Howl [ENHANCED]

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (Artist)

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 23, 2005)
• Original Release Date: August 23, 2005
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Enhanced
• Label: Red Int / Red Ink
• ASIN: B000A7S4B0
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (95 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #10,933 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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  #40 in	Music > Alternative Rock > Alternative Styles > Rock > Noise
  #93 in	Music > Miscellaneous > Experimental Music

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
San Francisco's Black Rebel Motorcycle Club weren't exactly shy about their taste for early ‘90s UK rock (Jesus and Mary Chain, Ride, Stone Roses), influences that freely permeated their debut and Take Them On, On Your Own. But Howl argues that B.R.M.C. understands how such devotion can often be a creative straightjacket, stripping their songs bare via almost exclusively acoustic arrangements that variously evoke gospel-tinged Appalachia and gritty country-blues ("Devil's Waitin', "Ain't No Easy Way," "Restless Sinner"), gentle, mouth-harp seasoned folk ("Fault Line") and vocalist Peter Hayes invoking various ghosts of Dylan past on "Still Suspicion Holds You Tight," "Promise," and "Complicated Situation." Indeed, in everything from its music and Allen Ginsburg-inspired title to the LP-deriv! ed running order and artwork, it's an album whose retro-'60s counter-culture vibe may be no less original than their previous musical obsessions, but one whose strong, mature songs and dedicated performances can't be denied. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Still holds their sound nicely, August 24, 2005

By	MEWZIK - See all my reviews

I knew when I heard the advance cd, people would be a bit upset regarding the departure of the previous two albums' anthems of addrenalin - I was taken back as well, but kinda pleased to see the expansion. I mean, BRMC are talented enough to not rely on the same formulas. To be honest, I shouldn't be rating this album so quickly, but for all the people that think it's sorta terrible, I needed to write a review to counter their motion. This band is great. They still have that Love & Rockets/Jesus & Mary Chain factor working for them - it is just something you will have to sit with instead of instantly saying - I love it...although track 5 is one of their best songs to date.

EXTENDED REVIEW:
Howl is an excellent album that partitions their catalog in two. The best generic description I can come with is Johnny Cash vs. Love & Rockets. The lyrics are brilliant, regarding love, religion and self as the focal points. The music, not a total departure from the previous two, but stripped down to more of an acoustic kickback to contemporary artists like later Dylan. I don't think BRMC was going for any particular sound, nor gave a care about keeping a fan who loved the last two albums. This was about keeping it real in a round about way - and what they are into, NOT what the fans expected them to do, which I totally respect. I don't mind people saying this record is not what they are into, but to say it is terrible means you have no clue to what music is. No offense, but I guess take some.

24 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Unplugged... and seated (on the back-porch in the deep South), September 3, 2005

By	Paul Allaer (Cincinnati) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Wow... where to begin? I am a huge fan of the band's first 2 albums ("B.R.M.C." and "Take Them On, On Your Own"). I knew the buzz was that the new album would be different. I've had the new album since it came out about 2 weeks ago, and have been listening to it quite a bit.

"Howl" (14 tracks, 52 min.) is not just an evolution from the previous sound, but as radical a departure that I can ever recall from a single band. The best way to imagine what this album sounds like it is to picture the band sitting on the back-porch somewhere in the deep, deep South about 100 years ago, and strumming along to some songs, all acoustic if course. The influences of gospel, blues and even country are everywhere. That said, if you can accept that a band can make such a musical departure, you can then start to appreciate the album for what it is, and the inevitable conclusion then is that "Howl" is a terrific album. From the opening sounds of the opener "Shuffle Your Feet", with a gospel choir filling the air, "Holw" is a mood piece that begs repeated listening. "Ain't No Easy Way" (UK single) is a short blast of acoustic jamming, but most songs are pensive ("Fault Line", "Restless Sinner", "Gospel Song" are good examples). This album reminds me in spirit of the "O Brother Where Art Thou?" soundtrack and it's no surprise then that T-Bone Burnett contributed as well to "Howl".

In all, this is a very nice album. If, however, you are looking for more of the sound of the first two BRMC albums, save your money and DON'T buy this. As a separate thought, I am really curious how BRMC is going to take this album on the road. I guess they'll simply have 2 different sets altogether, one for the old stuff, and one for the "Howl" songs. Maybe they'll change outfits as well. It would be appropriate. "Howl" is highly recommended!

20 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars DANGER - INSTALLS UNAUTHORIZED SOFTWARE, December 20, 2005

By	T. Mitchell - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you run Windows XP, do not insert this (or any Sony BMG) CD in your computer. Without prompting for permission, it will install a cloaked 'Root Kit' on your hard drive that can interfere with the proper operation of your computer and leave it vulnerable to hacking and virus attacks. This software is very hard to remove too. This just happened to me. My firewall did not stop it and it destroyed my anti-virus program and several of my system tray applications. VERY BAD STUFF. YOU ARE WARNED. You can search "Sony BMG Rootkit" on one of the big search engines for more information.