99% Fat- Two Percent Brains

99% Fat were an Australian 3rd-wave ska band who formed in the late 1990s and released two albums. This first EP was produced very early in their career...

...therefore it is quite "raw". That is immediately obvious in the recording quality and lack of finesse, which will put many people off. The vocals, guitar and bass are thin, the horns are often out of tune and the drums sound like a plastic toy. But the charm is in the energy and irreverence- for example the opening track combines Also Sprach Zarathustra with Kentucky Fried Chicken and a tongue-in-cheek story about obesity!

Musically, the songs vary from simplistic ska/punk ditties (The Chode, Ode to My Mullet, New Shoes, Today Like Yesterday) to more inventive styles (Why Carrot, Eat the Meat, Sultans of Skank). It often reminds me of Australian Crawl's classic Boys Light Up, with the combination of reggae and Australian pub rock. The more polished songs feature some very intricate layering of horn parts, much more than you would expect of a ska band. Good stuff.

My personal favourite is Captain Manboob which blends a catchy song with a silly tale of a superhero(ine).

Favourite songs

The Chode, The Colonel, Why Carrot, Eat the Meat, Sultans of Skank, Captain Manboob

Would I buy it again?

It's so silly and immature- so of course the answer is yes! But I do also think there's also some innovative and refined ska, which gives the album substance.

The Prodigy- Fat Of The Land

Fat Of The Land is The Prodigy's third album. It was released in 1997, three years after Music For A Jilted Generation. It was also a hugely successful album, responsible for the band's transition from an obscure rave band to international superstars.

The term "electro-punk" was invented to describe The Prodigy, and I think it sums up this album perfectly. It is an album to take you out of your mundane daily life and transport you to a lawless warehouse of underground wonder.

When turned up loud (as one must for The Prodigy!), the recording quality reveals itself to be fantastic. There are many great electronic samples swimming around in a wonderful interplay, and stereo effects are very well executed. Surprisingly, the bass doesn't actually extend very deep, but nonetheless there's still plenty there to get the walls shaking...

However I have always found the album hit and miss. The "miss" parts are mostly songs which are more drum'n'bass or rap influenced, which isn't really my cup of tea.

But Breathe and Climbatize are outstanding songs; they are among my all-time favourites. Breathe perfectly conveys the lawless insanity of an underground warehouse rave. The layering and flow of Climbatize is brilliant, throughout the song the alien sounds drift in and out yet somehow it all sounds perfectly natural. I have no idea what the message or scene of the song is, but whatever it is sure is epic!

Two of the songs have grown on me in recent years. I now really enjoy the spiritual influence to Narayan. And I used to think that Funky Shit was just the poor cousin of Breathe. While the vocal sample is cheesy and it doesn't hit the same heights as Breathe, Funky Shit is still enjoyable in its own right.

Favourite songs

Smack My Bitch Up, Breathe, Narayan, Climbatize

Would I buy it again?

Yes. Nearly 20 years on(!), this album has turned out to be a timeless classic.

Wiseacre- Make Those Bodies Sing

Wiseacre were an Australian punk-ska band who formed in the late 1990s. This EP is (I think) their first recording, and was released in 1999.

Given my previous rant about Tragic Kingdom not being a ska album, perhaps describing this one as "punk-ska" is quite hypocritical! Sure, some of the songs don't have offbeat guitar. But the other 3rd wave ska characteristics (whimsical attitude, punk influence, switching between smooth and distortion guitar) are present. Well, that's my argument and I'm sticking to it!

This EP is completely tongue-in-cheek, with most songs being simple party punk/ska ditties with very silly lyrics- think Ramones meets ska. The "horn section" (just a single trumpet) is also the lead singer, so while I enjoy the horn lines, they also feel a bit like cameo appearances. In the end, the highlight for me is often the immature lyrics, with the rest of the band just providing supporting energy.

But the wonderful exception to this is the "Kung Fu Attack of the One Legged Moonwalkers" instrumental, which is my favourite song on the CD. It frenetically jumps all over the place; in a way that I'd probably describe as "disjointed" for any other band, but somehow it is part of the appeal in this case.

Recording quality? Ummm let's be polite and call it... ahem... "raw". As for the songwriting, it often feels like the musical ideas were just thrown together disjointedly into songs. They are very entertaining musical ideas, though. 

The hidden track punk cover of John Williamson's Rip Rip Woodchip puts a fun twist on a great "true blue" tale about environmentalism and throwaway consumerism.

