Ska music reviews

I listened to this for the first time in a long time recently and was pleasantly surprised at how good it sounds.

This is the ultimate No Doubt album - terrific sound of ska/new wave/pop. Listening to this album again during our present penchant for 80's revival made me realize that "Tragic Kingdom" was about 10 years ahead of it's time.

"Spiderwebs", "Excuse Me Mr", "Just A Girl", "Sunday Morning" and "Don't Speak" are all great singles.

Hopefully this band will truly return to their great roots and return to this fine form in the near future...I think it's the perfect time!

This is the best album No Doubt has ever made. I still remember in 1996 when don't speak was No.1 for long weeks. I thunk this song is the best No doubt has ever made. A performance deserving a standing ovation. The rate lies down:

1. Spiderwebs. A great intro. This song is what defines No Doubt style to my opinion. I love this one. 10/10

2. Excuse me mr. I don't like this song that much. I think ''Sixteen'' should have been released as a single instead of this one. The lyrics, don't make much sense, but the piano sounds good. 6/10

3. Just a Girl. A very nice song about teenager girls. The guitar sounds great. 10/10

4. Happy Now? This song sounds good. I like it.9/10

5. Different People. Nice intro. The rest, isn't that bad. 8/10

6. Hey You. The first time I saw this song title, before I listened to it, I thought It was a remake of Pink Floyd's. This song is the strongest one. It's just rock. Doesn't have any reggae, pop or ska rythm. One of my favourites. 10/10

7. The Climb. It didn't have to take much time. This song is the boring slow one. Is actualy quiet good, but is the longest one, and it wasn't necessary at all. Up to 6 minutes!! 8/10

8. Sixteen. One of my favourites. One of the best rock songs No Doubt has ever made. It had been released as a single and I bet it would have reached the number one for weeks! Starts great, is the song that makes you stand up and jump. I was 16, and I felt like this song was to me. I felt identified with it.''You're only sixteen and you're feeling old...'' And it ends when Sunday Morning starts, with the drums. 10/10

9. Sunday Morning. I love how the song sounds, it's geat! but the lyrics doesn't help that much. But I don't care, I like it! One of my favourites. 10/10

10. Don't Speak. I have no words to describe this song. The lyrics, the sound, everything on this song is great! I think this is the best No Doubt song on their 5 studio albums!
A strong ballad. ''As we die, both you and I, with my head in my hands I sit and cry...''.10/10

11. You can do it. Doesn't sound that good. This song shouldn't have been included on this album. Is just the worst. I don't like it. 3/10

12. A very nice song. ''We gotta fing another way to make the world go 'round.'' The lyrics are great. Is just about rality. I love this song. 10/10

13. End it on this. A good one. Not that bad. 9/10

14. Tragic Kingdom. This song is like the cherry on the cake. I like the intro when it says "Permanecer sentados por favor" in Spanish. Welcome to the Tragic Kingdom! 10/10

Be sure you pick a copy of this album up. This album is No Doubt's best ever.

You can't go wrong with this CD. It's just fun! Gwen's voice, the lyrics, the music is all good stuff!

I'm soooooooo tired of Rancid, they're so overrated. Oh, and for the record, I AM a punk fan. And I'm not an Mtv teenybopper either. I just rally didn't enjoy this CD. All the songs sound exactly the same, and they just use the same power chord over and over again. This just proves how much talent this band really is. Some of the tracks are pretty good(Maxwell Murder, Roots Radicals, The Way I Feel About You), but overall this CD sucks for me. I'd reccomend this CD to either people who love repedetive music that sounds the same, or people who want to act cool and act like a total Rancid fan and want to dress "punk".

This album is Rancid's definitive. If you don't like Rancid you won't like this record, if you like Racndi you'll love it. Here's my song by song.

Maxwell Murder: A great song the lyrics are great and they really paint the story in your head. But the real standout here is the amazing bass solo.


The 11th Hour: A good song with a cathcy chorus but nothing out of the ordinary.

Roots Radicals: One of the best songs on this album it really tells a story and its great how Tim and Lars switch vocals. Also and really great bass line from Matt.


