Customer Reviews

Teenage Symphonies To God

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I don't hand out five star reviews very often but TEENAGE SYMPHONIES TO GOD deserves it. It's beautifully crafted power pop music with a healthy dash of country for good measure. Velvet Crush (like their pal, Matthew Sweet) subversively combines lonely and sometimes bleak lyrics with a brisk backbeat so you'll find yourself bouncing one moment and crying in your beer the next. Hey, that's like life itself, isn't it?

I will admit, however, that much of the praise that has been heaped onto TEENAGE SYMPHONIES has been a little overwrought. It's a tremendous album but it's not a classic the same way, say, PET SOUNDS is a classic. And I often wonder how influential TEENAGE SYMPHONIES is going to be twenty years from now. First of all, a lot of TEENAGE SYMPHONIES is drawn from the past. Think Gram Parsons, a little Big Star, the Byrds... They even cover Gene Clark's "Why Not Your Baby" and album's title is lifted from a quote from everyone's hero, the great Brian Wilson. The album also sounds like a lot like the work of many of VC's contemporaries - Matthew Sweet (who even writes one of the songs here, "Something's Gotta Give"), Teenage Fanclub, the Jayhawks, and even a little like Uncle Tupelo and its offshoot bands, Wilco and Son Volt. But this is all part of the charm of TEENAGE SYMPHONIES. It's not an album you can hear and say "Oh, that's from 1994," or from the 80s, or whenever. This album sounds like it could have come from 1994, 1974, or even 2004. When you think about it, all of the best albums have that timeless feel to them.

So, no, it's not really groundbreaking and no one I know ever argues that it is. There are plenty of artists out there today who are straining to be recognized as "groundbreaking" but they're not really "reaching" anyone, even if they are selling a million albums in the process. They're here today and gone tomorrow. TEENAGE SYMPHONIES TO GOD is a keeper. It is warm, human, and well-made, without an ounce of pretension. It's one of those rare albums where every single track is terrific and it seamlessly covers an entire range of emotions, when so many artists today can't even put together a single effective three minute song. That's why so many people treasure this album, why it made so many "Best of the 90s" lists, and why so many people are giving it five star reviews.

The stand out tracks, to me, include the rolling "Hold Me Up" and "Atmosphere," the sad, dewdrop fresh cover of "Why Not Your Baby," the wide-eyed and yearning "Faster Days," and my absolute favorite song on the album, the jaw-dropping, gorgeous "Time Wraps Around You." But they're all great in their own way. This album never sold a lot of copies, but those of us who did get it never let go of it and we never will.

This is an overlooked gem of an album. It is more than just power pop, and it is more than just a tribute to the great music of the '60s. Yes, there are the Byrds and Brian Wilson touchstones, but Velvet Crush takes their influences and creates something new, fresh and timeless with them. Track by track:

1. Hold Me Up -- just a great, melodic power-pop song. Rocks with the best of 'em.

2. My Blank Pages -- The title is, of course, a Dylan/Byrds takeoff on "My Back Pages," and the tune rocks in similar fashion to "Hold Me Up." Another rocking power-pop song with a great melody.

3. Why Not Your Baby -- VC turns up the twang and does this old Gene Clark song in style. The slide guitar solo at the end is killer.

4. Time Wraps Around You -- Wow...gorgeous, melodic, wonderful harmonies, a classic all the way.

5. Atmosphere -- I'm not too crazy about the melody on this one. One of the lesser songs in my opinion, though it still rocks pretty well. Sounds like it could've been a cutout from Big Star's #1 Record, which is not really a bad thing.

6. #10 -- VC slows things down here with a tender acoustic guitar-based ballad. Very nice.

7. Faster Days -- a wistful medium-tempo song. One of my faves.

8. Something's Gotta Give -- a song by their buddy Matthew Sweet. It sounds just like something that could've been on 100% Fun. Goes on a little too long, with an extended guitar jam at the end.

9. This Life Is Killing Me -- This one just doesn't do much for me. I think it is a little annoying, actually, with a mediocre melody and the "ba ba ba" backing vocals. Thankfully, it's short.

