A thru D

If you're looking for typical Bad Religion sound, get Stranger than Fiction! If you're looking for hard hitting, in your face classic punk, what are you waiting for? GO GET IT! This album contains 28 songs (some of them on there more than once) including their anthem Bad Religion. Overall, this album is packed with the teenage angst that punk music was created from.

Munkynutz says: 6.5 nutz

Do you remember the Talking Heads? Same as it ever was. Which is to say great hooks, harmonies, and cerebral lyrics. Now that I've said something nice, can I have my copies of Generator and Recipe For Hate back? Please?

Pigeon Patrol puts this one at: 7

Beck Hansen (No not Zack and Co.!) is quite possibly the Dylan (Bob that is) of my generation. Everybody knows that most music critic type people consider Kurt Cobain to be the Lennon (John not whatzizname) of our generation. But where as Lennon was supposed to be a musical champion for his generation, I personally feel that he was unaccessible to his audience, kind of on a pedestal in my opinion. Now Dylan was a man who got his hands dirty up to his armpits and was one of the first folk musicians to go electric. Not only that but he wrote songs for other great performers, "All Along the Watchtower" by Hendrix anyone? Also he was, by definition (folk artist), a much more accessible figure in music. I'm not knocking anybody here, especially Kurt Cobain, I just happen to believe that Dylan is a more appropriate person to equate Beck with. Beck has a style of music that was all his own and is now imitated by many. He started with a demo (Loser) and pestered many, many radio stations to play it. One did, KROQ in L.A. It was their most requested song for weeks! Definitely an indicator of what is to come in this case. Other stations on the West Coast picked up on the demo and it just exploded, phones rang and A&R men were falling all over themselves to get this "Beck" on their label. He signed with Geffen (Nirvana's major label) and it all took off from there. People naysayed and said "One Hit Wonder" and the like. How wrong they were. Mr. Hansenz alchemical mixture of Folk, Rock, and Hip Hop took the country over! Everyone who was hip had a copy of "Mellow Gold" (as well as a lot of me too-ers). Most songs at the time were introverted, grungerockangst type records. It was the happening thing. Beck speaks volumes with each individual line and he speaks for a whole generation when he does it. Songs such as "Soul Sucking Jerk" (minimal wage hell), "Beer Can" (Events at a Teen Party) and Loser (Anthem for a generation MISLABELED as slackers) all hit home with people who put intellect before image (but actually got through to some image concious ones as well). Anyway needless to say, if you are missing this album or have never heard it I hope you have a real good damn excuse (I.E., "isn't Reagan still president?" or maybe "I just came out of a coma from a car crash in '81!"). No avoiding this one people, it is a defining album of the 90z, in the very least!

N8 R8: 9.7

While not as grooving or rocking as Odelay or Mellow Gold it still possesses what I love most about Beck's work thus far. The thing that I love is his lyrical stylings, while to many people they sound like nonsensical ranting, to me each line is an event. Each line is an image unto itself and if you visualize each line as a complete and separate entity, completely unrelated to the lines surrounding it, you are well on your way to truly enjoying Beck's creative enginuity. I wish I could rate this album as good or better than his previous efforts but in my opinion it goes too far back to his folk roots and just doesn't move you like his previous work. My initial rating is only pending though, as I have only listened to Mutations twice since it has been released. Beck's work is something that many times becomes much more impressive upon repeated listenings. I'm definitely willing to give it that chance!

N8 R8: 7.4

The BHGz (Blood Hound Gang) first offering is a beauty. Ever wondered what an English punk star would sound like doing the theme from "K.I.D.S. Incorporated"? How about if Axl Rose, in an attempt to stay off the welfare line, sang an album of 80z SitCom theme songs? Would you like to hear a rap tribute to Rip Taylor? How bout an R&B style love song about an female amputee? If any of this sounds like a good laugh then go and get this album now! Be forewarned there is nothing serious upon or about this album and most of the tunes on this platter are of the Rapstyles, but your funny glands will be kicking in so hard that you won't give a damn! A definite must have for the Warped and Space Cadets in Training!

N8 R8: 8.2

The BHG (Blood Hound Gang) are all about humor. I think that they are possibly the first band of the Comedy/Rap/Hip-Hop/Punk fusion movement and at the present time remain the ONLY band of this genre. They do it very well. Their first effort (which I will review soon) was definitely more Rap-style with only a few punkish outings, on this newer album the ratio is 1 to 1 for rap/punk styles. They capture suburbanite like no one else has. When a band says "...And we don't go to the ghetto cause you'd shoot our ass" you damn well know that they understand where they stand and have no illusions about being "hardcore" rappers. If you liked the Beastie Boys in the 80's then you will love the BHG in the 90's and beyond. They have a superb sense of humor and are very talented. Nothing is corny here, unless it's intentional. These guys are great. I recommend this album as well as "Use Your Fingers". If you can listen to "I wish I was queer so I could get chicks" and "Why's everybody always picking on me?" without smiling and laughing then you have no sense of humor whatsoever. I contend that you should give these guys a try, you might be surprised that a band this funny can slip through the MTV tuna net without sticking around for a while.

N8 R8: 8.8

Have you ever thought to yourself, "Gee, I wonder what Metallica would sound like today if they hadn't done the NEWSTEAD (aka SoldOut)?" Then this is definitely the album for you! This album is better than "Load" and "Reload" put together. Wait a second, that's selling Corrosion of Conformity (COC) short, by a long shot! This album rocks old school style! This is what heavy metal with no leather pants, no hair spray, and no electronic crossover sounds like. This is an album that just sounds plain good. Great bandwork and awesome vocals without filters and reverbing. This is an album that all the people who got pissed off at Metallica should go out and buy RIGHT NOW!!! No exceptions! From first track to last this CD is what hard rock and metal should be all about. Songs like "Albatross" and "Deliverance" rock hard without sounding stupid and the songs "Without Wings" and "Shelter" are great sounding slower tracks that aren't cheezy in the slightest. If you don't have this album then you are missing out on one of the greatest hidden treasures the "rock" community has ever put up for sale. Once you have this album you'll be asking all your friends "Metalli-who?"

N8 R8: 9.0

Hear me spit...On you...Whither I...Remold into Gold...And bury...I from Sun. Bored. While being the first track it's also a great way of describing how most people feel about current popular music. So express yourself and get this album! This album is definitely a winner and if you can see the Deftones live I suggest you do it! If you pass up the chance may I politely recommend that you get counselling to see exactly what the hell is wrong with you. Adrenaline is the most aptly named album around these days. Listening to this album will fill you with energy to do things you have always wanted to. They like to play old metal covers during their live show and Chino likes to drink, what does he like to drink you ask? "I dunno. Anything with Vodka in it!" A cooler band on the verge of commercial success is not to be found. Anywhere!

N8 R8: 9.2