Customer Reviews

Idjit Savant

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

 

 

This is the best Dickies album since "Dawn of the Dickies". After slogging through most of the 80's with spotty recordings that were poorly produced, the Dickies give the mid-90's a well-deserved kick in the groin with this consistently well-played, well-written, and well-produced gem. They may take a very long time between albums ("Idjit Savant" - 1994, "Second Coming" - 1988), but it was well worth the wait.

The first track (Welcome To The Diamond Mine)opens with a classic bit of Stan Lee guitar lunacy that is somewhat reminiscent of the intro to "You Drive Me Ape", from the first album, and takes off into classic Dickies territory. Next is a cover of a song that was originally written by the Germs, but due to Darby's suicide never played by them... "Golden Boys". The Dickies give it a great treatment. Next is "Toxic Avenger". What Dickies album would be complete without a tribute to junk culture? Next is "Zeppelina"... which has nothing to do with Led Zep but rather a (presumed) female family member named Zeppelina. "Stuck in a Condo (With Marlon Brando)" is a hilarious quasi-Metal song. "Just Say Yes" is a bonafide Dickies anthem that ranks right up there with early hits like "Manny, Moe, and Jack" and "You Drive Me Ape". "Elevator (In The Brain Hotel)" is an obscure cover, but in the able hands of Stan, Leonard, and co. delivers that melodic punk perfection that The Dickies have a patent on. "Pretty Ballerina" is almost a ballad, but there's enough great Stan Lee riffing going on to keep it from being totally wimpy. The next 4 tracks ("Make it So", "I'm on Crack", "Oh Boy!", "Roadkill") are high-octane hyperactive humorous, melodic punk rock served up as only The Dickies can do... and nobody else even comes close to doing it better. "House of Raoul" has a great lunatic-carny feel to it and is very catchy. My only beef with "Idjit" is the final track... a limp ballad that sounds like it belongs on the "Second Coming" album ("Song of the Dawn").

All in all... this is a GREAT album and a good example of what this severely underrated band can do. Why the Dickies don't get the same amount of respect as the Ramones is beyond me.

At least 2 people I know of have listened to this album while driving, and gotten stopped for speeding. This is the kind of album that makes you want to drive FAST (especially the songs "Roadkill", "Oh Boy" and "I'm On Crack." The Dickies haven't really put anything that fantastic out since Killer Klowns in the late 80's, at least anything that is just as fun to listen to as early CDs such as "Dawn of the Dickies" and "The Incredible Shrinking Dickies." Almost all the songs are incredible, except for the last 2 slightly weaker tracks after "Roadkill". It's hard to pick the real standouts, because most of the songs just kick butt and take names, but I guess they would be "Welcome to The Diamond Mine", "I'm on Crack", "Just Say Yes", "Stuck in a Condo (with Marlon Brando)" and the incredible "Oh Boy!" which was originally written for the Ramones. This song will rev you up and make you want to slam dance like you wouldn't believe. When they played this song live, I danced so hard I could barely move the next day. If you're a Dickies fan who has been dissapointed by their last several less-than-stellar records, this one will restore your faith in them. You will NOT be dissapointed!

Love everything these guys do (did), they deserve to be rich beyond their wildest dreams!!!

And nobody ever says it, but Stan Lee is a great guitar player

I can honestly say the only song I ever disliked by this band was "Dummy Up" off of the album "Second Coming" (bad "Wham" blows!)

Idjit Savant is without a doubt the Dickies best album ever. Sure, earlier albums contain some classics like - 'Manny,Moe, and Jack' or 'Where did his eye go?' but Idjit Savant has at least 5 or 6 songs that I promise you are so fun and catchy with the most hooky choruses - you'll be humming these tunes your entire life. 'Stuck inside a condo (with Mr. Marlon Brando)','Just say yes', 'Elevator (in the Brain Hotel)'are great songs. 'Oh Boy' is brilliant! Using a combination of crunchy guitar, synth flourishes, and inexplicably a touch of ragtime piano the Dickies create unique punky/pop music reminiscent of South Croyden and the Buzzcocks at 78rpm. Buy this...you'll love it.

Five stars! Five stars! Five stars! I'm sure you have a cd or two in your collection that you just can't get enough of. Ya know, one of those special albums that you can listen to time and time again and it never once gets old? You love every song and look forward to the next track with enthusiasm even though you've heard it a million times? Idjit Savant is one of those for me. It's difficult to pick a favorite Dickies album, but Savant wins by a hair. This is probably due to the fact that it's the first Dickies album I ever heard. Back in the days of impulse purchases-I miss those days. Savant shows that the Dickies have aged like a fine wine. It takes many years for The Dickies to release an album, which is kinda annoying, but at the same time, it shows that they've been taking their time writing good songs coz they've never put out anything below par-in my opinion anyway They carry on the direction they started in Second Coming by adding new sounds and trying new things, yet never forgetting that they are a punk band. Savant is alot more up tempo than Second Coming, with heavier guitars and solos(some of it actually sounds metal influenced). The Dickies were in their mid to late 30s when they did this one, and though they have matured as musicians, their subject matter still remains as juvenile as ever(I mean, there's a song about The Toxic Avenger for pete's sake)....and us fans wouldn't want it any other way. And of course, it's catchy as all hell. You, the potential buyer, may not hold this album at the godly status I do, but if you like punk with a twist, there's no way you can lose with this one.