Customer Reviews

Raygun Naked Raygun

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

No, nothing will match the emotion of I Remember, the energy of Backlash Jack or the ferocity of anything on Throb Throb but this album still has some classics. Home and The Grind remain among my all time NR favorites. All the whoah-hey-ho-ing is still here, it's just against a new, slightly less gritty backdrop and cleaner production. Now is "cleaner" better? Not in my opinion; the old albums seemed to drip axle grease and city dirt. The big problem here is definitely the saxophone, an instrument that just wasn't ever meant to be "low-fi" and should never try to find a home in punk music. It just has that sound that makes you say "What...is this!" as soon as you put it in. One thing they do differently here is song writing. Sure, you can't argue with the sheer weirdness of Roller Queen, but songs like Strange Days, Terminal, and In My Head all have lyrics that are on a whole new level. I wouldn't go so far as calling them deep but they're a little more grownup than they used to be. Again, is this a good thing?...

Big fans don't need to read this because they already own it. If you like old Naked Raygun, buy this too. It doesn't have the immediate appeal of their older material but it it's worth the purchase. If you're still teetering, download an MP3 of "Home" and I guarantee you'll be sold.

This is Naked Raygun's last studio record, and the only record they recorded without longtime guitarist John Haggerty (who went on to form the excellent Pegboy).
The loss of such a key member really shows on this record; the recording sounds flat and uninspired, and the songs aren't really memorable, ("Home" being the notable exception.)
I'm not writing a review to simply slag this record, I'm trying to warn potential new fans, that this is the one bad record to avoid. Lots of great bands put out a stinker, and this happens to be Naked Raygun's.

Pick up any of their 4 previous records: Throb Throb, All Rise, Jettison, and Understand. All of those records get 5 out of 5 stars in my book.

I think this is a bad ass Raygun cd no matter what. Its not as fast as any of the others obviously but its still definitley them with a more solid rock sound. The sax isnt that bad either its fits the sound of the music. Best tracks are "Prepare To Die, "The Grind" "Home" and "Holding You". This album is true punk rock and all thier albums are good especially "All Rise" and "Jettison". If you own older Raygun albums but dont have this one, get it. Its awesome.....and on one more note, The album cover is their best one...take this cd shaken, not stirred.

This is the last NR Lp I ever bought. This one was a great listen when it came out, but it lacks something. The previous releases had an energy, a spark that made every listen worth while. This Lp still has many memories for me. The only time I ever saw them live they played in Austin, Tx with Jawbox in 1991. They were great live and to this day that remains one of the best live bands I ever saw. Sadly though, this release in retrospect lacks everything the others had. I pull it out from time to time to see if my opinion has changed, but sadly it has not.

I'm a huge Raygun/Pegboy fan. This album is a classic. Not a bad song on it. Great lyrics, grungy guitars, throbbing bass, drums (and yes, even saxophone on one song). Sure, there's no Haggerty (that's what Pegboy is/was for), but it is still CLASSIC RAYGUN! An underrated gem. Why deprive yourself? Rock on, lads.

While the production on this album is often criticized, most songs here hold their own against anything Raygun put out in what's often considered their "prime" period--Throb Throb through Jettison. This was the first Raygun album I ever picked up (way back in '90) so I had the fortune of listening to it with unbiased ears, outside of the context of the band's whole discography. With Pezzati's killer vocals, Kezdy's, Stephens', and Spicer's chugging wall of sound, and plenty of hooks and "whoah-ay-oh" choruses, they were a shining beacon in the generic landscape that became American hardcore by this time.

This album was my gateway drug: "Raygun...Naked Raygun" (and their whole catalog) still hold up amazingly well some 19+ years later. The flat production does drag down some of the more mediocre songs, but the sheer greatness and catchiness of tunes like "Home," "Fever Island," and "The Promise" can't be marred by a producer's flawed judgment.

A flawed classic, but a classic nonetheless.

Most of these songs are great. I agree that it's not their best album, but come on - The song "THE GRIND" is about skateboarding. How could you not love that?

p.s. lose the saxophone

The production is rather muddy and Raygun just isn't the same without John Haggerty on guitar, but a good 50% of the songs are worthy of being called Raygun songs. Still better than 95% of the punk out there.

No good songs, every other album is ten times better. Do not buy this, it should never have been a Raygun album. Too bad they didn't break up sooner.