Lex Hives

The Hives | Format: MP3 Music

Product Details

• Original Release Date: June 5, 2012
• Release Date: June 5, 2012
• Label: Disque Hives
• Copyright: 2012 No Fun AB
• Record Company Required Metadata: Music file metadata contains unique purchase identifier. Learn more.
• Total Length: 31:07
• Genres:
  • Alternative Rock
• ASIN: B0085LGL5E
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #25,643 Paid in MP3 Albums (See Top 100 Paid in MP3 Albums)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars What Black and White should've been... June 16, 2012

By Alex Nennig TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is what the Black and White album should have been. Not that I didn't enjoy most of that album, mind you, but the attempts at sonic expansion ("T.H.E.H.I.V.E.S." "Puppet On A String" etc.) felt severe, forced, and didn't sound at all like it was coming from the same band that I knew and loved. The more tradtionally "hives-y" tracks were still great, but then a track like "A Stroll Through Hive Manor Corridors" would pop up and completely wreck whatever momentum they had been building up to that point.

So when I heard after over four years (a long between-album wait for most bands but about average by the Hives standards) they were back with another disc, I didn't know what to expect. Those uncertainties were not aided by the release of "Go Right Ahead" which, while sporting sweet glam rock drums and some Sonics-worthy sax work, still stole an obvious hook from ELO's "Don't Bring Me Down." Its a good song, no doubt, but there is a difference between building on past musical influences and flat-out theft (for examples see Supergrass for the former, Oasis for the latter) and the Hives, whether they did it on purpose or not, are better than that.

But, I got the album anyway, and I'm SO glad I did. Aside from "Go Right Ahead" (which, again, isn't BAD its just not a new song) everything about this album is fantastic. They give us a half-hour of fantastic rock 'n' roll brimming with great melodies, tons of energy, great catchy songwriting and some legitmate musical expansion without sacrificing their well crafted sound and identity.

Critics of this album have complained that some lyrics are repetative and that they use the song titles for the choruses, as though this was somehow NOT a rock 'n' roll album (seriously, try throwing those same complaints at AC/DC, the Ramones, or Motorhead. Pretty stupid, eh?). But the biggest irritation to me coming from people panning this album is that its "Hives by numbers" and that they're not doing anything different. That's total crap as far as I'm concerned. Yes, there are some of the Ramones-and-Stooges-sans-distortion trademark sound here, but in addition to the above mentioned glam stylings of "Go Right Ahead," you also have the huge huge HUGE 'White Stripes do Joan Jett and AC/DC' stomp of "I Want More," the dancey grind of "Take Back The Toys," the Devo rhythms and 60's girl group melodies of "Wait a Minute," the 50's R'n'B feel of "Without The Money," and the power-pop feel good party rave-up (including great sax work again) of "Midnight Shifter."

Its good stuff, with plenty of sounds you weren't experiencing on their past work. But what elevates these newer elements above the less successful sonic experimentation of "Black and White" is that these new sounds make for music that STILL SOUNDS LIKE THE HIVES and doesn't halt the awesome rockin' flow of the album. So like the first three Hives discs, you get a great half-hour party that sounds awesome cranked in your car. This will be a great soundtrack to my summer driving and is another easy to suggest album for those who think there aren't any bands out there carrying the torch of true rock 'n' roll.

If you like anything the Hives did before, this is an easy addition to your CD collection. If you're new to the Hives, this is as fine a place as any to start. They are a great band and they just gave us another reason to keep on loving them.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Boisterous fun! June 5, 2012

By Nse Ette TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Audio CD

My introduction to Swedish Garage Rockers The Hives was on their raw boisterous rocker "Hate To Say I Told You So" and I was sold. Their new CD opens with "Come On", a rocker comprising of little more than the lead vocalist Pelle Almqvist shouting "Come On" repeatedly which leaves you wanting more as it is rather brief. Prepare for blistering guitar riffs, frenetic beats and shouty vocals, example lead-off single "Go Right Ahead" (which lifts the hook from ELO's "Don't Bring Me Down"), the retro sounding "Wait A Minute", the Dance/Rock "Take Back The Toys", or the frenetic pair of "These Spectacles Reveal The Nostalgics" and "If I Had A Cent".

The band attempt to introduce some diversity to their sound. "I Want More" finds the band in spoken/sung mode against a groovy mid tempo handclap-laced backdrop and buzzing guitars - my favourite. The organ-sprinkled ballad "Without The Money" has a Bluesy feel, the pounding "My Time Is Coming" has a dark dramatic feel, while closing the collection is the pulsing "Midnight Shifter". Hard rocking fun!

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A Tight, Loud, Rocking Album June 5, 2012

By T. A. Daniel TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:MP3 Music

LEX HIVES is the first proper studio album by The Hives since 2007's THE BLACK AND WHITE ALBUM. Their previous album found the band experimenting with new sounds to varying degrees of success. Since that time, the band has put together a tight, loud, and rocking album. Like previous Hives albums, LEX HIVES feels like it was culled from another decade; while this album does find the band in a few newer areas, the band still wears its influences like a badge of honor. The result sounds familiar, but not quite unoriginal.

The album announces itself with the opener "Come On!" and quickly moves into leading single "Go Right Ahead." Most the tracks last less than the 3-minute mark, so the attitude never wears out its welcome. At their very best, The Hives make propulsive, engaging, undeniable rock-n-roll; this album has much of that to offer. The problem with LEX HIVES is that the territory just feels too familiar. Too often does the band find itself repeating the same tempos and dynamics with the same stomping sneer on its face. The high points on the album (for me) come when the band changes up their songwriting formula. Songs like "I Want More," "Patrolling Day," and "Without the Money" really stand out; the dynamics are different without removing what makes the band great. The sagging last track "Midnight Shifter" proves to be a bit of a misstep for an otherwise engaging LEX HIVES.

Fans of the Hives will absolutely love this album. Anyone who enjoys the Rollings Stones earlier tunes, Iggy and the Stooges, or Highlight tracks to sample: "Go Right Ahead," "I Want More," and "Take Back the Toys" will give you a good idea what to expect from this album. Overall, it's a good return to the slick, concise rock-n-roll that the band was known for -- definitely worth your time.