No Doubt- Beacon Street Collection

The Beacon Street collection is No Doubt's second album. It was in released in 1993, one year after their self-titled debut album.

More significantly, it is the predecessor to their defining Tragic Kingdom album, and I can't but help judging it against that incredibly high standard. Most songs on the songs of The Beacon Street Collection have plenty of great musical ideas, but they are awkwardly shoehorned together into a song. So I think this album has all the great elements of it's hugely successful successor, but the band was yet to learn the art of stitching these elements together into flowing songs.

A quick note about recording quality: it's really good. Top marks to No Doubt in this regard, because you wouldn't pick it as a homemade recording. A particular highlight is the polished chorus effect on the lead vocals, which became a No Doubt trademark.

Moving on to specific songs, Greener Pastures and Snakes in a Basket both appeal to me by their similarities with the experimental song Tragic Kingdom. Total Hate '95 is frustrating because the rest of the song is undermined by the terrible chorus (although perhaps it is more suited to live performances).

By The Way sounds like a practice run for Don't Speak, similarly That's Just Me led to the far improved Different People.

Lastly, the ska tune Squeal is a bit of a guilty pleasure for me. I really like the verses and the wildly disjointed sections, despite (or perhaps because of...) it being a very amateur-hour effort.

Favourite songs

Greener Pastures, Snakes in a Basket, Squeal

Worthwhile?

This album is an interesting insight into where Tragic Kingdom came from. However, it doesn't have much appeal as a stand-alone artwork.

The Pietasters- Awesome Mix Tape #6

Despite being around in the middle of the ska-punk era, The Pietasters are far from cookie-cutter ska-punk. I've seen them described as ska/soul, which is as good a description as any, so let's go with that. Awesome Mix Tape #6 is their fourth album, released in 1999.

This album is has plenty of variety centred around the ska, soul and reggae genres, while maintaining the band's style throughout. In fact, I couldn't disagree more with this review's description as a "derivative" album (perhaps Alex just wanted impress us by name-dropping classic ska bands).

The slower songs- Chain Reaction, Crying Over You and Take Some Time- have a rich sound, with the horns and keyboard being used as wonderfully creamy background fill and countermelody, rather than the cheesy cameo lines between vocals as often happens with ska. Also, the sudden breaks in songs are perfectly executed and a highlight for me. As proof they're not taking themselves too seriously, What I Do, Spiderview and Somebody are amusing little numbers, including the "eggcorn" of Spiderview's title.

Yesterday's Over is a great combination of ska and soul, although strangely the cymbals sound awful. The spaghetti western style influences Everyday with You, which works really well, especially the how the groove changes between the verses and Chorus. This contrast is similar to Crawl Back Home, of which some might the minor key chorus weird, but I personally like it for being a bit left field.

The recording quality and musicianship is excellent. Particular highlights are the crisp drumming, interesting basslines, rich vocals, enveloping organ, full-bodied horns, great guitar... woops, that's the whole band! Similarly, the "favourite songs" section below includes most of the album...

Lastly, my listening notes from Wasted are as follows : "super super awesome amazingly awsome ska-swing"!! This combination of ska and swing is perfection, standing out even in the high benchmark of the rest of the album. To this day it is an all-time favourite song of mine.

Favourite songs

Chain Reaction, Yesterday's Over, Crying Over You, Everyday With You, What I Do, Can't Stand It, Crawl Back Home, Wasted, Take Some Time, Spiderview, Somebody

Recommended to

Fans of either ska of soul should check out this mash-up of the two genres. It's a unique and brilliant album.

Area-7 - No Logic

No Logic is Area-7's second EP. It was released in 1998, one year after Road Rage.

It is probably blasphemy for any supposed ska fan to say this, but I prefer the later, more commercial releases to this EP. The songs are mainly simple ditties, like a superficial caricature. For example, Green Eggs and Ham sounds to me like the theme song from a cheesy soap opera. Sorry! And No Logic (the title track) to me sounds like a few okay-ish musical ideas drawn out to fill a song.

