Reptile

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
A reptile, according to Eric Clapton, is something of a bloke, as in some local character you might share a pint with down at the pub. So this 14-song collection is aptly named: If it were a barfly, it wouldn't turn heads when it entered the bar, but it wouldn't empty the place, either. Working with essentially the same team that put together '00's Riding with the King (sans, of course, B.B. King), Reptile feels like a summary of the many guises Clapton has adopted in his illustrious past. Blues has always been the backbone of EC's music and here he tackles Walter Davis's "Come Back Baby" with surefootedness. Clapton has mined J.J. Cale's fine-and-mellow repertoire in the past, coming up with the hits "Cocaine" and "After Midnight"; here he revives Cale's "Travelin' Light" with unfussy aplomb. He kicks things off with an instrumental samba, ventures back into lite rock, and mixes originals and covers, the latter bunch including Stevie Wonder's "I Ain't Gonna Stand for It" and James Taylor's "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight." In the end, it's apparent this reptile is something of a chameleon. --Steven Stolder

Tracks:

Weave
Burn Witch Burn
Smothered
Aviary
Save your Serpent
Severine
World of Shame
The Foolish Man Who Has No Home
Seventy-Nine
Raise Your Red Flags
Afterhours

Album Description

Ego Likeness continue to build on their musical foundation as they did with their 2004 release "Water to the Dead." Some downtempo tracks recall their "Dragonfly" release, but as with Water, this disc is more eclectic. Aviary is a slow, dangerous, smouldering, slithering track that may well be the best Ego Likeness song to date. However, uptempo rockers like Severine and Burn Witch Burn are well represented on this album as well. Fans of Curve and Collide should continue to enjoy new Ego Likeness material, but this is certainly a band that is blazing its own trail. Also includes the first-ever Ego Likeness video, "Aviary."

Customer Reviews:

Dark Music Lover.......2007-03-13

BUY THIS CD! Ego Likeness is at the top of their game. I saw them twice when they opened for The Cruxshadows and they without doubt was the highlight of the show. Their cover of Afterhours is very good. Donna's voice will stay with you for days. Just listen to Burn Witch Burn and try not to sing along. One of the best cds in a long time.

Wonderful and underrated band with an inspiring message.......2007-03-12

I was just getting into gothic and industrial music when I discovered Ego Likeness, mainly due to their close connections with their more popular labelmates The Cruxshadows.
So I picked up Ego Likeness' Order of the Reptile, and wasn't the least bit disappointed.
The songs on this CD are infused with Steven Archer's powerful use of guitar and wonderfully sung by Donna Lynch, who actually sings it like she *means* it: unlike other goth/industrial bands I could name (cough*Cruxshadows*cough), Ego Likeness' songs actually sound honest and from the heart, with such songs as "World of Shame", "Burn Witch Burn" and "Raise Your Red Flags" using the power of words to draw a complex portrait of a strange, fantastic other land, and at the same time providing the listener with a beautiful message of hope and perseverance amidst a dark and hostile world.
Even if you don't like this kind of music, it's definitely worth a listen.
Five stars all around.

Average customer rating:

Solid
A pleasure to listen to.
Not Your Usual Clapton -- but GREAT CD!
YOU CAN'T PLEASE ALL OF THE PEOPLE ALL OF THE TIME
Not an essential purchase but still a great experience

Reptile
Eric Clapton
Manufacturer: Reprise / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Guitar Gods | Rock Guitarists | Rock | Styles | Music

Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

General | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Pilgrim
Journeyman
Back Home
From the Cradle
August

ASIN: B000059R8Y
Release Date: 2001-03-13

Tracks:

Reptile
Got You On My Mind
Travelin' Light
Believe In Life
Come Back Baby
Broken Down
Find Myself
I Ain't Gonna Stand For It
I Want A Little Girl
Second Nature
Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight
Modern Girl
Superman Inside
Son & Sylvia

Amazon.com

A reptile, according to Eric Clapton, is something of a bloke, as in some local character you might share a pint with down at the pub. So this 14-song collection is aptly named: If it were a barfly, it wouldn't turn heads when it entered the bar, but it wouldn't empty the place, either. Working with essentially the same team that put together '00's Riding with the King (sans, of course, B.B. King), Reptile feels like a summary of the many guises Clapton has adopted in his illustrious past. Blues has always been the backbone of EC's music and here he tackles Walter Davis's "Come Back Baby" with surefootedness. Clapton has mined J.J. Cale's fine-and-mellow repertoire in the past, coming up with the hits "Cocaine" and "After Midnight"; here he revives Cale's "Travelin' Light" with unfussy aplomb. He kicks things off with an instrumental samba, ventures back into lite rock, and mixes originals and covers, the latter bunch including Stevie Wonder's "I Ain't Gonna Stand for It" and James Taylor's "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight." In the end, it's apparent this reptile is something of a chameleon. --Steven Stolder