Time Bomb: Can you help singing along to this?


Olympia WA: One of my favorite songs on the album the msot ballady song even if its not a ballad XD. You can really picture everything their saying. Also really cool guitars at the beggining and in the bridges.


Lock Step and Gone: I love the beggining and I also like it how in the verses Tim says something and then Matt and Lars shout after him.


Junkie Man: My favorite along with As Wicked. I'm a big lyrics person and this song tells a great story. Also love the guitars at the beggining.


Listed M.I.A: I like the guitars at the begging and the chorus is really catchy.

Ruby Soho: Another song that took over airwaves in the 90`s and you can't help bur sing along.


Daily City Train: "He was an artist and a writer and a poet and a friend" probably the greatest song beggining in a long time with the reaggea guitar. Its a really reaggeaish skaish song.


Journey To The End Of East Bay: Awesome bass begging. I love the lyrics which are about the times Tim and Matt had in Operation Ivy.


She's Automatic: A little to repetetive in my opinion one of the weaker songs on the album. Nothing special.


Old Friend. I love it how in the begging the guitar and the bass blend so well. Also like the chorus and the reaggea guitars.


Disorder and Dissarray. Again a little too reptetive and a big steal from The Clash great bass line in th pre-chorus thoguh.


The Wars End: I love this song the arpeggios at the begging and the lyrics and the chorus and everything kicks ass.


You Don't Care Nothin: Brett shows some great drumming in this and the lyrics are great specialy in the pre-chorus its a great song overall.


As Wicked: My other favorite song. The bass at the beggining is really cool and the story the song tells is awesomely real. Can't you see the lady crying and the kid alone and cold?


Avenues and Alleyways: It's awesome the hoy hoy hoys at the begging are really cool and the verses are great, its also cool how Tim and Lars switch singing duties.


The Way I Feel: Great guitar work at the beggining and great vocal switch, but the na na na na's and the bridge are the standouts.

Overall this album has few weak tracks and it should be 4.5 but i don't know how to do that so I just gave it a 5 XD

Rancid has come out with uncompromising punk music, from harder streetier stuff like on Rancid 2000, to laid back experimental ska on Life Won't Wait. ...And Out Come the Wolves is a classic anthemic mix of those two extremes, with straight-up modern punk to please the Let's Go fans. The brilliance of ...And Out Come the Wolves is that all Rancid fans can enjoy it, whether they're into poppy melodies, harder punk, or ska and reggae.

Some highlight tracks for me include Roots Radicals, Time Bomb, Ruby Soho, Olympia WA, Lock Step and Gone, and Old Friend.

Roots Radicals is an anthemic punk song, kind of like Radio on Let's Go. Matt Freeman has an irresistable bass line during the chorus.

Time Bomb is a catchy skaish reggaeish tune, sounds minor in the verses, and then reverts to a fun chorus.

Ruby Soho is slower and calmer in the verses and loud and bombastic during the repetitive chorus of just "DESTINATION UNKNOWN!!! RUBY RUBY RUBY RUBY SOHO!!!" Very catchy

Ok that's all the song descriptions I'm gonna do

If you only buy one Rancid album, let this be it.

This is a CD worth buying. I listen to it a lot and it doesn't get old. Includes cool songs like "Nervous in the Alley" and "All my Best Friends Are Metalheads" (which was feaured on Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4"). If you like ska, punk, or just plain anything fun to listen to, get this CD. Every song on here is worth listening to.

When i think of Less than Jake i really dont think of ska too much just really good punk music with a touch of ska. The reason is if you listen to early catch 22.....er wait scratch that how bout we just go streetlight manifesto since tom was the real brains behind thier success and he redid Keasbey Nights and made his own original alblum better than nething catch 22 ever did even with him in it. And then theres reel big fish now those are truly ska bands. which makes since LTJ was everyones first taste of ska until they went on to truly ska music. I mean even NOFX busts out a horn now and then. LTJ is a great fun band and if you like ne of the bands i metioned u should at least give em a try.

