Customer Reviews

Sixteen Stone Plus 5

5 star:		(170)
4 star:		(34)
3 star:		(20)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(22)

 

 

When this album came out in 1994, you either loved it or hated it. Most of those who hated it did so because they sounded too much like Nirvana (and Nirvana at this time were gods). Regardless of the criticisms, it didn't seem to hurt the album's success. "Everything Zen," "Machinehead", "Little Things," "Comedown," and "Glycerine" were huge hits -- all over the radio. I still hear these songs today on the local modern rock radio station. This is because of one good reason -- the songs are incredible, regardless of their supposed lack of originality. Bush (along with Collective Soul, Live, Foo Fighters, and others) created what would be called post-grunge rock, which is basically a more polished grunge sound with greater pop-sensibility. This sound dominated the rest of the 90's (for example, Third Eye Blind in the late 90's) until the rise of various metal groups (such as Linkin Park) and emo-punk groups (such as Taking Back Sunday) that dominate modern rock radio today.

This debut album from Bush will forever be considered as one of the greatest albums of the 90's (certainly in terms of success). For those of us who grew-up in that decade, it will forever form the soundtrack of our lives at that time and indubitably will bring back fond memories. Bush was a great band for a simple reason -- they had great songs which nearly everybody loved.

Here's my album recommendations for those interested in post-grunge rock of the 90's:
Bush - "Sixteen Stone"
Live - "Throwing Copper"
Collective Soul - "Collective Soul"
Stone Temple Pilots - "Purple"
Candlebox - "Candlebox"
The Offspring - "Smash"
Foo Fighters - "Colour & The Shape"
Everclear - "So Much for the Afterglow"
Our Lady Peace - "Clumsy"
Hum - "You'd Prefer an Astronaut" (includes their one and only hit, "Stars," which is perhaps my favorite song of the 90's)

When Bush was really popular, I was not a fan. I let my bias interfere with my enjoyment of their music.

I'll get the negative stuff out of the way.

When I first heard singles on the radio in 1995 from Bush, I really hated them. So I can understand why people do not like this band. I'll state the obvious: they are totally unoriginal. They were/are Nirvana clones and just jumped on the grunge bandwagon. Pretty/pinup boy Gavin Rossdale's poor me/torctured lyrics sound contrived and calculated; just waiting to be eaten up by a nation of high school kids. In short, Bush was the Bon Jovi of the grunge/alternative movement. They were trend-followers. If Bush had come out in 1988, they would have had teased hair and played hair-metal.

Having said that, ten years after the fact, I find myself quite fond of this album. About a year ago, I stopped in at a used CD shop and bought this album out of nostalgia, as I had never owned a copy during Bush's heyday. I put it in my discman and was transported back in time; it was 1995, I was still in High School, Bill Clinton was still the President, and I had never heard of Creed or Limp Bizkit.

When I listen to "Sixteen Stone" now, I find that this is actually a very good album. It's a modern rock classic. Sure it's contrived and unoriginal, but the songs themselves are excellent. From the opener "Everything Zen" to the closing "x-girlfriend" there really aren't any bad songs. This album contains some of the very best radio-singles from 90's rock. "Everything Zen," "Little Things" and "Glycerine" are some of the most memorable songs from that era. The entire album is well crafted and written. Every song has a good hook and grove. Nigel Pulsford is an excellent guitar player and the album is chock-full of killer solos, something that was lacking in popular music just a few year later (Korn, Limp Bizkit).

In conclusion; no this band was not all that original, but they still wrote great songs. Furthermore, this album has stood the test of time. It does sound dated, but paradoxically, it also sounds as fresh today as it did when it first came out. Furthermore, everything I used to hate about this band-how it was contrived, it's cookie-cutter singles, it's pretty-boy frontman with anguished lyrics and perfect-cheek bones--everything I used to hate, I now find to be charming. "Sixteen Stone" is a 90s gem. It is a perfect time capsule and still-photo of a certain time and era. And most importantly, it rocks!

