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Crash Landing
Die Toten Hosen |
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Not only is their music cool, they're fun to read about. Here we've got a German Punk band which in and of itself is noteworthy-at least from a barrier breaking stateside standpoint-yet they sound like the typically English street Punk dirt dealers from days of yore… and there's a very Clash-like youthful upstart sneer in a wholly embraceable sort of despicable way. Actually if you listen hard enough there are accentual distinctions to be made but they're easily brushed aside in favor of good old fashioned Rock and recklessness. By the fourth song in, "Man," I'm convinced this is a hybrid of The Damned meets Falco. "Man" and "Pushed Again" are terrific back to back approaching the halfway point, both utilizing the best measures of shot-chugging, arm-flailing sing along qualities among edgy riffs and near excitable melody lines. Apparently done back in '98 originally, this release, done in full English incidentally, might normally recall the throwback years of the gutters, guts and glory but in fact Die Toten Hosen were there all the while. Having arrived at what probably was the tail end of the short-lived but forever fashionable Punk movement of the late '70s, early '80s, they got their start around '81 and have done their thing across the sea for most of that time. Let's get another one in here-after some drippy sounding children's book style lay off called "Big Bad Wolf" they come crashing through with more of their big-time gang tackle choruses and catchy Ramones-like rhythm for "Bonnie and Clyde…" sedation anyone? I feel further compelled to shed a little more light in what for many might still otherwise be this dark, empty room that's all of a sudden being inhabited by…"The Dead Trousers!" They've toured with the likes of Bad Religion, Faith No More and Green Day though they sound like none of them. Social Distortion and Therapy? is definitely more their speed… and I'm going to forget about this-it's not a bad cover, just a goofy song-The Beatles' "I am The Walrus" which in all its pointless seriousness sounds alright but I prefer their "I Fought The Law" cover by who else… then again, maybe this was their song since we're going back about that far to begin with? Die Toten Hosen's been around the block a few times and there's no question they sound like it, which is a good thing cause we don't need anymore of this Pop-star wanna be top 40 stuff disguised as worldwide mutiny or something. As their producer so proudly proclaims on the earlier introduction, "Perfect tunes for the final ride…" Indeed, the audio equivalent to Germany's famed autobahn in every imaginable stretch. Released by Nuclear
Blast Records, Haupstrasse 109 - 73072 Dusseldorf. Germany Review by Vinnie Apicella
[va85@columbia.edu] |