Raised on Rock N Roll

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Taking its title from the only originally penned tune in the bunch, Raised on Rock n' Roll paints a scenario that's probably true for a lot of parents really rearing their kids today on the stuff: Mom and Dad meet at a rock & roll show and the rest is (rock & roll) history. The Re-Bops combine the 1950s and '60s here, aping groups such as the Beach Boys ("Fun Fun Fun"), Dion and the Belmonts ("Come Go with Me"), one of many Lieber-Stoller summer classics ("Poison Ivy"), and others. Although the kids' voices run a little thin here and there, this 12-song set makes a good introduction to the doo-wop style of "Goodnight, Sweetheart" and the timeless girl-group sound of "Boy from New York City." But is it Kool enough for today's kidz? Put it on and let your own rockspring give you the answer. --Martin Keller

Tracks:

Spending Time
Your Name
Come Home Andrea
Bad Dogs
Utsukushii Shibuya
Turtleneck Coverup
Gameover
Curve in the Old 1-9
Restart
Eponine
Wake Up
Light Years Will Burn

Customer Reviews:

The damage that Weezer has wrought. .......2006-03-03

If sweater-vests could rock out, they'd sound like Ozma. "Spending Time ..." may remind you of Scooter lookalikes furiously banging their heads and giving devil horns.
Ozma got their big break by opening for Weezer. Both share the annoying capacity for blending guitars with cheesy 80's synths. The perfect example is the title track, which could've been used in a promo for "Joanie Loves Chachi."
Another similar trait is irritating, whiny vocals with no range. On "Eponine", and other tracks, there's a definite Queen influence, especially in the bombastic guitars. But the singing is so wimpy and lifeless, it'll make you appreciate how unique Freddie Mercury was.
Ozma are so bland, sorting out socks might seem more exciting. Or sweater-vests.

Pinkerton-esque.......2004-12-03

Let me begin by saying that this review was written after Ozma's 2004 breakup. This was, to say the least, quite a heartbreak. And since there's been plenty of apt time to reflect upon Ozma's debut and sophomore albums [yes, the ones that sound like Weezer], I can now undoubtedly say that "Spending Time On The Borderline" is Ozma at its best. To put it plainly...a masterpiece. Admittedly, when I first picked this album up and popped it into my CD player, I was NOT impressed. Ozma could have broke up at that very moment and my response would have been, "Who cares...they're no good anymore." But as albums do have a tendency to grow on you, I decided to give this one a try. After all, what did I have to lose? Slowly and steadily certain tracks started to pop out at me..."Hey, 'Come Home Andrea' is one catchy song!" And, "Whoa, this Japanese song sure is poppy!" Then there are the deeper songs on the album, like "Eponine", "Bad Dogs", and "Game Over". They take a bit longer to love, but the wait is certainly worth it. To sum it all up, there's not a single track on this album that I wouldn't want to listen to, anywhere, anytime. Despite the mysterious tension that corrupted Brummel and Slegr, I, for one, know that they went out [no pun intended] on a good note with "Spending Time On The Borderline". Another "Pinkerton"? Perhaps. But only time will tell...

*Ryan and José have started up a new band labeled "Yes Dear". Hopefully they can continue their largely unpublicized legacy. Check them out at myspace.com/yesdear

A disappointment.......2004-11-05

I bought this album because I heard that Ozma was similar to Rooney and Weezer (bands I think are good). Ozma sure does have some similarities in this album (though they're probably more comparable to a Christian band like Reliant K), but that doesn't make the album any good. The whole album is very boring. There's just nothing special to it. I recommend that you pass on this.

Great Guitar Pop.......2004-10-16

I think that Ozma is consistently one of the more "interesting" bands to come along. I do hear the Weezer influence, but at the same time it is filtered through a lot of other bands (Queen anyone?) as well as a lot of originality. The two part vocal melodies, instrumentation, tones, etc. are fully realized on this "studio" album. I like the whole Ozma catalog, but the production on this disc kicks all the other ones in the rear. As a guitarist, I have to hand it to Ryen. This is consistently one of the better riff orientated guitar albums that I have heard in a long time. He can also shred like a beast, but all his guitar lines support the song melodically and rhythmically. You can't ask for more from a guitarist. All the guitar is there for a reason. This is playing that I aspire to. It reminds me a lot of Brian May.

As for the songs, "Your Name" is one of the most orginal ballads I have heard in a while. I love "Bad Dogs" even though most don't. The lead on that song is exceptional.

Experimental yet excellent..........2004-02-29

Ozma definitely shows some maturity musically with this album. I did a review of this CD for my school newspaper (over 1500 studnents/staff/parents read the newspaper), so hopefully I can get the word out about Ozma to some people.

1. Spending Time - the band experiments with some guitar textures and spiffy synth lines. May take a few listens to get used to. 7/10

2. Your Name - good vocals, perfect melody. 8.5/10

3. Come Home Andrea - a vaguely Celtic, alt-country tune that even people who hate country will like. One of the best tracks on the album. 9/10

4. Bad Dogs - marching band percussion leads into a hard rockin' song. 8.5/10

5. Utsukushii Shibuya - great bass line, nice flute and strings. 9.5/10

6. Turtleneck - probably the worst track. nice metaphorical lyrics though. 6.5/10

7. Game Over - catchiest track. my personal favorite. - 10/10

8. Curve In The Old 1-9 - elaborate and brilliant, both lyrically and musically. - 9/10

9. Restart - another GREAT track. such a perfect melody. - 9.5/10

10. Eponine - fun to sing along to. very catchy. - 9/10

11. Wake Up - nice vocals from Rachel Haden (Jimmy Eat World, Nada Surf, Weezer). 8.5/10

12. Light Years Will Burn - not my favorite. still pretty good though. 7.5/10

Overall: 8.5/10

Tracks:

Fun, Fun, Fun
Poison Ivy
Who Put The Bomp
The Way You Do The Things You Do
Do You Love Me
Boy From New York City
Raised On Rock' N' Roll
Can't Sit Down
Come Go With Me
Mockingbird
The Lion Sleeps Tonight
Goodnight, Sweetheart

Amazon.com

Taking its title from the only originally penned tune in the bunch, Raised on Rock n' Roll paints a scenario that's probably true for a lot of parents really rearing their kids today on the stuff: Mom and Dad meet at a rock & roll show and the rest is (rock & roll) history. The Re-Bops combine the 1950s and '60s here, aping groups such as the Beach Boys ("Fun Fun Fun"), Dion and the Belmonts ("Come Go with Me"), one of many Lieber-Stoller summer classics ("Poison Ivy"), and others. Although the kids' voices run a little thin here and there, this 12-song set makes a good introduction to the doo-wop style of "Goodnight, Sweetheart" and the timeless girl-group sound of "Boy from New York City." But is it Kool enough for today's kidz? Put it on and let your own rockspring give you the answer. --Martin Keller

Average customer rating:

Born and Raised on Rock 'N' Roll

Manufacturer: NORTHWIND RECORDS
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B000E0RSNI

Product Description

TRACKS: 1-Born and Raised on Rock 'n' Roll, 2-On the Way, 3-When Your Gone, 4-Kodak Girl

Average customer rating:

Raised on Rock N' Roll

Manufacturer: Uni/a&M
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Children's Music | Styles | Music

Compilations | Children's Music | Styles | Music

General | Oldies & Retro | Rock | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000002G1P

Music:

Music

Music