Customer Reviews

Mood Swings

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was lucky enough to have access to some Canadian radio and TV when these guys released their first CD in 1991. That was a great album all by itself...lots of harmonies, amazing guitar work and hooks galore. It just jumped right out at me...then Mood Swings came out two years later and I ordered it sight unseen, music unheard...and I was just blown away by every single song on the album. This is one of those amazing collections of music that does no wrong from the beginning of the first song to the tail end of the last one. It's nothing less than criminal that these guys haven't had a single thing released in the US, but kudos to Canada and Japan (especially Japan, they're huge there) for putting their music out there. I've bought everything since the first album (even their albums under the Rubber name...they're a bit different but the work is still supreme quality stuff). Mood Swings is that album that shows just how good hard melodic rock can be, and should be in the collection of every young band wanting to venture out intio the melodic hard rock field...THIS is how it's done right! It would be pointless for me to single out any one song on this album. Listening is the key. Some of the other albums can be a bit pricey (some are Japan-only issues) but I can say without reservations that it's ALL worth the price of admission. Nobody, and I mean NOBODY does it better than these guys.

The second track on this amazing melodic hard rock album, "No Justice" says it all. How on earth does such an amazing album as this get overlooked?? Clearly, there is "no justice in the world", to quote from that melodic monster of a song.

All I can say is that every track on this album is stunning. From the searing opener "Saviors Never Cry" to the beautiful yet persistent "Jealousy" to the amazing melodies of "Sentimental Blvd." to the vocals-only masterpiece "Just Like I Planned", all of the tracks are winners. I have rarely heard an album that is this good on each and every track. It took me until this year to discover this band and album. (This album came out during the height of grunge--1993.) Man, was I missing out!

As great as bands like Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, and Night Ranger have been in the realm of melodic hard rock, this album in my mind is as worthy an entry as any of these other bands has ever submitted. Coming from me, a huge fan of these bands, that is definitely a compliment. All I can say to fans of melodic rock is this: Get this album!! It is worth the import price and is guaranteed to bring life to your CD collection. Strongly recommended purchase.

i picked this up after reading reviews posted here. ya know, it's really hard in the good ole usa to get exposed to music that has what i need to get off. that being:1.really good lead and back-up vocals 2.great musicianship 3.well written songs. this one has all of the above. the guitar work is brutal, harmony vocals as good as you've ever heard, and the production is grade A. i'll never understand why a band of this caliber doesn't get promotion and airplay in the states. you really need this one.

Simply put, Harem Scarem is a phenomenal band who can do no wrong when it comes to creating hard-rocking, catchy, stylistically diverse rock music. This is melodic rock refined by some of the greatest songwriters in ANY genre, and to top it off, the band is absolutely on fire. Listen to Harry Hess' amazing vocals on "If There Was A Time" - and he says he was singing with a cold that day! Or Pete Lesperance's smoldering guitar work on closing track "Had Enough" - brilliant. From start to finish, this is an unapologetic rocker through and through, but is so melodic and jam-packed with great choruses and guitar riffs you won't be able to get it out of your head for months. I just discovered this a few years ago, and boy am I glad I did. Fans of Def Leppard, Extreme, Whitesnake, Hardline, Journey, Van Halen, Queen, and pretty much ANY melodic hard rock will find a lot to enjoy here. Tracks range from Leppard-style arena anthems like "Stranger Than Love" to bluesy rips like "Jealousy", all the way to the acapella "Just Like I Planned" (my least favorite track, but still really good) and the slamming "Saviors Never Cry". It's all over the map but still retains that melodic core. Two thumbs wayyy up for this classic record.

Best Tracks:
"Stranger Than Love" - One of the best choruses I've ever heard in my life. Nothing too intricate, just a great slab of melodic songwriting and the obligatory awesome solo.
"Change Comes Around" - Probably the heaviest track here, this one could go toe-to-toe with the Crue or Scorpions or any of the other "heavy" melodic rock bands. Great anthemic outro too.
"Jealousy" - Bluesy, great vocals by Harry Hess. This track smokes from start to finish but still has that hit-potential.
"Sentimental Boulevard" - Should have been a #1 smash! Check out that great chorus, and again great guitar work. Sung by drummer Darren Smith.
"Mandy" - Soothing, note perfect guitar instrumental that keeps the album flowing seamlessly.
"If There Was A Time" - Incredible vocals, amazing guitar solo, and a chorus to die for. Spiritual, hooky, original - there's so much to say about this awesome tune. One of my all-time favorite Harem Scarem tracks.

I somehow had overlooked this band,as have most people in the states.But,after trading cd's with a friend from California,he turned me on to these guys as well as Gotthard. I have since tried to fill my library with anything from HS that I can find.I'm not going to give my opinion of every song,but if you want a top notch cd to play over and over,buy this one,as well as any of their other cd's,and enjoy some of the best music that you've never heard of!

I bought this CD about a month ago because of the great reviews, as well as the sound. I am a big fan of early '90's metal/rock and I can't beleive I had not heard of this band at all. The best song is "No Justice" and I never seem to get tired of hearing it.

Where do you start with something like this? This album is perhaps THE SLEEPER of all time for Hard Rock fans. I only happened to come across it after buying their current release...which is HALF the record that Mood Swings is. Amazing songs from start to finish. This record is in a class of its own. This is a BENCHMARK type of release in terms of production quality,lyrical content as well as the AMAZING musicianship. Sizzling guitar with smooth,strong vocals!
Here is a record that simply came out during a real down period for melodic hard rock and thus NEVER got the fanfare or praise it TRULY DESERVED. If you like this type of music and are considering this record....PUSH 'ORDER NOW'...IMMEDIATELY!! Thank me later.

If I were on a desert island and was allowed one CD, it would be this one. Each song is fantastic, and the guitar solo on "Mandy" is wonderful. It's a shame these guys are making a go of it in Japan...they need to show themselves here in the U.S. I used to drive to Canada to buy their music (I didn't care what the cost of travel was) because I couldn't find it anywhere else. This is a must-have!

This is the real thing, pure, unadulterated guitar-based hard rock. Some ambitious guitarists (like myself) dream of having the finesse of the G3 Trio and the tone and virtuosity of Edward Van Halen. Pete Lesperance, the guitarist for Harem Scarem, has it all rolled into one. Don't take my word for it, go listen to the album!

I had heard such good things about this album that I had to give it a try and I'm glad I did. Not often has an album reached out and grabbed me like "Mood Swings." The first three songs are unbelievable. Throughout the album are hints of Def Leppard, Winger, and Queensryche, but Harem Scarem has a sound uniquely their own. A must have for all fans of melodic hard rock.