Manifest Destiny [Import]

Dictators | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 28, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Wea/Warner
• ASIN: B00006JLIZ
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #571,846 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Exposed

2. Heartache

3. Sleepin With The TV On

4. Disease

5. Hey Boys

6. Steppin Out

7. Science Gone Too Far

8. Young Fast Scientific

9. Search And Destroy

Editorial Reviews

Japanese exclusive issue (first time on CD) of the influential proto-punk band's 1977 album for Asylum. Highlights include a cover of the Stooges' 'Search & Destroy'. Elektra. 2002.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars You call this a sellout?, January 8, 2005

By 

Michael Vanier (Pasadena, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Manifest Destiny (Audio CD)

This is it, the Dictators' infamous sellout album. This album is so different from their previous album, the classic "Go Girl Crazy", that you would swear it's a completely different band (actually, they just added one new member, got a new drummer and shuffled roles a bit). But if it's a sellout, every band should wish they could sell out this well. The reason it's considered a sellout is that after the dismal sales of GGC, songwriter Adny Shernoff decided that the Dictator's brand of rock'n'roll humor was too sophisticated for the average dumb heavy metal fan (which is true), so he proceeded to write an album of great songs with intentionally trite lyrics. Note the "intentionally" -- most bands who write trite lyrics (such as Loverboy and Foreigner from that era) write them because they can't do any better. That couldn't be further from the truth here -- Adny was (and is) an amazingly clever lyricist. So what do you get? "Exposed" is a great pop song that reminds me of the Outfield (who came along much later). "Heartache" is a terrific power ballad. "Disease" is a fantastic dark heavy metal song with a large dose of the Dics brand of humor. And on it goes. About the only song I don't like is the cover of the Stooges' "Search and Destroy" -- not that it's bad, but when the original is perfect, there is nowhere to go but down.

After this album, the band realized that pandering to the masses wasn't the way to go, so they regrouped and came back with the terrific album "Bloodbrothers", and, after a mere 25-odd years, the brilliant follow-up "DFFD" (where Adny inexplicably changed his name to "Andy" -- geez, the things some people will do to get attention). But this album is not just for completists; it stands on its own. I hope the Dics will re-introduce some of these songs back into their live gigs -- there's lots to fun to be had here.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Destiny Rules, September 29, 2004

By 

Tim Brough "author and music buff" (Springfield, PA United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Manifest Destiny (Audio CD)

Producers Sandy Pearlman and Murray Krugman saw the nascent Blue Oyster Cult sound in the Dictators' voice and made "Manifest Destiny" parallel the early BOC discs. Thick, sludgy guitars, vocals back in the mix and heavy on the reverb. As a result, I really can't give this 5 stars due to the muddy production, but at the same time, this was the album that made me a Dictators fan for life! Why the Dic's haven't been put on the pantheon they deserve is beyond me, but with songs like "Science Gone Too Far" and their blistering cover of The Stooges' "Search And Destroy," they proved they could blast as well as their CBGB contemporaries of the period. And they were not without a sense of humor; just check out the opening lines of "Hey Boys" or Handsome Dick's monologue on "Disease." "Manifest Destiny" is a brilliant artifact of an era in American Music, and it's finally available at domestic prices. They followed it up with their masterpiece, "Bloodbrothers," and Sony has been kind enough to leave "Go Girl Crazy!" in print. My advice is get 'em all now and that includes the recent "DFFD" because it still smokes the competition.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars This Review Is Based On The Overall Product! Please Read..., June 8, 2003

By 

"The Woj" (Downers Grove, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Manifest Destiny (Audio CD)

This review is based on the overall product available for purchase here on Amazon.
So here's my story..."Sherman, set the way back machine!"....I bought this album on lp when it first came out back in 1977 based on a review I read in Circus magazine.
I was a junior in high school. Needless to say I would not be writing this review if I did not think The Dictators were the best band on the planet. I thought it then, I believe it now.
I promised myself when I bought my new car this year (we are now back in 2003), I would upgrade to a factory installed cd player. The first cd I was going to crank up was "Manifest Destiny", I was going to start with side 2 (which began with "Steppin' Out" on the lp, track 6 here). So I ordered this overpriced Japanese Import and got my new wheels about 2 weeks ago. I was psyched big time...and I was let down oh so very hard by the terrible, brutal, pillow over my speakers sound of this disc. The music deserves a 5 star rating if not even higher. Clapton is NOT God, but Ross is the BOSS. However, the sound quality is absolutely atrocious (more atrocious than my run on sentences). I give the sound quality, a negative 6, hence the 1 star rating. It sounds like the transfer was taken off an 8-track tape or normal bias cassette at best. There is no high end clarity or instrument separtation whatsoever. Like I said earlier, it literally sounds like someone put a pillow over your speakers. It sounded just as muddy on my indoor system too. I actually pulled out my old lp and it sounded 10 times better than this garbage. Why the Dictators can't get this remastered and put out in the good old USA is beyond me. So there you have it. Unless you absolutely must have this on cd, do not waste the Andrew Jackson plus you're going to spend here....