Customer Reviews

The Old Record

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

For people who like ska music, or great harmonies, or FANTASTIC horn sections, this is the best CD around! The first time i heard this CD i was in my friend's car, and we listened to the whole thing through. The moment I got out of the car, I had to hear it again!

I saw them perform once at a free concert at UC Berkeley (ca. 1994) and they always stood out as being awesome, but I never bought their CDs until recently I got Honey I'm Homely from a thrift store for about 50 cents. It was good, but I was hungry for more so I bought THIS cd and I feel like I struck gold. The overall sound has so much more energy than Homely does and the vocals sound more spontaneous and less formulaic -- same with the guitar and rhythm section. One more thing, The Old Record features a standard SKA horn section which I think is a VERY good thing. I sorely missed that on Homely.

If your just getting started in the ska scene and are wondering whose good and who isn't or your afraid you'll buy a cd and be let down..trust me on this one...DHC is the best! You will NOT be let down in anyway!! with songs like "Babushska" and "blind leading the blind" you just want to stop your car ( or just stop whatever your doing) and skank! The harmonic voices of Elyse and Karina are amazing!! DHC is truly "Better than anything" :o) Do the smart thing and just buy ALL of their cd's! ( I did and I love each and everyone! I would advise you to see them live..they rock! And if you can't see them live buy the Live album!!)

This compilation of the Dance Hall Crashers early work is a great sample of the state of the ska revival of the early nineties. All of the songs are listenable, and some truly standout. My favorites are Keep on Running and My Problem. If you can keep from moving on those two tracks you must be dead. A lot of the material deals with relationships, mostly bad ones, but the upbeat music and dueling vocals will make you forget that this could be just another pop record. The group and their pop/ska/punk sound are definitely different than any other and you will either love or hate this album.

Epic CD. It's actually a collection of material from the first four years of their existence. This band is often overlooked, particularly amongst those alienated from the scene. Tim Armstrong of OpIvy fame was pivotal in the formation of DHC but left almost immediately after conception and so these recordings feature Elyse Rogers and Karina Deniké on primary vocals and one track featuring Ingrid Jonsson. If you're a real skanker, I find it highly unlikely that you would not love this CD.

While some third wave ska bands bring a high octane punk attitude to the music and others bring an R&B/funk groove, the Dance Hall Crashers are unique in infusing their brand of third wave ska with the sound of klezmer music. It works really well--really. All 18 of the songs on The Old Record are extremely enjoyable toe tappers. The hard driving drums, guitars, and horns are offset nicely by the sweet vocals. Highly recommended.

Pop in this CD if you wanna get up and dance to some GREAT music. It's got catchy, funny lyrics and a sound that will get you off your feet. You'll be humming these tunes everywhere you go and you'll want to have this album close by at all times.

DHC definitely has SKA in the bag and if you don't know what SKA is then you have been under a rock! DHC captures the dance the fun and the entertainment of what SKA truly is! Buy 2 CD's because you will wear them out fast!