Customer Reviews

Sky Pilots [Vinyl]

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The Scandinavian invasion grows more intense every day. For what appears to be a deep and cohesive music scene, only the widely hyped NYC scene rivals it. The measure of most rock acts, especially those of the recent garage revival set, is not necessarily originality or the requisite musical and songwriting abilities. Along with those latter two, it is how well you incorporate your influences in your sound that seems to spell success for many. This is something the Flaming Sideburns do well.

Sky Pilots, the Sideburns' third record, is filled with the most pop-leaning garage rock to come out of the revival. Danceable and catchy, the 12 tracks exhibit an understanding of American and British '60s rock, though little sounds stolen outright from the geniuses of that era. Of course, the Sideburns steal from the Who (you can't miss it on "Pictures Far Behind" and "Off Direction") as well as the already well-plundered Stones and Stooges territory. There is even evidence here that Swedish contemporaries Soundtrack of Our Lives and the Hives have rubbed off on the Sideburns.

The first track, "Save Rock 'N' Roll," sets the pace for the act's trip through all sorts of rock on the album. "Effect-O Tequila" boasts a bit of a Cali-surf sound, impressive for lads who may have never seen a surfboard. "Heavy Tiger," "Let Me Take You Far," "Into The Golden Shade" and "Submarine Sensation," are among the rock songs, garage or not, you're likely to want to listen to over and over again. As many times as the word garage has been thrown around supra, Sky Pilots is probably the least garage-sounding album from a band warranting that description. In fact, the band attempts to stretch the admittedly now-borderless sound as far as they without crossing the line to Datsuns-style heavy excess.

Stephen Feller
Junkmedia.org Review

The Flaming Sideburns are the biggest band from Finland. They are also the closest modern thing to garage rock. Lead singer, Eduardo Martinez is like part Iggy Pop and part Mick Jagger. Many of you might have heard their music in a Toyota commercial. This band likes to play naked onstage. They like to drive the audience wild. Apparently they have no laws in Scandinavia. This record is the second collection in America, and they are slightly different than the releases in Europe. Rock and roll is all about losing control and losing you in the mix. After listening to this I want to throw away my old Roky Erickson records. (...)!

A brief word just to say I found this record terrific. I think the Sideburns are more than a bunch of shouting rock and rollers, they've delivered a great collection of songs that will keep your stereo busy for a few weeks.
I'd love to thank these guys for giving us another fantastic record.

The Flaming Sideburns' previous album "Save Rock and Roll" lends its title to the first song on "Sky Pilots". The former is a party hound's idle boast soaked in winking irony, the latter a true believer's desperate request. In my books, that's progress in the right direction. Plus the geetarist has started to figure out melody. If they ever start boasting again these guys could get interesting. Until then, "Sky Pilots" shows the Sideburns not just backing out of the garage, but backing out at 60 miles per hour.