While I'm being critical, the recording quality is a letdown. It might have been a deliberate stylistic choice, but the sound is really thin and often lacks punch. There's just no sense of scale, i.e. it's often hard to imagine that there's 7 members in the band, especially when the organ isn't playing. On the positive side, the keyboard parts are a highlight for me, providing wonderful hammond-ish goodness at times.

The cover of I Want to Break Free is an interesting take on the song. Not so good is the slower Schizo, an example of things getting awkward when Area-7 attempt a more reggae style, in this case shoehorned next to a disappointing "oi-punk" chorus. This style of chorus also lets down On and Off. Luckily, the good lyrics make some amends for both of these songs.

Bear Boy is so silly that I like it, in a similar way to a say an old Leisuresuit Larry computer game. But the best is saved for (almost) last: Stormin'. This song is the reason I bought the EP and remains the highlight for me, largely due to the energetic groove of the verses.

Favourite Songs

Tale of Bear Boy, Stormin'

Worthwhile?

*stares at feet* ... *awkwardly shuffles feet around*... ummm... no. It might have been refreshingly simple and whimsical at the time, but these days it just sounds twee.

Reel Big Fish- Favorite Noise

Yes...more ska-punk... at least this isn't some obscure Australian band that performed once in their uncle's garage! Because here we have one of the bands that defined the style: Reel Big Fish. The band had produced 3 albums before this mid-career compilation was released in 2002. This compilation is a mix of the two later albums Why Do They Rock So Hard and Turn The Radio Off (and I guess also Everything Sucks, but all the songs from it on Favourite Noise were also re-recorded for the other two albums).

Across their first 3 albums, self-deprecating humour was a major theme. The tales are all quite depressive, but instead of writing emo poetry, the bands' outlet for their misery was poking fun at everyone (themselves included) and bouncing around! Most of the songs erratically jump all over the place, such as random falsetto singing, strange cameo appearances and tongue-in-cheek overblown stadium rock.

The recording quality is both awful and good. Songs from Turn the Radio Off are awful: the horns are plastic and over-processed, the distortion guitar lacks any resemblance of size/power, the snare drum is tinny sounding and the cymbals are an incoherent mess. There was a big improvement made for the next album, Why Do They Rock So Hard, which sounds gool.

Even considering the variations in audio quality, I am surprised that for a collection of quite similar songs, some of them I really enjoy yet others don't appeal at all. Hmmm...strange. Case in point are the first two songs, which both have a similar style of catchy chorus, fast-paced transitions between disjointed sections, similar lyrical themes and great bridges. However, I really like The Kids Don't Like It, yet Everything Sucks leaves me completely cold.

The silliness is delivered at all intensities, with the calmer Suburban Rhythm, A Little Doubt Goes A Long Way, Snoop Dog Baby and She Has a Girlfriend Now providing some good variety to their repertoire. You Don't Know sits somewhere between: a smoothly flowing pop ditty with a brilliantly inappropriate over-the-top bridge. Fantastic! Tongue-in-cheek stadium rock is also pulled off superbly in Somebody Hates Me and The Set Up. Both are a bit disjointed in my opinion, but the horn line is The Set Up is a treat.

The song Beer somehow evokes very strong reactions from many people, myself included. Any time I hear those opening chords, it makes me tingle with excitement at the perfect combination of intricate bassline, great horn lines, singalong chorus and a great funky breakdown. Not to mention the whimsical notion of drinking oneself into a stupor to solve relationship problems!

She's Famous Now combines similar ingredients: catchy guitars, punchy horns, humorous self-deprecating lyrics, big chorus, cheesy faux-stadium-rock guitars and a big punk-rock style ending. It is my favourite Reel Big Fish song.

The compilation finishes with their upbeat cover of Take On Me. Fans of A-ha will probably be disgusted to hear their song stripped of its dignity, but it's like this song was made for this punk-ska cover! Again, their parody of stadium rock while bouncing around like 5 year old on red cordial works a treat.

As a final thought, I'll leave you with some wise words of relationship advice, courtesy of Beer:
And if I get drunk,

Then I'll pass out on the floor now baby.
And you won't bother me no more.

