Customer Reviews

Pushing the Salmanilla Envelope

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

There is something really special about Jimmie's Chicken Shack. Their sound is unique, as it is a mix of punk, funk, metal, rock, and even a little rap now and then, and it all works well together. The opening track "Dropping Anchor" starts the album off in grand fashion (despite the fact that the main riff of the song does sound eerily close to Tool's "Stinkfist"). Their first single "High", although not incredibly complex, rocks incredibly hard, and is one of the most memorable tracks on the album. Other memorable tracks include "Outhouse", "Blood", "Milk", Hole", and "This is Not Hell". The songs themselves with the exception of "High" are both musically and lyrically complex, and for the most part, very thought-provoking. Jimmie's Chicken Shack, in their own special way, are urging the younger generation to take control of their lives. A motivational rock group?You can't be serious. Yep. Believe it. If you're looking for something new and exciting and not so radio-tested, pick up "Pushing the Salmanilla Envelope" by Jimmie's Chicken Shack. You'll be pleasantly surprised.

As I assume many people did, I bought this album a long time ago when I first heard "High" on the radio. Which was odd even then because I never really thought "High" was a very good song. In fact, I'm still not sure why I bought this album. Forgive me, it was a long time ago..

Anyway I am certainly glad I did. I will start off by saying that "High" is the worst song on this album, by FAR. If ever something on this earth should highlight the fact that the big-wigs at MTV don't have a clue, it is this album. "High" was a catchy song and therefore became the single. But I am here to tell you, the rest of this album is much much better than "High".

This is one of my favorite albums, ever. And to think, it is from some relatively no-name band that I'm sure 19/20 of your friends have never even heard of, which is a shame because this is really good stuff. Also, don't be too deceived by the stupid names, "Jimi Haha" and stuff, this band has some very intelligent lyrics. Not always mind you, some songs are meant to be comical, but some of their lyrics are quite good.

And as a final note: "Another Day" is quite possibly my favorite song on earth, from any band.

This album and band to put it simply ROCK! I am from the Delaware Beaches and have seen the shack 5 times live and have yet come out of a concert with a pulse rate below 200. I am 31 and love the rock,jazz, scene. I have never been moved by music like this in my life. I love every track. YOU WILL NOT BE LET DOWN. From the first note to the last you will bang your head so much that you will be sore the next morning. This Band is just to good to be an opening act for some other big name band. I would pay the big ticket price just to see the Shack and then leave before the "big name band enters" KEEP IT UP SHACK!!

I'll admit that I bought this album after I heard "High" on the radio one time, which I usually never do. I thought I was setting myself up for a disappointment but, thankfully, that wasn't the case -- this is a really good album. The Shack aren't necessarily breaking new musical ground, but they take the tried and true rock n roll formula and put it through Jimmie's blender with a little rap, funk, punk, metal and jam. What you end up with is a unique sound complemented nicely by Jimmy Haha's enticing lyrical skills. Songs like "Spiderweb," "High," "This is not Hell," "Schoolbus," and "When you Die You're Dead" stand out on this album and also stand out from songs in the placid wasteland of modern radio (even though the album is four years old). You won't be disappointed because this is one funky chicken.

this cd has it all. the best cd from the shack. these cats really know what's going on. the bass line is rocking. much harder than bring your own stereo.

This album was Jimmie's Chicken Shack's major label debut, and it showcased the band sounding more seasoned and confident than they did previously or on later releases. This lineup had been together for several years prior to this recording, and this album captures JCS at their peak.

About half the album's songs previously appeared on their independent releases Spit Burger Lottery and Chicken Scratch (both collected in all their raw glory on 2 For 1 Special), but benefit from a more polished production from Steven Haigler. The sound can be decribed as having some elements of Primus (bass heavy, stream of consciousness lyrics) and Jane's Addiction (ripping guitar solos, some unique percussion work), but JCS merges them together to create their own sound.