This CD is amazing. Right off the bat Last One Out of Liberty City gets you going with the amazing bass line. Then songs like Scott Farcas Takes it on the Chin have super catchy horns that just make you jump up and dance. All My Best Friends Are Metalheads is also an amazing song. This album starts a trend that was seen in all the albums after this one as well, that is Roger, the bass player, sings lead more than he usually has before. This adds some different flavor to songs and sounds really good. Chris does amazing vocals as well, but the change just spices it up. Cool album, i say buy it.

Little Things: This song is pretty good but not one of the best on this CD. It's kind of your token song about teenage years. 3/5
Waldorfworldwide: It would be good except that they rap some of the lyrics, but the chorus is catchy. 3/5
The Motivation Proclamation: I really like this song, it's one of the few songs that doesn't mention high school and is the best on the CD. 5/5
East Coast Anthem: I live on the west coast, so this song doesn't appeal to me, but it's okay. 3/5
Festival Song: This song is really good, just there have been so many songs about rebelion that the theme is old. Plus it's like a prequel to "The Anthem". 4/5
Complicated: Like Waldorfworldwide, this song would be good except they rap some of the lyrics and makes them sound bad. But this song is decent. 3/5
Seasons: I've never been a big fan of love songs and ballads, but this isn't the worst I have heard. 2.5/5
I Don't Wanna Stop: This isn't anything amazing, but the chorus is catchy. 2/5
I Heard You/The Click: Why did I put these two together? Because they are pretty much the same song. 2/5
The rest of the songs are okay but it would be redundant to give descriptions of them because they are like what I've already said. However the hidden track after Change is really good.

Even though I got this album almost a year ago, I still listen to it every once in a while. Only because I listen to my recent cds more. But I have to say this cd is very solid. I actually got the young and the hopeless before this one thinking that was the 1st cd, but I was wrong. I actually like this one more than young and the hopeless. Yeah I do have all 3 (including chronicles ), and this is definetly the most memorable to me, because of a couple of songs to me, and ofcourse it is their first album right (not including the ep)? Well anyone who has bought the the latest of charlotte 2 and 3, I do recommend you to get this one. Its thte only way to complete it, and it does have more punk in it then 2 and 3 which isn't so bad. I don't actually have this one, I have the bonus one with the Thank you mom one. But I know its still the same. So anyway, I'm gonna rate the songs now!

1. Little Things- I was a little thrown off because its down right the most embarrasing song I've heard, but its still a very catch song though. (B)

2. Waldorf Worldwide- Definetly one of my favorites! I like everything about it pretty much. Nice lyrics as as well as the guitar playing! This is a song that will make everyone happy! (A-) 2nd most memorable to me

3. Motivation Proclamation- Not bad, one of the most memorable songs in the album in my opinion. The lyrics are one of the best in this album in my opinion as well. (A-)

4. East Coast Anthem- Not bad, I love the melodies! B

5. Festival song- Very catchy! B

6. Complicated- Definetly the most catchiest song in the album! I like everything about this song pretty much! One of my favorites A-

7. Seasons- first love song in the album, really sweet as well. Not bad. B

8. I don't wanna stop- Ok B-

9. I heard you- One of my favorites, I love it! A

10. The click- I love this song!!!! Especially the beginning. Very good lyrics ^_^ A

11. Walk by- Its ok B-

12. Let me go- alright too. Gets pretty climatic in the end, which is good! B

13. Screamer- Probably my second favorite! Definetly the 2nd song I will remember the most! I love the lyrics and the melodies! Its mellow but its really good! A

14. Change- DEFINETLY, my favorite song. This is a very good love song! The most memorable to me! A+

I would also do the Thank you mom which is after change, but this ain't the album for it But that song ain't that bad though, its just about how the madden brothers thank their mom and how they helped them.

So anyway, this is a solid album, and if you are a Good Charlotte Fan, I definetly recommend you should get this, its more punk then the other ones which I like! I do like this as much as the chronicles. Well anyway, if you guys didn't really like my review its alright. All the songs in this album are very good, and neither one is terribly horrible, they're all good in my opinion. The one I don't like the most is Walk by, but its not that bad still. My most fav and memorable is Change, Screamer, and The click! I don't why some people don't like Change. Its a very good love song about them breaking up. I gave this a 4 cause its not perfect, but I grade hard anyway. % stars to me would be 95-100%. But I give this a B+, and definetly is memorable in my terms.Well hope you guys liked the review and later!

