Haunted Cities [EXPLICIT LYRICS]

Transplants

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 21, 2005)
• Original Release Date: June 21, 2005
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Explicit Lyrics
• Label: Atlantic / Wea
• ASIN: B00092ZM7A
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (57 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #46,560 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Track Listings

1. Not Today

2. Apocalypse Now

3. Gangsters & Thugs

4. What I Can't Describe

5. Doomsday

6. Killafornia

7. American Guns

8. Madness

9. Hit the Fence

10. Pay any Price

11. I Want It All

12. Crash and Burn

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Rarely is a side project equal to the member's primary outfit, but the Transplants subvert that long and wisely held opinion. Named because they are indeed musicians transplanted from other bands--Blink 182's skin beater Travis Barker, Rancid's guitarist and singer, Tim Armstrong, and former AFI roadie Rob Aston make up the line-up--but much to their credit they didn't bring much baggage from their rather high profile musical units except maybe just the smallest throwback to mid-career Rancid on the confrontational and rather bleak "American Guns." But that's really a creative blip, instead the band members display a contagious and clubby party ethic, rather like the Stone Roses before the end of Madchester years with a buzzy menacing guitar and some superb Keith Moon-ian drumming underpinning everything. Instead of promoting punk revivalism, "Haunted Cites" is a compendium of what the band members listen to on their off hours, fusing their love of dancehall, metal, Philly soul, reggae and hip-hop into this rhythmically solid and lyrically adventurous follow-up to their standout 2002 debut. Any band that can name check Blackie Lawless in their first song, and then go on to create such luscious vintage soul, sounding like a reincarnated Stylistics on the chillingly beautiful "What I Can't Describe" deserves to be on the express elevator to the top of the charts. And that's even before you take into account their sardonic paean to hedonism on "Gangsters and Thugs," with it's charmingly bone-headed chorus "Gangsters and thugs/Criminals and hoods/Some of my friends sell records/Some of my friends sell drugs." --Jaan Uhelszki

Product Description

"A few years ago, when Tim, Travis and myself were finishing up the first Transplants album, we weren't sure what was going to happen. You wouldn't believe how many people told us that they "don't get it" or that they're "not sure what people will think". To tell you the truth, we didn't really care. But here we are, a few years later, with a new Transplants album-Haunted Cities. I've always had a hard time describing our records, being as though all 3 of us have different backgrounds all 3 of us live different lives, but what I can tell you is that Haunted Cities is unlike anything else. With guest appearances by the Boo-Yaa Tribe, Rakaa from Dilated Peoples, B-Real and Sen Dog from Cypress Hill, people ain't gonna know what hit 'em. And to tell you the truth, we still don't care."-Rob Aston, Transplants Deluxe Edition includes a 6 panel foldout digipak with a 16 page 4 color booklet.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing if you love Tim Armstrong, June 21, 2005

By	Leetsauce (San Jose, California) - See all my reviews

Notice how every review with five stars has no content? Hmmm..

It is with great regret that I am writing a review stating that "Haunted Cities" continues the pattern of Rancid and company's decline. This new Transplants record is another chapter among the 2003's de-volving "Indestructible" and the ego-a-thon that is Frederiksen's 2004 "Viking" (my least favorite record of 2004 hands down).

This record is suffering greatly in the lyrics department. Along the lines of "Viking," this album's lyrics are just a tad above because they touch on politics (Apocalypse Now and American Guns). But, rest assured, you will find that nearly every other song is talking about bad-ass they are, how hard their life has been, etc. Where is the storytelling style that Tim Armstrong used to incorporate into songs so well? Not here.

Remember how "Skinhead" Rob was a cool addition on the first Transplants album, and not a crucial member? Well, that has changed on this record. In fact, the record ought to be called "Rob Austin and the Transplants - Haunted Cities." You'll find Rob's raspy, smokes-too-much vocals singing the main parts of most of the songs, and coving about 70% of the lyrics in total. I could deal with this if there was some content to his lyrics, but nearly every line he says has to do with him being tough, a drug dealer, or using some random cuss word. This "we're so hard" thing has really gone to their heads.

If you'll recall on the first Transplants album the guest stars fit on the songs very well. From Lars, to Brody, and even Davey Havok, these guests were long time friends and they fit their parts perfectly. This is not the case on "Haunted Cities," you'll find every guest is now some "gangster" from the LA rap scene rapping about how hard he is, and it just seems ridicules-I can't take it seriously. Where is the honesty? B Real's part on "What I Can't Describe," as well as the whole song, is beyond laughable.

