Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
the REAL Vandals, December 11, 2004
I thinks it's kind of lame that Joe Escalante kept the name The Vandals because he is the only one left from the original band members. Thus I coin this the REAL Vandals only album. But the music: fantastic. we'll sound even better when we've got it mixed. Is that james? Is that James in the mixing room? You've got your classics on the Peace through Vandalism part (Pat Brown, Urban Struggle, etc.) and some hilariously good songs on When in Rome as well. A lot of people don't like When in Rome as much, but I think it's just as good as Peace Through Vandalism. Not one track of filler on either of them though. Someone in another review said something about how impressive it is that they can nail down so many different styles of music, even when it seems it's just for laughs. I feel exactly the same way. If you're a fan of the post-original-line-up Vandals with dave quackekernfgrtekbush, you might not be impressed because they don't really sound that similar. But if you keep an open-mind and give this album a spin or two you'll find it's much better than anything the post-vandals have done.
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15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sorry, this is not green day, July 11, 2005
Looking at most of the reviews here, it becomes instantly obvious the divide between the various iterations of the Punk phenomenon. Some (myself included) call the latest movement complete rubbish, and utterly commercial, which is at odds with the real meaning of the punk movement. However, way back when in the days I considered myself a punk rocker, the previous generation said the same of us. That being said, it's pretty clear that from the other reviews that kid's today don't know their roots. For instance, it seems unlikely that a band like say, NOFX would have its unique sound or humor without the likes of the original Vandals. Tracks like the Legend of Pat Brown, Mohawk Town, and Urban Struggle were once anthems, where now they are pretty much forgotten, and that's too bad. One review mentioned that the album has an odd cowboy theme, which begs context. When this album came out, way back in the early 80's, there was a resurgence of country music, and something called the "cowboy lifestyle", thanks in large part to a forgotten movie called Urban Cowboy, starring none other than John Travolta. Coming to the point, the Vandals decided to have a little fun with [what was then] contemporary pop culture.
Anyone that grew up in OC will recognize some of the references made in the songs, Zoomies for example is, or was, a cowboy bar at one time in Huntington Beach... The song Pirate's Life is actually about the Pirate's of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland, and an LSD trip. For ultimate context, I highly recommend the original version of Suburbia on DVD, in which the real Vandals appear, which is sold here on Amazon, and for which, incidentally, I have also written a review.
If this album has you scratching your head, its because its from a different time that seems to be irrelevant to the current generation of punk rockers. There was a time when this album was cutting edge, and that time has long since passed.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Somehow...Jolly Fun!, March 17, 2005
The Vandals rule on this compilation...not because they rock(well they actually do) but because it's funny or sarcastic. Without hearing much Vandals I find this to be an essential punk/hardcore record. Remember...Keep this in mind though, I've only heard Fear of a Punk Planet and a few newer Vandals songs on Nitro comps and such.
The first EP is great. Starting with the fun bass line of "Wanna be a Manor". With the themes of cowboy punkers in "Urban Struggle" and rocking as a Pirate. The humor of H.B. Hotel and getting a broken heart and more I shouldn't go into in this review. It ends with the somewhat funny Anarchy Burger(Hold the Government).
The full length continues the humorous tradition of the EP, except I actually think it's better with use of the Stratch Box in Ladykiller...to the very funny cover of "Hocus Pocus"...to the trumpet in "Rico"...there's some cool instrumentation on the album. You wouldn't think this stuff is much. But it is creative and funny as heck in my mind! Plus all the funny rocking songs...there so absurbly funny...possibly for the wrong reasons.
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by The Vandals 