I think this is the best Good Charlotte album ever. I love the entire album. It is their best album that was ever recorded. This shows some good punk music. Well worth the money

There are a couple of good songs on here. I love the song Sunday Morning. But then they went and put crappy songs like "Hey Baby" and "Hella Good" on it, and it just went to hell. Plus all of their most overrated songs, which I just am not a big fan of. No Doubt was awesome up until Return Of Saturn, and Gwen's solo career just sucks horribly.

I admit I'm not what you would call a "true" No Doubt fan, but so far I've really enjoyed their music. When I heard that Gwen Stefani was part of No Doubt (after her solo career took off) I did some research on the band and realized I had already heard some of No Doubt's hit singles like Don't Speak, Hella Good, Underneath It All, and Hey Baby which I liked a lot. So I decided their singles CD would be a good place to start. I totally recommend it if you like No Doubt (duh), like ska (jamacian pop) or rock/alternative music, or if you are mostly new to No Doubt's music but have liked some of their hits. Here's my review of every song (not listed in order of most to least fav. or vice versa):

1. Just A Girl: This is a very powerful girl anthem about being a young women that's always bossed around and how crazy it makes you. This is one of my fav. songs on the CD because I can totally relate to it and it has a great hook.--10/10

2.It's My Life: This is No Doubt's cover on a song by Talk Talk. It's pretty good but not in my opinion one of the best songs on the album. Like most of these songs, it has a very cool beat.--8/10

3.Hey Baby (feat. Bounty Killer): This track is defiantly one of the catchiest songs on the album. It's fun to dance to, upbeat, and never gets old.--9/10

4.Bathwater: At first I had no idea what this song was about. In the album packet it said that this song is about accepting your lover's faults (washing in their "bathwater" symbolizes accepting their faults because you love them.) This track is really cool because the lyrics are unique and the instruments playing in the background remind me of an old jazz song. This is one of my fav. songs on the album--10/10

5.Sunday Morning: This song is NOT about Sunday morning if that's what u were thinking. Though it does say in the lyrics: You came in with the breeze/on Sunday morning, it's actually a break up song. It's not just "another break up song" though. The drums sound very cool, espeially at the beginning of the song. The emotion in Gwen's voice also makes this a great break up song.--9/10

6.Hella Good: It's no big surprise that this song was ounce a huge Summer hit. With it's addictive catchy beat and the fact that it's nearly impossible to not dance to, this is one of the best songs on this album.--9.5/10

7.New: This song is about the excited I'm-on-top-of-the-world feeling u get after u meet a person u love. This song is pretty good. U can tell Gwen can relate to theis song when u listen 2 it.--8.5/10

8.Underneath It All (feat. Lady Saw): This track has a reggae and jamaican pop vibe. The vocals from Lady Saw (a Jamaican dancehall artist) and the instruments make it ska-flavored.--9/10

9.Excuse Me Mr.: This tune is very fast paced and has the quitar playing loudly in the background. This song is probably one of the most rock songs on the album.--8/10

10.Running: All u hear in this song is Gwen's voice and mostly a keyboard and her voice sounds very good. This is simple mellow love song that's enjoyable to listen to.--9/10

11.Spiderwebs: Spiderwebs is very creative song and along with other hits like Just A Girl and Don't Speak etc. is a No Doubt classic. This song is simply very fun to listen to and takes on a unique topic. How many sounds songs can u think of (besides this 1) that are about telephonic invasion?!--10/10

12.Simple Kind of Life: The first song Gwen composed alone, Simple Kind of Life is About wanting to raise children, settle down and live exactly what the song says- a simple life. It's good but I feel it's missing something--8.5/10

13.Don't Speak- Everything about this song is beautiful. Everything from the melody, to Gwen's voice is awesome. Accept 4 those who have never been in a relationship every1 can relate to this song.--10/10

14.Ex-Girlfriend: This is a high enery track. It's a good break up song yet it's fun to listen to because the chorous has a lot of attitude and it's catchy at the same time.--9/10

15.Trapped In A Box: This is the oldest song off the album. It's from No Doubt's debut album which was released in 1992. It's not the song that made No Doubt famous, but I like it becuase the instruments and production make it sound like a song from around the 40's. This track is kinda wierd, but in a good way. I think the song is well written though.--8/10

Overall, this is a great album. Buy it. There's NO DOUBT u will love at least some of this album!!!