Customer Reviews:

Solid.......2007-05-05

I just dusted this off and gave it a listen. I was underwhelmed the first time I listened to it several years ago, but now it sounds pretty good to me. I will say it is a significant improvement over "Pilgrim" which I also dusted off, listened to, and promptly sold back to my local music store. It is obvious that the material on "Reptile" fits Clapton much better than the material on "Pilgrim." I will be keeping "Reptile."

A pleasure to listen to........2007-03-20

This is a thoroughly enjoyable CD. From the opening smooth samba of "Reptile", to the rockin' "Superman Inside", this CD is full of fresh sounding covers and originals, with excellent playing and production. My favorites are: "Reptile" (Eric Clapton), "Got You On My Mind" (Joe Thomas and Howard Biggs), "Travelin' Light" (JJ Cale), "Come Back Baby" (Walter Davis), "I Ain't Gonna Stand For It" (Stevie Wonder), "Second Nature" (Eric Clapton), "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight" (James Taylor), and "Superman Inside" (Eric Clapton, Doyle Bramhall II).
It's a good CD to listen to when taking a road trip, or relaxing on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon.

Not Your Usual Clapton -- but GREAT CD!.......2006-10-03

The first time I played Reptile I was disappointed. As an avid Clapton fan this album was not at all what I expected. The second time I liked it a bit more. The third time I listened to it I was hooked, and Reptile has been playing continuously in my car for about 6 months now. What a great collection of tunes! The great thing about Clapton is that he constantly expands the range his music. Devoted Clapton fans need to stay loose and try to go along for the ride.

YOU CAN'T PLEASE ALL OF THE PEOPLE ALL OF THE TIME.......2006-04-20

WHILST I'M NOT AN AVID FAN OF ERIC CLAPTON, I DO LIKE SOME OF HIS MUSIC QUITE A LOT.

THIS ALBUM IS AN ECLECTIC MIX OF SONGS AND STYLES - LATIN AMERICAN, JAZZ AND URBAN BLUES INFLUENCES, COUNTRY-ROCK, POP ETC. THE OVERALL SOUND IS WARM AND, FOR THE MOST PART, RELAXED; BUT THE SOUND IS ALSO RATHER 'MUDDY' AND I THINK THE WHOLE ALBUM WOULD HAVE BENEFITTED FROM MUCH LEANER PRODUCTION.

EC's VOCALS, AT TIMES, SOUND STRAINED AND HOARSE. BACKING VOCALS (THE IMPRESSIONS) DON'T ALWAYS SEEM APPROPRIATE. THE MUSCISIANSHIP IS COMPETENT AND EC's PLAYING IS FINE - THERE JUST ISN'T A LOT OF IT (THE 2 INSTRUMENTAL TRACKS ASIDE).

I QUITE ENJOYED THE FOLLOWING TRACKS :

REPTILE (INSTRUMENTAL) (Eric Clapton) - This is a samba (bossa nova ?). The backing instruments (organ, bass, percussion) are quite restrained - a subtle sound. EC's playing reminds me a bit of George Benson but without the improvisations.

TRAVELIN' LIGHT (J J Cale) - EC usually does decent cover versions of J J Cale songs and this is no exception. This version features driving percussion and a couple of nice slide guitar solos. It's a while since I've heard the original but, as I recall, it has a crisper more natural sound (no doubt due, in part, to the sparse production that J J Cale adopts).

SUPERMAN INSIDE (Eric Clapton/Doyle Bramhall II/Susannah Melvoil) - of all the tracks, this one gets the closest to 'rocking' but it never really manages to 'take off'. There is some good slide guitar playing (I think Doyle Bramhall II takes the lead on this track).

THERE ARE 2 BLUES TRACKS - 'GOT YOU ON MY MIND' AND 'COME BACK BABY' AND THERE IS SOME FINE (BUT RATHER BRIEF) GUITAR PLAYING ON BOTH.

