Orphan's Tragedy

Cows | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 9, 1994)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Amphetamine Reptile
• ASIN: B0000004GW
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #146,124 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The Cows have always been one of those "love 'em or hate 'em" type of bands. They have a visceral appeal that hits the listener somewhere between the gut and the gonads, and depending on where you sit on the love/hate thing, they're either brilliant or completely retarded. They do things to the blues that would make old dead blues guys spin in their graves. And as soon as singer Shannon Selberg starts honkin' away on that damn bugle of his, things really get ugly. There's plenty of psychotic ranting and raving, endless tweaked-out blues riffs, and the typical bludgeoning Am Rep rhythm section. But mindless noise and chaos can be stomached for only so long; these guys have the chops now, and Orphan's Tragedy has the best songs the Cows have ever written. If the Cows' fans are cringing at the thought of a pop-laden shift in direction á la Nirvana's Nevermind, don't worry. While The Cows have plenty of hooks, they're still ugly as sin and probably won't be hitting the Top 40 anytime soon--or ever. You've got to love 'em. --Adem Tepedelen

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars classic Cows, but not their best, April 5, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Orphan's Tragedy (Audio CD)

If you're looking for a good representation of what the Cows sounded like, this is an OK place to start. I'd personally put "Cunning Stunts" and/or "Sexy Pee Story" as their two best CD's, and would also consider them the most accessible. I've seen Cows in concert Plenty of times, and, although nothing can capture the fury and insanity of their live shows, their albums will let you glimpse their greatness. Standout tracks on this album include "Cow Island", "Allergic to Myself", and "Baby Love". Sorry that I can't really compare them to another band, but, if you hear Cows, you'll know why. Check them out if you like very densly layered guitars with lots of feedback, clever (although usually undecipherable) lyrics, and NOISE! NOISE! NOISE! See Amphetamine Reptile's homepage, or listen to the audio clips for more...

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Cows just get better with time, May 8, 2003

By 

"drumb" (milwaukee, wi United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Orphan's Tragedy (Audio CD)

One of the wonderful Amphetamine Reptile Record's finest purveyors of sonic melee, The Cows play rock & roll the way it's meant to be played, loud and noisy. With amps cranked up past 11 and songs that threaten to dissolve into chaotic noise orgies at any second, The Cows blistering blend of perverse punk rock is the ideal equation of incompetence and brilliance. Their 7th installment in the war against conventional music, "Orphan's Tragedy" continues to carry the band's signature lack of style, but unlike many of their peers, i.e. The Jesus Lizard, Helmet, each ensuing Cows release shows a marked maturity over its predecessors and on Orphan's Tragedy, this growth is best represented by the album's incredible diversity. Able to cruise along at accelerated punk rock tempos or revel in the dirgy grind of metallic experimentalism, The Cows extract an immense amount of creative results from their never ceasing inundation of feedback. Eerie, Avant Garde crawls like "Pickled Garbage Soup" and "Witch Hunt" are as soothing as they are shocking and the rockabilly tinged "I'm Both" as well as the poppy "Baby Love" show that even within the confines of their fuzzed out warzone, The Cows still push the boundaries of noise rock far beyond the breaking point. The Cows can therefore not only churn out frenzied chord after chord, but most importantly, they can do it intelligently. Like all Cows albums, Orphan's Tragedy is another fascinating maelstrom of sloppy brilliance that should appeal to most noise rock and grunge fans alike (The Melvins, Mudhoney, The Jesus Lizard); So if you want to hear a CD that'll really make your ears bleed but still make sense when the album ends, Orphan's Tragedy is highly recommended.

5.0 out of 5 stars The Cows are one in a million, September 12, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Orphan's Tragedy (Audio CD)

It's only once in a few lifetimes that something like COWS comes along. It's the rare man who can write lyrics like Shannon, and much fewer who can deliver them in such a manner. Do yourself a favor and buy this disc- as well as Cunning Stunts, Sexy Pee Story, and Sorry in Pig Minor. Expand your mind by allowing COWS to enter.. you won't be sorry. If you're like the guy above- who doesn't "get" the lyrics, well.. I'm very sorry for you.

BTW they are now defunct- but Shannon has a new band, "The Heroine Shieks" which is quite good- I hear an LP will be available in Sept 2000