The Presidents of the United States of America: II [Vinyl] [Original recording]

The Presidents of The United States of America | Format: Vinyl

Product Details

• Vinyl (November 5, 1996)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B000002BIM
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MiniDisc  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #708,091 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Ladies and Gentlemen, Pt. 1

2. Lunatic to Love

3. Volcano

4. Mach 5

5. Twig

6. Bug City

7. Bath of Fire

8. Tiki God

9. Lip

10. Froggie

11. Toob Amplifier

12. Supermodel

13. Puffy Little Shoes

14. Ladies and Gentlemen, Pt. 2

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

It's come to my attention that the Presidents of the United States of America really seem to piss-off some people. Seems the Seattle trio are just not depressing and dour enough for those who have become accustomed to the miserable angst polluting MTV and radio stations nationwide. Well, if the PUSA have their goofy, little way, everyone will loosen up a bit and stop taking everything so seriously. When did music stop being about entertainment?

It hasn't in the Presidents' tweaked, adolescent world. Like their political counterpart, Bill Clinton, these happy-go-lucky boys just want to make everything OK in the world. What better way to do so than the welcome handshake of "Ladies and Gentlemen Pt. 1" to start things off right? "Good evening ladies and gentlemen, are you prepared to rock?" they inquire and then repeat quite definitively, "Let's rock," just so you know they mean business.

And let there be no doubt, the Presidents are dead serious about not being serious. We find the usual assortment of odd character's ("Froggy," "Little Indian Princess," and others) and wacky scenarios ("Tiki God," "Puffy Little Shoes," "Bath of Fire," and "Lunatic to Love"), but the best lyrical webs spun by frontman Chris Ballew are trivial little vignettes turned into irresistible anthemic pop songs. The PUSA are the finest proponents of mindless escapism of the strangest variety. So, leave all your worldly troubles behind when you pop this baby in the CD player, and take a trip to the Presidents' world as they beckon, "This is the show, we are the band, sometimes it just takes you by the hand." --Adem Tepedelen

Product Description

Japanese edition of their new album features thesingle 'Mach 5' and five bonus tracks, two of which are NOTon the Australian bonus CD! Bonus tracks not on the Austral-ian: 'Japan' & 'Tremelo Blooz'. Other three bonus tracks:'Tiki Lounge God', 'Mach 5' (Li --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the most entertaining bands I have listened to, November 26, 2001

By 

Rex Marksmanson "HEYO!" (Long Island, New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Presidents of the United States of America 2 (Audio CD)

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.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's Even Better The 'II'-nd Time Around, July 20, 2001

By 

Chris (Bellevue WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Presidents of the United States of America 2 (Audio CD)

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.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The title 'II' says it all, March 24, 2003

By 

wellwellwell (bog) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Presidents of the United States of America 2 (Audio CD)

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.