10. Weird Summer -- One of the best songs on the album. Great melody and a jangly feel.

11. Star Trip -- This one could've been a Teenage Fanclub song off their Grand Prix album. Another favorite.

12. Keep On Lingerin' -- The twang returns on this country song. A great ending to a great album.

I knocked off one star for tracks 5 and 9 (especially 9), which I feel are not up to the level of the rest of the songs. But there are no really "bad" tracks on this album. I keep coming back to it over and over. You will too.

One of the truly perfect albums of the 90s, this is the blissed-out blender where classicist Beatlesesque pop, amped-up 90s alt-rock and country-tinged harmonies mixed together to form a happy (yet often slightly melancholy) slurpie. Not one note out of place, not one second wasted from beginning to end. Yummy.

So why is it no longer in print? There is so much awful stuff out there these days that passes for pop, it's time for some Teenage Symphonies to come back and save the world again. Maybe a deluxe edition? Think about it, record execs. Think about it...

My initial impression upon first spin was "OK this rocks." The second spin was "there are some good songs here". And the third spin was "the production and playing are excellent". A truly great achievment.

Velvet Crush's "Teenage ..." remains their crowning achievement. All but a few tracks are superb, among the best of the mid-'90s power-pop genre -- sweet and catchy hooks nestled underneath wry and bitter lyrics. Think Green Day with a soft twang, or Wilco with more venom. The band settles into a groove somewhere between the Byrds, Gram Parsons and Elvis Costello, a chord-driven, country-cum-punk. The tunes rock even if the lyrics occasionally whine. Universally praised, and rightfully so, "Teenage ..." did everything for VC except sell, unfortunately. An album people could be talking about in 15-20 years, a la Big Star, and going ... "Geez, how did we miss this?"

This album has expertly crafted pop gems with strong hooks and clean arrangements. The instrumentation is first-rate. It's reminds me of Matthew Sweet's Girlfriend...every song is a winner. My favorite track is the Gene Clark cover, Why Not Your Baby. The production on this song is mellow and thick without being too sweet and overdone.

Brian Wilson once referred to the songs of "Pet Sounds" as "Teenage Symphonies to God" and Velvet Crush, showing their true allegiance to 60's pop, comes through "big-time" in their tribute to the Beach Boys, the Byrds and all those other influential, jangly bands of the 60's and 70's (If the CD cover ISN'T a dead-on imitation of so many 60's "STEREO" or "DYNAGROVE" jackets I don't know what is!!! By itself it takes me back to my living room floor in the 60's).

The cover of Gene Clark's "Why Not Your Baby" is nearly worth the CD's price! Add in oughta be hits such as "Hold Me Up", "Time Wraps Around You" and "My Blank Pages" (a clever turn on a Dylan "title" covered by the Byrds) along with the other eight pop-masterpieces on this disc and you've got yourself some real toe-tapping, hum-along, rock'n'roll music.

These guys don't record often, and this one is a must have for lovers of rock melody. Put them on your list of 90's power-pop greats along with Teenage Fanclub, Catherine Wheel and some other "retro-pop" bands recording today. Buy this CD then sit back and enjoy, it may be a while before you put it back in its jewel case!

No need to spend $200 on this disc because the 3 bonus tracks can be found on Velvet Crush's CD called 'A Single Odyssey'. You get all 3 bonus tracks found on this import plus all the other b-sides and what-nots from other Velvet Crush releases.

If you are a collector of the actual music track and not so much for the packaging - skip this overpriced import; get the regular domestic version of 'Teenage Symphonies' and 'A Single Odyssey'; those 2 discs together will cost you ALOT less than this import disc.

You can thank me later - or now. ;-)

A reasonably strong entry in the field of power pop that, essentially, got overlooked except by power pop afficiandos. But, as power pop records only sell en mass in the U.S. by exception, this isn't surprising. Very cool, retro-ish cover of LP/CD.

What can I say about "Teenage Symphonies To God" that has not been said in previous reviews here? When they write the list of the Top 100 pop/rock albums of all time...this one needs to be there!!! Absolutely!! This is one of the greatest albums of all time in my humble opinion. No, it's not Pet Sounds, or Rubber Soul, or Blonde On Blonde...but it ain't that far behind those classic albums...if you love great rock and roll, classic power pop....BUY THIS ASAP!!!!! Man I wish this band would tour again....I miss 'em.......Dave in Mass