The Lemonheads

Lemonheads

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 26, 2006)
• Original Release Date: September 26, 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Vagrant Records
• ASIN: B000HIP3WK
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #117,868 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Ten years between albums is a long time for a musician to sustain momentum, but when you're Evan Dando, it's a matter of doing again what you do best: Stick close to what got you here. Of course, this self-titled record comes nowhere near the early Lemonheads' mayhem of Creator or Lick, but it does bookend nicely with the 1993 delight Come on Feel the Lemonheads. Backed by drummer Bill Stevenson and bassist Karl Alvarez, both ex of the Descendents and All, the album at times has a 110 mph feel, complemented by Dando's trademark rock-candy prose on songs like "Black Gown," "Pittsburgh" and "Rule of 3." But Dando's at his most fresh when he veers from the predictable—the country ramble of "Poughkeepsie" and the waltzing "Baby's Home," or when he lets loose J. Mascis for a stinging lead and solo guitar on "No Backbone." While this very well could be labeled a solo record for Dando, there's nothing wrong with the moniker that reminds us that the Lemonheads live on. --Scott Holter

Product Description

"It really sounds like THE LEMONHEADS. Maybe a little better." Evan Dando is getting a bit conspiratorial about the latest incarnation of the legendary pop/punk outfit he formed a full two decades ago, now about to unleash their eighth album on an unsuspecting and defenseless world. And how does this new release—the first for THE LEMONHEADS on Vagrant Records—compare to, say, Dando’s much-acclaimed solo work of the past few years? "Louder, faster, more like BUZZCOCKS pop-punk—and way less introspective."

Talk about getting back to your roots. For the Vagrant offering, Dando convened two of his early influences—the unholy duo of drummer Bill Stevenson (DESCENDENTS, BLACK FLAG) and bassist Karl Alvarez (DESCENDENTS)—in a remote Rocky Mountain hideaway. And it was there, off and on over eighteen months, that they kicked out the first LEMONHEADS album in ten years. Said guitarist/singer/songwriter Dando of Stevenson and Alvarez, "I wanna make another loud record, and those are the guys to do it with."

Dando and Stevenson co-produced the album, and Stevenson wrote or co-wrote three of its eleven songs; long-time Australian collaborator Tom Morgan added another two. And very much inna LEMONHEADS stylee, there’s cameos galore: from wunderkind bassist Josh Lattanzi ("Poughkeepsie", "Rule of Three", "In Passing"), certifiable rock giant Garth Hudson (THE BAND, who plays keyboards on "Black Gown" and "December"), and some real foot-on-monitor guitar work by DINOSAUR JR’s J. Mascis ("No Backbone", "Steve’s Boy").

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It's About Time..., December 8, 2006

By	j eastman "ex-teen idol" (Minneapolis) - See all my reviews

Everything I liked about music in the 90's flew out the window when The Lemonheads "broke up" in 1998. Ok...I'm kidding, I mean, how can you break up a band that really consists of Evan Dando and whichever musician happens to be available in the studio at the moment?

As I am with most "comeback" or "reunion" albums, I was reluctant to buy the latest release - in fact, I was fully prepared to downright hate it. Although Mr. Dando has continued to create music, I was wondering how he'd be able to create the same magic found on the rather obtuse "Car Button Cloth" or the indie pop gem, "Shame About Ray". All my fears were erased after listening to the first few tracks this self titled release...the little record fits nicely in between those two...in fact, I'd happily discard "Come On Feel The Lemonheads" for this any day...

The album doesn't break much new ground, however - on that same note, it's not necessarily stagnant or dated - the music sounds fresh without sounding over produced. Evan's syrupy sweet voice hasn't aged a bit - he still sounds like your cooler older brother, as he sings about revenge on a cheating lover in "Baby's Home", or slyly smirks "If it's not fixed, don't break it" in the opening song, "Black Gown".

On "Become the Enemy" he sings, "It's not my fault, I never learned a trade"... and thankfully so, hopefully this album is not the last we'll hear from The Lemonheads...

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars They're BaaaaaacK!, September 26, 2006

By	Smiley Smile (Boulder, CO United States) - See all my reviews

Remarkably Evan Dando,has brought back the Lemonheads after 10 years. More remarkably- the album they made is excellent. With edgy rockers,Bill Stevenson on drums & Karl Alvarez on bass- the Lemonheads manage to keep their old melodic rock sound yet also sound modern and edgy at the same time! The result is a CD that really rocks and is great fun to listen to.
My favorites on The CD are Rule of Three, the murderballad Baby's Home, the goth punk Black Gown,the heartfelt rocker Steve's Boy ,the near pychedelic closer December , and the slashing, wryly humorous political song Let's Just Laugh.
If you are a fan of the previous versions of the Lemonheads -you will like the 21st century version just fine. Buy it and enjoy!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Long lost Lemonheads, May 5, 2007

By	W. T. Ulrich (nyc) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Sounds like the Descendents w/ Evan Dando on lead vocals. Well, that's what it is! I'm pretty into it.