Customer Reviews

Osaka Popstar & the American Legends of Punk (Bonus DVD)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
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2 star:		(1)
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Although many bands have attempted to carry on The Ramones legacy, they have mostly tried to "improve" upon what has come before by making it harder, faster or louder. What so many seem to miss, is that The Ramones sound was as much pop as punk. For every "I Don't Want To Go Down To The Basement" and "I Don't Care" in the Ramones songbook there is a "Rockaway Beach" and a "Sheena Is A Punk Rocker."

Sure, you can exaggerate The Ramones sound to make it hardcore, or you can go in the other direction. Sort of a Dee Dee approach vs. a Joey approach, if you will. Osaka Popstar takes those pop elements of The Ramones and brings them to the forefront. And the result makes me grin a mile wide.

I like all the tracks but it was "Man of Constant Sorrow" that really knocked me out - I had to play it five times in a row after I heard it.

It should be pointed out that all of the members have a punk pedigree. And although his name may not be immediately familiar, John Cafiero was behind the Ramones Raw DVD a little while back. He's the biggest surprise on this CD because his vocals are really outstanding. He's punk without being desperate or mean, an excellent voice to lead the next generation of post-Ramones music.

I'm a huge fan of this band.

Fans of original punk rock rejoice! Osaka Popstar and the American Legends of Punk might be the best `punk' labeled product to appear in ages. Their pedigree is infallible, featuring ex-Ramones (Marky), ex-Black Flag (Dez Cadena), ex Misfits (Jerry Only) and ex-Voidoids (Ivan Julian). They are indeed legends, but more than anything else, Osaka Popstar is a high concept project that bashes through generational barriers. They combine roots-punk style music a la the Buzzcocks, The Undertones, the Ramones, and the Misfits, and then incorporate this into Japanese Saturday morning cartoon imagery. It's sort of like the Archies on steroids, or the Fountains of Wayne on amphetamines. Pop it on and it is easy to imagine that it's 1978 all over again. I dare you not to smile when listening to this CD. The disk opens with an absolutely perfect pop song written by `outsider music' legend Daniel Johnston, called "Wicked World." John Cafiero merrily sings "We have sinned so many times before we see no reason to turn back now, cuz we're the world, the wicked world, marching to hell. We know what we're doing and we're marching to hell," while a wickedly joyous guitar riff rips its way through the rollicking rhythm. The energy never lets up, either. This isn't your teenager's second-generation variation on punk; it's the real thing. Marky Ramone is on drums and he plays with an energy that is...superhuman! The rest of the band is just as remarkable, playing with an abandon that betrays the sheer joy of playing together.
Partially due to the cartoon imagery, and partially due to the infectious nature of the band's performance, "Osaka Popstar" makes punk rock sound like pure fun. They cover two old Richard Hell songs ("Blank Generation" and "Love Comes in Spurts") and make them sound brand new. Do you remember the hullabaloo that was raised by the "O Brother Where Art Thou" soundtrack a few years ago? Remember the key track from that collection called "Man of Constant Sorrow?" I'll bet you never imagined that it would make a great punk tune. Osaka Popstar imagined it, and then they achieve it. Best of all is a track that was written by a bunch of school kids, called "Insects," which is destined to be one of the best summer songs of all time. While the band plows along at 100 MPH, Cafiero sings about the perils presented by the insect world ("Bees will try to sting you hard, all over, your body. Bugs are in the trees and they're watching you"). This track is so good that it makes bug-phobia fun.
A DVD containing two videos ("Wicked World" and a hysterically funny "Insects") accompanies the CD, and I'd suggest watching the videos ASAP, since it will help to convey the playful, artistic vibe that defines Osaka Popstar. In typical punk-rock fashion, the disk contains thirteen tracks that plow by in less than thirty minutes, but it is all meat and no filler. It ends too soon, but that's okay, because it means that you have enough time to play the entire disk again! After all these years, it is a pleasure and a surprise to hear a band that can stay true to their punk-rock roots and enjoy every second of it. Seemingly out of nowhere, Osaka Popstar have perfected a near-miraculous combination of fun and catharsis that leaves you breathless, exhausted, and completely satisfied. A Tom Ryan

I was honestly let down by this record. Even though it's marketed as the "legends of punk", the sound is everything but. It's very bubble-gum pop and doesn't have any aggression behind it. I did get a kick out of the "Man of Constant Sorrow" cover simply because I'm a fan of the Coen brother's film "O Brother, Where Art Thou?." But other than that, "punk" is only in the musician's resumes rather than the sound.

If you really want to hear it, I'd recommend buying used. It's not up to snuff for full price.

I don't buy a lot of music lately, new music seems to only disappoint me. But I heard a sampling of Wicked World, not to mention being a huge Misfits, Black Flag and Ramones fan, I had to check it out. Sure, it's essentially The Misfits M-25 era of the band, just with a different name. But there is such a playful spirit and fun soul inside this album, you can't help but bop along and smile as these legends thrash through a Saturday Morning Cartoon Pop Punk Anime Culture Fest. This is one of the most mindless albums ever recorded, and there ain't nothin' wrong with that. 13 Tracks that clock in under 28 minutes, it's the perfect summertime listening, driving around with the stereo cranked and the windows down, riffing along with poppy, uber-catchy tunes and lyrics.

This is a complete concept album centred around anime and punk classics...

The CD has 13 tracks and clocks in at about 30 minutes this shocked me at first when I put the CD into my pc yet then I realised throughout every minute of the CD it manages to sound fresh no matter how many times you manage to listien to it, this is where the CD'S charm lies in it's bubble gum pop punk rock. It's fun, it's lighthearted it's not serious yet it loves every minute of it ^_^ If you like anime of manga then the packaging will catch you eye immediatly, which is also nice they included the DVD with it so you can see the videos which show off the band's true vision.

If you want some light hearted bubble gum pop punk, or something completly differnt, then you found it. Who thought you could cover the sailor moon theme, sing about captian crunch and cover a punk classic on one album?