|
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best CD's of the last several years, May 26, 2004
This CD is a speeding ticket waiting to happen. I've shaved 10 minutes off of my drive to work just by listening to it in the morning. The energy oozes out of the sound system and completes a circuit with my right foot, which causes my vehicle to reach 90MPH on the Northwest Tollway outside of Chicago.If you enjoy your Rock'N'Roll with contrasts and dynamics, "...Must be Destroyed" is IT. It is 100% energy throughout with contrasts in tempo and heaviness. These are tightly crafted songs with more hooks than Babe Winkelman's tackle box. The album takes off like a rocket with "Nexus Icon". This is as strong an opening statement that you could ever hope for on an album. The Wildhearts are giving a hearty middle finger to the current state of pop culture on this one. "Only Love" is the song that should be released as a single YESTERDAY. It's one of those rare songs that feels familiar even though it's brand new. It's Rock'N'Roll enough to have an edge, but it also has a chorus that will infiltrate your gray matter and not let go. If I ever get Alzheimer's, I'll still be singing this one. "Someone That Won't Let Me Go" is in the same vein as "Only Love" and almost feels like a continuation (ala Journey's "Feeling That Way/Anytime"). "Vanilla Radio" is a fist-pumping number that translates GREAT in concert. This is one of the CD's heavier tracks, but as everything else on this CD, has an incredible hook. "One Love..." definitely sports an early Beatles influence but is still uniquely Wildhearts. It is a mid-tempo pop number, and is the softest track on the CD. It sets the table for the jolt awaiting on the next track. "Get Your Groove On" is a very short assault on the senses with a cameo by Justin Hawkins (of the Darkness - for those who have been in a broom closet for the last six months). It is the heaviest track and plays like a watershed between the first and second half of the CD. "So into You" is an up tempo track with some of the most memorable lyrics on the CD. This is sounding redundant, but this song also has an A+ hook. The chorus is very well done with a great guitar line that echoes the chorus. By this point, you realize that you have placed your ears in the hands of a song-writing master craftsman. "There's Only One Hell" plays a lot more upbeat than the title suggests. It's about looking someone in the eye and saying "do your worst!" The tone of tongue-in-cheek defiance exemplifies what great Rock'N'Roll is made of. "It's All Up to Me" features a very percussive chorus, which provides a good contrast to the other songs on the CD. Following "There's Only One Hell" which lays the blame at the foot of the other person, "It's All Up to Me" is a 180-degree response. "Out from the Inside" is a crunchy song about perspective. This could be interpreted as the aftermath of the previous two tracks, but I am probably reading too much into it. The CD concludes with a masterpiece. "Top of the World" is a timeless anthem that is the gift wrap on the entire package. The best lyric on the whole set is the "agony and ecstasy" line. This song is perfect. If you play guitar or drums, "Top of the World" will inspire you to pick up your instrument. There is not a clunker on the CD. It was worth the extra $$$ as an import, and now that it's available as a domestic release there are no excuses to not own it. With proper label support and airplay, there is no reason why this band should not be dominating the airwaves. I just discovered the Wildhearts through their tour with the Darkness, but this is a band that I will be listening to until I die. These songs are timeless. If you don't want to take my word for it, look up the Spin magazine review.
|