Customer Reviews

Rip It Off

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I bought this with "Nasty little thoughts." Two years after it's release I finally purchased it, and loved it. I wish I would have had them both when they were first released. Rip It Off is a great CD. It's one of those CDs you buy for a couple of good songs, and then realize that EVERY song on the CD is totally good. Same thing that happens with the "So Long Astoria" by the Ataris, and a lot of older U2 CDs ("Achtung Baby" comes to mind). This CD is very much worth buying, and every song on it is just good.

The first time I listened to this album, I hated it. I was ready to write a scathing review. Nasty Little Thoughts is one of my all-time favorite albums. When I attended a Stroke 9 concert in SF shortly after the band hit it big, I was blown away by the enthusiasm of the crowd. It was the first and only time that I have heard a crowd so excited about every song that I could barely hear Luke at all because the crowd's voices were singing along and drowning him out. That album was the kind of music that made you want to get up and move and just have fun.

I hadn't listened to Nasty Little Thoughts for a couple of years. So when I popped Rip It Off into my CD player, I mostly had just a memory of how fun and exciting the first album was and I'm sure I expected this 2nd album to be the same. And it really wasn't.

I agree with the other reviewers that some of the lyrics are horrible. I'm one who really pays attention to the words and if they are badly written, it can ruin the song for me. There are a few more songs on this album that just missed the mark completely for my taste. I was really pretty disappointed with the CD the first time I heard it. When I listened to Nasty Little Thoughts again right afterwards, it amazed me how much better that first album was.

But then I listened to Rip It Off again and you know, it wasn't so bad the second time around. I've since heard it over 15 times and I've grown quite fond of it. Some songs I cannot get out of my head at all. Of course, I still skip a few songs, but overall, this isn't the terrible CD that I thought it was the first time around. While it doesn't have as much of the tongue-in-cheek irreverence that Nasty Little Thoughts had, it does still have some (like "Kick Some Ass").

On the whole though, I think this second album is a little more mature. The music and the subject matter. And I think once I came to appreciate it on its own rather than as merely a comparison to Nasty Little Thoughts, I enjoyed it a lot more. While it doesn't make me want to just flat out kick up my heels and rock around the living room oblivious to the fact that I can't dance like Nasty Little Thoughts did (with the exception of "Kick Some Ass"), it does have a much wider range of emotions. "Do It Again" is an incredibly (INCREDIBLY I SAY!)sexy song, and "California" is an utterly beautiful ballad. I am reminded somewhat of Better than Ezra, another one of my all-time favorite bands, when I hear some of these songs.

Despite my initial aversion to this album, I know I will be listening to it over and over and over and over again.

The only thing better than RIP IT OFF is NASTY LITTLE THOUGHTS. If you want good, nay great lyrics now-a-days, Stroke 9 is your band. I have had the extreme pleasure to see them in concert and meet them. Cool guys and they put on a great show. They are one of the few bands that sound just as good as, if not better live than on their studio recordings. (Pantera, White Zombie and Def Leppard are some other excellent live acts.)

1. Latest Disaster is what they opened their show with. You don't expect those opening licks but when they come, your eyes get wide and you turns your head and say, "Who am I listening to? They rock!"
2. 100 Girls is a great rock radio hit. The chorus rocks and the lyrics are are so sardonic.
3. Vacuum Bag is one of the best songs I have ever heard. These are easily top five lyrics of all time. This is the first song of their sound check and it kicked my ... when the chorus hit!
4. Kick Some ...is a great rock anthem! This songs is funny and fist pumping. It's not too hard and it's not to punk (as per today's trends).
5. Don't Worry is a quick and funky tune that explores the dealings and workings of human emotions. Probably the weakest song on the album.
6. Do It Again is DIRTY! And I love it. My girlfriend does too. ALL girlfriends will. TRUST ME! It's a great slow tune that showcases some delightful melodies.
7. Just Can't Wait is great. It's a harder song but another one of those bitter sweet "love songs" that only Stroke 9 can do to perfection.
8. We Were Wrong is another one of my favorites and is also some of their best lyrics/any lyrics you're going to find anywhere. The chorus is so infectious and I can't help but wake up in the middle of the night just to listen to this song. It's great. (I have the same problem with Tear Me In Two.)
9. Reject is a fast and rocking good tune. Some more great guitar rock and their exploritory lyrics in the realm of human emotions.
10. Anywhere is slow, but hard, and touching. The beginning strains and sounds sound almost like another band, but I can't put my finger on it, although Stroke 9 comes back through in no time.
11. Lead the Way is a tough, hard song. But it's gripping and emorional and is characteristically deep as most Stroke 9 songs are.
12. California is one of the most pleasant and confessionally honest songs I've ever heard. It's just Luke and a guitar. What better setting to showcase his vocals and phenomenal lyrics. This is a great song, very personal and honest.

