Thunder, Lightning, Strike

The Go! Team | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 4, 2005)
• Original Release Date: 2005
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B000AP2Z3A
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #15,376 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #48 in Music > Indie Music > Dance & DJ > Electronica
  • #48 in Music > Alternative Rock > Indie & Lo-Fi > Electronic Pop

Editorial Reviews

The Go! Team, Thunder, Lightning, Strike

Includes two bonus tracks: We Just Won't Be Defeated and Hold Yr Terror Close.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Go!, October 6, 2005

By 

E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Thunder, Lightning, Strike (Audio CD)

The Go! Team might just have one of the catchiest albums of the year, "Thunder Lightning Strike." When it first came out, definitely the catchiest of last summer. Despite the current wave of nu-Manchester or new wave bands that are popping up, this Brighton band dips into a different musical well.

Their unique sound is made up of sunshine funk, big beats, peculiar samples, adrenaline-pumping rock, TV theme songs and the occasional cheerleader. (Yes, cheerleader) It opens with a charged trashcan drum song, "Panther Dash," before slipping into a series of funky, blippy grooves.

Those sounds run through the entire album, alternating between hyperkinetic rock'n'roll and colorful electronic big beats. It's all jammed with harmonica, horn, what sounds like a sitar, and hip-hop flourishes. And whatever style it is, it's danceable from beginning to end, densely packed with fun beats and wild rhythms.

In fact, it's hard to find a part of "Thunder Lightning Strike" that isn't packed with at least two kinds of sound at once. In fact, it sounds like they gathered every single instrument they could get their hands on, dosed them with Red Bull and planted them in front of a bunch of 1970s TV shows. That retro sound isn't a gimmick, however -- even if you don't have nostalgia for that TV era, the sound is wildly entertaining.

Their hyperdrivin' guitars might sound repetitive, if they didn't have lots of samples and extra instrumentation thrown in, including blaring trumpets and some explosive drums. And the flourishes range from glockenspiel to horns to harmonica. Without them, the music would seem a little too bare and ordinary.

And cheerleaders, of course -- there are some rousing cheerleader chants, exploding from the foot-stomping "Huddle Formation" and playfully chaotic "The Power Is On." It sounds like a football-game-turned-rave, with just the right amount of energetic messiness.

Imagine the Propellerheads on a sunny day, and you have the basic sound of the Go! Team. "Thunder Lightning Strike" -- perfect for a party or a wild night.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good, but...., August 12, 2006

By 

Ryan Roche "Ryan" (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Thunder, Lightning, Strike (Audio CD)

Ok, I love this cd to death. It's cool that the US version has "We Just Won't Be Defeated" and "Hold Yr Terror Close," but in all honesty you're better off paying for the import version. As much trouble as their label went through to clear all the samples from the original UK release, they couldn't get them all. And songs like "The Power is On," "Bottle Rocket," and "Huddle Information" really suffer without the female MC samples on the verses. Trust me, buy the import instead. It's pure genius.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Impossible To Dislike, July 23, 2006

By 

byrner (The South) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Thunder, Lightning, Strike (Audio CD)

Impossible to dislike I say, so don't even try--it can't be done. Thunder, Lighting, Strike is like a beat up 8-track tape from a Billy Jack movie, mixed with The Electric Company, The Mod Squad, Josie and the Pussycats, and the Theme from Rocky. Add a bit hip-hop scratching and cheerleader shouting because... well, who know's why--just because. It's chaotic and fun: a lo-fi AM radio masterpiece. This CD doesn't include one of my favorite songs of theirs "We Listen Every Day," and that's a drag. Nevertheless it is a great CD. The Ladyflash video must be seen to have the full Go! Team experience. It's on their website, an amusing place on its own. See it if you can.