Album Review - The Brian Jonestown Massacre (603 hits)
Category: Sound & MusicRating: -0.21 on 18 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by PepsiCoke (View user info) at 2008-03-23 00:22:06 EDT
I wrote this like six years ago.
Take It From The Man! (1996)
The Brian Jonestown Massacre
If you're like me and you're hardcore into the Rolling Stones, then you're going to take notice when you find out that a band has decided to call itself The Brian Jonestown Massacre. They had been on my radar for quite some time until I finally listened to their first four albums. Methadrone, their debut, certainly has its moments but is a little too spacey and droning for my tastes. Their Satanic Majesties Second Request is deeply indebted to the underrated psychedelic Stones album from which it takes its name. Like its predecessor, BJM's adventure in psychedelic soundscapes is a flawed masterpiece and clearly an important step in the band's development. It is in fact the band's third album, Take If From The Man!, that struck me as the band's first completely satisfying release.
Most of the songs feature mid-60s style acoustic and electric guitars contrasted against layers of reverberating backing vocals and lush percussion. I hate to even use the phrase "mid-60s style" because the album is anything but redundant revivalist nostalgia. The guitars are fucking great on every song, so just listen and you'll see what I mean. And speaking of lush percussion, I think there's a tambourine on every track.
The heavily affected guitar sound from Methadrone doesn't fully resurface until the second half of the album on the nihilistic eight-minute "Cabin Fever". Singer and multi-instrumentalist Anton Newcombe is the band's auteur, but bassist Matt Hollywood wrote four of the disc's better songs, including "Cabin Fever".
That said, what makes the album compelling on repeated listens is Newcombe's lyrical and musical direction. The album's big theme seems to be frustration with (or withdrawal from) relationships and society. There have been many bands able to write the same kind of restive lyrics you'll find on Take It From The Man!, but few of those bands seem to be interested in pairing the words with similarly emotive and organic instrumentation. Newcombe can write some damn good riffs and melodies when he wants to. He can also dick around on one chord for ten minutes and still keep my attention and get his point across. He can work within genres (mostly country-blues and psychedelic hard rock) or experiment outside of them. Newcombe is probably the most interesting musician you'll ever hear about. His batshit insanity seems to be what drives the quality of his music. Look up some of his interviews and you'll see what I mean.
It's a very long album and Newcombe makes it clear that he doesn't care much about having a set of only tight, concise songs. Even the shorter tunes on the album seem to chug along for a bit more than absolutely necessary. That's neither a complaint nor a compliment; it's just how the songs are. I've discovered that long-windedness is sort of Newcombe's trademark. It hasn't bored me, so more power to him.
I listened to the album's second track, "Who?", while on an intense salvia divinorum trip a few months ago. Salvia only lasts a few minutes but I could write a few pages about the experience. The song complimented the trip very well.
I'm in the process of digesting the rest of BJM's albums. I have a feeling that Take It From The Man! will remain my favorite, although lately I've been enjoying the hell out of Give It Back! and Bravery, Repetition and Noise.
(Note: All of the band's albums can be downloaded from http://www.bjmarchives.com free of charge.)
Highlights:
"Vacuum Boots"
"Straight Up and Down"
"Monkey Puzzle"
"Mary, Please"
"Cabin Fever"
User Reviews
Submitted by jimboruckus (user info) at 2008-05-24 18:36:04 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
Submitted by Wildman (user info) at 2008-05-09 00:09:35 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
No Comment
Submitted by haikumikoo (user info) at 2008-03-30 02:30:16 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I enjoy that the father of the child seems to approve.
I didn't read all dem wordz 'do.
Submitted by spyder882001 (user info) at 2008-03-30 01:25:54 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by bjrog2 (user info) at 2008-03-23 23:51:00 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Hahaha, the wrestler in that gif is a huge cunt
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I agree.
+2 b/c I like the music
Submitted by PepsiCoke (user info) at 2008-03-29 23:55:24 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by icarus1987 (user info) at 2008-03-24 11:49:26 EDT (#)
Ranking: -1
Not working for me, sorry.
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No need to apologize. Just try harder next time, prick.
Submitted by SkullBiter (user info) at 2008-03-24 11:59:56 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by icarus1987 (user info) at 2008-03-24 11:49:26 EDT (#)
Ranking: -1
Not working for me, sorry.
Submitted by PepsiCoke (user info) at 2008-03-24 00:37:03 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Axolotl:
Have you ever seen or heard of a movie called "DiG!"?
If not, let me know. I will find a way for you to watch that movie.
Submitted by bjrog2 (user info) at 2008-03-23 23:51:00 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Hahaha, the wrestler in that gif is a huge cunt
Submitted by Axolotl (user info) at 2008-03-23 22:59:57 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
Post Review - Pepsi Coke
Reviewed March 23, 2008
It sucked. -2 out of 2 stars.
~Axolotl
Submitted by rodyarask (user info) at 2008-03-23 16:05:28 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
The battle continues.
Submitted by EmissionImpossible (user info) at 2008-03-23 15:43:53 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
well ummm if i was to take tips off uber i would be a silly pup
Submitted by skyler (user info) at 2008-03-23 15:34:54 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
maybe one day
Submitted by rodyarask (user info) at 2008-03-23 14:49:14 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
Eat shit and die
Submitted by Bubba2341 (user info) at 2008-03-23 09:57:43 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
Submitted by rob_berg (user info) at 2008-03-23 05:37:44 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
i like you
Submitted by PepsiCoke (user info) at 2008-03-23 02:52:20 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Prove it
Submitted by apollo88 (user info) at 2008-03-23 02:27:28 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
wow!
i reviewed this, like, now