Customer Reviews

Switzerland

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've liked Electric Six since I saw their Danger! High Voltage video on TV. I love both Fire and Senor Smoke, although I think Fire is the better of the two -- S.S. is more varied, and has some fantastic songs (Bite Me, Jimmy Carter, Be My Dark Angel and Vibrator) but has some duff tracks, like the redundant and unwelcome cover of Radio Ga Ga. Fire is more one note, but there isn't a naff number on the album.

Switzerland has both Fire's high energy and Senor Smoke's range of styles and all the songs are great. They're accessible and catchy from the first hearing. They have Valentine's eccentric lyrics -- sometimes subversive, sometimes bizarre, often amusingly puerile -- and the musicianship and instrumentation are never less than solid and occasionally rise to brilliance. So far, my favourite track is I Buy the Drugs (nice, dirty baseline, rousing hooks and thoughtful instructions), but the others aren't far behind.

It's too bad that five stars are all there are...

Ah, Electric Six. Their energy, their humour, their originality. I love this band so much. 'Fire' was just such a disco-rock-metal-whatever blast, with plenty of songs that weren't trying to tell us anything other than, to quote from 'Spinal Tap,' "have a good time all the time." The follow-up, 'Senor Smoke,' was still a great album, but a little more serious in tone than 'Fire.' And that wasn't a bad thing, mind you. Dick Valentine is so magnetic that you can't help but listen to him. Whether he's belting out lyrics that make no sense, or telling us his views on politics and the US government either on the surface or subliminally. And even when he is standing on his soap box he still does it with humour and style. 'Jimmy Carter' is a perfect example of that.

In my opinion 'Switzerland' is a bridge between the two predecessors. It shares both the funky rock of the first, with a touch of the second album's poignancy. I'll admit, it took me a couple of listens to get right into it. Upon my first listen I couldn't help but think it wasn't as good as 'Fire,' but that's just because I'm a little biased towards that album. But now I cannot stop listening to it over and over. It's got me hooked, and I would put it on par with 'Fire' as their best album so far. Even the bonus track that we got as an Australian/NZ exclusive is pretty good, and I usually don't care much for remixes of songs. And I just love that they're going to release a video for every song on 'Switzerland' - no matter how cheap and crappy they may be.

Electric Six have still got it. Something I can't say for too many other bands on their third outing!

I looove Electric Six. I saw them at the Key Club in LA in March and Dick Valentine looked totally plastered. He was hilarious. Did push-ups and sit-ups on stage. There was so much energy though it didnt matter that he kinda sucked singing on Dance Commander. That's the power of Dick. But on to the review: I can't decide whether Fire or Senor Smoke is my fave, but I know that Switzerland isn't. I like it, it's still a great album but it lacks something the first two had. Maybe E6 decided they wanted a larger fanbase and tried to change their sound to get new fans. Lyrically it's just as brilliant as the others: Sarcastic, tounge-in-cheek sexy, sometimes even politcally poignant, and way funny. Musically, while often catchy, just wasn't as up to par as usual. There are some greats here though, like I Buy The Drugs, Mr. Woman, Infected Girls, Pulling The Plug On The Party and There's Something Very Wrong With Us... and the short Chocolate Pope is classic. Overall they just don't rock as hard this time around. That's okay though, I'm still in love with them.

"Switzerland" lost the hooks and rock and roll swagger of Electric Six's previous two albums and replaced it with a blend of styles. Unfortunately, attempts at humor seem to overtake the experimentation, making the album sound like a joke that's not all that funny. "I Buy the Drugs" is still quite catchy and is a preview of good things to come on future releases, and "Pulling the Plug on the Party" could have been right at home on "Senor Smoke". "Night Vision" is another standout, but still pales in comparison to some of E6's better music. Outside of those three, I can't recommend too much here.

Another smashing album! The only band I want to memorize all the lyrics to.

We enjoy 'Fire' and 'Senor Smoke,' immensely, and were really looking forward to 'Switzerland.' Found the album a disappointment, for it hasn't the verve, vim nor vigour of its predecessors. Felt like we wasted our money buying it on faith; could almost hear E6 saying (à la Laurie Anderson): "Ha ha ha - you've already paid for this"). First learnt of E6 from seeing the "Gay Bar" video on Sundance Channel's regrettably short-lived Sonic Videos programme, and thought their humour and rockin' sound was freshly dynamic. Maybe we shall develop an appreciation for 'Switzerland' after later listens-to but haven't yet. Here's hoping that, despite this weak album, they press on and regain what was lost here. Solid new rock bands are far and few between these days, and we are hoping that E6 is still going to be one of them.

