Presidents of the United States of America

The Presidents of The United States of America | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 10, 2008)
• Original Release Date: 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Tooth & Nail Records
• ASIN: B0018PJESU
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (90 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #30,454 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #56 in Music > Miscellaneous > Comedy > Comedic Music > Comedy Rock

Track Listings

1. Kitty

2. Feather Pluckn

3. Lump

4. Stranger

5. Boll Weevil

6. Peaches

7. Dune Buggy

8. We Are Not Going to Make It

9. Kick out the Jams

10. Body

11. Back Porch

12. Candy

13. Naked and Famous

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The Presidents of the United States of America scratch that itch that you can't reach. They do and say all those things that you'd like to, but fear what people might think of you. They are your inner-child, but stinking drunk on a half-case of cheap beer. And, with the youthful appeal of the Dead Milkmen, the off-kilter storytelling of Primus, and a razor-sharp sense of irony, they are utterly undeniable.

Try, if you will, not to sing along with "Lump." It sticks in your brain after the first chorus and won't leave until you hear something supremely catchy just to scrape the chorus out of heavy frontal lobe rotation. Musically, they keep everything very minimal (they have only five strings between bassist Chris Ballew and guitarist Dave Dederer) and use their incredibly twisted wit to engage the listener. From the punkish "Lump" and "We Are Not Gonna Make It" to the funky "Boll Weevil," the Presidents are the perfect antidote to the serious, heavy-handed rock perpetuated by their Seattle brethren. --Adem Tepedelen

Product Description

2008 reissue of the fabulous debut from the Seattle Alt-Rock trio, originally released in 1995. Features the hits 'Lump', 'Peaches', 'Kitty', 'Dune Buggy' and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Short But Sweet Presidential Address, June 27, 2000

By 

Anthony G Pizza "trivialtony" (FL) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

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

1990s new rock needed levity after Kurt Cobain's death, Scott Weiland's addictions and dark grunge records like Soundgarden's "Superunknown." The Presidents of the USA wouldn't see the new millennium, but provided an unforgettable debut mixing hard rock with a touch of goofiness and cornpone humor.

Make no mistake, this trio could rock as its cover of MC5's "Kick Out The Jams" attests. They also reference ZZTop, Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Beatles musically and lyrically. The topics were fun ("Kitty," "Lump," "Dune Buggy") and the group had a way with a guitar hook. Moreover, like that fun 60s rock, the Presidents made their points quickly and got out (most songs struggled to make it to three minutes.) This is the album the infamous Shaggs wish they could have made.

But it wouldn't last. Green Day took the same approach, added a whinier voice, slacker world view and a touch of schmaltz to bring LPs like "Dookie" and songs like "Time Of Your Life" to the charts, while the Presidents recorded another year, cut a movie theme, then split. A shame, really, we could have used tunes like "We're Not Going To Make It," and "Peaches" one of these every couple of years, to remember that rock and roll needn't be angry to be enjoyable - or good. Recommended.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a wonderful change of pace, July 29, 2004

By 

PSM/Bokor (United States) - See all my reviews

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

I haven't listened to any of the band's other albums; I can only hope they are just as good as this one.

The President's style is relaxed and enjoyable. Every song on this CD is catchy and a lot of fun. There's nothing " deep" or " meaningful" about the songs; they are just enjoyable.

If you're ever in the mood to just flake out and smile, this CD is perfect. Some songs may actually make you laugh.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This CD Kicks Out The Jams!, April 9, 2006

By 

Some Random Guy "piedude-kt" (Nowhere, The World) - See all my reviews

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

This is probably one of my favourite albums, and I kinda feel inclined to give it a track by track review. Enough blabbing, on with the show...

1. Kitty 8/10- Quite a catchy track, and quite funny too, especially the line "F*ck you kitty/you're gonna spend the night outside!" Not the best track here, but tends to go down well at live gigs.

2. Feather Pluckn 10/10- Very good track, probably taking it's cues from nonsense poems, as the song itself makes no sense. Very catchy guitar lines and chorus.

3. Lump 10/10- One of the best songs on the album, catchy as hell (like most of this album) and a great single. Seemingly a love song, but still pretty bonkers.

4. Stranger 10/10- Slow start, but with a killer chorus. Lots of weird uses of speech, but original, as you'd expect from PUSA. Tells the story of a love affair with a stripper, with plenty of humor.

5. Boll Wevil 9/10- Very funky, telling the story of trying to get a bug "friend" outside. Not the best again, but great bass, and the ending section is killer.

6. Peaches 11/10- The best track here, a song about- you guessed it- Peaches! Again, kinda nonsense, but endlessly catchy! The guitar riff echoes the poppier side of punk-pop acts, such as Dookie-era Green Day. No bad thing.

7. Dune Buggy 9/10- This track has grown on me immensley, at first I thought it was rubbish, but now I like it quite alot. A strange song about a spider driving a dune buggy.

8. We Are Not Going To Make It 11/10- The 2nd best here, very, very catchy, short, but sweet. A go at a "proper" punk song, and one of my favourites.

9. Kick Out The Jams 10/10- Cover of the MC5 song, speedily done, but thriling, fun and overall- ace!

10. Body 10/10- Very funky guitarbass and basitar here (as their instruments are dubbed) with another killer chorus, in the same style as Stranger. But better.

11. Back Porch 9/10- A weird, catchy number about being old, it seems. Very weird choice of guitar style and seems slightly folk-influenced, but all the better for it!

12. Candy 5/10- Shame about this track, the only not-so-good song on the album. Might grow on me, I'm not sure.

13. Naked And Famous 10/10- References to smurfs and 3D billboards in this great track. A fantastic closer with a sweeeeeet guitar solo. A great way to end the album.

Overall, it just rocks, end of story! Well worth getting (I got my copy for 99p off eBay) and just a fantastic album, great fun.