THE REMAINING TRACKS ARE A MUNDANE COLLECTION OF SONGS ALL SHARING A COMMON DELIVERY WHICH, AT BEST, IS PLEASANT BUT RATHER BLAND AND AT WORST, IS DOWNRIGHT DREARY.

EVEN WITH THE FEW TRACKS THAT I LIKED, MY ENJOYMENT WAS LESS THAN IT COULD HAVE BEEN (THANKS TO THE OVER-PRODUCTION AND LARGELY SUPERFLUOUS BACKING VOCALS). FANS WHO LIKE EC PLAYING RAW, GRITTY BLUES OR HEAVIER BLUES-ROCK FUSIONS WILL BE LESS THAN ENTHRALLED. THE ALBUM MAY APPEAL, ALBEIT WITH SOME RESERVATIONS, TO THOSE WHO LIKE EC's 'LAID BACK' COUNTRY-ROCK STYLE; BUT I WOULD DESCRIBE THE APPROACH ON THIS ALBUM AS LANGUID RATHER THAN 'LAID BACK'.

I SUPPOSE THE ALBUM DEMONSTRATES THAT EC IS A COMPETENT AND VERSATILE GUITARIST BUT, ON THIS EVIDENCE, LITTLE ELSE.

Not an essential purchase but still a great experience.......2006-03-16

There are a lot of good things going on here. It's not perfect but it's well worth the purchase price.

Average customer rating:

I Love Surf Metal
Answering the ageless question....
Surf Music for the 21st Century

Heavy Surf
Heavy Surf
Manufacturer: Reptile
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Surf Rock | Oldies & Retro | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Compilations | Rock | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Daikaiju
Instrumentals
Never Mind the Bolsheviks: The Best of the Space Cossacks
Locked and Loaded
Surf Sensation

ASIN: B00009KTW8
Release Date: 2003-06-03

Tracks:

Shores of Hell - Mark Brodie & Beaver Patrol
Drifter
Outlaw Beatnik - Cadillac Angels
Rumble in the Congo - 3 Balls of Fire
Six String Highway - Davie Allan,
Fast and Loose - Davie Allan,
Rising Surf
Phasing Spider Menace
Sandpaper Paddles - Surf Report
Heptane - Surf Report
Death of a Reventlo - Reventlos
King Kong - Reventlos
Surf as Houdini
Killing an Arab
Batwave - Insect Surfers
Toro Muerto Con Queso - Huevos Rancheros
Another Human Error
Lara's Theme
Sex Wax
Cadillacin'
Pop Killer Cometh - Surfin' Dead
Dragster - The Surf Sluts
Scooter Trash - Hillbilly Soul Surfers
Surf Pit
Satan Stole My Surfboard

Customer Reviews:

I Love Surf Metal.......2007-06-25

I bought this cd really not knowing what to expect at the local record store for $6 only because of it being in the surf section, and as it turns out this is really a great cd. When you combind surf music and metal you get a great cd.

Answering the ageless question...........2006-04-29

...can surf music be played with an Gibson LP and a Mesa Boogie stack??? Based on this album: absolutely. Great, sometimes hilarious mix of deep reverb and absolute metal sledgehammer guitar. Not a weak track in the collection. This is one of the great surf compilations out there.

Surf Music for the 21st Century.......2004-01-06

This compilation re-sparked my love of instrumental surf rock. A wide variety of songs energetically played by bands who obviously grew uplistening to the traditional surf guitar masters, and also spent time listening to modern influences like punk rock, and heavy metal. All the songs are good. Favorites are Surf Pit, Sandpaper Paddles, Death of a Reventlo, King Kong, Phasing Spider Menace, and El Toro Muerto Con Queso.

Average customer rating:

Large. Apparition. Beast.
Pitchforkmedia.com reviews Daikaiju!!
HybridMagazine Review
Much more than a surf band

Daikaiju
Daikaiju
Manufacturer: Reptile
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Surf Rock | Oldies & Retro | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Heavy Surf
Instrumentals
Locked and Loaded
Ultra Sonic Surf Guitars
Sway

ASIN: B0007GAER6
Release Date: 2005-03-08

Tracks:

Daikaiju Die!
Attack of the Crab Women
The Trouble with those Mothra Girls
Sharkakhan
Showdown in Shinjuku
The Daikaiju who Loved Me
Son of Daikaiju
Incognito
Super X-9
Farewell to Monster Island

Customer Reviews:

Large. Apparition. Beast........2006-04-19

Very good stuff here. Not your average surf band. In fact, the traditional surf/reverb sound is toned down, and replaced by a lot more of a distortion sound. If you happen to own the Los Straitjackets 3-D album, think of the first track, Squid, and that should give you a little bit of an idea. Most of this album is very uptempo, so it's perfect for driving and backflipping around your apartment. Too bad these guys will never get famous coz we need more music like this in the world. Kinda makes you wanna watch a Godzilla movie.

