Customer Reviews

Where's the Bone

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

 

 

After losing their major label contract, TPOH winds up in Canada and makes this fun record. It's got some good songs and is a minor gem, but doesn't quite stack up to Love Junk or One Sided Story. Recommended for love slaves!

The singer of this band refers to "Where's The Bone" as his favourite TPOH recording. Personally, I don't have a favourite, but if I did, this one would come close. The production is what makes these well-written and smooth flowing songs work. Lots of style exploration going on here too (rock, rap, country), always with that wry wittiness that has come to be the band's trademark. Tracks 1, 3, 8, and 9 are my favourites.

I'm so glad to see these folks are still puttin' out the jamms! With all the sound-alike bands you hear on popular radio these days, it's always nice to find a new TPOH CD on the rack. If you can find any of their 3 previous releases, grab 'em! The lyrics and sound are unique and I can think of no other band to compare them with- that's what makes them so great. Definitely good traveling tunes. Keep them coming Moe!

I have loved TPOH from the very beginning--"Love Junk." And I have never really stopped listening to their CDs after all these years. I would have to say that of their entire body of work, my favorite CD is "Where's The Bone" (although every now and then you might get me to say instead that it's "The Downward Road"). But the reason why "Where's The Bone" is their best work is that there is an exceptionally high level of energy that runs through this entire CD, and it never lags (granted, the running time is about 20 minutes shorter than "The Downward Road," but still, this is supercharged. You really can't go wrong with any of the CDs TPOH released, but still, this one is special. It's a shame that Moe Berg & Company never really made it big, but as with That Petrol Emotion, quality does not necessarily correlate to popularity. I saw TPOH live three times, and they never put on anything but an exceptional, high-energy show. In every way, I loved this band, and am thrilled to have been able to enjoy them when they were active. I highly recommend this CD, it's truly great. I'm particularly partial to Kalendar, Save The Whales, Glamorous Death, Completely Conspicuous, Young and In Love (with its rather wicked lyrics), No Reason, Falling In, and a special mention to Gretzky Rocks, a truly moving and wonderful song. There are no weak tracks on this CD. It's a "10" in every way.

TPOH come bouncing along with another album their fans will lap up and the rest of the planet will be utterly ignorant of. But that's their problem as this disc finds Moe Berg still playing the lyrical bowerbird and coming up with engaging couplets to lay over the top of his bands cheerful delivery. TPOH have definitely mellowed musically, there are less wailing guitars and the vocal harmonies are softer than some of their earlier work. But that doesn't mean they've slowed down totally - oh no! This is a mellowing via a trimming down of some of the aspects of their music like solos and swearing. But the pace of some songs still gets your toe tapping and certainly the issues addressed aren't always cheerful. As per their previous albums this continues their tradition of being able to discuss topics in a way that is confronting intellectually without either sounding like they are preaching or trying too hard to shock.

This album probably still falls into the power pop genre in some ways. But in others TPOH have developed into something else - the sort of musing going on here perhaps more akin to the singer-songwriter category.

But don't think for a moment that ll the humour is gone in the quest for endless socially aware alterna-babble. Gretzky Rocks and a number of the other tunes bring a smirk to your face. And the self awareness on tunes like Save the Whales is a welcome relieft from some of the more pretentious social commentary music out there.

One little criticism here is the feeling that this is somehow less of a band than on Love Junk but hey may that's just me, and certainly there was no ego issues visible when I caught the tour for this album. All up, if your in the mood for taking a chance, pick this up. And if your already familiar with this band but don't have this album, stop wasting time and do some damage to that credit card.

It ain't great but it's a good addition to their back catalogue.

I Didn't know this rockin' Canadian outfit was still around as I hadn't heard from them in a few years. I will try to give their new stuff a listen, but it's just too bad their best stuff on the Chrysalis label, "Love Junk" "One Sided Story" and "The Downward Road" are no longer around. If you can ever dig those 3 up or come across in a mark-down bin, go for it! These guys RAWK!