Customer Reviews

Music for Pleasure

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

 

 

for some reason, its trendy to say this album is disappointing, and that the band hates it themselves, but thats not true. the band has hard feelings about it only because it was a tense time period within the band.
the songs are good. good old stooges- and ramones-influenced punk rock. better than the other 1977 albums by the clash, sex pistols, and wire. up there with the ramones and the damned's debut. the production is fine. It's similar to the first album, except that there arent any slower creepy songs like feel the pain or fan club. but its not a different style. If you really like the debut, you'll really like this, simply because brian james wrote almost all the debut album, and he wrote almost all of this album. ignore the reviews that say this is a disappointment. because its not. This album's music has withstood the test of time unlike the pistols or the clash. you can hear where the offspring and other later punk bands were just ripping off ideas from this album. great album. buy it.

I dont see what the problem is besides maybe the lyrics of dont cry wolf and who got the production credit . Other than that nothing to be ashamed of. Worth it alone for the b-side cover of help and the bonus single sick of being sick

For me the false start comprises the first two songs of the album. After that the album gets more rock and sounds a bit like The Saints at times (that's the Australian punk pioneering band who were there right at the start of punk, along with the Ramones). Didn't get as much out of this album as their pub rock type debut album. No songs stood out on first listen but on second listen I did find a few songs to be ok. Here's the songs on the album:


Best songs...on second listen ">[.]":


Politics - an energetic song with a chorus like something The Saints could have come up with (I mean the sing-along parts)...same goes for the rhythm too. Has a punk guitar sound and thumping drums.

Stretcher case - punky song which sounds a bit Saintsy at times...like the guitar intro. Drums have a 'surf music' sound to them at times.

Idiot box - offers something different here...how can I describe it? Gothic western sound? A bassy, mid-tempo track with interesting drumming, especially at the end. Bass delicate at times.


">[.]?":


Alone - nice and bassy with coarse guitar sound. A sort of jammy track. Not bad...interesting.

You know - familiar boogie rock type of riff (sort of like AC/DC?). Interesting vocal vibe. Insistent bass line. Later it plays the rhythm guitar line. Has saxophone. Jazzy outro. This track could be worth consideration for my list of songs with good bass guitar.


The rest (in track order):


Problem child - the first track on the album. Sounds like it's from the soundtrack of a teen movie...manufactured. Pub rocky. Bassy at times. Vocals a bit distant.

Don't cry wolf - has a riff a bit like MTV's promo sting from some decades back...not sure, but maybe MTV got that riff from Gary Numan (think the song was "Bombers")...or maybe The Damned had it before him? Anyway, the lyrics are earnest here and sound manufactured, again, as if for a teen movie.

One way love - energetic with a sort of Hawaiian sounding lead guitar. The rhythm guitar is rocking and the drums are a thumping.

You take my money - not bad. Has some swearing on it.

Your eyes - medium slow riffing. Bassy. Not bad. Perhaps the most commercial sounding track on the album, maybe.

Creep (you can't fool me) - interesting drum texture at the start. Punky, but not like the first two songs.


The bonus tracks:


Help - a speed cover of The Beatles' song. Interesting drum texture...sort of surf music sound, again. Cymbals. Bass. Dual vocals. Punky vocals.

Sick of being sick - rock type song...with a hint of Led Zeppelin? (I'm thinking "Rock and roll", which The Damned have perhaps drawn on for some of the lyrical content, at least). Song has an odd tone to it...like they recorded it in a bunker or water tank.

Singalong a scabies - instrumental track. Has the Led Zeppelin fuzz tone sound. Drum orientated track, bass. Has riffing a la The Easybeats (Australian pop-rock group of the 1960s).


Recommendations -


The Damned - Damned damned damned. 4/5. Pub rock punk.

The Saints - (I'm) Stranded. 85/100. The genesis of punk. Eternally yours. 5/5. A little punk and a lot of post-punk material.

Stiff Little Fingers - Inflammable material. 5/5. Pure punk...but a little odd at times too.

The Clash - The Clash. 72.5/100.

The Stooges - Fun house. 72.5/100. If you like jammy/jazzy rock, this album will suit.

Ok, so the cd isn't all that great, but there are a few essential tracks on it and a few could be greats. My three personal favorites are the trash cover of the Beatles "Help", arguably the best thing on the CD and "Alone" and "Creep(You Can't Fool Me)" were the best two off the original album. While "Politics", "Strecher Case", "Sick of Being Sick"(which was turned great on the sessions CD) and "You Know" all had potential. The main problem with the CD is Nick Mason's production which is horrible(rumor has it he didn't know what the band really wanted) and the new edition of Lu didn't add much(although he did a much better job with Public Image Limited a little while later). Right before the album was released Rat Scabies was kicked out and after the album was released the band temporarly broke up and disowned the album. However, they have released worse items(Phantasmagoria and Anything come to mind) and it could actually be less accessable and harder than their first but the production really hurts it.