There are a few highlights worth mentioning. "Crash and Burn" has a great Latin dance beat and is incredibly catchy, "Apocalypse Now" has a good hard chorus worth hearing, "Madness" has a great hook in the chorus which is probably one of Tim's best, and the politically charged (sounds like a Clash song on many levels) "American Guns" is worth hearing.

2 Stars because four songs worth listening to, but this is overall a non creative, ego boasting, repetitive record. Get the songs I recommend off I-Tunes and save your $15.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars (Insert Something Here), July 4, 2005

By	Ben Dugan "Ben Dugan" (Flying Monkey Killer) - See all my reviews

Well there is both good news and bad news for Rancid fans. On the good side of things, the second record from "punk rock supergroup" the Transplants(Rancid's Tim Armstrong, Blink 182's Travis Barker and former Rancid/ A.F.I. roadie "Skinhead Rob" Aston) is a step up from last years dreadful Lars Frederickson record "Viking". The bad news? "Haunted Cities" isn't much of a record.
Now I thought the Transplants debut record a few years ago had some cool moments("Sad But True", "California Babylon" and "Down in Oakland" were inspired tracks), but "Haunted Cities" doesn't really have any cool moments or even really any memorable or likable songs. And it boils down to three things.
One: Tim Armstrong, it would appear, has lost for lack of a better word his mojo. In the mid to late ninties he was one of the best songwritters around, knowing how to blend hard runk aggression with pop melody and smart, honest lyrics. He could go from hardcore punk to ska to blues inspired pop tracks without losing much of a beat(don't believe me? Take a listen to the records Rancid cut from 1994-2001), but here he sounds bored. Every track find Armstrong going through the motions, not really seeming to care either way if the track he's doing is interesting or even good, floating by on fake bravado and tired hooks. To add insult to energy whenever Tim takes to mic he sounds bored with himself. There is never an excitement to his voice or his tone, and it gets pretty boring listening to a dude who sounds bored. Actually, it's pretty contagious.
Problem two is Skinhead Rob who rivals Fred Durst in the rapping skills department. Rob is all fake bravado and trite, unoriganel rhymes who goes to the same topic over and over again: how much of a badass he seems to think he is. He was a nuisiance on the last Tranplants record, but at least then Tim's heart was at least into the songwritting to distract you from him. This time, he's in the front of the band. And that's not a good idea.
And that leads to the third problem. Like Lars' "Viking" last year, "Haunted Cities" becomes a cocept record about how tough, how hardcore the Transplants are. This motif works for Motorhead.It doesn't work for these guys. The first problem is how unconvicning Aston is on the mic, but another problem is that these guys seem to think tatoos make you a badass. Sorry. Tatoos aren't particuarly scary to anyone over the age seventy five. Neither are motorcycles or drugs or whatever else the group seems to be singing about. There was a sense of intellegence above this nonsense on the first Transplants record, a sense of humor and vulnerability that made the band seem hard as nails. When you feel the need to write about it for fifty minutes? Well that's just pretending there.
And there you go. I was dissapointed by "Haunted Cities". I give it two stars becasue it's better than "Viking", but not by much. Someone needs to wake up Armstrong and put a muzzle over Rob's mouth. Or maybe they should've just left well enough alone.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You're f*ckin retarded..., September 25, 2005

By	Matthew Mcdonald "MickeyD" (Newton, NJ) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If your too brainwashed by MTV and clear channel, don't f*ckin buy this album. If you're too busy trying to put bands into certain categories, don't buy this f*ckin album, because that is what it is, an ALBUM. These brilliant musicians have made an album for MUSICIANS, music lovers, and just plan open minded folks. Not everyone is going to like it and they don't CARE. From the opening salvos of Not Today and Apocalypse Now to the closing tunes I Want It All and Crash and Burn (which are an album unto themselves) this album is a party masterpiece. Gangsters and Thugs, the single, sounds like nothing that's ever been played on the radio before; What I Can't Describe is a perfect lazy summer soul tune that doesn't fit any category; Madness: phat. Anyway, buy this album if your interested in something different and tuneful. Otherwise, tune in to yer local bullsh*t radio/cable station. Peace out, b*tches.