Customer Reviews

Wish I'd Taken Pictures

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

 

 

I'm a gay man who like rock. No modern jazz. No musicals (I'm not that old). When I'm not listening to Pansy Division, I'm listening to Nirvana or Green Day or Blink-182. Pansy Division writes music in that genre with a gay twist. So: if you're straight, you might not get this. (Oh, and if you wonder why they spend so much time about being gay, do realize that when gay people listen to the radio, we hear all these songs about being straight. What is it with you people?) If you don't like rock, or stopped liking rock in the 80s, you're not going to like their songs. If you're like me, they're writing about your life too, and in the type of music you like.

This was the first Pansy Division CD I bought. Within days I had all of them. I have continued to buy them as they come out with new ones. When they next release a CD, I'll buy it too.

Thank you Pansy Division.

The first song on this CD paints a picture of where the rest of it is headed. "[Colloquialism for 'Erotically Desirous'] in the Morning" sings of waking up engorged and wanting. This is a gay-themed, erotic but not pornographic bit of soft punk. Puerile but fun--not for homophobes or Mrs. Grundy.

The music is OK, personally, I'd rather listen to Green Day, but Pansy Division's lyrics are so much more interesting! Five stars for daring to go where most bands don't. Three stars for musical talent. Averages out to four stars.

(Click on the "about me" link above if you'd like to discuss this CD some more. Thanks!)

While this CD could have been written by me, or someone like me, based on my teenage year experiences, I'm content to let those years remain part of the past at this point.

There's no doubt about the energy & enthusiasm of the band here (it'a kind of refreshing to hear gay guys who sound like they're having fun just cutteing loose musically, on a CD), and I hope that the lyrics will let gay boys know that they are not 'wierd' or alone in their fellings, or fantasies, but this is not without some serious flaws as a piece of recorded music.

First, the engineering is terrible. The mix has no depth, and the band's sound changes little from song to song.

Second, the songs themselves are musically undeveloped. Most just start and stop after about 3 minutes. There are not enough tunes here with good musical progressions, hooks, rhythmic themes, or any of the other attributes which make great rock music memorable.

Third, the lyrics tend to get a bit preachy in places. But fortunately, the preachy ones are barely intelligible over the guitars.

But on the plus side, the music does capture the uneasiness and fear which confronts most gay boys (who are often lonely, and, due to the social pressure to conform, unable to express their sexuality without experiencing some backlash from classmates or others).

Also, despite its callowness as art, the CD does sound appropriately puerile to appeal to the teenage boys it's undoubtedly aimed at.

I'd really like to see Pansy Division do an album of songs like track 6 on this album (The Summer You Let Your Hair Grow Out) and track 3 (I Really Wanted You), because they have grown to the point where you can really rock out to them, but then you are are hit with songs like Dick of Death, which is a GREAT SONG, but makes it hard to play the album to create a make-out mood, y'know? Then again, I'm probably not a young as some of the audience...I wish I'd had this record when I was in high school! A good album with lots of great songs that you really have to sing along to. Clever, playful lyrics and a great hook are Pansy Division specialties.

Pansy Division is just the best damn gay band I've ever found; unlike most gay music, they've actually got an edge, which is sure to appeal to any queer fan of heavier music. This album has a lot of fun, catchy numbers, along with some more serious and sweet songs. It makes for a fabulous combination; every queer person should own this CD!

I have never heard a rock group do songs like this. Okay, so they're not they best singers in the world, it does not take much away from meaning of the songs. It's nice to know there is a music group being true to themselves. The music is also hard but not too hard. Pick up a copy if you can handle the uncompromising lyrics.

The novelty of their tongue-in-cheek exploitation of being gay is getting old. Maybe if I was gay I would find some merit in it, but they are horrible musicians and the vocals does nothing for me at all. Why is it that gay artists feel like they have to bathe in it? I mean - hetero bands have love songs, but most of the love songs are universal... with the exception of the Dwarves and the like, hetero bands are benign. Pansy Division are funny for about a minute, then it fades quickly. Straight people won't like it. Gay people shouldn't like it, but I guess they do. This is boring and dumb - it is devoid of any social contribution... and I'm not just saying that cuz I'm straight - I'm not afraid of gay people (homophobic), that's just silly - I'm afraid of bad music, and this is it.

Yeah I'm gay, and I don't even find it that funny. Or funny at all. It's not that they are "bathing" in their gayness that you shouldn't like them, Im ena hetero bands like BSB and Nsync, and 98 degress, and matchbox 20 and so on so on so on do it too, but these people just suck. It is kinda embarrassing to homosexualtiy I think, and besides, one song isn't much different from the other, as Im finding is what most punk bands are like. Dont buy it. please.