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140 of 168 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
a surprisingly good effort, May 3, 2005
Limp Bizkit is back with their fifth album "The Unquestionable Truth, Part I" which is a surprisingly good effort.
Limp Bizkit were never a great band, but they did know how to make good frat-boy rock. Their first three albums "Three Dollar Bill Ya" (1997), Significant Other (1999) and "Chocolate Starfish" (2000) are a lot of fun. They were one of the better bands of the Nu-Metal genre, and cranked out heavy songs, with good hooks, and sing-along-choruses. It was perfect music for High School and College kids. "Nookie" was like the "Cherry Pie" of the late 90s.
After reaching their plateau with "Chocolate Starfish," the Bizkit Empire started to crumble. First, guitarist Wes Borland left the band. He was not only the most creative member of the band and their biggest talent, but was their guiding force. Then there was Fred Durst's embarrassing public infatuation with Brittany Spears. The bands search for a new guitar player, in which they had the contenders sign a contract forfeiting any music they played at the tryout, further damaged their reputation. Then after hooking up with guitarist Mike Smith, the band released the horrific "Results May Vary" album. Although it went platinum, it was almost universally panned by both critics and all, but the most hard-core of fans. Add to this the fact that by the mid-`00s, the whole Nu-Metal genre was passé. Limp Bizkit, were, like, sooo 1999. By the release of "Results" Limp Bizkit was going down. They were about as cool as Warrant and their future looked bleak...
But then guitarist Wes Borland returned to the fold, so it seemed that all was not lost. Could his return revitalize the band? The answer is, quite simply, yes.
"The Unquestionable Truth, Part I, is a strong comeback for the band. One thing that "Results May Vary" lacked was good riffs. Well, "The Unquestionable Truth, Part 1" is not lacking there. In fact, this album contains some of their finest, most catchy collection of songs to date. It's mostly fast and furious. The ending ballad, "The Surrender" is one of the best, most honest songs they've ever written. These songs sound less fun, more urgent, and darker than their previous releases. The band has both returned to their roots, and also matured. It's more than just about breakin' stuff and nookie, it's more serious, but without sounding preachy or pretentious. So they've grown up, but without forgetting what made Limp Bizkit, Limp Bizkit.
Wes Borland's presence is what ultimately makes this CD work. Say what you will about Limp Bizkit, but there is no denying that Borland is a creative guy.
This album is probably Fred Durst's finest hour. On the first three Bizkit albums, his obnoxious, odious presence was tolerable because of his charisma and because he was backed by a pretty good band, especially Borland. On the fourth album, "Results May Vary," Durst came across as so obnoxious, and so self-pitying, the album was barley listenable (that and the fact that the songs had no real hooks or riffs). On "The Unquestionable Truth, Part I" Durst steps outside himself and his trivial self-pitying problems, and actually has something to say. He takes on issues like morality, the church, Hollywood, etc. Ok, he may not be Bob Dylan or John Lennon, but at least he's trying.
Some people have stated their unhappiness with the length of the album (it's only 29 minutes, seven songs). I have no qualms with the shortness of the album. It's like an old-school rock album, like Van Halen or KISS. And to be honest, if it were longer, it may overstay its welcome. A half hour of Fred Durst is about right.
The heyday of Limp Bizkit is long over, but this CD is definitely a respectable comeback. This is what the band should have put out in `2001/'02, as the follow-up to "Chocolate Starfish." This album has received almost no hype, which is a good thing. After being overexposed and reviled, a small scale comeback with a strong collection of songs is just what the band needs.
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Some People Just Don't Understand..., June 2, 2005
What I am about to say is directed towards those of you who hate Limp Bizkit without having any real reason to...
First, I shall say this. I am a huge music fan. I listen to all kinds of music, from metal to electronica to acoustic to you name it. My musical taste expands from all realms, including Marilyn Manson, Prince, Bjork, Green Day, etc. I am not some teenage punk who spends his days in Hot Topic looking over the newest "The Used" t-shirts. But I am a teenager, 16 years old.
Limp Bizkit was introduced to me back in 1999. Since then, I have fallen madly in love with them, disliked them (as well as all other nu metal bands), and then matured. My musical tastes had drastically changed over time, and I didn't even want to give this band or my once favorite, Korn, a second chance. Then, one day, out of pure curiosity, I listened to these bands again, especially LB with the release of this new EP, and discovered that I liked them for a reason. I wasn't some dumb little kid who didn't know good music from bad, though I would agree that I listen to much better music now overall. But these bands had a heart, a reason, something to say (even if they didn't say it in the best way they could have). And that's something these new "punk" bands like New Found Glory, Simple Plan, Good Charlotte, etc. could never say about themselves without crossing their fingers behind their backs.