After hearing Comedown on the radio back in '94, I was an immediate fan of Bush and bought their debut album, Sixteen Stone, shortly after it was released. Eight years later, it's still my favorite Bush CD. Although they've put out a few others since then, Sixteen Stone far surpasses their newer stuff. I doubt I'll ever get sick of this CD. Six reasons why: Everything Zen (#1), Little Things (#4, reminiscent of Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit), Comedown (#5, which is still one of my favorite all-time songs; love the bass on this one), Machinehead (#7), Monkey (#9), and Alien (#11, I prefer this ballad over Glycerine, basically because Glycerine was being overplayed on the radio at the time).

If you're a Bush fan (or just a fan of alternative music), then you should definitely pick this one up. You won't be disappointed; there's something for everyone: high-energy songs like Everything Zen, Little Things, Machinehead, and X-Girlfriend (a mere 45 seconds long; tough lyrics too ;), as well as softer, moodier ones like Bomb, Comedown, Alien, and Glycerine (Gavin Rossdale's solo song that most chics seem to love; hmm, I wonder why? ;).

The song Glycerine, which is on this CD, was my highschool's homecoming song this year.. It is a completely awesome song and the lyrics mean soooo much! There are also many other cool songs on this CD like Comedown... You should buy this because I truly think it is Bush at its greatest!

Many good rock stations still often play selections from this smashing album that first of all features a group of very good musicians. Of course they don't sound like Nirvana, the lyrics tend to be more edgy and music way heavier, if less controversial for the time. I bought it in 1995, very soon after it came out and I am still impressed with the album's longevity. I think this is because their music speaks to you, not only through poetic brooding expressiveness of lyrics in "Comedown" and "Swim" but also through powerful arrangements of "Little Things" and "Machine Head". By no means is Bush a head-banging fare; they are a thinking man's rock group, so to speak.

Their subsequent releases featured some great songs, such as "Greedy Fly" or "Chemicals Between Us" but somehow the mood of poetic desperation has diminished. This album is definitely one of the best things that the 90s had to offer, particularly the beautiful dreamy "Comedown", possibly the band's best song. The record company graciously included a booklet that contains all the lyrics and a picture of the band.

Ah, 1995... the memories. Sega Genesis, pogs, Ren & Stimpy, Angus, Mallrats, et cetera. The warm summer days that, as a nine-year-old kid, I thought/wished would never end... and, of course, the music. Back then, alternative music was GOOD. It meant something, not just whiny, boring, uninspired, downtuned, same-three-chords-the-whole-damn-album-I'm-so-depressed-woe-is-me crap. It was fun, it could be anguished, it could be fast, it could be mid-tempo, it could be slow, it could be angry, it could be happy.

Which brings us to Bush. Now, when this album was released in late 1994, many just wrote it off as a Nirvana knock-off. Well, okay. It is similar to Nirvana. There's no denying that. And, also, Nirvana is better. It's true. However, Bush is actually a really good band, and this album, their debut, is undeniably their best album, and a great piece of the mid-1990's.

Everyone has at least heard the songs "Everything Zen", "Machinehead" (my personal favorite), "Comedown", and "Glycerine". All great songs. But also, we get "Swim", a great mid-tempo rocker, the Nirvana-ish "Little Things", "Body", which has a great hook ("Are you paralyzed?..."), and the weird but oddly interesting "X-Girlfriend". This is truly when alternative was worth listening to.

The only low point I can think of for this album is the lyrics. (Check out "Everything Zen".) But the delivery is so good, it's forgivable. If you like 90's rock, or Nirvana, check this album out (along with "Razorblade Suitcase"). It's a great relic of what just might be the last great era. (before pop-rap like Nelly dominated the airwaves... oy!)

First of all i am sick of hearing people complain about gavin rossdale's lyrics, Just because they don't understand them doesn't mean they are meaningless. After all he was influenced by the pixies in writing techniQues which mean highly personal, yet obscure, which in reality adds alot of depth. People need to quit mocking stuff just because they don't immediatly grasp it.

So anyways to get to the point of this review........This album was one of the first albums to actually have an effect on me emotionatly, it made me realize there are feelings in life that music can reach inside your soul and twist and eat away at.

