Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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38 of 40 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
par-tay har-day!!!, April 27, 2002
I first heard Andrew WK when I saw him/them on Saturday Night Live. They were so loud, so obnoxious, so in-your-face, so juvenile, and so absolutely, unapologetically over the top that I was blown away. The CD is a winner; every song is great, which is not surprising given that it's basically the same song repeated over and over. The style is fascinating; it's basically a combination of punk rock, Phil-Spectorish walls of sound, and 80s arena rock played at ear-splitting volumes. It sounds like there's about twenty guitars pounding out the same three chords at the same time, and as if that's not enough, there's heavy keyboards layered over every track, also pounding out the same three chords. Lyrically, it's pretty simplistic; I don't think any band since AC/DC has so unabashedly celebrated the delights of procreation, pugilism, and partying like this band. The music is simplistic too; in fact, it's so simplistic it makes Motorhead sound like chamber music. But none of that matters, because if this album doesn't make you bang your head within a maximum of three seconds, you either hate rock and roll or you're clinically dead. Five stars? Heck, I'd give this ten stars. Go out and buy the CD right now, and while you're at it, pick up a case of beer. You'll need it.
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18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Party Starts Now., April 15, 2002
Seems like some critics are overthinking this recording, unable to decide if I GET WET is a sincere insincere statement or a simple, bombastic joke. With inane "lyrics" (if you can call them that) and simple, yet incredibly addictive, melodies, Andrew W.K. preaches the gospel of R-O-C-K in a furious thirty-minute sermon. With the command to "Party" explicitly delivered in three song titles (on one occasion "'til you puke") and implicit in nearly every other, the listener may suspect that Andrew W.K.'s approach owes a little more to Spinal Tap than the Sex Pistols - but all in all it's a damn close call.
For once you begin to listen, adjusting the volume to its maximum, it takes one hell of a musical elitist to deny the power of I GET WET. By the time I had reached "Girls Own Love," I had set the CD player to "Repeat" and headed to the fridge for some beer.
A direct, dirty descendant of Manitoba's Wild Kingdom's 1990 release, And You?, which began with "The Party Starts Now" and tore through 27 minutes of primal fury, I GET WET is neither tongue in cheek nor is it a sly cultural statement. It is, instead, a glorious return to the pulsing id of rock and roll, stripped of pretensions and distilled to its purest elements: blood, sweat, and of course, puke.
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13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
It's Going To Blow You Away!, January 22, 2002
This c.d. is totally awesome.I've been constantly listening to this c.d. for over a month now,as it's just so pulsating with excitement and thrills that it will blow your socks off!On this side of the Atlantic it has been getting a mixture of rave reviews or some more serious hacks make it out to be some sort of bad joke.To describe his music you have to take a trip back to the mid 80's when loud heavy rock music was filled with fun,certainly wasn't meant to be taken very seriously and was the perfect way to kickstart all parties.This is the greatest thing about his music for me,as it's such a welcome break from all the doom and self-gratifying gloom of groups like Staind and Creed.At first I was majorly shocked when I heard this it.It sounded like a cross between Billy Idol,Def Leppard and Meat Loaf-talk about bad taste!But it works so well.Each track is laden with enormous guitars,heavy fast furious drumming,mid 80's synths and out front W.K.'s gruff and grunted vocals.In fact the keyboards are so grandiose that it keeps each track pumping with pure energy.Each track seems to grow from one catchy riff to the next,so it's very accessible.Catchy verse,catchy bridge and an even catchier chorus.The lyrics are so good in that they are completely daft and are just on about being positive and having a good time.On his debut c.d. the word party is mentioned in the title of 3 songs.All of his songs are over almost before they've really started which means you're not very likely to get bored with them.Thankfully the one aspect of 80's rock that he has left out are the ever predictable guitar solo's.If I did have one fault it would be that many of the songs sound very similar-there isn't a slushy ballad in sight here,which I suppose is a good thing. The c.d. starts off with the explosive "It's Time To Party"-it only lasts for 1:30,but it sets the tone for the whole album.The first 3 tracks sort of lead straight into each other and they are all excellent.The next really great song is track 5 which introduces some uncredited female backing vocalists which give the songs a sort of 'Bat Out Of Hell' feel.I have to say I wasn't a major fan of that classic album(I'm probably alone with that opinion),but I really like this stuff.Track 6-"I Love NYC" is a perfect sentiment for current times,even though I'm sure it was written before the terrible events in September.Lyrically the next 2 tracks are pretty crass with one called "She Is Beautiful" and the other amazingly entitled "Party Til You Puke"-see what I mean about wanting to have a good time?!?Track 10 is one of the albums highlights.On this track-"Got To Do It" his vocals sound quite different-it's more singing and less growling.It's a track that has one catchy riff after another-I mean it's even hard to pick out what is the chorus.The title track starts off with synths sounding like an array of horns.It's really up-tempo and almost has a rock meets dance music feel to it.Once more the female vocalists close out the track in a sort of bombastic fashion.The final track is pretty short as he repeats one of the many sentiments of this album,that is to keep on living in the red!By the end of the album you are so out of breath you need to take a short rest,before starting over the 40 minutes of rock fun and mayhem all over again.If his concerts are anything like the album it will be incredible! I don't know how big this guy is going to be,but I'm really hoping the spirit of this of his debut album will give guitar music the kick in the butt it so badly needs!Party On!!!
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