the bouncing souls
maniacal laughter
1995 - Chunksaah Records/BYO Records
this is my first review, and i think i chose a great, classic album to do it on.
Well here we go: what can i say. The Bouncing Souls are in my opinion one of the greatest punk bands of all time. Each album has been, in my opinion, fantastic, each with its own little aspects that make it unique. I think this cd is one of their more pop punk/punk cds. It shows some of their funny and even serious sides. What i like the best about this album is that it can make you stand up and sing along, get angry, make you sad, and cheer you up. The Bouncing Souls have a rare talent for mixing catchy riffs with well written emotional lyrics, as well as short hard fast songs, and this album encompasses each of these areas. Well here goes my track-by-track review. since all of the songs are great, i didnt give each song an individual rating, that would be too hard ;)
1. Lamar Vannoy- a great opening track. begins with a catchy opening riff and then after the short intro the drums come in, and the verse begins shortly after. the song is about a person, named lamar vannoy, who feels alienated from the crowd, but finds comfort in himself. despite these lyrics, the track remains upbeat. The bridge has a little bass solo followed by a cool little guitar fill, which shows the songwriting skills of the pete. this song even has a few Oi!s.
2. No Rules- one of the more punk songs on the album. Has a fast paced main riff, and mike does a nice street punkish job on the vocals. The chorus makes you want to sing along; No rules!, No rules!, etc, with backing vocals aiding mike. This song has a basic structure, despite a short guitar solo. towards the end. shows that the bouncing souls can do a good job playing street punk, but they still use their own style.
3. The Freaks, Nerds, and Romantics- one of my favorite songs on the whole cd. This song starts with a cool slow intro, and then moves into a medium paced power chord verse. The song is about the times the bouncing souls had when they first started, and talks about shows they played, and times they had while touring. This song is kinda a ballad of the bouncing souls. The interlude on this song is awesome. a little guitar fill backs a vocal part which i believe bryan, who is also a good singer, sings. This song is an example of the great songwriting skills of the bouncing souls.
4. Argyle- Another great track. This song starts out with one of the catchiest bass intros ever, and then the guitar joins in later before the verse starts. This is one of the fastest songs during the verse, and the lyrics are again, about a guy who feels lonely because he is different. The highlight of this track is the interlude/outro. It contains a cool guitar fill, followed by a slow breakdown/outro with plenty of "whoas" from the rest of the band. A definite highlight of the album.
5. All Of This And Nothing- Starts out with a simple intro with the band singing "know you enemy!". This is a fast paced punk song about the pop industry trying to sell out the youth. A pretty simple song with a very fast outro about mtv taking over the youth. shows another aspect of the bouncing souls, and also their neverending hate for mtv (see "the good, the bad, and the argyle")
6. The BMX Song- This is a fun song. It is one of the funny songs on the album, and it is about well, BMX. The bouncing souls have a love for bmx, and they show it in this song. its a pretty slow song with a simple riff, with members of the band talking about bmx in the background, with a chorus, "if i had money, i'd buy a new bmx!" has a little solo at the end, and also shows yet another side of the bouncing souls, their humorous side.
7. Quick Check Girl- This is a pretty cool song about a guy who falls in love with a girl at the quick check paper drop. this song has a few tempos, but stays generally medium paced. The lyrics are really good in this song, and it flows like a story. this shows that the bouncing souls can alsomplay love songs. ooo
8. Headlights Ditch
" i want a beer and i want it now i want a cigarette and i want it now
i want a girl and i want her now i want these thing's from time to time i
want these things and i don't ask why i want these things
and i want them now i want these things and i want them now
i want a beer and i want it now i want a cigarette and i want it now
i wanna play a show and i want to now i want a girl and i want her now."
-plus blast beats at neck-breaking pace. a 43 second song. thats all i have to say.
9. Here We Go- This is another story song about the adventures of the bouncing souls on the road. lyrics include car troubles, venue mishaps, and a catchy chorus "here we go here we go here we go..." A pretty fast song, and also one of my favorites on the album.
10. Born to Lose- This is a pretty fast song about a guy who has had a bad luck streak, and now his relationship is on the rocks. You would think that this close to the end of the album, there would be crappy songs, but this is untrue. this is a very good song, and is also pretty short, which is good
11. Moon Over Asbury - instrumental, dedicated to east coast surfers. cool i guess.
12. The Ballad of Johnny X- about a man named johnny. this song is about how punk johnny is. hes very punk i guess:) this is a pretty fast song, and is a good way to end a classic album
i think this album is a must own to any punk fan, and even those not interested in punk may enjoy this, because the bouncing souls are such a unique, appealing band. this is why i've said multiple times, "i could listen to just bouncing souls for the rest of my life and be just fine"
reccomended tracks:
argyle
the freaks, nerds, and romantics
here we go
headlights ditch