She said, "It's okay, boy, cause you know
we'll be good friends" and I say
"I think I'll have myself a beer.
I think I'll have myself a beer."

Favourite songs

The Kids Don't Like It, Sell Out, I Want Your Girlfriend to be My Girlfriend Too, S.R., You Don't Know, A Little Doubt Goes a Long Way, The Set Up, She's Famous Now, Beer, She Has a Girlfriend Now, Take On Me

Worthwhile?

Reel Big Fish is compulsory for anyone claiming to have an interest in third-wave ska. While I'm not really a fan of their "plastic" horn sound, nonetheless there is much fun present on this compilation.

Not yet another ska-punk album??

Thanks for joining me on this musical adventure. If you're wondering what's going on with the glut of ska from around 2000, it's because I had a binge of buying ska CDs in 2002 and I'm going through my CDs in the order I bought them (so hopefully there aren't many more Weird Al Yankovic or Robbie Williams skeletons remaining in the closet!). There's a few more ska CDs to go, but after that the eclecticness (eclecticism?) will return.

In the meantime, perhaps a drinking game will help liven things up. Take a shot whenever this blog:
- uses the adjectives "wonderful", "brilliant" or "fantastic" (I desperately need some more superlatives...)
- uses the words "intricate", "layered" or "textured"
- is about an obscure Australian CD which was produced for a handful of fans and is nowhere to be found for sale these days
- (at the other end of the spectrum) is about a CD which everyone in the world already owns, and has been reviewed many times by far more qualified critics
- deems it necessary to pick on the recording quality of a local band's first CD, which was probably recorded in the bass player's garage in a single take on a hungover Sunday
- sounds like a pretentious wanker

...cheers!

Various- Ska Skank Downunder Vol 2

This 2001 compilation of Australian ska was produced by The Porkers' record label. While the late 1990s and early 2000s saw a resurgance of 3rd wave bands inspired by Reel Big Fish, Less Than Jake, etc; this compilation mostly features stalwart ska bands from the 1980s and early 1990s.

There are 21 songs crammed onto this compilation (tracklist here), however it mainly focuses on a specific style of ska. Due to this choice of line-up the style tends to be more early 3rd wave (such as inspired by The Toasters), rather than the skate-punk influences on the more recent bands. Having said that, many of the lyrics are serious protests.

Highlights for me include the driving groove of Frustration, Big One and Breaking Up. Beergarden executes the contrasting sections very well, while Waste of Space is such a catchy tune. The cover of Leaving on a Jet Plane will probably disgust most John Denver fans, but I dig both the touching original and this cheesy ska version. Similarly, the final song, VB ska, throws in cheeky quotes to the classical songs Fanfare for the Common Man (aka "the channel 7 sports song" to most Aussies) and The Magnificent Seven theme (aka "the VB song" to most Aussies).

Favourite songs

Frustration (The Allniters), Beergarden (The Porkers), Big One (Blowhard), Leaving on a Jet Plane (Dr Raju), SFJ (Ska-men), Grey Skies (Strange Tenants), VB Ska (Loin Groin)

Worthwhile?

It's a nice snapshot of early 90s Australian ska, although really it's only for trainspotters of the genre.

Guttermouth- Covered with Ants

This is Guttermouth's sixth studio album. It was released in 2001, two years after Gorgeous.

Lyrically, the album is mainly tongue-in-cheek sarcasm, which is used as a vehicle for either immature frat-boy jokes or insightful social commentaries. This means that looking past the... ahem raw vocal and musical style, there is  occasionally a surprisingly intelligent contention being discussed. However, to add to the list of misheard lyrics, only now have I discovered that
I need a new direction,
like a positive regression
is, in fact, not
I needed an erection,
like a positive regression
Whoops! But, in my defence, the 2nd version is completely plausible for Guttermouth lyrics (eg purile and non sequitur)!

