This CD Rocks!

Why did I miss out on this band the first couple of times through? How could I have been so naive to miss one of the most intriguing and entertaining bands this side of The Bloodhound Gang? That question may never be answered, but what has been shown to me is one of the greatest CDs I own, and while some may pass them off as two-bit performers in a world surrounded by the Brittney’s and the Christina’s, Reel Big Fish and their latest album Cheer Up! is a pleasure to listen to.

The CD brings you in with the first single “Where Have You Been?” that introduces you to the band in a way any well knowing record exec would. Throw a pop-like track on the radio and draw in the kiddies, and this song does just that. With a more mellow tone than the rest of the CD, “Where Have You Been?” has just the right formula to draw in fans, and draw in fans it does.

What most people don’t see is the rest of the disc is just as good, if not better, than the first single. With the overtone of dateless, loser type twentysomething prevalent on most of the album “Suckers,” which deals with people who still believe in true love, “We Are the Dateless Losers,” doesn’t really need too much explanation, and “Valerie,” which the band relives a very one-sided relationship. Funnier songs come in the form “Ban the Tube Top,” and “Rock n Roll Is Bitchin’” as well as the acapella “New York, New York.”

The more serious stuff finds its way onto the album in the afore mentioned “Where Have You Been,” that details a long lost girlfriend trying to come back to a man she left for another, “Brand New Hero,” and “Drunk Again.” Each of these songs changes up the CD to keep things fresh and new.

The best part of this CD is the lasting quality of the songs. Each has its own unique flavor that makes theme completely sing able, and completely enjoyable for the 50th time you listen to the CD. With such style and finesse as Reel Big Fish have, it is very good to know this CD won’t be collecting dust after the first few listens. If it were a cassette, I would have already gone through two by now.

Don’t do what I did, jump into Cheer Up! with with both feet and enjoy what music can be in the twenty first century.

Oh how long we have waited. After what seems like forever, Goldfinger has released their newest album to the streets, entitled Open Your Eyes, and it brings the Ska/Punk band back to the day’s of Hang Ups.

The discs opening two shots “Going Home” and “Spokesman” are a good inclusion into the discs seemingly non-stop Ska explosion that engulfs the listener. The real winner is the CDs title song, “Open Your Eyes” which states:

“Open your eyes / To the millions of lies / That they tell you everyday / Open your mind / To the clever disguise / That the advertisements say / How do they know / What’s good for you?”

The song fits in with the entire albums portrayal that everyone is their own person. In “Spokesman” the band talks about wanting to hear what you have to say, not what we are told to believe by representatives and people paid to say things.

The rest of the CD flows great and when you get to “Woodchuck” this Disturbed meets a kindergarten class explosion is one of the funniest moments in music in my opinion. The band rocks out to the old tongue twister and nails it dead on, I would like to see practice recordings of that song, it could prove to be hilarious.

For fans there was a song on an old Maxi single entitled “Ted Nugent” which poked some serious fun at the old rock singer. The song returns on Open Your Eyes with good old Ted getting torn up, but instead of our favorite Charlie’s Angel getting the second blow, Jennifer Lopez gets taken to town when punished about her dress, and packing on the pounds. It proves for great hilarity.

Topping out the rest of the CD is two bonus tracks. One is a recording of several prank phone calls the band recorded and performed, not quite Jerky Boys quality, but close, and the last is a standard Goldfinger track.

Besides “Open Your Eyes” my favorite song would have to be “Radio,” which seems to just jump out at you off of the record.

The only major problem with this CD is actually finding it, it took a number of stores and phone calls to find a Best Buy in the greater Phoenix area that actually carried the CD in stock, most were sold out, or had never received any. If you can find one, definitely worth picking up.

Back in December, No Doubt, the Ska/punk band that stormed onto the music scene with the lead vocals of Gwen Stefani, released their fifth studio album, entitled Rock Steady. The band thus far has received minor criticism for this album, many people saying it is far too “poppy”; (whatever the hell that means) and is a long way from the heavy Ska people are used to from this band. I will choose to ignore those people for the remainder of my review.

If No Doubt and Garbage had a party, followed by a mass orgy, this would be the album that would result. This album combines both the sounds found on Garbage’s new album Beautiful Garbage and the intensity that lives within Gwen Stefani, Tony Kanal, Tom Dumont, and Adrian Young.

Although No Doubt does stray a bit from their usual musical tones and influences, Rock Steady is a wonderful follow-up to Return of Saturn, their previous release. It is packed with dance hits such as the first single “Hey Baby,”; which features the reggae artist Bounty Hunter, “Hella Good,”; and “In My Head.”;

The band collaborated with several artists for this album and incorporated a lot of reggae sounds into their songs. An example of this is the song “Underneath it All.”; This sound features heavy reggae influence and features Jamaican singer Lady Saw. For me, this song most resembles the old school No Doubt people are used too along with “Don’t Let Me Down.”; However, above all, the best song on the album is “Detective.”; This song is a totally new type of new sound for No Doubt, but it definitely proves that this pant does not need to stick to one thing to make it work.

This album gives Return of Saturn a run for its money in my liking, and was a kick-ass follow-up. But, I urge those closed-minded No Doubt followers who criticize this album to beware of their fragile little asses. It’s definitely something different and you might not be able to handle it. But, keep in mind, change isn’t always bad. Look at Madonna: She turned in her virgin wedding attire for a cowboy outfit, and I don’t see her losing momentum. Keep your negativity somewhere else. No Doubt about it.