And yeah it definitly is grunge influenced, but what's wrong with that. That's what today's music lacks, there isn't emotion or depth in much of today's music, why do you think rock is slowy decaying away. So first there is "everything Zen" which is extremely catchy, yeah the lyrics are some what strange, but acceptable. The guitar riffs at the start off the album sort of sum up the feeling to the whole thing. Then you get to "swim" this is not a song you can judge by the first minute, you have to listen to the whole song to grasp how amazing it is and how much of a hook it has to it. "bomb" is next an extremely poetic ode to disconnection, plus i love the soft to heavy dynamics. Then "little things" the song that was the backlash of all nirvana comparisons due to it's similar structure to smells like teen spirit. Then "Come down" My original favorite, the chorus cuts deep into you, the bass is also ingulfing.

Alright now we reach "Body" a sub par song that takes a complete listening to feel the depth of it, still worth your time. Then the song that fully grasps the feel of 90's music "machinehead" This song is both adrenaline pumping and distortedly beautiful. It's extremely deep and epic. Then "Testosterone" think of the football team or the manly beer guzzling guys. This song is for them, deridingly. IT's great with amazing vocal feeling to it. Then "monkey" the least of the best.

Now i discuss "glycerine" i can't even begin to describe this song it's beautiful to say the least, touching, poetic, true and it takes alot of time to underestand it, but when you do you realize what i mean. Next it's "Alien" which i picture late at night staring at a fuzzy t.v. screen with someone you love, it's just some beautiful emotions that this song captures.

In early 1995, I picked up "Sixteen Stone" by Bush after hearing the song "Comedown" on the radio. It quickly became one of my favorite CDs. "Sixteen Stone" is a great rock album with tunes like "Everything Zen" (recorded last and left off the initial record prints), "Little Things", "Comedown", "Machinehead" and "Glycerine." "Everything Zen" is a great first track. It's in your face with loud guitar riffs and production that makes you feel like you're sitting in an enclosed room with the band, amps turned up and Bush rocking 100%. "Little Things" continues this guitar riff madness and angst lyrics for the entire 4 minutes and 24 seconds! Next in line is "Comedown" - one of the best songs of that year, hands down! More distorted guitars and this time more of a rock ballad. "Machinehead" sports the best guitar line on the album. This song will leave your jaw open! Bush hits every note with 100% ferocity and authority. "Glycerine" was a super-hit from the album that received alot of airplay on alternative rock stations across America. Accompanied by a full string orchestra and another unforgettable Bush guitar line, Gavin sings one of his best songs on the record. The rest of the songs on the album are filler and sound thrown together. The reason why I gave this album 5 stars is because of how the songs I listed stand-out among from the rest on the album. This is a great album to own and will keep you playing air-guitar for quite some time to come!

One of the best concerts I ever saw was in early 1996, a triple header of opener No Doubt (just before "Tragic Kingdom" became a smash hit), GooGoo Dolls (as they were about to hit it big with "Name") and headliner Bush, riding the wave with "Sixteen Stone". 7 years later, Bush has found it hard to sustain that success, but the album remains a testament to the alterna-rock that shaped the mid-90s.

The album has little flaws, and remains a strong listen today. Of course, there are the hits "Everything Zen", "Comedown", "Machine Head" and "Glycerine", but the album goes deeper than that. Check out "Swim", "Bomb", and "Monkey", all tracks that could have also been released as singles.

Some years ago I might have qualified this album as a "guilty pleasure", I mean, how cool was it really to find this album good? But the truth is, this album has stood the test of time, period. Too bad that Bush never was able to put together an album of the same quality, but meanwhile we continue to enjoy "Sixteen Stone", a true pillar in the forest of the 90s alterna-rock era.

This band would have never sold any records if Gavin Rossdale looked like Tad Doyle. Their music is a boring, insincere rehash of Nirvana. They replace Nirvana's emotional intensity and excellent songwriting with forced angst and laughable lyrics. If this band had gotten together in the 80s, they probably would have worn spandex and played glam-metal. They'll latch onto ANY musical trend to sell records... their last two records both dabbled in "electronica". A message to anyone who's considering buying this album--- Do you REALLY want to pump more cash into that prettyboy Gavin's pockets? If you're so starved for "alternative rock", spend your money on something worthwhile like a Pixies record.