Favourite songs

Let's Go Bowling, Hole in Her Pants, You're So Good Looking, Kung Fu Attack of the One Legged Moonwalkers, Bummin Around, Just the Lawnmower Man, Rip Rip Woodchip

Would I buy it again?

It's hard for me to not be sentimental about this album (it's one of the first Australian ska CDs I bought, but I do think this EP has enough whimsical fun to be worthwhile in its own merit.

No Doubt- Tragic Kingdom

Tragic Kingdom is No Doubt's massive breakthrough album. It was released in 1995, about 7 months after Beacon Street Collection.

<rant>I must disagree with Wikipedia's claim that the most prominent genre is ska. For me, it is a pop-punk album which happens to be tongue-in-cheek and have horns at times. Similar to The Police, there is a strong ska influence, but I wouldn't say many of the songs are actually ska.</rant> World Go 'Round is the only ska song on the album, which has very nice verses, but I find the chorus clunky and lets it down.

The album has wonderful variety, but No Doubt's staple (back then) of punk-lite with wonderfully chorused female vocals, funky bassline and smart use of horns/keyboard is a great starting point. Gwen's vocals are a highlight, with huge range being shown throughout the album. Possibly the jumps in vocal style within songs are comically overdone at times, but each style (from mourning ballad to power-rock to snarly rebellion) is very well delivered. I really like the strange metaphore lyrics, for example I have no idea what "You've been a juvenile, with a dolphin smile" actually means, but the imagery is great! And the unusual pronounciation means I often can't understand what the words are (for some strange reason I really like lyrics I don't properly understand!).

The hits of Just a Girl and Sixteen, have been relegated to the scrapyard of shooting star teen anthems, but I think there's more to these songs and they have lasting appeal. There are flashes of brilliance from all members of the band, it seems the players often resist the urge to show off their talent and instead sit back as a "team player" for the good of the song. To me, Sunday Morning is a great summary for what No Doubt were doing at the time. And Don't Speak is a very moving ballad.

As for the recording quality, some gripes are that guitar and snare can sound a bit "90s garage band". But the balance between instruments is very good, and the chorusing of the female vocals is absolutely incredible.

The cheesy lite-funk songs are a bit hit and miss. Different People has great instrumental work but I find the lyrics too banal. However, You Can Do It hits the spot for cheese-funk, complete with overdone plastic strings! There is also some brave experimentation on the album, such as the 6/8 time signature for The Climb and some random circus-inspired cameos in some songs. The song Tragic Kingdom brings this experimentation together brilliantly for an epic bonus track.

This album is probably too tongue-in-cheek for any "serious" critics to include in Best Ever album lists. But in my book, it's an absolute classic.

Favourite songs

Spiderwebs, Just a Girl, Happy Now, Hey You, Sixteen, Sunday Morning, Don't Speak, End on This, Tragic Kingdom

Would I buy it again?

Absolutely.

Various- Punk-O-Rama #5

From 1994 to 2005, Epitaph Records produced the Punk-O-Rama compilations. Volume 5 was produced in 2000, around the time that NOFX, Pennywise and Millencolin were enjoying some mainstream fame, as part of the whole skateboarding fad. I actually have no idea what caused me to purchase this CD! But let's dust it off and if there's any gold in there...

Due to the era of this CD, the most common style is skate-punk, but there's also a fair bit of cock-rock, the occasional old-school punk song (such as from "Poison" by Rancid), metal, hardcore and some other rock sub-genres.
Special mention goes to The Union- the pace and precision of "The Game" is incredible, especially the drumming. It's like they were only allocated two and a half minutes when they'd written a 5 minute long song, so they just played it at an insane tempo to squeeze it in!

Guttermouth, The Hives and Dwarves keep things immature; the latter with a cock-rock song dripping in innuendo and climaxing in a sex scene (actually, I'm not sure if it's tongue-in-cheek or not...)

The songs are taken from albums of wildly varying production values. Therefore the recording quality is a mixed bag, varying from rough (really, really rough!) to big and meaty.

For me, there's a bunch of songs in the middle section that aren't my cuppa tea. Having said that, I'm pleasantly surprised at the number of song on this album I enjoy.

