Customer Reviews

Presidents of the United States of America 2

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Presidents of the United States of America (phew!) came around a time when I, and most of my peers were either punking out to Green Day or head banging to the grudge sounds of Nirvana. The first time I heard "Lump" (from their self titled release) I found myself infectiously nodding my head and singing along, and in a short amount of time their first album made its way into my collection. To tell you the truth I enjoyed the refreshingly funny lyrics about making love, smashing match-box cars and tiki gods, such a sweet change of pace from the sounds of grunge and punk. By the time "...2" rolled around I was a pretty big fan and I purchased it the day it was released. Up to this day "...2" and their self-titled debut always entertain me and liven up my spirits. I honestly can say this whole album is good, but one song makes it all worth it "Mach 5" it's so much like them that I dare you to listen to it and not smile.

The wackiness of The Presidents is fairly obvious from the first guitar lick of their second effort, 'II.' With a rousing intro asking us if we are 'prepared to rock,' we are sucked into a chaotic, twisted world of fun punk-rock that the Presidents enjoy so very much. With the clever, dare we call it a love song, "Lunatic To Love," we are introduced to the fast-paced three chord powerhouse we have come to enjoy. Lyrics abound and silly little na-na-na's in the choruses, the Presidents make this record sound amatuerish and hilarious. This could be the most amusing record ever, with songs not about depression or drugs addiction...songs are about dune buggies, tiki gods, supermodels, singing frogs, shoes, volcanoes, crazy lovers, and bug cities. This is not your ordinary album. This is what makes 'II' such a beautiful record. Amusing, touching, and brilliant. This record brings tears to my eyes. Songs like "Bug City," are so funny because the Presidents take it so seriously. Other times you know they're just having fun ("Froggie," "Toob Amplifier"). The songs are nice, short lil ditties, that aren't too long, and aren't too short. This could very well be one of the finest records of all-time. It's short, not-too-serious and very heartfelt with tear-jerking emotion. (That last part was a joke.) But, in actuallity, 'II' is, in fact, a wonderful, fanciful record. It's like the first puppy you get. You get so attached to it and never want to let it go. Sometimes you hate it, but you know that in truth, you love it more than anything.

The name `II' depicts this album perfectly. This is the Presidents' second CD; and in turn is their second best. And although their self-titled debut may be slightly better than this release, II is still an excellent album. A lot of people criticize it for being too unoriginal or too similar to the first one. But that's the reason the band entitled the CD `II'. Even though they use the same basis for success, that doesn't mean the songs aren't good. The lyrics are new; the sounds are new, but the band stayed the same. You have to appreciate this album in its entirety; follow-up albums are one of the hardest things to create in music. Especially when they're after a widely successful debut. With that being said, here's a synopsis of the 14 songs:

Part I of the "Ladies And Gentlemen" songs is a great start. It's short, it's sweet, and it's directly to the point: `this is the show / we are the band / sometimes it just takes you by the hand' says it all. Track two, "Lunatic To Love", has very fast lyrics. And with it the CD has a very fast start. I'd actually say it's one of the CD's best. A single off II was "Volcano", which is an excellent song. The `...happy campers who poop in their pampers' line always makes me laugh. Of the two singles, "Volcano" and "Mach 5", I think "Mach 5" is the better one. The success of the song was similar to the success "Lump" had, but the two are very different. It's more similar to "Lunatic To Love". Next there is "Twig"; which is probably one of the CD's hidden gems. It's one of the more fun songs on the album. The first five songs are excellent, but "Bug City" is more average. It has a creative start, but never really amounts to much; the chorus was a bit weak. Still it's very likable. The opening guitar sound on "Bath Of Fire" is very reminiscing of their debut (mainly "Dune Buggy"), yet it's pretty original and very catchy.

On the album's second half, we start with "Tiki God". The song was another single, but it's definitely the weaker of the three. I like it, but it's rather simplistic. "L.I.P." is a weird track, and I'm not too sure where its origin is from. "L.I.P." stands for Little Indian Princess; which still doesn't say much about the song. It's nothing special, but on the other hand it's not at all bad. "Froggie" is also quite weird, and is sort of a mix between "Body" and "Feather Pluckn". It's good yet a little repetitive. "Toob Amplifier" is another short song, and is also another great song. I love the talk about the bertha driver and the `300 yards!' shout in the background. If there's a second hidden gem on II, this is indeed it. The song "Supermodel" cites some neat names, including anyone from Arnold Schwarzenegger to Darth Vader. It's very good, and probably the most original on the CD. One of my personal favorites is "Puffy Little Shoes". The song is (as far as I know) the band's longest song at five minutes. The highlights of the song are the `shoe oo oo oo oo oo oo oos' chorus and `soft shoulder salamander up close and alone' line. It's really an amazing song. As for the album's closer, "Ladies And Gentlemen Part II", it's somewhat weak. It's just a longer version of part I with less lyrics. And nothing can be said about the hidden track; it's utterly unentertaining.

In conclusion, the Presidents' II is an excellent release. Maybe not as good as their debut, but still a very good follow-up release. In fact, it did make my listmania list for the best 25 CDs ever. It's just that good. Songs like "Froggie" are reminders of the debut; whereas songs like "Mach 5" and "Lunatic To Love" offer new sounds with fast-paced music and lyrics that everyone can enjoy. Anyone who finds this album clichéd and unoriginal doesn't understand the Presidents Of The United States Of America or their music. They're funny, they're smart; but most importantly they are rock music missionaries... so to speak.

