Customer Reviews

Retarder

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Stupid, brilliant, idiotic, and total genius. What is there, post rock? Rock. There are either three or six of them, covered in blood, broken glass, and premium champagne.

For a long, brief instant, The Unband existed. As a lifestyle, as a power trio, and as the ripest paean to what makes rock great. Everything was held together by brown liquor and 2 axled things that were jussst gonna make it up 95 north from NYC to Northampton. We were all from Massachusetts or thereabouts. That makes you a certain kind of person. It makes your version of rock not so laid back. Apparently when you cross Yankee tenacity with swift songs about not working and/or feeling like poo, you get The Unband. I don't know why TU (that's a funny acronym) broke up (at the height of its fame, bien sur); cause TU was the last great hard glam metal band. Nothing will take The Unband's place--no one else would dare, or care, to mix warty speed metal with cute outfits and make it all so seriously tongue in cheek...I think the guys in the band got tired of having to be so silly, cool and cliche all the time. Whatever. At least we have this major label debut swan song.
Anyone who loves Motorhead, AC/DC and Motley Crue circa '84-'85 will try to understand. Listen to Retarder and know what a select few of us lived through on the eve of 2000. This album was my life--sleazy, stupid, smart, cocky and embarrassed; rife with cops and beautiful hangers-on.
Although I'm happy to be a housewife in Florida for now, I still shout at The Unband every day."

Just when you thought rock and roll was dark and deep comes an outrageous trio from Massachusetts that more than makes up for the depressing Puritans. Hester would have loved them and she would have traded in her "A" for a "U". Where do they get those titles? The Unband rocks!

This is rock'n'roll the way it was supposed to sound. Not that horrendous "I-hope-the-girls-like-it" crap like The Strokes. The kind of rock that makes you envision crushed beer cans, sticky floors, and day-old cigarette fumes. The kind of rock that has to be played at 11, because it doesn't sound right if it's quiet. The kind of rock that was sired by bands like Motorhead, Motley Crue (a little), Speedealer, and Zeke.

The Unband was all that and more...sleazy when the world wanted PC, loud when everyone just wanted to talk on their stupid cell phones, in your face whether you liked it or not. And every song on this CD is a masterpiece. Do you like rock'n'roll? Then you own this (or at least you're ordering it RIGHT NOW).

Simple as that. 3 chord power riffs...over and over and over again. And I love it. So many artists are trying to be so damn complex, and branch out to different sounding blips and bleeps. Then there's the Unband. Who sing about getting trashed, doing cocaine, swearing at higher authority...etc. All while providing simple rocking chords. Genius. I miss this anthem-esque rock. Andrew W.K. WISHES he was in the Unband. Great CD, generally the songs are around 3 minutes, which is perfect for my low attention span. 5 stars all the way, great to play at a party, or if you want to go destroy something. If you've seen Super Troopers, then you've heard of the Unband. So, take the next step and purchase this. It's good.

I pleaded with my God to bring me the Rock, and behold! it was so. For he delivereth unto me a Babylonian-by-way-of-Detroit ensemble for to bring me comfort in my drunkest hour. And lo--the singer sounds kinda like Lemmy, whilst the band rocks ala MC5 or the Stooges--yea, the very distillation of Rock. And the verses, and so the choruses, in their idiotic glory tell tales of excess and intoxicated stupor. And it was GOOD!

And while it verily may be monotonous in its entirety--for the rock does not let up for a moment--yet it delivers according to the rules of the covenant. And the hills will tremble to the terrible sound: Unband brings the rock, forsooth!

Yeah, I like 'em. I bought this CD on a lark and it lives up to expectations. An earlier reviewer likened them to Motorhead, though Motorhead is a bit faster and heavier, but the now-defunct Unband is well worth buying a used copy of. Actually, I'm a bit surprised that they didn't sell more albums and get some air play. Guess they didn't have that "big, new sound" the industry wanted. C'est la vie.

I liked The Unband better when 2/3s of them were playing snotty punk rock in Suburban Boston as Afghanistan Spoon Festival. Those were the daze...

But I give them credit for sticking with it. This is a FUN record. Not bad for a couple of kids from Newton. Nice work.

This band is the only band worth listening to, globally.

I bought this album after a recommendation from buying other CDs. This doesn't disappoint and I got into it pretty quickly. If you like that rockabilly/punk/hard rock style this is for you. Nothing really flash about the album, but nice and fun to listen to - bit like the hellacopters with a bit more balls. Enjoy