Favourite songs

Pump Up the Valuum (NOFX), Problematic (All), No Cigar (Millencolin), Secure Horizons (Guttermouth), Better Be Women (Dwarves), Guilty by Association (Madball), Lookin' Out For #1 (Death By Stereo), 1.80 Down (Bombshell Rocks), Good Rats (Dropkick Murphys), Badge of Pride (Pennywise), Gone (Pulley), The Game (Union 13), Stranded in the Jungle (Voodoo Glow Skulls), Metric System in Time (The Hives), Automatic Teller (New Bomb Turks), Riot Riot Upstart (Agnostic Front)

Would I buy it again?

Hmm... really, it's just a "sampler" of the punk bands at the time. These days it is mostly redundant, since Amazon / iTunes / etc means that sampling almost any band on the planet is merely a click away. But that's an extensive list of "favourite songs" above, so I am glad to own it.

The Living End- The Living End

Riding on the back of the Prisoner of Society single, this was hugely successful debut for the Australian punkabilly band."Punkabilly"? Yes, this album has the honour of single-handedly inventing a genre, or at least bringing it to mainstream attention.

Prisoner of Society and Second Solution are angsty teen-punk anthems, but otherwise it's a friendly rock album rather than trying to burn down the establishment. In case you noticed that these two songs are not in the "Favourite" list below, it's just because I'm more familiar with- and prefer- the versions from the EP. These songs were originally recorded for another record label, and I find the album versions have an unpolished "live" sound, in particular the hollow bass guitar sound.

All Torn Down and Save the Day are brilliant oddballs for this album, and both successful singles. All Torn Down is the closest to a ballad for this album, with a unique jazz-rock style. On paper, the song could be described as ska, but like Boys Light Up by Australian Crawl, I think it is more a pub-rock song which happens to have a guitar playing on offbeats. And the drum fill before the final chorus is simple genius.  

Save the Day is a great tale about the unacknowledged sacrifices of those who fight to defend us. With heaps of changes in style and little left-field musical ideas thrown in, perhaps it was their warm up to the complexity of Roll On!

Speaking of storytelling, the lyrics are great at personalising the many topics covered. The subjects range from the Dunblain School Massacre (Monday- sadly a story as relevant today as ever), to generations continuing class divides (West End Riot), mental illness (Bloody Mary) and urban over-development (All Torn Down).

As for the recording quality, it is not a "big" record with Hollywood magic to give a stadium-rock impact. However, it is well layered, and the sound from each instrument is good enough. Some people might find the vocals on this album a bit "thin" sounding, though.

Trapped sees the band team up with their buddies from Area 7 for a punkabilly-ska hybrid. Unfortunately, it's a bit awkward in the quieter bits, but things come together better when the tempo and volume increases. Towards the end of the album, the songs stick more closely to the punkabilly style (arguably getting into a bit of a rut). But then the final track, Closing In, is an adventurous instrumental which jumps all over the place and even includes wacky time signatures. In isolation, the song is probably too disjointed to be a good listen, but I really enjoy the "jazz spirit" (a more refined version of "punk rebellion"??) of putting something this weird on a rock album!

The million dollar question is: "is this album dated now?" To me it still sounds unique, although the guitar sound would probably have a lot more "size" if it were recorded to day. But I've got too many fond memories of this album to be objective, so I'd be keen to hear what any of today's kids think of this CD.

As for my controversial (if anyone reads it?!) statement about Roll On being more of a classic album... well I really like both albums. I still think Roll On has more polish and wider-ranging appeal. But this debut album deserves much respect for coming out of nowhere and introducing a new style. Anyways, enough with the pissing contest- both are great!

Favourite songs

Growing Up, West End Riot, Bloody Mary, Monday, All Torn Down, Save the Day, Have They Forgotten, Fly Away, I Want A Day, Closing In
 

Would I buy it again?

Yes. What started for me as an angsty teen rebillion ditty has evolved into a rich variety of rock over the years, and going back to where it all started is as enjoyable as ever.

The Living End- Roll On

Roll On is The Living End's second album. It was released in 2001, three years after their self-titled debut).

For Roll On, the band wanted to distance themselves from their previous punkabilly sound, with a complex album of pub-rock operas. "Pub-rock operas???" you might be thinking. But I think it is the best description for this album: imagine AC/DC condensing Wagner's Ring Cycle into 48 headbanging minutes. That's what we're dealing with here. The end result is exhausting- both physically and mentally- but this combination of art-rock complexity and and infectious pub rock anthems is very rewarding.