Now, later nu-metal overall did become watered down and repetitive. But look at LB and Korn's earlier works and you'll feel a raw energy, something much deeper that most people seem to overlook. The music isn't only heavy, but funky, head bobbin. The number one fault of everyone who has become a typical LB hater is that they look at the band and especially Fred Durst in the complete wrong light. You cannot look at Fred Durst as a rock singer and give him much credit. Instead, you must look at him as a MC in a rock band. Think of that for awhile. Everyone complains about how his lyrics and vocals aren't that great for a rock singer. Well, check him out as an MC. His lyrics and vocal abilities far surpass those of most rappers, and though Fred's lyrics can seem quite shallow at times, they're insanely catchy, funny, and clever. That is what makes Fred Durst the heart of this band, and a very good one at that. Limp Bizkit is a RAP rock band. If you can't listen to rap, then of course you'll dislike most LB, cause Fred RAPS for crying out loud. To me, however, and those who gained interest in this band in the first place, that's what made this band special. Good rhymes. Badass guitar riffs. Funky bass licks with tight drumming. That's what LB stands for. And with Wes back, that's what this EP holds within its unquestionable grip.
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13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
First response: Bye bye Biscuit, May 3, 2005
This is a review for anyone who can relate. I am warning those of you who are casual fans looking for a Limp Bizkit rebirth - beware. You may be disappointed.
Let me just say, first off, that I once was a casual Limp Bizkit fan, and still get a moderate kick out of their old stuff (mainly Significant Other and Chocolate Starfish). I kind of got into them when they were in their creative high in their 3rd album, and although I did not enjoy hearing all the swearing (it gets old people, admit it) I did enjoy the creative fun and energy that created a solid foundation in their success. That was the reason I bought their other cds - the music was light hearted enough, not dealing with evil, religion-bashing lyrics or drug use or excessive violent content. It just sounded like a guy who liked to have fun pouring out all the energy he could while a good mixture of rap beats propelled cool guitar licks. It was rather enjoyable, though kind of laughable. I could see why many dispised Limp's music; I could also see how others could find the fun and energy in it.
Couple of years after I started listening, then I hear Wes Borland, the guitarist, had left the band because of creative conflict or something to that effect. And Limp went on to get a new guitarist. Their then new album, Results May Vary, hit shelves in 2003. Having been a casual fan, I picked it up. My first reaction was that this was the fall of Limp Bizkit. Repeated listens, and I realized the mild laughability of the old Bizkit was now tenfold increased, nearing the sold-out stupidity of Britney Spears or the likes. Moderately entertaining music, but horribly bad lyrics. I figured that I would be listening to Kid Rock's new one and Sevendust and have to knock Limp Bizkit off the 1990's hybrid rock bands that made it in the long run.
Now, a few days ago I saw that "The Unquestionable Truth - Part 1" was coming out May 3, and supposedly they somehow got their old guitarist back. After the horrors of Results May Vary, many probably can relate to my thoughts being "they bought Borland back solely to make one last run at fame." However, being optimistic enough to hope they had finally found the direction their fans and them were looking for, I went out today, May 3rd, to get it.
For all you who can relate to what I just wrote, and understand and appreciate the views I have on the band's past, I must say I warn that you, too, may feel disapointment after hearing Limp's new album. Gone is their fun, energetic, rockers who have made a name and found their fame party metal approach that permeated their Starfish record. Gone is the creative mesh of different sounds that made their second album stand out. Gone is the raw energy of the three pretty good songs on the first album (those being Pollution, Counterfeit, and Clunk). Now, what we have is a band who recognized Starfish was their pinacle, and Results May Vary was their downfall. Now, they seem to want to make a mad dash for fame again by darkening their tone and copying someone else's vocal style (if you haven't heard, the main singer sounds like he is impersonating the Rage Against the Machine vocalist). It seems they wanted not to sing about their rocker lifestyle anymore and about "the good times" but instead take a wannabe "intelectual" approach. I don't really know exactly what the main singer is trying to get across in each song, and maybe if I was told I would enjoy it better. However, to me it sounds like an extremely pessimistic, waste-away attitude here and I don't like it. I want to be uplifted with high on life vocals and chugging riffs of raw energy. The only things that this album got close to decent was chugging riffs. Even those fell short.
Maybe Wes is a star, and Fred is bringing Limp down with his bizarre ways. I don't know, but I'm not sure I want to waste the time finding out. Like in the song in Results May Vary goes, it looks like the future for Limp is "Almost Over."
PS - there are only 7 songs on the full-priced cd.
Hope this helps you decide if you want to buy it or not. Thanks for lending an ear (er, eye) and vote if this was helpful.
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