Pitchforkmedia.com reviews Daikaiju!!.......2006-01-30

I thought this review said it best of all:

Rating: 7.8

Somewhere along the line, surf music ceased to have anything to do with actual surfing and migrated to kitsch. Dick Dale had "Pipeline", the Surfaris had "Wipe-Out!", and Man...or Astroman? had..."You Can't Get Good Riblets in Space". But although shuddering tremolo bars fit the image of a guy in floral print trunks, the music is mostly instrumental and as such essentially abstract, so you can make it mean anything you want it to. Even early surf rockers like the Ventures and the Tornados realized this and began to incorporate the astronautical, lounge, and kitsch elements that color most efforts in the genre these days.

So the term "surf" as it relates to music today basically just refers to music with lots of reverb and crazy guitar playing, which is fine-- you can acknowledge the roots without trying to turn them into branches. I can say pretty categorically that Croatia's Bambi Molesters are the best surf band in the world today, but given Man...or Astroman?'s long silence, Daikaiju certainly have a claim to the #2 spot. Much like fellow modern surf-rockers Los Straightjackets, the men of Daikaiju keep their identities secret, each represented by a mask in the band's press releases, which also feature a lot of fake Japanese-to-English translations like "Kabuki men deliver most high rocket impact!"

Students of Godzilla, Mothra, and Gamera know that Daikaiju is Japanese for "giant monster," and the Huntsville, Ala., quartet are obviously enamored with the most conspicuous aspects of Japanese popular culture, though they refrain from sticking soundclips from Mechagodzilla sequels all over their albums the way so many other surf groups recently have. They instead opt to let the music speak for itself, and when it does, it's impressive, to say the least. Though their sound is closer to Man...or Astroman? than anything else (it's of course possible that there are members of that band hiding out in their ranks) there's a certain degree of prog muscle behind all that reverbed shredding.

Surf is one of those funny genres where a fan basically knows what to expect and enjoyment comes from hearing it done really well, and Daikaiju delivers on that score, but there is one monumental surprise lurking in this mix in the form of album closer "Farewell to Monster Island". At almost nine minutes long it's nearly four times longer than the average surf instrumental and in place of the manic snare and ride cymbal of a surf beat, the band rides a skanking dub riddim, marrying two genres that in retrospect were born to love each other. The e-bowed interlude is something to hear, but even more impressive is the simple fact that the guitarists hiding behind these masks have a jazz-like sense of how to phrase a solo. The song is the kind of jam that bands just don't do any more, and it sort of makes me wish more would.

So in the end, Daikaiju is an impressive full-length debut for a band that's clearly got more up its sleeve than a few Trashmen 45s and tablature print-outs for "Rabble Rouser". The thing with the masks and stage names like Secret Asian Man and Brain Conflict is frankly little more than a distracting sideshow to the main event, which is of course the band's massive wave of prime surf. Grab your board.

-Joe Tangari, August 31, 2005
[...]

HybridMagazine Review.......2005-09-01

Like me, have you longed for the release of a really great surf rock album? Not a surf rock album that was merely a sterilized distillation of Dick Dale's moments of greatness, but one that reminded how the genre could be freshened up and made viable once again? Perhaps an album that would be as great as the first time that Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet made the world sit up and take notice of Canadian surf, or the first time that Man Or Astroman? grabbed hold of space rock and twanged it into surf? Then, boy have I got just the album for you!

Daikaiju's eponymous release is full to the brim with twanging and boinging guitars, blistering tom rolls, and throbbing basslines. From the very first notes of "Daikaiju Die!" the album is a rollicking good time ride through the world of surf rock. Most tracks on the album clock in at right around three and a half minutes, which makes the album pass by so quickly that there will be an immediate need to hit the play button again. None of the tracks are sleepers (Take that, other surf bands!) and every track has it's own unique character, which makes this one of the finest surf albums of all time. Standouts include the brilliant tremolo swoops on "Incognito" and the stuttering machine gun guitars of "Super X-9". The jazzy cymbal wash of "The Trouble With Those Mothra Girls" makes perfect counterpoint to the deliberate bass walks and chiming guitars. The Van Halen-esque rhythm guitars on the intro to "Sharkakhan" give way to a fast paced racing song that would fit right at home in any good spy movie, especially during a chase scene.