Stylistically, the album covers quite a bit of ground within the confines of punk-rock: headbanging (That's Life, What You Like About Me), moshpit frenzies (Can I Borrow Some Ambition, I Won't See You in the Pit), catchy pop-punk (Secure Horizons, She's Got the Look) and sea-shanty influences similar to Dropkick Murphy's (I'm Destroying the World, Chug-a-lug Night). Away from the moshpit, the moshput frenzies don't translate into very enjoyable CD tracks, but this is just a couple of songs scattered amongst the tracklist, so it isn't a problem.

As far as recording quality goes, the vocals are quite grating, but this is par for the course with punk-rock. At times, the guitars and snare sound strangely muffled, but otherwise the sound conveys both power and crispness in a polished pop-rock style.

That's Life works well as an opening track; a quick number to set the scene for the album without "wasting" a great song as the listener is warming up. The final track, Cram it Up Your Ass brings together the motif scattered between various tracks throughout the album. It seems to be a parody of concept album wank (*cough* Star Turtle *cough*), which you will either find an amusing pisstake, or just plain annoying.

As someone who doesn't own any other Guttermouth albums, I tend to prefer the more pop-punk songs on the album. She's Got the Look is very catchy and, like Josie by Blink-182, a beatifully emotional skate-punk love song. Also, the commentaries on consumer-driven society (Secure Horizons), society's enforced vanity for females (Looking Good is All That Matters) and redneck cultural values (I'm Destroying the World) are personal highlights. In many ways, it's like the Violent Femmes: arty/queer outsiders making a point using rock music (which ironically gets embraced by the meathead quarterbacks they're singing about). Quite intellectual, once you strip off the immature frat-boy packaging...

Favourite songs

Can I Borrow Some Ambition, Secure Horizons, She's Got the Look, I'm Destroying the World, Chug-a-lug Night, What You Like About Me, I Won't See You in the Pit

Worthwhile?

Yep. Often raw and nasty, but there is real substance below the surface.

Oiska- Live at Arthaus June 2001

This is a bootleg recording (hence the lack of cover art) from the iconic Melbourne punk/hardcore venue. It was recorded on 7 June 2001, about a year after the release of their debut EP.

The recording quality is a bit rough, but we can't expect too much considering it was just a guy in the crowd with a portable MiniDisc (remember them?!) recorder. The balance between instruments is good, however it is often difficult to hear/understand the vocals. The rhythm section is very "tight" for a ska band, however the horns were a bit hit and miss on the night.

Many of the songs are from the debut EP, and actually I prefer these live recordings as the atmosphere better reflects the band's energy. Also the banter from the crowd is amusing in itself: it seems the band were taking too long between songs on the night, so there are heckles like "Just play the fucking song", "Come onnnnnnnnn" and "Call yourselves a ska band, motherfuckers?" !

Among the EP songs which are played well are Al Capone, Eugene, Front Bottom, Police Woman, Unjumpable Shrubbery and Jerk Pork Skank (with a little suprise cover at the end). On the other hand, Arabian Taxi Driver, Pink Panther and OISKA had great energy live but seem to lack depth when heard on a recording.

Some people might be wondering why I mentioned vocals earlier? Weren't Oiska an instrumental band?? Actually, the songs  Heard It All Before, Bracket Creep and Opportunity Knocks feature fantastic lyrics. The songs are feature great instrumental parts, but with the added bonus of a lyrical story on top. All three songs are among Oiska's finest, in fact Heard It All Before is my all-time favourite Oiska song.

The instrumental The Way It Goes is a bit disjointed and simplistic in my opinion. However Sniffen Glue is vintage Oiska- a perfectly polished instrumental.

Favourite songs

Eugene, Front Bottom, Heard It All Before, Bracket Creep, Police Woman, Unjumpable Shrubbery, Sniffen Glue, Opportunity Knocks, Jerk Pork Skank

Worthwhile?

Absolutely. If you like Oiska, you should beg/steal/blackmail- whatever it takes- to get a hold of this rare recording!

Skazz- Welcome to Civilisation

Skazz is a band which combines... you guessed it... ska and jazz. This debut album of theirs was released in 2002.