I weep for the underprivaleged folk who have not heard the magic of a Presidents of the United States of America album. The have a unique sound, which some describe as grunge/alternative with a twist of funk.

I am an 18 year old Freshman in college, and I have been rockin' out to The Presidents since their debut album (thanks to the musical tastes of my father.) Out of the many bands I enjoy, I have yet to become tired of The Presdients.

If you are tired of the repetitive [stuff] on the radio, I highly recommend picking up a copy of this album. And even if you aren't, do yourself a favor. Grab some good old PUSA.

The Presidents manage to pull off their wonderful, elegant blend of silly yet intellectual, on an even better level than before, in II (which I consider to be their best). The clever Elvis-metaphor of "Froggie" make it one of the best songs on here. I also got great pleasure out of finally memorizing all the words in "Volcano". If you like PUSA you MUST get this CD, especially with prices here such as 1.15 used. One-click ordering. Just do it.

I must have listened to this CD more than 20 times in the past week. The Presidents' music just makes you happy. Most of their songs have no meaning, and it's refreshing to listen to them and let go of all your worries and have a good time. A bonus for Washington residents is that a couple of the songs are about or at least make references to places in Seattle and the state. Excellent music, fun to sing along to, and I can't seem to get tired of it.

While "more of the same" is usually a kiss of death for many albums, "II" proves the other adage of "If it ain't broke, don't fix it". Fun, bright and purely entertaining, POTUSA's second disc keeps things free-wheeling and upbeat, even during the slower songs. It was a breath of pure oxygen when it first released, and still stands to this day as a great break from moody, depressing, overly emotive fare.

Despite the goofy lyrical style, there is solid and competent musicianship to be found here, too. The range of sound that the band achieves--with two and three-string hardware, no less--is definitely impressive, and the riffs that bounce along are instantly catchy. Combined with lead singer Chris Ballew's bright and clean vocals, the formula works, and immediately drags you into the band's idea of a good time. It's absolutely worth the purchase for anyone who found "Kitty" or "Lump" even remotely interesting.

"II" is a collection of great riffs and memorable stories, whose songs and production blows the debut album out of the water!

This is by far PUSA's best effort and even though it didn't produce any hit singles, the songs are so much stronger than their self-titled album.

The highlight are:

-"Ladies and Gentleman" is a subdued opener, timidly asking the audience "Are you prepared to rock?" before kicking into high gear.
-"Lunatic To Love" is a lightning fast, erratic love song about being in love with a mental patient. It's like "Lump" on speed.
-"Volcano" features a comic rhyming-spree that peaks with "happy campers, have poop in their Pampers..."
-"Tiki God" is a fast-paced, solid rocker with Brady bunch references.
-"L.I.P." has a great riff and sing-along chorus, that like their best songs totally breaks down at the end.
-"Supermodel" contains another lyrical masterpiece that rhymes both "Schwarzenegger" and "Darth Vader" with "Nine months later".

This album is a great listen all the way through and has been matched only by "Love Everybody" in awesomeness-buy it now!

"II" is a very frustrating album. It's about an ounce of inspiration away from a guitar-pop masterpiece, but that deficit is enough to spoil the whole outing. If you want to compare "II" to the the band's debut, "The Presidents of the United States of America," think of the difference between Richard Scary and Dr. Seuss. Richard Scary is cute and clever. Dr. Seuss draws you into a dark and funny world that hems to a unique, mind-bending logic. Several songs on "II" rock hard ("Mach 5," "Volcano") and tease with sweet melodies ("Twig," "Puffy Little Shoes"), but none seem to live in the same innocent-yet-twisted world of "PUSA." Perhaps the problem is personalization. The songs on "PUSA" seemed to be about the band's life. You could picture their couch-potato buddy "Boll Weevil" and snicker as the singer fumbles his pick-up line in "Stranger." And who doesn't want to be "Naked and Famous"? In contrast, the band seems to have written the songs on "II" by placing copies of "People" and "Scientific American" in a blender and then straining for cute pop-culture references. Yawn. Still, you have to laugh at the enormous size of their cojones; the decidedly weak attempt at emulating the Intro-Exit concept of "Sgt. Pepper's" is a stitch, right down to the resonanting, minute-long chord that ends the album.

The Presidents may not have been rock 'n' roll gods, but they certainly don't deserve the one-hit-wonder status that they've been relegated to. As this album proves, the group was way, way more than just "Lump." In fact, this record is easily better than its predecessor, even if it doesn't contain the stunningly catchy aforementioned hit single. This disc is crammed with goofy fun and hook-filled grunge-pop, with churning guitars and surging melodies and lyrics about dancin' frogs. It's the innocent, joyful, and sometimes hilarious antecedent to Nirvana, and we should all be grateful for it. I mean, what's not to love about the pounding, maniacal surge of "Lunatic To Love," or the creepy-crawly utiopianisms of "Bug City?" "Mach 5" rocks pretty damn nicely, and "Froggie" bounces with hilarious abandon. "Volcano" has this really cool ascending riff, and "Tiki God" is hilariously menacing. Sure, the album isn't a work of genius- the jokes get old after a while, and the songs occasionally dip on the annoying side (see "Bath Of Fire"), but for the most part this is a damn good listen.