Life Is Peachy [ENHANCED] [EXPLICIT LYRICS]

Korn

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 15, 1996)
• Original Release Date: October 15, 1996
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Enhanced, Explicit Lyrics
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B000002BHP
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (326 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #22,393 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Growing pains, December 4, 2005

By	Rubin Carver "The Duke" (Gilbert, AZ USA) - See all my reviews

I have mixed feelings about Life is Peachy, and I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt with a 4 star rating as opposed to the 3 star rating I was tempted to give it. This album shows the awkward developmental period between the self-titled and Follow the Leader. The result is interesting and fun if not necessarily the high point of Korn's career.

The album starts out well enough with the infamous "Twist," a 49 second scat from Jonathan. It's not a fantastic song but it sets the stage for the rest of the album, a hodgepodge blend of heavyness and creepiness with playfullness and vulgar humor. From here out, the first part of the album is basically a funkier, weirder take on the self-titled sound, with lots of abstract chords and offbeat rhythms. The songs aren't as heavy-hearted as the self-titled, but they retain the same familiar chuggy balance. In a way this is the strongest and most stable portion of the album, and the best of them would probably have to be "Chi" with its distinctive time feel changes.

The middle portion of the album has some of the best songs on this album and may alone be responsible for the 4 star rating I gave it. "Porno Creep" is a very cool Snot-like jazz/rock song that acts as a sort of intermission. "Good God" is an emotionally intense song with screeching high guitars and a distinctive melody. "Mr. Rogers" is a disturbing, creepy, drug-addled tune with lyrics depicting paranoia and betrayal.

Unfortunately, it seems that after the first half, the album doesn't know what to do with itself. "K@#-!" is a rediculous joke track that is only really entertaining the first time for its shock value. The idea is funny, but it compromises the quality of the album as a whole. Likewise, while I'm sure "Wicked" and "Lowrider" were great fun for the band to do, they chew up the flow of the album and spit it out as a messy, random pulp of varyingly mediocre songs.

Amidst the innappropriately placed cover songs etc., are the album's singles. They both more or less sound the same and are decent songs. Most importantly, though, they start to introduce the subtle hip hop influence and bizzare pedal effects that would become more prevelant on the next album. "Ass Itch" also hints at the sound the band would adopt for Follow the Leader. It has a good chorus but the verse and various other parts are a bit scattershot.

"Kill You" is the logical successor to self-titled's "Daddy", and is almost as profoundly disturbing. This is also the logical continuation of the first half of the album which is far superior to the messy second half. The potential shown in the first half seems to suggest that this album was a rush job and suffered as a direct result. It shows in the schizophrenic cobbling together of various novelty songs, but it also shows in the tin can production and in the playing of the band which is not as tight as it was on the self-titled.

Not for the last time, Korn rushed to put out an album at the expense of quality. It's not a terrible album, and when you cut out the duds you get a very nice little EP that fits perfectly as a transition between the self-titled and Follow the Leader. But it is a sophomore jynx. Still, it's pretty good as sophomore jynx's go. 3.5 stars grudgingly rounded up to 4. Give it a spin once in awhile - just don't look at it too hard under the microscope.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Life is Peachy, August 9, 2003

By A Customer

Life is Peachy is the best Korn album ever released. Unfortunately it is extremely underrated. Most people actually say that this is their worst album because it was supposedly rushed. Don't listen to them. True, it was reportedly made in a relatively short amount of time, but that doesn't matter..... so what if the sound quality is a little on the scratchy side? It's the raw energy of this record that counts. Others complain the album was way to dark for their tastes, but in my opinion, the extra creepy vibes I get from this album are a great thing. Infact, I wouldn't even know what to classify this album as. What genre is it? That's a tough one. Its definitely a mixture of hardcore, metal, and funk. The hip hop inflences are not over done either, so it doesn't sound cheesy like linkin park, limp bizkit, or any other "nu-metal." Life is Peachy is not intended for fans of pop or alternative rock, or even of what I like to call trendy metal. Prepare yourself for an experience unlike any other. This record contains some of the most explicit lyrics ever , and it has a unique, original sound unto its own (Get ready to hear a lot of screaming....literally.) Luckily, Korn does not overplay its hand, and the sheer creepiness of this album is not forced. Actually, its quite a laid back record.

The first track "Twist" is bizarre enough. It sounds like schizophrenic word salad. This song is a great opener. Then there is "Chi" which sounds quite similar (but don't worry, it doesn't sound repetitive or bland." It has cool lyrics and a really heavy beat. "Lost" is has an even heavier sound, and its very original. What's notable about this track is that the vocals by Jonathan Davis are extra deep. It reminds me of a slasher movie type atmosphere. "Swallow" is just beautifully done. It has a shady, porno kinky sound to it that compliment the lyrics just nicely. And of course "Porno Creep" has the same kind of feel, although its very short and almost entirely instrumental, except for the twisted whispers in the background. It's a very jazzy song and has great drums.

On to track 6, now here is where the album truly shows off its goods. "Good God" is in my opinion, the best Korn song ever. Its extremely fast and heavy. It really packs a punch. Some of the best guitar work ever, and the chorus....its simply amazing. I just can't believe they could do what they do here with a guitar. (no synthesizers!). The lyrics are also some of their best, especially in the chorus..."Sea of Life, you're just a minnow, live your life insecure, feel the pain of your needles, as they sh*t into my mind...." Truly awe inspiring. The seventh track, "Mr. Rogers" closely rivals "good god." It's a very slow, heavy, psychotic sounding song that has some really twisted lyrics. Track 8 "Kunt" is a Korn style parody of commercial radio. Practically the whole song is foul language...really foul, so beware. Good song though. "No place to hide" is another major plus. It got a grammy nomination in 96, I think. Dark, kind of funky beat. "Wicked" features Chino from the Deftones, and its an ultra cool duet with Davis....very hip hop on this song, you just have to listen to it, I can't really describe the feel. Track 11, "A.D.I.D.A.S." is another one of my favorites. This one made it big, and the video makes it even better. The song is about sex fantasies obviously, but the video is even better, its basically the band's dead bodies throughout the whole video. You can see it on the cd. (an extra). "Lowrider" is an interlude featuring Head doing the vocals...really cool and an interesting version of the original. "A.. Itch" is an excellent song, another favorite of mine. Most people say it stinks, but its really one killer song and the ending is the best part. It sets the mood for the finale "kill you." This track has such heavy guitars it will give you the shivers. Seriously. Its one of their best.

Anyway, I know that most of the songs might appear to be the same (dark, funky, heavy etc.) when I described them, but trust me, each song has is unique and the album doesn't get repetitive whatsoever. I can listen to it hundreds of times over and over. It never gets old and its certainly a masterpiece. The artwork on the cover fits the title "Life is Peachy" perfectly and it already gives you a chilling preview of what to expect.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars korn lyrics, December 30, 1999

By	sarah sitkin (burbank california) - See all my reviews

the lyrics of jon davis put me into a state of mind i havent been in for a while. even though it brought back a lot of feelings of hate and lonliness, it was incredible to hear that someone knows the torment i do. the lyrics are real and there are a lot of web sites you can read them straight from like korn.com, the official web site. i highly reccomend this album. as well as the first.