14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
major clock-cleaner, January 25, 2002
to suggest that the hives are a throwback to the proto-punk of detroit is to totally underestimate the degree and reach of their piracy. it's like they've sucked up every crumb of trashy rock since louie louie and regurgitated it on veni vidi vicious, and they stop just shy of quoting their influences from the sonics to blur (yeah, i said blur). graying aficionados of american punk will find themselves in familiar terrain, but then again, grindcore fans who were probably in diapers when the dolls started purveying their junk-style take on glam will recognize the energy (if not the soul). and somewhere in between, the hives were careful to pick at the carcasses of the new york noise bands of the 80's. so if somebody were to say to me that there's not one original thought on this cd, i'd be hard-pressed to find a rebuttal (except to weakly point out that there's not really an original thought on any cd coming out these days).
that doesn't mean i'm not going to go out on a limb and say the hives deserve a place in the pantheon of great RAWK (oy!) based on this album alone though. there's nothing wrong with building on the unique ideas of your forebears, but it does increase the pressure to deliver. imho, they totally deliver. they're tight and cacophonous and obnoxious - everything you'd wanna hear about a rock band. they've hung their talents on memorable, catchy tunes and even the lyrics are kind of smart - in a clipped, snotty punk-... sort of way. there's not a dud in the bunch, including the charming crooner find another girl. highlights are die, all right!, hate to say i told you so, but most of all, main offender. all of 'em brilliant, cathartic, and fun - the sort of butchy summer keg-tunes i like to crank up in my car with the windows all open and howl along to.
if you like trashy rock like this, check out royal trux's accelerator too.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Veni Vidi Vicious, December 12, 2004
This an amazing album all the way through. It's not like those sellout bands with an album that has one good song. You can listen to all 12 songs without stopping and then want to hear them again. This is a perfect example of a real punk rock record. It resembles bands like the ramones and the sex pistols much more than these new sellout bands like simple plan and good charlotte and yellowcard and bands like that. It is perfect for audiences anywhere from the rebellious kids of the 1970's to the emo kids of the 1990's. It is an amazing album and i reccomend i to everyone.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Your New Favorite Band Saves The World, June 25, 2002
Five dopey looking dudes from the land of Abba out to save rock and roll? You bet...The Hives have a chainsaw guitar cross-attack that will make your hairs stand on end. Forget about the Strokes and White Stipes, these are the real saviors of rock and roll. Music that makes you want to drink 15 expressos and do something really weird in front of an authority figure. If you buy just one CD for the rest of your life, this is it...your new favorite band!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No