No sleeper tracks. Distinctly different feels melodies in each song. Amazing guitar, bass and drum tones. Musicianship of the highest caliber. Those are the things you will find on this release, Daikaiju. And really, beyond that, the only thing you need to know about Daikaiju is that one of the guys goes by the moniker Secret Asian Man. And who can't stand behind that?

-L. Keane

Much more than a surf band.......2005-03-09

It would be easy to label Daikaiju a surf/spy rock band.

Easy, but not really fair, and certainly not accurate.

Daikaiju blends the instrumental surf rock genre with all sorts of other influences. Super-heavy riffs worthy of any hard rock outfit ("Daikaiju Die!"), beautifully intricate melodies (see "Farewell to Monster Island", and hints of reggae, jazz, and even some jamband-esque elements makes for an album that is very distinctive and interesting, never getting repetitive or tiresome at all.

I reccommend this record not only to surf fans, but to lovers of great, unique, instrumental music in general. Buy this record now and experience "the soundtrack to the greatest monster movie never made"

Oh, and for god's sake...seek out their first CD "The Phasing Spider Menace". It's out-of-print, but it's worth any price you might pay just for "Rising Up From the Depths of Time".

Average customer rating:

Excellent world roots music

Iguana Iguana
Reptile Palace Orchestra
Manufacturer: Omnium
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | International | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

World Dance | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

We Know You Know
Hwy X

ASIN: B00000IN40
Release Date: 1999-04-27

Tracks:

El Pescador
Enchanted Reptile Palace
Sombre Reptiles
Gankino Horo
Speak Softly Love
Small Horizons
Lupita
Bucimis
Catwoman
Night Is What A Harbor's For

Customer Reviews:

Excellent world roots music.......1999-06-15

This newest release from RPO helps establish them as one of the most important bands in the midwest. They move effortlessly from from beautiful world music covers like El Pescador to originals like Enchanted Reptile Palace. This CD is a wonderful recording from a great band and confirms they are in a class by themselves.

Average customer rating:

I am Ahab...
not just for white people
A wonderful triumph in a time of trouble
Great...Album
Melvins at their uncompromising best.....

Honky
Melvins
Manufacturer: Amphetamine Reptile
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Punk | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | American Alternative | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Alternative Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Stag
Eggnog
Melvins
Singles 1-12
The Bootlicker

ASIN: B0000004IU
Release Date: 1997-05-06

Tracks:

They All Must Be Slaughtered
Mombius Hibachi
Lovely Butterfly
Ptfalls In Serving Warrants
Air Breather Deep In The Arms Of Morphius
Laughing With Lucifer At Satan's Sideshow
How
Larry Lauders Walking Stick Tree
Grin
In The Freaktose The Bugs Are Dying

Customer Reviews:

I am Ahab..........2005-11-06

I don't really know if they meant to create an album that goes hand in hand with Moby Dick, but they did. Definetly a monolithic, gloom-n-doom, I'm-after-the-White-Whale thing. Especially the track Air Breather Deep in the Arms of Morpheus. When the music explodes, I can just see the captain first spying the cresting back of Moby...eyes going wide...maybe some salivating. Five stars.

not just for white people.......2003-12-25

On Honky, the Melvins successfully forge a soundscape as frightening and bleak as a nuclear fallout site. Though, highly experimental, they intentionally create a swirling, floating mass of dark, cavernous soundscapes juxtaposed against suffocating grinding sludge, creating a completely balanced listening experience. The album as a whole is very textured, including blips from synths, creepy moaning and chugging buzzsaw guitar riffs. However, due to its experimental nature, I would only recommend this one to listeners who have heard the Melvins before (and I don't mean Stoner Witch). Those of you who purchase the album and give it the fair chance will be pleasantly suprised to see that the Melvins reign supreme as metal heavyweights and hold their crown high...high..........high

A wonderful triumph in a time of trouble.......2003-02-03

After falling out of favor with Atlantic Records when album sales didn't match those of their former Aberdeen comrades, the fate of The Melvins was anyone's guess. Instead of simply calling it quits though, the California based trio immediately struck a deal with Amphetamine Reptile Records and began work on their next studio masterpiece, Honky. Released only one year after what would be the group's final Atlantic effort (Stag - 1996), The Melvins proved to the world that they had no intentions whatsoever of slowing down or taking a self-indulgent hiatus. In fact, the very concept of Honky, to release whatever music had been composed by the end of a short, set period of time, prevented any possible slacking on the part of the workaholic rockers.