The album's lead single, "High", was a fun, energetic rocker, but hearing it doesn't prepare you for more thought provoking songs like "Outhouse", with lyrics expressing concern about the environment, and "Spiderwebs", about persevering in the face of adversity. The furious ska-inflected "When You Die You're Dead" is definitely another highlight of the album - the lyrics spouted off by frontman Jimi HaHa may be interpreted by some as mindless mumbo jumbo, but they're actually quite meaningful and definitely make the song stand out - this is where JCS transcends their influences. Even lesser songs like "School Bus" contain amusing lyrics and a funky bottom end that make them engaging nevertheless.

In summary: This is probably the JCS album to start with if you've never heard them before. The lineup for this band changed (with only HaHa and bassist Che Colavita Lemon remaining) when they recorded the disappointing Bring Your Own Stereo, a hybrid of watered down ska riffs and by the numbers modern rock fare, and it has changed yet again (with only HaHa remaining from the band that recorded BYOS) for Re.Present, a streamlined, harder rocking affair. This albums features JCS at their creative apex - it's a clever, solid collection that should have gained more exposure for the band.

every song and every moment of this album is amazing. what everyone else says is true, its got a little bit of everything. Psychedelia("dropping anchor"), rap("spiderweb"), funk("hole","School bus", "blood", "sitting with the dog" plus more subtle elements in most other songs throughout the album), punk('when you die you're dead"),metal(most songs but most notably "high and "milk), jazz("this is not hell"), and alternative rock("outhouse"). Every song sounds great, there is no reason to hate these songs unless quirkiness turns you off from music. Its heavy, hard, melodic, and the lyrics are great too. it just plain rocks harder than most albums of the 90's and definately more than anything today.

Usually, I'm not a big fan of the pace of music that Jimmie's Chicken Shack offers w/ this CD. I really don't think that the songs have explicit lyrics, except the song High. If you're looking for a change from the Pop and rap of today, try the punk/hard rock style of Jimmie's Chicken Shack.

Foget all of that "Do Right" crap. This is the real thing. I bought this album on a whim used... It was worth every penny. This isn't that pop rock crap they put out with BYOS, this is good punk rock. The vocals are sweet and the lyrics usually don't make much sense and are pretty funny-they go along perfectly with the album. The guitar work on this cd is very good, too. Try and listen to the bass lines on this cd, because if you can, you'll find that they have a very talented bassist. You'll probably never hear any of this stuff on the radio, but that's good because most of the stuff on the radio really sucks anyway. I think the best songs here are Milk, Dropping Anchor, Hole, and High. The guitar solo in High is probably the highlight of the album, but when I put this cd in my stereo, i never want to skip over any of the tracks. If you're tired of all the crap out there and want something to hold your intrest for a while, buy this. I don't think you'll be disapointed.

Agreed with many others here that "high" is one of the album's worst songs. This isn't like junk that gets produced nowadays and even back in the '90s where there's one or two above average (or just plain mediocre) singles and they throw in another dozen or so crappy, half-thought-out songs to fill up an hour of disc space. Most everything here is well written both musically and lyrically

My favs: "This is not Hell" (for the beautiful poetry in the lyrics); "Outhouse" (focus on discontent and turbulent times, but motivational as well); Milk; and the hard but flowing "Dropping Anchor". When you listen to Dropping Anchor (track 1) you can feel the band's talent and I assure you that that track is standard for the album as a whole. What an opener!

I fell in love with this album because a friend's older brother had it. Also grew up in the same county as the band (Anne Arundel, MD) not 20 minutes away. It's a shame they didn't make it to the big scene, but their subsequent albums bombed (as do those of many bands, but P.T.S.E. is a gem) and being known only for a song that was mediocre at best wasn't much to fall back on.

With the exception of "High" and two songs which I felt were just for comedic effect (tracks 8 and 9) the album is rounded out with "Blood", "Sitting on a Log" (Not sure of the name for tack 11) and "When you Die you're Dead." These also are all above average. Pushing the Salmanilla Envelope was not an album haphazardly thrown together with a couple of good tracks which seems to be the standard business model these days.