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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
First Rock/ 2-Step Crossover Album, October 31, 2001
Since it seems to be a 4-year wait between albums these days for Jesus Jones it can get tricky being a fan, but when I got this CD in the mail yesterday-- back to the old logo, old style liner notes with commentary from Mike Edwards, beautiful graphic design-style art instead of that weird kiddy coloring of the last album Already... what a rush. Briefly, this is an album that features Jesus Jones as a rock and roll band, first and foremost, which is not something you could really say about the usual one-man-band-and-a-producer style of old. The other major sound to the album comes from UK garage/ 2-step, which I suppose makes this the first 2-step/ rock crossover album. It's also kind of a dirty and grimy album, mostly about cars and bicycles and nights on the town. Here's a track run-down: 1. Message-- Foo Fighters esque and non-dance-- very un-Jesus Jones-like, but tough and meaty. 2. Stranger-- very fast, almost straight rock n' roll that reminds me a bit of oldie "Never Enough." 3. Rocket Ships of La Jolla-- a favourite-- garage in the verse, rock in the chorus, apparently about seeing California as some kind of fantasy landscape. 4. Asleep on the Motorway-- a re-worked Yoshi track that has a lovely pop piano. 5. Hello Neon-- another instant favourite, maximizing the rock / 2-step crossover. Goofy laughing samples abound. 6. A-Team-- confusing, lo-fi deal that I haven't given a chance. 7. Half Up the Hill-- Jesus Jones + nu metal? The concept sounds foreign but here we have it, and it redeems the whole genre. 8. Princess of My Heart-- one sort of droning sound and a soft, high pitched acoustic guitar, lovely. 9. Getaway Car-- the only nod to the Eastern sounds of previous Jesus Jones tracks, this doesn't have many rock elements but a concise, goofy story to match the clipped, goofy vocoded voices. Like a humourous version of Radiohead's "Packt Like Sardines..." 10. To Get There-- almost standard sample-rock that is simply a good song about perseverance. 11. Nowhere Slow-- more fast paced rock and roll the way everyone used to want it, with more nods to 2-step. 12. In the Face of All This-- strangely mentions a plane crash and Afghanistan, which may have or may not have been added to the final recording, as this record was released in late October. Now buy it.
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