The opening song, Roll On, makes it perfectly clear that the band's punkabilly days are behind them, but without too much artsy stuff (yet...) to scare people off. This continues for Pictures in the Mirror and Riot on Broadway, with both being radio-friendly high-intensity singles. The recording of the vocals sounds a bit thin, but otherwise the recording quality is very good. It is raw but still composed, and holds up well after 13 years.

We enter the rabbit-hole with Staring at the Light. As is necessary when condensing 4 nights of opera onto one CD (figuratively speaking), every song is a barrage of musical ideas. Often the songs have very abrupt transitions and are barely hanging together as a song, but all of the ideas are very good in isolation.

Blood on Your Hands sums up the album in a song: a plethora of ideas shoehorned together, some clever experimental bits and an epic pub rock chorus. The result: brilliant. Next up is Revolution Regained, a great pop song (probably the simplest song on the album), and also my favourite track. As some respite for the ending, Uncle Harry is a simple, silly ditty about a relative urinating in a bathtub!

In the Hottest 100 Australian Albums of All Time list, The Living End's self-titled album charted higher at number 4. While that album is more unique, I wouldn't be surprised if, over time, Roll On overtakes it in popularity. In my humble opinion, behind all the complexity (and partly because of it), Roll On is an all-time classic album of Aussie rock.

Favourite songs

Roll On, Pictures in the Mirror, Riot on Broadway, Carry Me Home, Dirty Man, Blood on your Hands, Revolution Regained, Killing the Right, Uncle Harry

Would I buy it again?

Yes

Various- Files Under Ska 2

This compilation (tracklist here) was released in 2000, as the Australian ska movement was approaching its peak. Some  stalwart bands (Yeah Yeah, Loin Groin, etc) were still kicking and new bands were popping up all the time. Some of these bands would have relatively successful careers, others have been long forgotten.
(By the way, prior to this post, the whole of the internet didn't have the cover art for this CD!)

Even as someone obsessed with ska, I find this album is very hit and miss. Some songs are great, some are real shockers (let's not name names!). On the bright side- unlike many genre-specific compilations- it never gets monotonous. As for recording quality, most of the recordings are quite rough around the edges. But enthusiasm over polish goes with the 3rd wave ska territory...

Some of my favourites are the smooth instrumentals of the Australian Ska Orchestra (not directly related to the Melbourne Ska Orchestra), the whimsical yet cocky rock-ska of icons Loin Groin, tracks from Commissioner Gordon's EP and a catchy little tune from Addiction 64. And a nice surprise is the bands which appeared out of obscurity with a fine contribution: Shelflife, The Cryptic Lanes, Cheese Excursion and Fieldtrip. The Oiska song is quite surprising- until I read the tracklist I had no idea that it was by them.

Favourite songs

That was Fantastic (Commissioner Gordon), Disgusting Love (Cheese Excursion), Storm Warning (Australian Ska Orchestra), Society's Flaw (Shelflife) , 747- Time to Start Loving' (Loin Groin), Blurred Vision (The Cryptic Lanes), Little Something (Slyboots), No Nonsense (Addiction 64), Autopilot (Fieldtrip), R'n'BFX (Commissioner Gordon), Given Up (Shelflife), Rainy Night in Horsham (Australian Ska Orchestra)

Would I buy it again?

Yes, mainly for the handful of songs (by obscure bands) which cannot be found anywhere else.

Bodyjar- Singles and Stuff

Bodyjar are not just a band, they are an Australian melodic-punk institution. Having released their first album 20 years ago, they have seen all kinds of fads come and go, and occasionally still come out of the woodwork to play the odd show.

This album is a 1999 compilation of their first four albums.

Although the band is labelled as "punk", in many ways they are the antithesis of punk! I say this due to the poetic lyrics, wonderful composition (especially the way the two guitars work together- their "synergy" is amongst the best going around) and great polish. Most of the 15 songs are similar pace, structure and style, but it's done so well that I'm not complaining.

The recording quality has held up well over the years. Minor quibbles are that the vocal production sometimes lacks polish and bass guitar can be "woofly" or get lost in the mix. The loose cymbals might also not be to everyone's liking. But the drums and guitars sound great, and overall it packs a punch while maintaining definition.

For me, there are many highlights on this album, and not a single song I would prefer to skip.  Glossy Books has great lyrics and chorus, Remote Controller somehow combines so many interesting musical ideas, Windsok's verses show their punk side while maintaining their trademark sophistication, Gee and Al is a catchy pop tune... I'd better stop before I wax lyrical about every song on the album!