I have never waited in greater anticipation of one album as this. The release was changed so many times and I'm just glad I could download some of the songs because after hearing them in concert, I had to have them and my mouth just watered with their new instrumentation and lyrics. It's a great album, well worth any price to buy it. Also worth any price is a ticket to one of their shows. Go try to see them wherever and whenever you can. I don't care what anyone says, this is one of the best bands on the market today, one of the best albums of the year and some of the best lyrics in a long, long time. I can't possibly give this album a higher recommendation.

Believe it or not this is the 5th album from Stroke 9. The first two 'Boy Meets Girl' and 'Music for Friends and Acquaintances and people we don't even know' were recorded in the early 90's and I have searched everywhere on the internet and have not been able to purchase them anywhere. The next one was 'Bumper to Bumper' and is available at the official site and of course next was 1999's certified gold album 'Nasty Little Thoughts', both of which are amazing. Finally this year 'Rip it off' came out and all I have to say is this is a perfect album and why aren't these guys more famous than they already are? They have a chemistry that many bands lack. Anyhow, I thought I'd make this review thorough and go through every song.
1.Latest Disaster - First of all, this is the perfect song to open the album and the perfect second single. The intro is fast with heavy guitar chords. It sounds like it would be a fun song to sing. I love the music right before Luke sings, "Our points of view will never meet..." Also, the ending is very abrupt, and it fits perfectly with the song.
2. 100 Girls - This song's just about Luke's love for the ladies. I guess it's about a bunch of girls he's been with. Either way, it's a very catchy song and you can't help but move to the beat.
3. Vacuum Bag - This one is my absolute favorite. The first time I saw them live, they did this song and I never forgot it. I love the way Luke sings "I was living in the moment and the moment was all about you" I also love the intensity of the chorus "don't hate me, don't regret me, don't ever forget me..." This is a truly beautiful song.
4. Kick Some A** - What can I say about this song? It really does kick butt. I love the video, esp the part where that ugly woman flashes the guys and the face that Eric makes. That is priceless . It's definitely the song for people who are so sick of all those ridiculous pop acts out there. I love the reference to 'Little Black Backpack'- "Anger's today's fashion so sing another song about bashing someone's head in." That's awesome. My favorite part of the song is the end where Luke screams out the chorus "but I'm really just a sensitive artist, perpetrating like I'm not the smartest, acting like I'm not the smartest..." wow
5. Don't Worry - I love the intro guitar part to this song and also the "woo hoos" I also love the music around "don't worry you'll find her, it's just a little reminder" This is one of the songs that the more I listen to it the more I like it.
6. Do It Again - Wow is all I can say about this song. This is the best song to hear live. It's like you've been put under a spell. When someone as beautiful as Luke Esterkyn is singing, "let me do what I want to do with you....", it's really something. While this song may be kind of dirty, Luke does sort of redeem himself at the end where he sings, "The one thing I forgot to do was get to know you."
7. Just Can't Wait - "you got me going so places, you got to be knowing what that look on my face is." I love that slightly grammatically incorrect part of the song. I love the guitar and drums right at the end of the song.
8. We Were Wrong - The intro guitar part of this song reminds me of the folgers coffee song. Don't ask me why. I think this is song the one that is easiest song to sing along to. The background vocals by John sound awesome on this song.
9. Reject - This is another of my favorites. The whole song is just very emotional and the music reflects that. You feel a bit sad listening to Luke repeatedly says, "I'm the reject that you never accepted, I'm the reject that you always neglected, now I'm left wrecked and forever affected." I love how everything gets louder and the music gets heavier towards the end. You get the feeling that he never felt good enough for this ex-girlfriend.
10. Anywhere - This is the perfect song to dedicate to a boyfriend/girlfriend. The music is so mellow sounding at the beginning and then picks toward he chorus and then continues to go back and forth like that. "Anywhere is everywhere and I don't care as long as I can feel this is real and I'm not scared to let you in." that's just beautiful writing.
11. Lead the way - This sound kind of sounds like it could be about obsessive female fans, but I don't know. "When she's lying on the floor and she can't take no more, she knows the words to this one" ... "she looks to me to sing along" Out of all the songs on this CD, the vocals on this song are my favorite. This song is one that I've been listening to a lot right now. The little guitar solo at the end is amazing.
12. California - This song is another extremely emotional song. It's a very beautiful song. Its just Luke singing and on guitar and Greg on bass. It's a very bittersweet sounding song "I can't say now where I'm gonna go. when I figure it out you'll be the first to know" "life's a funny thing and you can't bring yourself to face it if you want to"..." I couldn't leave California if I tried to." Like I said, it's just a beautiful song.
Go buy this CD right now! I guarantee that you won't regret it. Luke, John, Greg, and Eric are so talented and they're actually very nice, down to earth guys. You can tell that these guys truly love what they're doing. After you buy the album, go see them live. I always liked Stroke 9, but it wasn't until I saw them live that I became a diehard fan. This is one of the best albums I own, seriously.

