will love you more in return and that means more presents at birthday time. Nothing but GOOD can come from getting this album.