The results of this intensive songwriting period are fascinating, bringing The Melvins to new planes and universes of creativity never before touched upon by any of their 14+ prior releases. These eclectic new sound experiments venture into the worlds of ambient drones and moody space rock to reveal some of the band's truly interesting yet often overlooked influences. The extended aural gem "Air Breather Deep in the Arms of Morphius" recalls the heyday of psychedelic metal-heads Hawkwind and songs like "How--++--" and "Harry Lauder's Walking Stick Tree" would fit perfectly on Pink Floyd's 1973 classic "Dark Side of the Moon". Repetitive pulses and synth flares straight out of the Kraftwerk and Can songbook then perfect Honky's bad acid trip atmosphere. All of these established styles are then filtered into the perfect mixture that is uniquely "Melvinish" adding just the right amounts of dark overtones and schizophrenic diversity to set Honky apart as being anything but a rip off. With all of Honky's original development and improvisational experimentation however, there is still plenty of material here for fans of the Melvins' older work. The blasting guitars of "Mombius Hibachi" and "Lovely Butterfly" nearly blow out the speakers while the frenzied grind of "In the Freaktose the Bugs are Dying," is enough to make Metallica ... their pants on the spot.

The most endearing and important characteristic of Honky however is not the songwriting itself, but its testament to its creator's resilience and persistence in the face of adversity. Despite being relegated to an obscure Midwestern indie label, The Melvins not only managed to put out some of their best original music to date, but actually used the lo fi aesthetics to creatively enhance their sound in the same fashion as "Piper at the Gates of Dawn" or "The Velvet Underground and Nico". Obviously untarnished and more alive than ever, Honky was an amazing accomplishment from a transitional period that not only stands as a great album on its own terms but also expands the vast limits of The Melvins' sounds to their absolute breaking point.

Great...Album.......2002-04-16

One of the most underrated (commercially) bands of all time, but then again i guess these guys should remain in and rule the underground. The fact that Atlantic dropped these guys in their most creative state, in between this and "stag", proves the emptiness of the conglomerate record industry, and the integrity of the band. The growth of this band from their late-eighties stuff is undeniable in these recordings, this near perfect mix of hard rock and psychedelia is inspiring.

Melvins at their uncompromising best............2001-12-28

The first post Atlantic Records release. The Melvins combine different elements to make a bizarre and unique album. One of the Melvins most diverse and original works. Essential for any fan.

Average customer rating:

Good music... just too short.

Alive at the F*cker Club
The Melvins
Manufacturer: Amphetamine Reptile
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Punk | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | American Alternative | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Indie Rock | Live Albums | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Alternative | Live Albums | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Hardcore & Punk | Live Albums | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Live Albums | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Alternative Rock | Live Albums | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Live Albums | Rock | Styles | Music

Alternative Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

General | Alternative Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music

Indie & Lo Fi | Alternative Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music

Rock | Alternative Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music

American Alternative | Alternative Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Your Choice Live Series
Singles 1-12
Stag
Dale Crover
The Colossus of Destiny

ASIN: B000009CCH
Release Date: 2001-01-28

Tracks:

Boris
It's Shoved
Bar-X-The Rocking M
Antitoxidote
Bloat
Lizzy
Mombius Hibachi

Customer Reviews:

Good music... just too short........1998-08-24

Don't get me wrong, the music on this CD is very good. It's in usual Melvins fashion, heavy and melodic. The thing is, the entire album is less than 22 minutes long. This CD is really for a true Melvins fan. Beginners might want to try something like the "10 songs" album. Or maybe even Honky.

