Customer Reviews

Sideways

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

 

 

What a shocker this album was--gone are all the electro dance beats of their 80s heyday, replaced by loud guitars and live drums. The kicker--it's a really good album. The title track is loads of fun, and the styles range from gentle country-rock ("Fall Down Gently") to lovely ballads ("Everybody Wants to Know") to an improbable-but-highly successful cover ("I am the Walrus"--it sounds great!). It's an up-tempo, energetic album which shows that at its heart, this band was always about making good, thoughtful, and most of all fun music--regardless of what sounds they use.

When the 90's came along, synthpop went out of fashion. And some former synthpop bands found themselves playing guitars in order to stay 'in fashion' (ie sell out). The BIGGEST problem with this was that many of these bands ended up losing what made them great in the first place. That something wasn't really synthesizers. But rather, that fun-loving energy they had as synthpop bands. All too often, the music became slower and more serious in a stupid attempt to be more 'substantial' and less 'frivolous' (they became more pretentious, really). The end result was typically alienation of older fans without gaining younger ones (as they were considered an 'old' and 'uncool' band by younger folks). On the other hand, Men Without Hats managed to change their instrumentation without losing the essence of what they were. And for this, I applaud them.

I see that, finally, the "black sheep" of the Men's album lineup has been discontinued by the manufacturer. I'm glad I ordered and got it four years ago! I can't understand why people won't let bands and singers try something new every once in a while. Sure, the ditched the sound that made them famous, but come on, this album ROCKS! I love the title track and In the Meadow is just beautiful. Even their version of I am The Walrus is worthy to have been done, quite a feat to pull off a decent cover of the Beatles (and I don't generally like covers!). It's a shame that more people didn't give this a chance back in the day, and now will probably never get the chance to.

If you buy this album, listen carefully to the guitar riff of the title track. It is virtually the same as the one from Nirvana's revolutionizing hit "Smells Like Teen Spirit"! I tracked down the single version because it remember really liking it back in '91, and that song's release predates that of the seminal Nirvana single. Regardless of any conspiracy theories, "Sideways" is the best song you'll hear about a sexual position. In terms of the album, this is a ROCK album that departs from MWH synth-based roots. I definitely think one would be better off buying the compilation that includes "Sideways" (I think it is on the Canadian import only). "I Like" is another awesome MWH song you probably haven't come across. "Moonbeam" is a nice little number as well.

This album is far from the Men W/O Hats norm. Yes, no synth pop sound hear. It's replaced by some good old fashioned Rock 'N Roll! Don't get me wrong. I love the early Men W/O Hats stuff, but this album was a pleaseant surprise and really a natural progression. The lyrics are as good as ever and the melodies are great! Contains an AWESOME cover of "I Am The Walrus".

Don't pass this one up!!!!

I can't figure out why some people regard this album as anything other than great! Yes... this one is filled with great guitar riffs (energy)... and no... it doesn't have the signature synthesizer sound of the past. In fact, there is more voice synthesizing in this album than there are keyboards. But, for me, that is what makes it great. If you wanted to hear something that you have already heard before from a band that you have already heard it from, then stick in that old album. For me... (and Darren) this one was the soundtrack for one of the best summers of my life!

I think this album was the last by Men Without Hats and in my opinion it was the best by far. They are best known for the synth-pop favorite "Safety Dance," but in this album they throw out the synthesizers and pull out the real instruments. There is a somewhat psychedelic feel to many of the songs with just enough of an '80s touch that you know which decade it came from. Also this may sound blasphemous, but I like their version of "I am the Walrus" better than the Beatles' and I'm a HUGE Beatles fan.

Men Without Hats have pulled it off. They have done a good job in their transformation from eighties pop to nineties guitar-rock. This album surely is not the greatest of MWH, but it is a good collection of music, highlighted by the whimsical guitar, drums, and the always great vocals of Ivan Doroschuk (lead singer of MWH). The top songs on this album are "Fall Down Gently" and, the title track, "Sideways." Overall, it is a great album in the Men Without Hats archive.

Yuck! If I'm buying Men Without Hats, I expect lots of synthesizer sounds NOT guitars! The guitar playing on this album was boring and simple. Gone was the synthesizer sounds of the 80's. Men without Hats should have stuck with what they do best and forget about trying to play guitars.

Question: why was it that when 70's rock bands turned to synths in the 80's to sell records it was considered "selling out", but when 80's bands turn to guitars to sell records today, they are considered "smart", doing what they can to prolong their careers? Isn't it the same thing?

MWH sold their loyal fans out with this garbage. This is a far cry from classic MWH of the early & mid 80's. Every album by MWH gets worse & worse.