I really enjoy this CD! Several great songs and more good ones, what more could you want in a CD? I mean usually, a CD has maybe 2 or 3 happening tunes but this one rocks with so many that I find myself taking the long route to work just to enjoy every track. I believe this says alot with the price of gas and me pushing 50.

Oh my god, this was my first Reel Big Fish CD. I got it back in 2001. And I am still not even an ounce sick of it. It is so well put together. There is literally not one song that is not better than any band's best song. You could take "Johnny Quest Thinks We're Sell Outs", and throw any random song off of this CD, and blow that song to bits. Even though I absolutely love that song. Please buy this CD and brighten your day.

This is the first release of the band, and it will show you why they are so popular and the best ska band ever. They are not as punk as most other ska bands. This is their best cd, but every other one is spectacular. I've seen them live several times, and I will go to see every concert they are at.

This is music right here folks. I love this CD to death. I feel that it is amazing. A band that once was a Rock band they have stepped up in the world. They have gone from hard rock to fast-paced-skankable Ska. This music will have you jumping out of your sit dancing while at the same time singing along. The CD start off right from the get go. When Aaron first belts out the lyrics to "Sell Out" to the end with "Alternative Baby." This is just an awesome C.D. Aaron Plays a mean guitar. Who ever thought of guitar riffs in a ska band? Hey you should really check out their cover of "Take On Me." AMAZING!! Not on this CD though. This CD is for anyone who likes Less Than Jake, Blink-182, Goldfinger. AH HELL THIS CD IS FOR EVERYONE!!

Oh my god, this was my first Reel Big Fish CD. I got it back in 2001. And I am still not even an ounce sick of it. It is so well put together. There is literally not one song that is not better than any band's best song. You could take "Johnny Quest Thinks We're Sell Outs", and throw any random song off of this CD, and blow that song to bits. Even though I absolutely love that song. Please buy this CD and brighten your day.

This is the first release of the band, and it will show you why they are so popular and the best ska band ever. They are not as punk as most other ska bands. This is their best cd, but every other one is spectacular. I've seen them live several times, and I will go to see every concert they are at.

This is music right here folks. I love this CD to death. I feel that it is amazing. A band that once was a Rock band they have stepped up in the world. They have gone from hard rock to fast-paced-skankable Ska. This music will have you jumping out of your sit dancing while at the same time singing along. The CD start off right from the get go. When Aaron first belts out the lyrics to "Sell Out" to the end with "Alternative Baby." This is just an awesome C.D. Aaron Plays a mean guitar. Who ever thought of guitar riffs in a ska band? Hey you should really check out their cover of "Take On Me." AMAZING!! Not on this CD though. This CD is for anyone who likes Less Than Jake, Blink-182, Goldfinger. AH HELL THIS CD IS FOR EVERYONE!!

1st of all, it's a shame that Rancid had to "prove themselves" after thsi album and what's more a shame is that they FELT they HAD to. To me that borders on selling out. Selling out doesn't have to do with money.
With that aside, I love reggae and I love (real) punk rock. So of course, I like this album a lot. I'm not sure which is my favorite, this or ...And Out Come the Wolves. I think Wolves.
In regards to my 1st statement, I have listened to the 2000 ST album one time and haven't picked it up since. I'm sure i will at another time and I'm sure I'm now thought of a trendy Rancid listener. Grow up.

