Customer Reviews

Scenes One Through Thirteen

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

this may not be what youre expecting if you're well versed with hot hot heat's later works on sub pop, make up the breakdown and knock knock knock.

this album is a compilation of their early 7"s and other odds and ends.

Scenes one through Thirteen shows hot hot heat at a point in their careers where their direction was totally different. A chaotic rollercoaster ride through keyboards, tight rhythm, and distorted bass. This is before steve bays, keyboardist took over singing duties, and thus, the singing style is quite different, yet still fitting. Vocals are a combination of the confident whine hot hot heat fans are used to, and an abraisive scream, certainly a sign of their earlier hardcore influences.

if you dont like hot hot heats recent works, i would suggest checking this out anyway. fans of the locust, and the vss should definitely check out this cd.

It seems like there's two kinds of Hot Hot Heat fans: Those who think the stuff with the original lead singer and the guitarless band was the only great stuff and everything else was a sellout, and others who thought that this was garbage recorded in a dumpster because the quality wasn't up to snuff with later Hot Hot Heat stuff. Consider me neither of those. I think all of their stuff is pretty good, even if arguably this is a different Heat than you know now.

This was not put in order of the release, but it's put in a sequence that makes it easiest for people's ears. It includes their two EP's and the split one with Red Light Sting. Tracks 9-12 are all the first EP, although in a somewhat jumbled order. Poor recording quality, although it shows that Hot Hot Heat were even trend-setters in 2000, when the debut EP was released. All of those have a sense of melody. Even on here it shows that Steve Bays was great just as a keyboardist, and I really like the rhythms of the drums as well. Even if it is not for everybody, if "Breakdown" had you dancing, the material here will too. The tracks with yelling are somewhat less digestable since there's no real guitar for some, but I feel like this was kind of an inventive sound. This is noisy punk without guitars and in celebration of the keyboard, with good musicianship. The first two EP's were released on the record label which has Death from Above 1979's current output, Ache, which makes perfect sense. But what Heat did is always the most fun. The potential shown here is really interesting. Matt Mardik didn't really make the band drastically different, as his voice also had a nasal edge at times.

In the end, even if you hate it, a band called VCR owes this Hot Hot Heat incarnation a thankyou note. It's got the wit of "Breakdown" and "Knock" as well as more energy than the other records combined -- a bold statement coming from as big a HHH fan as me.

This early collection (along with the split EP Ache) shows how much Hot Hot Heat has grown and changed. They started out as a punk/screamo band with a little edge (the keyboards were a nice touch). They survived the loss of their singer Matt Marnik and the gain of guitarist Dante DeCaro (a change from their usually guitar-less music). And with Steve Bays taking over vocals and keeping his role as keyboaridst they warped from loud garage punk into a mix of danceable pop/rock. After Knock Knock Knock and Make Up The Breakdown (both noticeably different sounds with the same lineup) came Elevator. With the loss of DeCaro and the new addition - guitarist Luke Paquin - they had another sound in store for us.
This CD is obviously not recorded well, but still a nice of compilation of the early works of Hot Hot Heat. And with each new CD we are able to see them try out different sounds. Try buying the timeline. It won't let you down.

Other reviewers are right, almost completely different direction from the later works. This album is good, reminds me of Shellac and Rapeman a little. Not that it's a bad thing. The keyboards and 60's influence set it apart from the bands I just mentioned.

when i first bought and listened to it i was confused, its soooo different than the hot hot heat nowadays. but i really like it. Matt Marniks voice is unique, and sounds good for the sort of screamo sound of the whole album. It also sounds super neato and different since theres no guitar, and is mainly synth based. my favrites are "fashion fight pause" and "spelling live backwards" i would say it's worth buying for sure.

Truthfully, when I first listened to Scenes, I was, well, shocked. Could this possibly be the catchy, poppish, wonderful Hot Hot Heat I had become smitten with over the last few months? But after a listen or two, this album truly grew on me. The songs are amazing! Matt Marnik's voice is quite unique, and the synth being the main melody is a terrific change of pace from regular guitar driven rock. The best song is Fashion Fight Pause, but all songs are terrific. You should definently buy this album, but don't expect it to be like Hot Hot Heat's more recent albums.

I do not understand how some people don't enjoy this album. The screamo-ness of it all is very fun and people don't give this album as much credit as they should. Catchy songs such as: Matador at the Door, Haircut Economics, Paco Pena, and Circus Maximus really make this album, interesting, and also worth listening to. I give this album a five star rating and Circus Maximus is my number one played on iTunes!

I got this album on tape at an HHH / I Am Spoonbender show a few years ago. I was their to see IAS, not them, and I'd never heard of them before. I wound up playing that tape to death. I'd never been so impressed by a random opening band. If you buy this album, don't expect something polished and professional. Expect to hear a rauckus demo album put out by a bunch of kids playing a house party. It's a bit different from their new stuff, and it's worth a listen if you like a little organ in your punk rock.

2 1/2 stars

Despite this album's horrible vocals and carnie-on-acid vibe, there are actually many times throughout the disc that you hear an amazing young band with some real fire in their approach. This album does work better as a sheer party favor for your head then an actual musical exploration, be sure that you want to embrace your inner 15 year old partying teen mode complete with crappy garage band rehearsal vibe, and you will appreciate this alot more .

Am I the only one who likes this album? Don't think I'm some Gothic chick who enjoys screaming and annoying noises, for my favorite band is the Beatles, but this album is unlike anything I've ever heard. I love their use of expiremental instrumentals. It's inventive, innovative, and creative; however, if there were numerous bands doing this exact same kind of musical fusion, I would scream my head off. It's unique (or atleast I have never heard anything else like it). Although the album is not... erm... aesthetically pleasing for the general public, it exemplifies a band who likes to expirement. Plus, you can hear remnants of this album in Makeup the Breakdown, like in the song Aveda, where he is singing verse one a second time, and it sounds far away. It's basically the same voice technique. The music is also kind of trippy sometimes, which is neat-o. Haha, I said neat-o. Anyway, don't be talking about Hot Hot Heat messing up with this album. Expirements are never mess ups. Heck, Wilco loves to expirement -- just check out their newest album. And trust me on this: I listen to everything from Allman Brothers to The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Pink Floyd to Snow Patrol, and Paul Simon to The Secret Machines. Yeah. I'm eclectic.