This is my favorite Stroke 9 CD! I can listen to it over and over again! THe beauty of Stroke 9 is that you are not going to get the same music over and over from them. They are not afraid to go out on a limb and try something new with each CD. My favorites on this album are Vaccuum Bag, We Were Wrong, and 100 Girls. I put this in and just want to sing along as loud as I can! This band is one of the most underrated bands around and should really be getting a lot more air time.

So many of the other reviewers have raved about this CD. There are some good songs, but Stroke 9 hasn't broken any new ground since "Nasty Little Thoughts," which is actually a better album. If you want to buy only one CD by Stroke 9, I'd recommend "Nasty Little Thoughts." Washin' and Wonderin' is one of the best songs to come along in a while.

Whats unique about Stroke 9s follow up album is that they spent the 3 years in between albums really defining themselves. In Rip it Off, they show off their fun comical sides while still maintaining lyrics that really speak to their audiences. This is clearly illustrated in the tracks titled Kick Some A** and 100 girls. Stroke 9 makes sure that the albums 12 tracks are distinguishable. It starts off with light hearted subjects that are fast paced with more than just good lyrics but also an amazing sound. The last four songs (Reject, Anywhere, Lead the Way, and California) are reasons enough to buy the cd. The last half of the album is where you can really see Stroke 9s talent that sets them apart from generic bands.

Plus, they just rock in general!

I just bought this album last week and I haven't stopped listening to it. I am a huge alt rock fan, but everything is starting to sound so generic lately. This CD is definately a breath of fresh air. There is a great combination of fun and soulful songs, all with the unique sound that characterizes Stroke 9. All of the songs are great, but my favorites are: "Latest Disaster" (I can't think of good adjectives to describe this song except for the fact that I can NOT stop singing it and making everyone listen to it), "Vacuum Bag" (a great emotional song about a past relationship), "Do It Again" (watching them perform that one live is what did it for me!), "Kick Some A**" (need I say more?), and finally "Don't Worry" (great breakup song). This CD always makes me feel happy and I love to pop it in when I am working out or driving somewhere. My only final thoughts on this, besides to GO OUT AND BUY IT are try to see this band live. They put on a GREAT show!!

I had never heard of STROKE 9 until I saw thier video at the end of the JAY AND SILENT BOB DVD for the song KICK SOME A**, which is a great song by the way. Yesterday I went to the Tower Records in San Francisco to see them do an in-store performance and I liked what I heard and decided to by the album. I think this guys are a good rock band and this CD is worth listening to and adding to your collection. Besides KICK, some other songs that I think you will enjoy are: LATEST DISASTER, 100 GIRLS, VACUUM BAG, WE WERE WRONG, DO IT AGAIN. I think that this band is a wave of fresh air for rock fans that are tired of the junk that is popular today(i.e. boy bands and the like), and I sense that this album will really blow up and be a huge one

Rip It Off is a great CD...I can't turn the volume up loud enough. Stroke 9 is awesome. im addicted

1. Latest Disaster ~ 10/10 Love this song! Great opening to the CD...you'll be singing it all day (and thats a good thing, haha)
2. 100 Girls ~ 4/10 ...ok, I just dont like this song. But it's the only song i skip
3. Vacuum Bag ~ 10/10 This is the song that got me stuck on this CD.
4. Kick Some A** ~ 10/10 kick a** song
5. Don't Worry ~ 9/10 another good song
6. Do It Again ~ 9/10 "the one thing i forgot, was to get to know you" i love this line, as screwed up as it is..so many relationships are like this song
7. Just Can't Wait ~ 10/10 yeah..i love blasting this song
8. We Were Wrong ~ 9/10 great song when u r just so over a relationship
9. Reject ~ 8/10 ~ good good
10. Anywhere ~ 8/10 ~ i like this song, but it takes a while for the song to get going
11. Lead The World ~ 8/10 ~ good, but not great
12. California ~ 9/10 ~ calming, i like it

over all it's a great cd. stroke 9 is worth listening to non stop.