Like some others who were dissapointed with ...AOCTW, I think Life Won't wait is Rancid's best effort to date. It's almost like Rancid going back to the good ol' Operation Ivy days. Not that this CD sounds like an Op. Ivy CD(cause it doesn't), but I get this strange but comfortable feeling whenever I listen to Op. Ivy's music, and I get that same feeling on a few points of this album.
Despite what people say, this isn't a punk CD. Rancid isn't even a punk band. Their only punk albums are Rancid, Let's Go, and Rancid 2000. Sure, there's a few punk tunes thrown in with this album. But overall, this is a ska/reggae album. Sure, there are songs that I don't like as much as others, but this is a really great CD. This albums features Rancid's very best songs, such as Bloodclot, Black Lung, Life Won't Wait, Hooligans, Crane Fist(it could either be the easiest song for you to get into, or the hardest (: ), the amazing closer Coppers, and Something In the World Today, which is probably my favorite Rancid song.
Overall, if you're an Op. Ivy fan(like me), you might like this album. If you're a ska/reggae fan(like me), then you'll love this album!

Life Won't Wait

Before I begin my rant I should probably tell you a little about my background/taste in music. I would consider myself your average everyday blue collar worker. I have been working since I was 14 years old & have always loved music. I have been married for 10 years & have 2 children (with another one due in July). My first concert was R.E.M. on their "Green" World Tour. I have always enjoyed alternative/underground/indie music & in high school I was first introduced to punk rock by friends. My first punk show was Bad Religion/All on BR's "Generator" tour. My friends & I actually hung out with Scott Reynolds from All before the show, but we'll save that story for another day.

I first heard Rancid on a Sunday nite while watching MTV's 120 Minutes. Their video for "Salvation" was incredible!!! Tim's snarled singing style along with their F-You look just grabbed me. I went out the next day & purchased their 1994 album "Let's Go." I have been a Rancid fan ever since & each album continues to blow me away. It's amazing how these guys continue to grow/mature as song writers & each album has it's own distinct sound/style. "Life Won't Wait" demonstrates my point more than any other Rancid album to date. This album is clearly the pinnacle of their career & perhaps the most hated by their fans (which I have never quite understood).

"The phenomenon your about to witness could well revolutionize your way of thinking. We are presenting the startling facts & evidence that pick up where other explanations leave off. Some of these revelations may very well go against things you have been taught & perhaps believed all your life. Prepare yourself for the evidence which will follow:" --Intro to Rancid's 1998 album "Life Won't Wait"--

From the sonic guitar/harmonica on "Intro" to the xylophone on "Hoover Street" to the reggae drums on "Life Won't Wait," Rancid truly proved themselves as a songwriting force not to be reckoned with. The infectious Hey-Ho's...Lars lyrical delivery...Matt's amazing bassline..."Bloodclot" is pure punk & an absolute punk rock gem on this album. From that to Tim's quiet snarled poetry & xylophone on "Hoover Street," you could already tell that the punks from Oakland were taking the listener to a place their previous releases only hinted at.

The song "Life Won't Wait" is pure reggae/ska bliss. Tim & Lars tag team vocals are exactly what Rancid fans love! Add in surprise guest Buju Banton's vocals and you have an instant classic. This is Rancid pushing themselves to the limit & proving that they are more than just the stereotypical mohawked 3 chord punk rockers we have all been accustomed to. "Here's the new face of rock 'n' roll." A lyric delivered with absolute sincerity on another ska tune "Hooligans." That lyric is a rally call to all of you who haters out there who critizied these guys so hard for this album. "Wrongful Suspicion," "Crane Fist" & "Coppers" are 3 more exquistely written reggae tunes.

"Who Would've Thought" is Tim at his best! His vocal delivery along with Lars bluesy guitar.....AWESOME!!! Mighty Mighty Bosstones vocalist Dicky Barrett was a nice touch on "Cash, Culture and Violence." The harmonica on "Cocktails".....Matt Freeman's bass on "1998".....the rockabilly of "Lady Liberty"....."Something In The World Today" is more punk rock nirvana.....

I think I've made my point. Both lyrically & musically this album is far superior to anything else these guys have put out. The year 2000 found these guys having to prove themselves on the self-titled "Rancid" album all because of you haters who came down so hard on these guys for showing some song writing talent on "Life Won't Wait."