The style is heavily influenced by early ska, with similarties to a fast-tempo version of The Skatelites. A highlight for me is that many of the faster songs sound like they are on the brink of chaos, yet it is precisely executed so never sounds messy. As per the jazz influence, the structure is typically extended solos returning to a common "head" (chorus).

The recording quality is top notch. All instruments are crisp, have wonderful texture and very well balanced in the mix. It is very impressive for a small-budget debut album. This quality matches the excellent musicianship throughout the album. A personal highlight for me are the intricate drums on the faster tracks.

Fast-paced "dancing ska" is Skazz's signature style, such as Into the Fields, This Filthy Life, Welcome to Civilisation, Fungoloid, Journey On and Mr Refinement. These songs have a similar style to New York Ska-Jazz Ensemble and Secret Agent 8. To give the audience a chance to catch their breathe, Mr Curley's Dance, Crotcheted Snood, This Filthy Life and Sway are slower tempo rocksteady tracks. Crotcheted Snood brings out a latin feel, while Sway is a brilliant slow-burn rocksteady version of this classic pop/jazz song.

Favourite songs

To the Fields, Mr Curley's Dance, Crotcheted Snood, This Filthy Life, Fungoloid, Journey On, Mr Refinement, Sway

Worthwhile?

Yes. Infectious fun!

Commissioner Gordon- Get in the Car

This is the first (and only) studio album from Commissioner Gordon. It was released in 2001, one year after their debut EP.

It doesn't feel right using the word "mature" when reviewing a ska CD, but this album is very smooth and sophisticated ska. It's worlds apart from their debut EP, and I really dig both styles.

Recording quality is mixed- the cymbals are a unintelligable mess, the kick-drum could use more bottom end punch, the snare is hollow in some songs, and the bass guitar sound is lacking (in different ways) in some of the songs. On the positive side, the ocker vocals are crisp and honest, the horn sound is rich and "meaty" (other 3rd wave ska bands take note!) and all the guitar sounds- from smooth reggae offbeats to cheese-cutter punk- sound great.

Anyway, on to the songs. There are five (mostly) instrumentals on the album, my favourite of which are are Diplomatic Immunity and Sax Offender. Both are high-energy combinations of punk/ska/swing, with the running basslines and horn layering being particular highlights for me.

A couple of songs follow the more traditional offbeat-verse-punk-chorus structure, such as Columbian Druglord (with reggae elements which contrast wonderfully) and a rehash of Bernie Got Wise from their EP (sadly lacking the funk intro. Boo!). In these punky moments, influences of  Twisted Sister are heard.

Slowing things down a notch for a cool menacing rocksteady feel are, Balinese Bodypart Bandits (which is a bit of a poor cousin to Bernie Got Wise in my opinion) and Sensible Ska. Sensible Ska could almost be a serious protest song from the band Midnight Oil, due to the menacing mood, strong riffs and anthemic chorus. But the completely ridiculous lyrics shatter such notions. And make for a brilliant song!

Similarly, Volvo Drivers has a great cruisy feel, as it flows from start to finish without a chorus. The layering is a highlight for me, as is the comic treatment of serious social issues in the lyrics. The issue of teenage pregnancy also gets its tale told without any respect for the seriousness, in Teenage Mother. A very funny portrayal. Or perhaps disgracefully insensitive, depending on your perspective, I guess...

Sherlock Homes, a funny backhanded complement to parking inspectors, could be described as disjointed, but the lyrics make it a favourite for me. Strangely, the final song is actually a brilliant opener- Better Call the Commissioner.

At one of the bands reunion shows, between songs the singer said something like "We turn up year after year and just play the same stuff every time. But you guys seem to love it". Indeed we do! It is amazing that a band with just one EP and one album remained popular with fans for so long. But when the songs are this good, I'll happily listen to them over and over.

Favourite songs

Colombian Druglord, Volvo Drivers, Sherlock Holmes, Diplomatic Immunity, Teenage Mother, Sax Offender, Sensible Ska, Better Call the Commissioner

Worthwhile?

This is one of the most important- not to mention one of my favourite- CDs in my collection.