Customer Reviews

Read Music Speak Spanish

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Do not listen to any review that refers to this band as emo. This is an independent band with socio-political lyrics. There's not self-examination here. The music is great and the singing is inspiring. Do not listen to this if you are going to bitch about Conor Oberst's voice; you are probably not the type of person who would enjoy it. Personal highlights: Greater Omaha and The Happiest Place on Earth. This is a great album overall.

I'm sick of cheese pop like Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake. I'm sick of grunt rock like Limp Bizkit and Puddle of Mudd. I'm sick of faux punk like Avril Lavigne and Blink 182. Thank god for Desaparecidos, the Conor Oberst-fronted rock band which has the guts, talent, and intelligence to make music that actually matters. This definitely is not slick, commercialized, studio-produced music. Read Music/ Speak Spanish is loud, raw, angry, and intensely political. Oberst spews vitriolic lyrics in his distinctive tremulous voice, alternately sounding like he's ready to cry or go crazy with the force of his message. His heartfelt rants against commercialism, suburban hell, and modern politics have the intensity, conviction, and incisiveness to give them weight and relevance. In the pre-9/11 attack on American militarism "The Happiest Place On Earth" he sings, "I got a letter from the army so I think that I'll enlist. I'm not brave or proud of nothing, I just want to kill something. Too bad nowadays you just point and click. Swing Lo satellite, hot white chariot! In the computer's blue glare, bombs burst in the air. There was a city once while nothing's there. Our freedom comes at their expense. It makes sense, doesn't it? Dollars and cents." In "The Man and His Wife, the Former (Financial Planning)" the target is middle-class American Dream, with lyrics like "I just think and think until my head hurts of the payment plans I'm making. I just want to provide for you. But if you want to make a run for it my love I'd cover you. And if you need money for bills, my lover, I could cover you. Cause I sold some sh*t. I'm saving up. We can get that house next to the park. I'll get more hours at my dad's shop, yeah we'll plan for everything. And we'll enroll in that middle class. Get a compact car full of discount tags. If you're feeling trapped or too attached remember we wanted that." Desaparecidos has renewed my faith in the idea that music can make a difference. Their targets may not be new, but their passion sets them apart from the crowd.

this is a great cd.
and in case no-one cleared it up earlier...

desparecidos = the disappeared. they were a group of political outcasts living in an oppressive regime in a south american country ( i can't rmemeber which). they were... removed.
by being thrown out of hellicopters.

something like that.

cute isn't it?

holla!

A problem I often run into when choosing what to listen to is deciding what CD i should put into my stereo. There's so many options, but one I seem to keep coming back to is Desaparecidos Read Music/Speak Spanish. Who would of thought Conor Oberst could write a solid rock album about commercialism in America, or rather Omaha. He pulls it off, better than alot of bands do, not as well as others.

Lyrics like "I got a letter from the army so I think that I'll enlist, I'm not brave or proud or nothing, I just want to kill something" and "these amber waves purple majesty are nothing but backdrops for Disney well look up close it is superimposed on a blank blue screen" from The Happiest Place on Earth make this album. That along with Conor's ability to scream throughout the album and being somewhat more coherent than many other singers with the affinity for screaming.

Like in many Bright Eyes albums audio clips of people talking are inserted into Read Music/Speak Spanish. Many of them sound like personal ads, or as if college girls were interviewed for a personal ad.

If you are sick of Dashboard Confessional's insesent wining and want something that actually has substance, then the Desaparecidos is exactly what you are looking for. It is the second brain child of Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes) and its probably one of the best albums I have ever heard. It is mostly a lot of social commentary about his home town of Omaha, Nebraska. Home to many of the other great bands such as Cursive and Rilo Kiley amungst many other greats. The songs tackle issues such as money and the subarbanization of Omaha, which was once a small town and has been growing. "$$$$" on Read Music/Speak Spanish is a song about how money rules everything in the world. All the words that flow out of the mouth of conor oberst are nothing less than complete genius. I have never listened to anything of his that was not filled with passion and sentementality. This album deserves great praise.

this album is so amazing i don't even know how to tell you how great it is. fevers and mirrors is one of my favorite albums of all time but read music/speak spanish gives me the same lyrical intensity and genius with more rock and roll. if you love fevers and mirrors there should be no reason why you won't love this album. if i could write a poem/song as beautiful as conor oberst i could die happy.

On Read Music/Speak Spanish, Conor Oberst tackles a sound that bands like Taking Back Sunday, Thursday, and At The Drive-In have claimed for years, and does a better job at it than any of those bands have (maybe with the exception of ATDI). While Conor's vocals are a bit of an aquired taste, they still fit just as nicely with the loud noisy sound of Desaparecidos as they do in the quieter Bright Eyes. Actually, the sound here isint totally unlike his older band, Commander Venus, except that it's executed much better (believe me, those CV records are AWFUL). The only weak track is "Mall of America", where the guitars run through scales throughout the entie song. It reminds me of being in guitar center. Other than that, this record is loud, raw, and well written. I feel lucky to have seen Desparecidos right before this came out, it doesnt look like they will do anything else. Buy this, its great!

Bright Eyes lead singer, Conor Oberst, will never stop producing great albums. Conor sings about things that actually matter in life in Desaparecidos. He hits everything, all the main topics. Desaparecidos in Spanish means, "The Disappeared" if i'm not mistaken. Oberst may be better known for his confessional songwriting and storytelling, but Desaparecidos is nothing of the sort. Indeed, similar vocal melodies and song structure are present, but the guitars are loud and distorted, the bass is pounding, and the drums and keyboards round out this hi-energy, pop-rock band without the lyrical focus of personal relationships. Oberst screams out observational commentary about urban development, the sacrifice of human value for the dollar bill, and the new American Dream.

there is nothing i can really compare this record to, and no way i can tell you how much of an emotional affect the lyrics and shredding guitars have. This is hands down the best album i've heard since i heard OK Computer for the first time. The song "Greater Omaha" has a tremendous affect on me, because i've watched all of our "beauitful open spaces" here in Maple Grove be paved and developed over by pointless and endless up-scale retail stores.

Another project of the gifted musicians of Omaha's Saddle Creek records, Desparecidos 02 release: Read Music/Speak Spanish is a standout. With Conor Oberst's immistakable scream, pounding punk riffs, and intelligent lyrics of the banality of suburban and American capitalist "life" the album will break your heart, [anger] you..., and satisfy your craving for good authentic rock/punk music all at once. Anxisouly awaiting the next album from these guys.