If you are a Rancid fan, then give this record another spin. If you've never heard Rancid, this is a great place to start.

Thanks for letting me rant. See y'all in the pit......

I've been listening to less than jake for like 6 years now, they've been my favorite band ever since and this is in my opinion is the best record they have ever made, don't get me wrong less than jake has never put out a record i that i could'nt listen to straight through or that wasn't incredible with the exception of "goodbye blue and white" which had about 4 good songs on it and was pretty much a waste of a record. This record was a lot like a rebirth of less than jake into a more rock style of music and not the ska that they had been doing for quite sometime. This record was also the begining of Vinnie's lyrics becoming more personal and more meaningful that ever before. The record features some of the best songs ever written by less than jake, Look What Happened-best song ever written by LTJ adn this version is a 1000 times better than the "anthem(another incredible record)" version, due to the fact that the whole instrumental intro is taken out on anthem when live LTJ still plays this version, ganieseville rock city and last hour of the last day of work are also 2 of the best LTJ songs out there if your really into alternative music buy this record, if you are in need of a cd that will really make your day buy anthem, if your just starting to get into LTJ i'd recommand this record or "hello rockview" and then anthem and in with the out crowd.

This album contains a lot of my favorite Less Than Jake songs, Gainesville Rock city, Look What Happened, Magnetic North, among others. Overall it has a great sound. The horns are awesome, there is some really cool guitar, and vocals/lyrics are great. This album is most definitely worth the money, it will keep you dancing for years.

Actually, I'm 16, but I don't want too log in. Anyway, yes this CD is less ska than previous efforts, but I still like it the best. This pop-punk sound works really well for them. Yes, there aren't as many horn parts, but I wouldn't want horns to appear just as filler, only when the song needs them (okay, I do think the awesome guitar leads on Kenhoe and Pete Jackson is Getting Married should have been done with horns, but they are still good). As the reviewer below me said, J.R. admitted that their next album will have only 6 songs out of 12. That isn't quite correct (it's worse-for him). They are recording 15-20 songs for In With the Out Crowd (next album, due March 2006), and only 6 have horn parts, but a couple of them might be cut (12 songs were cut from the Anthem sessions, remember?). But I don't care. It will still kick rear. But I'm getting sidetracked. here is a summary of the tracks (@ indicates ska song, % indictates "hornless" song, to be helpful. (C) indicates Chris-sung song, (R) indicates Roger-sung song).
1. Magnetic North: A Good opener. Gets you pumped for the rest of the album
2. Kenhoe: B+ This song would have gotten an A if the lead was played on sax and trombone.
3. Suburban Myth: A @ Sweetness. Sounds like it would fit perfectly on Losing Streak or Hellow Rockview)
4. Look What Happened: A+++++ This is LTJ's best song (the remake for Anthem did not do it justice at all: the intro is longer (and more touching) here). Lyrics are well written/sung, horns are flawless, and guitars & bass are top-notch
5. Hell Looks a Lot Like L.A.: C- This song never really clicked with me. Don't know why.
6. Mr. Chevy Celebrity: A- % Good song all around. Fast, yet bouncy at the same time.
7. Gainesville Rock City: A+ See the review for Look What Happened, except it is their 5 best song as opposed to THE best (All My Best Friends are Metalheads, National Anthem, & Automatic are the other 3)
8. Malt Liquor Tastes Better When You've Got Problems: A Good song. That's all I can say
9. Bad Scene and a Basement Show: A Creeps me out for some reason. Don't know why. That's why I like it.
10. Is this Thing On? B % Needs horns.
11. Pete Jackson is Getting Married: A % Not a song you'd expect from them but great nonetheless.
12. 1989: A- Houston, we have horns!
13. Last Hour of the Last Day of Work: B- % Okay...
14. Bigger Picture: A % I like it. A lot.
15. Faction: A+ @ Perfect closer. Wouldn't change a thing if I wrote it myself.

Overall: A
This is a great CD. It definitely shows LTJ going in a new direction. The horns and Ska and whoa-whoas are disappearing, but I'm not mad about that, as long as the stuff that they put out is still good. Buy it if you like ska, pop-punk, orboth, you needs this.