Average customer rating:

Feels so good to be so sad
Something to add to previous 2 reviews
Chokebore is THE band
Chokebore a great band...one of the greatest of the 90's

Taste for Bitters
Chokebore
Manufacturer: Amphetamine Reptile
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Emo | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Motionless

ASIN: B0000004IJ
Release Date: 1996-10-08

Tracks:

Pacific Sleep Patterns
Popular Modern Themes
Ghosts, And The Swing Of Things
One Easy Pieces
Days Of Nothing
It Could Ruin Your Day
A Taste For Bitters
Narrow
Sleep With Me
City Rings
Smaller Steps
Your Let Down
The Rest OF Your Evening

Customer Reviews:

Feels so good to be so sad.......2004-05-10

How best to describe this CD? Liquid emotion. What's so amazing about Chokebore is that every song is written in a way in which anybody can relate to. The lyrics and music are full of such emotion that at times they make you feel as if the songs were written for you, about you. The singer, Troy Balthazar, has the gift of making depression enjoyable. This CD is great to listen to after going through a break-up or just having a bad day. The sadness in the music allows the listener to empathize with the lyrics and yet be uplifted by them. Beautiful music that allows itself to be taken in by you and leaves you wanting more. Get this CD, you will not regret it.

Something to add to previous 2 reviews.......2002-11-12

I can only agree with what previous two ppl said about this album. Its thought provoking beautiful music full of heart and definitely one of the best records I had chance to listen to...
The other band that has same striking originality is Deus from Belgium. And when it comes to other bands on Amphetamine Reptile Records label, I would also recommend Hammerhead: Duh, the big city. You can't miss.

Chokebore is THE band.......1999-10-29

This album is the one I know first from Chokebore. It changed my life. Since, I know only one band, Chokebore.

Chokebore a great band...one of the greatest of the 90's.......1999-01-19

One of the best albums I've heard for years...Deep and true !!! Post-grunge, new rock ...whatever it may be...one thing is sure : Best album of the year and Chokebore is by far the best band I saw live.

Average customer rating:

This record will blow your brains out your a**!
Genuine Noise Rock, Not Noise
A pioneering work of noise sculpture
this album rules so hard
one of the best albums all time-period.

Scattered, Smothered & Covered
Unsane
Manufacturer: Amphetamine Reptile
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Hardcore | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Post Hardcore | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | American Alternative | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Occupational Hazard
Total Destruction
Blood Run
Lambhouse: The Collection 1991-1998
Visqueen

ASIN: B0000004HP
Release Date: 1995-09-26

Tracks:

Scrape
Alleged
Blame Me
Out
Can't See
Get Off My Back
Blew
Empty Cartridge
No Loss
Test My Faith
Ruin
Swim

Amazon.com

It's ironic that while Unsane's debut release, Total Destruction, chose to keep their tribal noise grindings fully intact and raw, when they dropped back to indie they added elements to make their music slightly more accessible. That's not to say Scattered, Smothered & Covered is any less visceral than their previous releases, but if their earlier work hacked into the listener's skull like a rusty saw, this one slices cleanly with a more refined, razor-sharp precision. You don't bleed any less, it's just slightly less painful. Gone is the incessant, driving tribal beat that their original drummer, Charlie Ondras (who died of a heroin overdose), made an Unsane trademark. His replacement, Vinnie Signorelli, provides a more standard rock-oriented thump that makes some of the tunes downright groovy. Were it not for all of the distortion the bass, guitar, and vocals are pushed through, Scattered, Smothered & Covered might actually find some FM radio success. Unsane, however, is nowhere near ready to compromise the extreme, bleak noise rock they've gnashed out since 1991. Still, this tightening of their sound is a great step forward for a band that seemed to have reached a musical dead end, and it'll surely prove that they're more than one-dimensional distortion-mongers. --Adem Tepedelen

Customer Reviews:

This record will blow your brains out your a**!.......2005-05-17

I remember when I first discovered Unsane years ago...it was the album cover photo on "Total Destruction" that lured me in like a fish on a hook. Something about a blood splattered Cadillac got by juices flowing, and made me purchase an album totally blind. And I've never regretted it since. "Total Destruction" was a great record, but "Scattered, Smothered, & Covered" raised the bar another momentous notch. This album is a masterpiece of heavy, hard, pounding rock that beats into your head like a sledgehammer...with the tempo of early Helmet, and the intensity of the Melvins. Spencer is a real musician, and his songwriting really peaked on this release. There is just enough complexity to keep you listening from start to finish, and enough driving force to keep your adrenalin boiling the whole way. This is THE record you need to crank up lound, hold on tight, rattle the windows, and scare the neighbors. Period.

