Customer Reviews

Reason to Believe (Dig)

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

 

 

I rarely review albums, but I really feel I must on this one. I have been a Pennywise fan for years, and think Unknown Road and Straight Ahead are two of the most fundamental punk albums of all time. Like some other fans, I have been underwhelmed by PWs more recent album. But this one is different. Yes, it is a little more like Bad Religion, with deeper bass and more heavy drums. But it is also just plain different -- darker, harder, more hardcore, and just plain great. Just listen to "One Reason" twice, and you will see what I mean. This is not just Pennywise, it is Pennywise with a serious attitude. I'm not sure what happened, but I like it a lot. If you were not happy with "The Fuse," buy this quickly. You will not be disappointed.

So with the release of Pennywise's new CD, which was a year late considering the pattern of them releasing CDs every odd year since I was one year old. So, I dunno if it was to get new exposure by people who were only quasi Pennywise fans (like me) or what, but for a short period of time this CD was available in high quality MP3 format on Myspace for absolutely free. Being the stereotypical punker kid (short on cash), free music is always a good thing, so I was happy to download and burn the music from these guys' website.

The first time I listened to it I was highly disappointed. Keep in mind that I only own one CD by this band (Their self titled 1991 album), and then I've heard some tracks here or their from various other works ("F Authority, few songs from Unknown Road and most of "The Fuse"), and it seemed to me like it was the same Pennywise sound, but a little dull and lacking in substance by comparison with what I had heard. So I wrote it off as another band slowly fizzling out of their glory days as they get older.

Then it grew on me, which is not really right... more closely, it infected me. First listen, I told myself there were about three good songs and everything else was mediocre. Second time through, I heard a totally different CD, with 14 good songs and 3 AMAZING ones. Don't know why it changed so suddenly, but these new songs, once disappointing, became totally parasitic to me and my CD player, and soon I was playing this CD every chance I got. I would go for a run (and I don't really like to run) just so I could listen to this CD as I was doing it.

Now that phase is over to and I can look at this totally objectively and say that, it is not mediocre, not bad, not awesome though. Somewhere between the good and great area this CD has chosen to nest. I probably COULD have given it four stars, but since I rarely give 5 stars a 4 star album needs to be a little bit better and I noticed that the other CDs I've given 4 stars were better than this one.

So, pluses, minuses: The strings on this CD are really good. Fletcher is on key as always, writing multiple guitar lines despite being the only six string player in the band and, a bit of a surprise, the bass is a good step up from the previous material that I've heard. For one thing, you can actually hear it (most of the time) and it tends to deviate from the safe, simple pattern of simple following the rythm guitar. There's a neat little bass into to "Something to Live For" that makes you think 'Wow, Randy is good for something other than simply replacing Thirsk.' Also, I know everybody rags on Jim's lyrics, but they're not so bad on this album, I actually really like all the risks he takes in his song writing, even if they don't all pay off and sometimes sound childish despite the fact that this dude's 42 and has been doing it for years.

The big minus on this CD is that there's nothing to really stand out like "Hey, this is the standout track, it's awesome, it's in your face, come see us live so that you can go berserk to it" I am seeing them on Warped this year, but there's no song from this album where I would say "Oh man I really hope they play this song live." The best three tracks are "As Long As We Can" "Something to Live For" and "Brag, Exaggerate and Lie" (The three songs that stuck out upon my first listen) and "One Reason" is a close second, although the into wouldn't be out of place on a metal CD.

Overall, I'd say that if you are into Pennywise this is definitely a good CD to have. I'm not an avid fan at the moment but I think that if I was I would hit you with the typical 'Get the old stuff first, but don't totally forget about this one.' However, if you don't have the money and missed the opportunity to pick it up for free, it's not a catastrophe.

Pennywise has been around for almost 2 decades, and like any band that has been around for awhile, there are bound to be nay sayers. Those that only like "their old stuff" or back when they were "hardcore" or before they "sold out".

I stick to listening to the music. Straight Ahead & Land of the Free were awesome, and I am baffled as to how anyone could dismiss it as "not as good as their old stuff".

Both albums The Fuse and From the Ashes were good, but not immediately accessible. The guitars had a more muted sound, so I can understand people not likely them. I didn't care for them much at first, but they grew on me.

Reason to Believe rocks. They have some really rockin' tracks, As Long as We Can, and One Reason. Everything just sounds fresh and immediately likeable.


I honestly don't know why any Pennywise fan would not like this album. At may not be their favorite, but they should still like it. Buy it now!

