Brand New Knife

Shonen Knife

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 15, 1997)
• Original Release Date: March 11, 1997
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Big Deal Records
• ASIN: B000000ICJ
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #224,994 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Well, not exactly brand new; they still sound like Shonen Knife. There was a time when this all-femme trio from Japan was the hands-down queens of cute, but while their chops (and English) have improved with time, the rest of the world has climbed aboard their junk wagon. Heck, they may not even be the cutest band from Japan anymore! Here in the present, the marriage of bristling garage-rock with go-go girl vocals isn't exactly cause to stop the presses. Still, the cheeky charms that have served them well throughout their career are still intact, evidenced on shiny, irresistible trinkets like "The Perfect World" and "Frogphobia." No longer danger dolls playing muddy slop pop, Shonen Knife fairly flaunt their instrumental prowess. The snappy guitar solos on "Wonder Wine" or "Magic Joe" (a shaky "Hey Bulldog" rip) would have been out of the question ten years ago. "Fruits & Vegetables" is delightful, but they might want to shy away from food songs--that's Cibo Matto's turf. It's unfortunate that there are so many bands doing cute for cute's sake, because Shonen Knife have still got the beat. --John Chandler

Product Description
English language version of 1996 album with 13 tracks. MCA. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Retro chique fun for all, July 21, 2003

By	Nathan Nathan (San Diego) - See all my reviews

Back in the mid to late 90's there seemed to a quite a few Japanese female bands with a sort of go go style and none of them were nearly as fun as Shonen Knife.

What separates this band from many similiar ones is the way they mix great garage rock with professional musicianship.

Although this style of music has seemed to die out in both mainstream and indy circles there will always be a place for this almost perfect pop left to us by the band.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty good from the veteran punk rockers, March 13, 2002

By	Ryan Kramer "Ryan Kramer" (Olathe, KS United States) - See all my reviews

The album starts out really strong with the energetic Explosion and has other good 'rock out' songs you can speed down the highway while listening with your windows down.

But there are a few spots where an almost lazy feel takes over.

Hey Magic Joe and The Perfect World aren't bad songs but they don't really 'fit' in the feel of everything.

The inclusion of several japanese lanuage music tracks is a nice bonus.

Still a great purchase if you're a fan of the groups other albums, but I enjoyed their newer album Happy Hour a little more...

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Keep Rockin' Shonen Knife!, May 20, 2001

By	"kriskadh" (Norfolk, VA United States) - See all my reviews

The late Kurt Cobain said of Shonen Knife, "The first time I heard them I was transformed into a giddy teenager at a Beatles concert." I know how he felt! Nirvana helped promote Shonen Knife in the USA and for that they will have my eternal gratitude. "Brand New Knife" must be Shonen Knive's best work! The more I listen to it the more I MUST listen to it! The 70's best rock sounds are given new, vibrant life here. These three ladies from Osaka blast out waves of guitar crunching, drum bashing sound taking me back to rock's golden era simultaniously adding their unique new-age touch. Their songs cover many subjects, from a simple message about good nutrition to ESP. This is classic Shonen Knife at their best!