Genuine Noise Rock, Not Noise.......2005-04-09

Noise rock is also one of my most favorite genres. Stuff by artists like Today Is The Day, Neurosis, Helmet, and definitely, Unsane. This album is out of print, but you can still get the best-of CD, "Lambhouse", in stores around (not Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart sucks ass.). This CD has all the classics. "Alleged", "Blew", and the all out famous "Scrape". Remember the music video with all those skateboarders crashing and scraping themselves? That's the video for "Scrape", people. If you can find it, buy it. That is all.

A pioneering work of noise sculpture.......2004-11-21

Nowadays everyone and their brother is mixing and matching heavy-music among the first and best practicioners of the art. While Unsane's raw, scathing aggression may have screamed "hardcore" upon first listen, there are few if any similarities between these guys and lowbrow one-note "tough guy" hardcore bands like Hatebreed. In fact, the noisy, dissonant tension in Chris Spencer's guitar and the intricacy of Vincent Signorelli's drum assault clearly position Scattered, Smothered, and Covered as a forerunner to the noisecore genre that's so prevalent in heavy music today. The parallels may not be obvious at first, but listen to some Botch, Coalesce, or Burnt by the Sun right after hearing this album and the similarities become clear. Loosely structured, oppressively atmospheric noise may be all the rage these days thanks to the above-mentioned bands (and several others), but Unsane were doing it earlier.

Really, though, what makes this album an undying classic is the emotion these guys so clearly put into what they were doing. Now, when I say "emotion," I am most definitely NOT referring the prepackaged saccharine pumped out by every lame nu-metal and wuss-rock band on the airwaves these days. Rather, Unsane channelled all of their frustration and disaffection into creating some of the most compellingly demented music ever recorded, propelled by a succession of punishing rhythms and throat-ripping screams. Much like its equally brilliant followup, Occupational Hazard, Scattered, Smothered, and Covered is a sort of mood music for psychopaths. It's heavy, it's passionate, and it's technical: what more could you want?

this album rules so hard.......2003-09-06

i've listened to it over and over about a bazillion times and it never gets old. i can't say enough good things about this band. it's catchy, groovy, heavy, ...it's just AWESOME. any fan of anything should get this album and listen to it religiously everyday because it rules. ... if you've heard the song scrape and liked it, buy all their albums because the rest is just as good.

one of the best albums all time-period........2003-01-18

im not much into hardcore,but this,oh my god,its unreal.every song is just pure rock.id call them an extremely [mad],angry,and louder version of helmet.chris does a great job on vox;its nice to see some real low budget stage type vocals.the guitar work by chris tops the show.he is unbelieveable.dave currans bass cant be ignored as it drove the cd along with vinny's drums.gotta love the italian drummer.i know this was unsanes attempt at a more "commercial" record (what a way to do it,huh).the video for scrape was great.in my humble opinion,YOU CANT LIVE WITHOUT THIS CD!A MUST HAVE FOR ANY FAN OF GREAT MUSIC.

Average customer rating:

A modern rock classic

Girl Positive Ep
Boss Hog
Manufacturer: Amphetamine Reptile
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000004GA
Release Date: 1993-06-30

Customer Reviews:

A modern rock classic.......2004-12-17

Back when I was just about to finish high school, I had become a big music snob. I was just getting into punk/indie rock scene. I listened to anything that was the antithesis to popular music, especially to what my peers in high school listened to. One of my glorious discoveries was Boss Hog. Boss Hog is a side project by Jon Spencer of The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and his wife Christina Martinez, ex-Pussy Galore fame. I remember going to a local indie record store and seeing Christina's gorgeous face on the cover of "Girl +" ep. I immediately picked it up on a whim.
I was completely blown away by what I heard. It was completely refreshing and new to my ears that had been saturated by cheesy hair metal and godawful pop music. Imagine legendary blues guitarist BB King doing a duet with experimental modern rock band Sonic Youth, the results is Boss Hog. The music is very bluesy yet has this modern, experimental rock sound. The EP kicks off with the jazz-like number "Ruby". The song is more jazz than rock. There were moments at times when I thought I was listening to Nick Cave dueting with PJ Harvey. Jon and Christina's vocals reminded me of Nick and PJ like on "Hustler", a raw, stripped down, blues/rock track.

The entire EP consists of only five songs:
1. Ruby
2. Some Sara
3. Cream Agent
4. The Black Betty
5. Hustler

I wish more modern rock bands took more chances on their music and learned to experiment instead of playing it safe like Boss Hog. "Girl +" definitely helped re-define rock music for me over a decade ago.

Music Review:

Music Review

Music Review