More than 2 ½ years and countless breakup rumors have come and gone since `The Fuse' hit stores and Pennywise is finally back at it with `Reason To Believe', rewarding the patience of its fans with an album that proves there's no ceiling to the potential of these California punkers. Despite many raving reviews of their previous two albums, publicity outside their home state has eluded these legends of punk since the powerful `F*** Authority' demanded the attention of rock enthusiasts on `Land of the Free?' However, people that aren't familiar with these boys should really take a chokehold on the music, because I guarantee you it'll be next to impossible finding a band that's been more consistent over nine albums and nearly two decades.
This all goes without mentioning that this band and album is the first ever on a semi-major record label (Epitaph, myspace Records) to be given away for free. It'll be available to download by following directions posted on Pennywise's myspace page (you have to add Textango as a myspace friend).

The one thing that really jumped out at me about this album is the striking resemblance to `Land of the Free.' Fletcher's blazing guitar work is back with a vengeance (even borderline metal on occasion) and Jim's fantastic range has peaked once again after an album characterized by an astounding display of low notes. The political influence and catchy writing has always been a trademark of Pennywise and `Reason To Believe' is no exception.
I was a little skeptical of this disc when I found out it was being released on myspace Records, especially being that big name labels have been notoriously known to sell out bands that don't need to change. However, my verdict is in...
I can say with confidence that this may be the best effort by Pennywise, yet. See what patience and scrutiny can do? It makes greatness, and Pennywise has given itself every reason to stand next to the Sex Pistols, The Clash, Bad Religion and Social Distortion as one of the great punk bands of all-time. The thing that makes this band as good as they are is that they actually care about the music they write. They aren't in it for the fame, for the money, for the girls or any of the other propaganda talent can buy into. They're in it because they love making music, and if you need the proof, download it free of charge.

Noteworthy Tracks:
"(Intro) As Long As We Can"
"One Reason"
"Something To Live For"
"The Western World"
"Nothing To Lose"
"It's Not Enough To Believe"
"Affliction"

The first single, "The Western World", is about as vintage as you'll get with Pennywise and `Reason To Believe' is an array of melodic punk riffs and poetic lyrics that have become the essence of the band's popularity. I truly hope this album will not only suffice the core Pennywise fan base but attract many new fans looking for some quality punk.
The amazing thing about this band is that there really isn't a single album fans can point to and agree on as their weakest effort (or their strongest, at that). Since the late 80's, Pennywise has established a trend of quality and consistency as other bands in the punk genre have come and gone, flown under the radar and disappeared without a trace. These boys have thrived in spite of themselves, the loss of bass player Jason Matthew Thirsk and the stress of making music that constantly has to top itself. In my opinion, they never disappoint.
If you like `Reason To Believe', you'd probably also be a fan of `Straight Ahead' and `Land of the Free?' ...
Very highly recommended album.

Grade: A

If you dig previous PW albums, you'll more than likely dig this one. Although change can be good, I LIKE knowing that whenever new PW material comes out I'm not going to have to worry about them experimenting with accordions, ambient noise, and a host of other changes that would REALLY peeve the naysayers who B, M, and C about this album sounding the same as the rest.

Bottom line: Change is good, but sometimes the best things are those left untouched...

Seriously one of the best albums of all time!
Any true punk that doesn't like this album has an ulterior motive.
Pennywise came back more then a decade and a half and might of out did there
original masterpiece. *bows*

these guys are unbelievable. how could anyone dislike them when all they want to do is just deliver us with constant punk doses every couple of years. with this album, pennywise is still faster than your average punk band. my high times on this record are when they deliver a couple of one-two punches in faith & hope - something to live for and it's not enough to believe-you get the life you choose... relentless...and the rest of the album would not disappoint... 4.5 stars but these guys pulled a trick again so I have to round off to 5.

This album has restored my faith in this band. There was something about the fuse that never sat well with me, it seemed like the band had no energy left, where as this album is full of life. This is definitely one of my favorites, ranks up there with Land of the free, unknown road and about time.

Its nice to hear real punk rock like Pennywise. They were one of the headliners at RiverRave 2008 in Boston along with STP, i never heard them before and i was surprised they were nearly headlining the whole show ahead of Everlast and Filter. Now i know why, this album is excellent. As i've heard from others as well, they're one of those rare bands that gets better with time. If your lookin for real punk, pick this up guarantee you won't be disappointed.

I love every song on this CD which is rare. A lot of times there are one or two songs that aren't real good, but not on this CD. Excellent.