Customer Reviews

Is This It?

5 star:		(44)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I admit that I jumped on the Stroke-wagon a little late but I'm glad I climbed aboard. I really appreciate albums without filler. "Is This It" is just that, strong all that way through. The walking basslines of the title track mesh perfectly with Julian's vocals. The beginning of "Last Night" will remind you immediatley of "American Girl" by Tom Petty but comes into it's own after the first few bars. Throwing down a few more ducats gets you the original album artwork which was banned in the US (the whole situation is very reminiscent of Spinal Tap's "Smell the Glove", STRANGE), and the song "NYC Cops", which was left off the US release after the WTC 9/11. This song is the most "punk" on the CD. Aside from the multitude of 70s band comparisons (Television), if you like good, bar band rock this IS it.

Okay , I'd heard the hype, but I'd also heard the music and I couldn't deny they had some great songs, so when I finally found the vinyl version I snapped it up. Boy am I glad I did too.
this is a great ALBUM, and I mean ALBUM it's not some pop band with a couple singles and the rest of their album will be filled w/ throw away tracks this is one complete piece of work. You don't find a complete album much any more, artists (if you can call most of em' that)seem to be interested in a hit single not a great record. The Strokes however are not some fluffy pop band they are rock and roll, and they made a rock and roll album. They're exciting, they're retro-modern, they're just plain great.

The Strokes have been the subject of much debate in the past few years since the release of Is This It, their first album. Although they were praised with almost unanimous critical acclaim they received a mixed reaction from the general public. Perhaps this happened because of the masses' conditioning to like terrible bands such as Creed but whatever the case, its their loss for missing out on this due to their brainwashed narrow mindedness. No, The Strokes aren't the second coming of Christ, but they are a great rock 'n' roll band that knows how to pay homage to their forefathers musically. The Strokes' sound is very similar to what is found on The Velvet Underground's classic "I'm Waiting For The Man" using a very simple, churning chord structure that is so rarely found in this day and age. It is this, along with Julian Casablanca's emotional sing/speak vocals, that makes The Strokes such a stand out band. To compliment their old is new again sound, they have a great collection of songs here with maybe one or two missing the mark ever so slightly. Is This It is a most enjoyable experience for educated music lovers everywhere and with the success of their second CD, it seems The Strokes will not be forgotten any time soon. [The original UK album has "New York City Cops" which was replaced by "When It Started" for the US release due to the events of 9/11.]

Now look into my eyes and believe me : "Is This It" is one of the 100 greatest albums of all time , and one really close from being at the top of the list , right between Marquee Moon and White Light/White Heat !
Rarely in my life have I seen such a brilliant record , with absolutly no flaw and a truly unique sound . Yes my dear fellows , I said , like , "a truly unique sound" . "Is This It" is commonly known as the godfather of Rock'n Roll revival , but there is absolutly no way you could compare it to the likes of The Vines or The White Stripes . The Strokes sounds like the 70's , yet nothing in the 70's sounds like The Strokes . Casablancas sings like Lou Reed on The Modern Age ? SO WHAT ?
WAKE UP GUYS ! When critics compare The Strokes to The Velvet Underground or Television , what they truly mean is just that The Strokes belongs to the same kind of small and arty underground bands !
And that is exactly why I HATED The Strokes at first glance . When I heard everyone talking about a "revolution" , I thought The Strokes were the Nirvana of the 00's and thus was really disapointed by those weird and childish songs . It took me two years and a couple of other listenings to understand what "Is This It" was really all about , to understand it wasn't a record that took itself seriously at all and that it was never meant to fill stadiums. The Strokes is exactly the kind of bands you'd enjoy in small , private nightclubs where you can smoke and drink as you wish to fully enjoy the music .

This isn't The Beatles , Led Zeppelin or Nirvana . This is merely one of the greatest albums of all time , and that's good enough for me .

......but that's more than enough. Oasis, Primal Scream, Radiohead, they were all options, but when it comes to The Strokes, then you've got everything that is Rock n'Roll. Good lyrics that makes sense (in oposite of Oasis's "What's the Story..."), energy that sustains itself trough the entire album(in oposite to "Give in but don't Give up, by Primal Scream), simplicity in the arrengements (in oposit of Radiohead's "OK Computer), a crap, but undeniable, efective production, in oposite to all the others also called "Rock N' Roll's Saviers", dirty guitars, dirty vocals, drums that seems alive (listen to Track 4, "Barely Legal", for instance). Sure, 2001 were all about The Strokes, and now, not so much. But it was there, and till now it's worthed. Good music, simple and plain: that's the most eloquent sentence that comes to my mind to describe this album. It saved 2001, it saved more than we could expect; or would you like to listen to Mickey Mouse's music (Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake with N'Sync) till your brain refuses to come closer to any music or music relateds, like a "Pavlov Brain" or a "Clockwork Orange lobotomy Brain" ?

PS. you probably now that, but this album version contains NYC Cops, therefore, it's the album as it was intented to be.

the import is so much better than the cd released in the U.S. The main reason is that the import has new york city cops on it and i really like that song.

While the American version is missing the great "New York City Cops" (for obvious reasons) that particular version of the album is still worthy of at least four stars. I've heard the hype and I've heard the detractors....They make fun, simple, and intense songs that you can tell they feel passionate about making. It's homage music and for the unintiated (most of us, you hear that you art-punk elitists), it's something that sounds new. This album (like the Strokes are) is fun, it's underproduced, and it's in your face. Whether today's rock fans like it or not (I LOVE IT IN CASE YOU CRETIN DETRACTORS COULDN'T TELL) pop-rock is changing from the Bizkits and the Creeds of yesterday to this. ...Just sit back and rock out to just about every song on this superior UK edition because I give this muffin [arse] of an album 4 1/2 stars rated as 5...

Think back to April/June 2001...! Remember how crap the musical landscape was? Nothing but Limp nu-metal, tired hip-hop and Pop Idol wannabe's. Thank the lord for the Strokes. With a bunch of great tunes and a fab image, they made this masterpiece; the best debut album since Definitely Maybe and the catalyst for a whole new generation of rock n'roll bands. The album is a true classic and there is no Killers, Franz Ferdinand or Arctic Monkeys without it. Buy it. Love it. ESSENTIAL!!!

If you are a guy all you have to do is look at the cover, and you'll want this in your music collection or hanging on the bathroom wall. But seeing as how I am not a guy I did have a reason to buy this album. "New York City Cops" was taken off of the American pressing because of the 9/11 terrorist thing. Personally I think it was a huge mistake, because it is one of the best songs on the album. This album is an import from Germany, so it has the song on there (although I am not sure why Amazon.com didn't write it on the track listing.) If you already own the American pressing, go ahead and buy this one anyway. I did, and I do not regret it. If you're afraid that your parents will find the cover just turn it inside out and have Julian's darling face showing.

This CD is good, but not as good as the media would lead you to believe. There is nothing new here, especially those familiar with the late 70's. In a time when manufacturered souless bands are all the rage this CD does stand out, but just isn't a classic.