Rise and Shine

The Bears (Performer)

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Original Release Date: 1988
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: MCA Records, Inc.
• ASIN: B00026ES9G
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #154,075 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Bears "shine" with second album, April 8, 2005

By	Wayne Klein "If at first the idea is not absu... (My Little Blue Window, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

Although the second Bears album isn't quite as startling or new as their debut, there's plenty of terrific music here. In many respects, I feel it's a better, more self assured album from this quartet. Adrian Belew lets the rest of the band stretch out on this album and some of the material recorded here are re-recordings of a few tracks the band made as The Raisins. "Rob Fetters comes to the fore providing perfect ballast to Belew's vocals and guitar playing.

Among the many highlights is Fetters' "Aches and Pains", Belew's "Old Fat Cadillac"(an acoustic version is available on "The Acoustic Adrian Belew"), Belew's "Save Me" with its memorable guitar playing and time changes,the rocker "Complicated Potatoes", Nygswonger's "Robobo's Beef" with Fetters and Belew trading off on lead vocals. We also get to revisit two great tracks from "The Bears" album. "Man Behind the Curtain(Revisited)" a remix done ala The Beatles' "Revolver" with plenty of backwards vocals, guitar parts all done as if it were recorded in 1966 or 1967. It doesn't replace the fabulous original track but it's interesting. The other bonus track "Figure It Out" receives a dreamy remix when compared to the original version with the drums cranked up a notch and the harmonies brought up in the mix.

Why no one has licensed this superb album and re-released it is beyond me. Yeah, sure they're a cult band but cult bands are perfect for reissuing and rediscovering in their marvelous, off beat glory. Highly recommended but try and trade a copy of it vs. spending $50.00 on it unless it's an absolute must-have.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent 2nd CD With A Few Extras, May 7, 2006

By	D.C. Hanoy (Athens, Georgia) - See all my reviews

The Bears' first CD 'The Bears' (1987) is superlative - challenging, muscular, tuneful, idiosyncratic, and accessible. 'Rise and Shine' (1988) is nearly as good. While a bit more adventurous in song structure and playing, it also contains the occasional heavy-handed lyric and one or two fewer memorable songs. You'd be foolish to pass up either CD, though - get 'em while you can. As a bonus, 'Rise and Shine' adds remixes of two songs ("Man Behind the Curtain" and "Figure It Out") from 'The Bears.' - Jon Young/Mark Fleischmann/Dave Schulps/Ira Robbins, Trouser Press

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars These Bears Have Bite, February 1, 2008

By	Tim Brough "author and music buff" (Springfield, PA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

In one of those cases where you wonder about justice in the order of things, Adrian Belew's band when he wasn't being a guitarist to famous people (David Bowie, Talking Heads) ripped two great albums in the late 80's that vanished into cult status upon release. It wasn't helped that the band wasn't just signed to IRS as the label was in its final years, but to a subsidiary of IRS (Primitive Man Recording Company, or PMRC for those into 80's lingo subversion). "Rise and Shine" crackles with the same powerful pop of their debut, gets topical ("Holy Mama," "Robobo's Beef") and features Belew's stunning guitar work.

With Belew and second guitarist Rob Fetters sharing vocals and all four members sharing songwriting, "Rise and Shine" is very much a band record. In a perfect world, "Aches and Pains" would have been getting radio play next to Cheap Trick or Squeeze. There is also plenty of Belew's psychedelic Beatles infatuation, down to including a remix from The Bears', a Revolver inflected "Man Behind the Curtain." In addition, there are plenty of flashes of Belew's offbeat humor, like the take on Playboy Mansions and those that visit, "Rabbit Manor" (written by bassist Rob Nyswonger!).

What takes this down a peg from the debut is the songs aren't as consistently great as that killer first. You'll trade that off for the hooks and snap of "Aches and Pains" or the Talking Heads-y "Old Fat Cadillac" plus the solid playing from all four Bears. It's such a drag that music this cool couldn't find a home outside of devotees.

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