Electric Six's first album, Fire, laid the groundwork for each album to come. The second album, Senor Smoke, changed things up a little bit, but was on the whole a less consistent album than the first. With the third album, Switzerland, Electric Six had moved on to a new label in which they would find more freedom than before. Without the pressure to make certain "radio hit" type of songs they were able to let their expression run free in the studio. I think this really shows on the album as they go in some directions that they have never done before.

The first noticeable thing to an Electric Six fan is that there are no songs with any form of the word Dance in the title which is a staple of most of all the albums previous to this and most after. That doesn't mean they have lost their sense of fun or their groove, but it does mean they tread new lyrical ground here which is a plus.

The album starts off with a slow bluesy song about the band in hell, which features Hitler on drums no less! Then they venture into what I feel is a more pop territory then they had ever done with I Buy The Drugs. For me this song really works and signified a turn to songs that are more keyboard/synthesizer driven. Slices of You is classic fun both lyrically and musically and Infected Girls has the type of chorus that makes Electric Six so fun. I think overall this is one of the strongest Electric Six albums without a weak track in the bunch.

Here are some lyrical highlights from the album:
" Increase the power [increase it!]
To a higher level
I like you better when you're possessed by the devil" From Infected Girls

"White DJ of Detroit
Black MC in Toyko
White girl in a black blockbuster video" - From There's Something Very Wrong With Us So Let's Go Out Tonight

"I'm late for dinner but look who's on the menu
'cos when I get a table you know damn well I get a table for two
Preheat the oven so you cook in your pants
I trained at the very best kitchens in france
My service is slow and I hope this doesn't offend you" From Slices of You

Electric Six once again gets mad points for finding new ways to stretch their musical muscles and release another album full of songs that are still interesting and catchy a long time after they've stopped being funny (and usually they are very funny).

If you're not familiar, the Electric Six are a band that pokes fun of big dumb rock (and dance) while playing big dumb rock (and dance) songs. Kinda like Ween, or Spinal Tap, or the Dictators, or Tenacious D (though it'd be unfair to say that the Electric Six SOUND a lot like any one of those bands).

And, like all those bands mentioned above, their songs that rip on the genre are often times just as good if not better than the very music they are making fun of.

"Switzerland" continues this tradition, but while the two previous albums (the excellent "Fire" and just as excellent "Senor Smoke") found the band playing some dance oriented music as well as (and sometimes combined with) their big bombastic rock, "Switzerland" is mostly about the rock.

Sure, some tracks are dancey ("Infected Girls" grooves along nicely) but most aren't meant to be danced to, and instead we get a fresh serving of rock that kinda reminds me of mid-90's Urge Overkill.

The songs are pretty darn great though, opening with the lounge of "This Band In Hell" (where Hitler plays the drums). Elsewhere, we get the cow-punk of "Pink Flamingos" (featuring the lyrics "Cause I'm a woman eating monster/With a suitcase full of fire") and the semi-disco of "Slices of You" (with the AWESOME spoken word part "And everywhere I go, people ask me, 'Valentine, whats your recipe for love?' And my answer's always the same, 'Cook the hell out of it... and SLICE it!'").

As you may have noticed, the lyrics are NOT to be taken seriously. But again, it'd be a big mistake to brush these guys off as a novelty band, the songs are way too catchy, with too many well penned musical and vocal hooks, to be considered mere novelty. This is a band where the MUSIC comes first and the jokes come after.

So if you like good 70's FM style hard rock with some other sub-genres poking in here and there, "Switzerland" is a great album. I'd give it 5 stars if the last three tracks were better, but 10 winners out of 13 sure isn't bad.

I leave you with one last lyric (from the coulda-been-an-awesome-Journey-song "Night Vision):

"You can come and see me/But I don't glow in the dark/So you're gonna have to learn to use a little night vision."

Electric Six is one of my favorite bands going right now. I've seen them live twice and they are amazing. I own all their albums and I recommend them to all my friends. They are still fairly underground, but they have a following - and anyone who likes them is a loyal fan.

This album is a blast. "I Buy the Drugs" is a great track and you'll quickly find yourself singing along to it. This is a different line-up (except the singer) than was on their debut, Fire, but they still knock it out of the park.

E6 is a band worth checking out, and if they are playing anywhere near you - go see them. You will not be disappointed.

These guys are still flying under rock n' roll's mainstream radar, but I'm not sure for how much longer, so get on board and support Electric Six.

Buy their 1st and 2nd albums as well, "Fire" and "Senior Smoke", both as good if not slightly better than "Switzerland".