Customer Reviews

Total Recall

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

 

 

"Total Recall" is one of the best representations of hardcore that America has produced. It's not that Negative Approach are great musicians or lyricists, and the production is not what some people would call "passable" (though I love the raw stuff) ... it's that the sheer anger and nihilistic hopelessness that so many of us have experienced at one time or another comes through loud and clear in their music.
I have to take issue with a previous reviewer's comments on this album. He wrote that NA didn't "get it," that they were too one-dimensional and were just acting out on one aspect of punk/hardcore; the anger and disaffection.
Well, maybe that's how NA ACTUALLY felt. If they did write these songs out of affectation, I certainly don't hear it. The first 11 tracks (their song off of the "Process of Elimination" comp and their self titled 7") in particular are so full of venom and bile, with Brannon's perfectly growled vocals, that I can't believe Negative Approach didn't mean every word they sung at the time they were singing them.
Besides, I think bands like SSD are what made people laugh at hardcore (I love SSD too, by the way). The militantly straight edge bands that emerged in the early 80s probably did far more to alienate people than bands like NA. Yeah, maybe NA's fans were meatheads and skinheads... but, then again, so were a lot of Black Flag's (and Fear's!) fans.
At any rate, all that aside, this album rocks. The "Tied Down" LP isn't that great, but the rest of the tracks more than make up for it. Happy, well-adjusted people may not dig it, but as for angry f**k-ups, well, Negative Approach is IT.

Negative Approach is fantastic. Nobody else mentioned it so I'll say that you should also check out the Laughing Hyenas. This is what Negative Approach turned into. Hard Times is a kickin' bluesy postpunk album. If you were listening to Negative Approach when you were young you've probably grown up a bit by now. Nice to see how there hardcore boys matured.

negative approach was it. the most angry, crushing hardcore band around at the time. they made their (also excellent) fellow mid-westerners the necros look like...i dunno a pop punk band or something, and that's pretty hard to do...this collection damn well better be in every punk's collection. it gathers their all time classic 10 song 7", the song off the 'process of elimination' comp 7", and the 'tied down' lp, plus a bunch of live and demo stuff. the unreleased stuff is all disposible due to horrible sound except for the last 6 tracks, which feature some otherwise unavailable tracks. overall, this is more than worth its price.

If you like your PUNK ROCK straight up in a dirty glass..This CD IS A MUST HAVE..Culled from all their recorded works the quality ranges from raw barely listenable, to Wall Of Thrash Wonderful! Vocalist John Brannon is a screamer alot like Louie from SICK OF IT ALL..Early Midwest Hardcore at it's Finest!!

From Detroit-- Negative Approach rules!...

I have seen the name of this band all over the place for years but for some reason I never heard them. None of my friends ever heard them. It was one of those oddities that exist in any punk rock scene. Well thanks to Amazon, I was able to finally track one of their albums down. IT BLEW ME AWAY! These guys are raw power. Songs like "Nothing" and "Can't Tell No One" are pure angst, anger, and hopelessness. This band should have been so much bigger... If they had been from LA they would have been huge!

This CD is sort of broken down into three sections 1) the old classic stuff! 2) the newer stuff and some remakes 3) some VERY raw live recordings. This CD basically includes all their stuff. It's a very good solid purchase! Do it... DO IT!

. . .Angry, smack you in the face hardcore! Detroits answer to Minor Threat. Angry music for angry times(Ie: The Regan Adminsitration). Everybody, at least in Detroit was unemployed and everyone was pissed off. If you grew up in these troubled times you'll understand, if you didn't though you probably won't. Sound quality suffers however and this does diminsh some of the impact. Overall an important document of early 80's hardcore.

This is a discography of the *very* influential midwestern hardcore band, with some appended live and demo tracks. If you like MINOR THREAT, BLACK FLAG, or SSD, this will appeal to you: classic songs such as "Can't Tell No One," "Deadstop," and "Why Be Something that You're Not?" should be in every punk's lexicon. The first 7" (#2-11) is amazing, and the LP is better than MINOR THREAT's LP. Most people don't like the live tracks but they are a good time if you can get beyond the bad sound quality. The only thing I would say is that most of this music is same-y so it can get boring if you aren't really into it. That said, this is a must-have.

Other reviewers have asserted that Negative Approach didn't understand hardcore and that their music missed the point entirely. Negative Approach was pure hardcore/punk. Hardcore/punk is a nihilistic outcry of pure rage and force. It expresses the disenfranchisement and alienation of its followers/participants. Negative Approach's music is pure force. It hits the listener like a ton of bricks. And so what if the lyrics aren't amazing and the music is a little cliched, that's not the point. The soul behind it is pure power, and it hits to the core of what hardcore/punk music is about.

The first half of the cd here really kicks.The added live songs sound"TERRIBLE",very terrible.Thats why I gave this release three,instead of five stars. This is still cool cut h-core,with bites of angry vocals.

good collection of stuff. the live tracks are a bit ropey, but that's how good hardcore should be done ;) best served loud!