Even amongst such a high standard, three songs stand out as my all-time favourite songs. The cover of Simon and Garfunkel's Hazy Shade of Winter is fantastic- the poetic lyrics, swirling guitar riff and epic ending makes for a great cover. As for originals, Return to Zero is the ultimate punk-rock song, in my opinion. Somehow it seamlessly combines a smorgasboard of great ideas. If Bodyjar had instead spread the ideas across, say, 5 songs, the 5 songs would still have been very good. Instead, we are blessed with one absolutely fantastic song. Finally, I really like how Do Not Do hammers along at breakneck pace, yet still manages to feel smooth and composed.

Recently I've been dismissive of compilation, due to the idea that they are "soulless" compared to the original albums. But when every song on the compilation is this good, I have to make an exception...

Favourite songs

You Say, Glossy Books, Hazy Shade of Winter, Time to Grow Up, Remote Controller, Kitchen Knife, Windsok, Do Not Do, Washed Away, You've Taken Everything

Would I buy it again?

Absolutely.

The Hives- Veni Vidi Viscious

Those crazy Swedes... The Hives are a raw garage rock band, who came to prominence thanks to this second album released in 2000.  Soon after this album, the garage rock revival was in full swing. But while the other bands took the artform very seriously (eg The Strokes), The Hives stuck with a more whimsical approach.

On a personal note, I was really getting into this album as the September 11 attacks happened. Immediately after the attacks, panic and chaos reigned, and many people feared that it was the start of World War 3. Scary times.

On to the album itself... well, the tongue is very firmly planted in cheek! There are some interesting concepts raised in the lyrics (corporate greed, consumerism, metric quantities of time), however the attitude presented is like a petulant toddler. And that's what I love about it. Comparing them to Ramones is a big call, but I definitely enjoy The Hives every bit as much. And with an album length of 28 minutes, brevity is another common aspect.

The album flies along at breakneck pace, with the more sedate Main Offender, Hate To Say I Told You So and Find Another Girl probably included just to give the listener a break from the onslaught. I really enjoy the lyrics, however some people might find the howling (not screaming, but definitely strained), "retro-distorted" vocal style to be annoying. Also, the recording style is rough and noisy. So much so that I find it harsh rather than enjoyable when the volume is cranked.

The opener Declare Guerre Nucleaire serves as a declaration of intent- it is short, fast, raw and the lyrics make no sense! Die, All Right! is my favourite song on the album, to me it is a very slick pop song with "up yours!!" lyrics and a very catchy chorus. The following songs are similar, but somehow with even more frantic pace and attitude: A Get Together To Tear It Apart, Outsmarted, Metric System in Time, Statecontrol and Knock Knock.

Main Offender, Inspection Wise 1999 and Supply and Demand are a slower pact, but the attitude and rawness remains cranked to eleven. Arguably the band's most famous song, Hate to Say I Told You So, is another catchy pop tune which remains relatively civilised until the raucous ending.

I really enjoy this album, the clever lyrics and occasional moments of pop slickness suggests they have the skills to make great "sensible"music if they wanted to. But they don't! Kinda summed up by this line from Die All Right:
Too messed up to sit and settle down
Too messed up to even mess around

Favourite songs

"Die, All Right!", Main Offender, Outsmarted, Hate to Say I Told You So, Metric System in Time, State Control, Inspection Wise 1999, Knock Knock, Supply and Demand

Would I buy it again?

Hell yeah! It's rough as guts, but full of wonderful energy and attitude.

Epilogue: At the time of reviewing Lex Hives (2.5 years later), I thought it would be interesting to compare the two albums. Lex Hives is definitely a far more polished effort and the prime suspect is the recording quality- Lex Hives is hardly a homogeneous pop-rock effort, but Veni Vidi Viscious can be downright harsh at times. In common are the woofly kick-drum and bass guitar, and the harsh-ish guitar sounds. Occasionally, the cymbals also have a jarring sound. But I think the main difference is in the vocals- for Lex Hives, they are quieter and less grating. This also applies to the backing vocals. Listening back-to-back, I was actually surprised that the difference in recording quality was far less than expected.

Therefore I think the more polished feel of Lex Hives is mostly down to the recording of the vocals, and possibly the greater stylistic range in the songs. So, which is my favourite Hives album? Both!