Having been born in '86, I unfortunately did not yet exist to experience the late '70's punk movement or was too young to be part of the '80's hardcore years. Instead, I got to grow up with the MTV generation.... how so very lucky I am.
Yet, I figured out the difference between real music and the junk mainstream media keeps referring to as "punk". So, if I could figure it out, any other idiot from this forsaken generation shouldn't have any problems.
Good Charlotte is okay if you're 8 years old, but if you're 13 and you're still listening them you need to just grow up and listen to much better stuff. If you're my age and you listen to Good Charlotte then you are beyond any help.
Instead of Good Charlotte, buy or steal the real thing: Subhumans:Time Flies + Rats. It was the first one I picked up and it led to an entire collection of real, gritty, raw punk music. To all the Good Charlotte fans, take the advice I just gave you. Go from whining about how much your life sucks to actually doing something about it.

Alright. Good Charlotte.

A band that's been through a few things here and there; a band trying their best.

I'm sorry, but.. What exactly inspires these people to make music like this? The fans?

The only reason for caring about these fans is money. It's all money, and that is one of the reasons that this band has had even the slightest hint of success. There is no originality in this music. There is no quality. There is no talent.

The guitar playing isn't very amusing, the singing flat-out SUCKS, the drumming sounds like an eight-year-old playing with drumsticks, and as for the lyrics: they're tacky, they're annoying, and they are very childish.

The fans of this terrible music are either:

A) Young children that discovered this band either from sibilings, listening to Radio Disney, watching MTV, or merely getting the damned album.

B) Poseurs.

C) People that like all music out there, or

D) People with a degree of mental retardation.

Please don't think I do not know what I'm talking about. I know too many people that listen to Good Charlotte, and basically all of them fall under those categories. I've listening to Good Charlotte myself.

And PLEASE, for the sake of everything GOOD in this world, do NOT think or reply to this with a 'well I bet the preppy stuff YOU like SUCKS!'

This all sounds sloppy and terrible, but I have to say what I mean and mean what I say, now don't I? And I'm not telling anyone what to listen to, but I'd suggest to show some self-decency by getting into My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy, and/or Hawthorne Heights. (Not that I like those bands... They're just slightly better replacements for this garbage.)

Good day to non-fans..

I'd like to drop this album somewhere inbetween the "this sucks so bad" and "i love GC!11" category. 3 stars seems quite appropriate.

This is Good Charlotte's first album. They are not nearly as refined here as they are on, "The Young and the Hopeless" but at the same time that adds a certain quality to it. While their latest album, "The Chronicles of Life and Death" seems to have suffered OVER-production, this album has been UNDER-produced. I would recommend, if you're new to Good Charlotte, picking up, "The Young and the Hopeless" to hear these guys at their best and then back-tracking to this album.

Still, if you insist on starting with this album it isn't going to kill you. The vocals are straight and clean for the most part. The harmony isn't bad at all and these songs are fun to sing along with. On the down side they do get whiney once or twice, so if you can't stand Avril Lavigne or New Found Glory, you may be turned off by some of the vocals. Overall, I'd give the vocals 4 stars.

The guitar isn't mixed very well in my opinion. It seems kind of, "in the background" not what I want from a rock group. Solos are lacking but the riffs are catchy. Guitar gets 3 stars.

Bass is fantastic, mixed quite well for a rock band. They have a few songs with nice outstanding bass but for the most part the bass sits where it should, holding the song up silently unless one listens for it. Excellent but nothing to talk about. 4 stars.

Drums are also "in the background" at times. And you won't find many beats you'll want to learn to play yourself or get stuck in your head. Overall, it could be better... 2 stars.

Finally, lyrics. Love 'em or hate 'em. That's what I say. I know I enjoy the simplicity found here while others can't stand it. If you want creative lyrics, go buy Death Cab for Cutie's album, "Transatlanticism". If you want some fun rock riffs and hooks, pick up GCs first album, "Good Charlotte."

I hope this has been a fairly unbiased review and I hope it helps you out!

Thanks!