My First Review
The Members of Fugazi are:
Ian MacKaye - vocals & guitar
Guy Picciotto - vocals & guitar
Joe Lally - vocals & bass
Brendan Canty - drums
Background Info:
Fugazi Formed in the fall of 1987. All of the members except Joe Lally had been in previous Dischord Bands. Ian MacKaye Has been in many Dischord bands (he owns the label) the most popular being Minor Threat. Guy Picciotto and Brendan Canty were both in One Last Wish and Rites of Spring as well. Fugazi are sometimes over shadowed by their political stances. For example they only charge 10.00 for CD's, they don't charge more than five dollars for their shows, and do many benefit concerts. Hopefully they will be remembered more their music in the future.
The Review
Many Critics have claimed this Fugazi's worst Album while many fan reviews call this their favorite album. I personally am on the love side; this is actually my favorite album ever at the moment. It's a love it or hate it type of album.
This is one of Fugazi's more complex albums lumped in between Red Medicine and The Argument it has a very different sound then their earlier punk sounding albums like Steady Diet of Nothing and 13 Songs. The songs run from short and complex hardcore songs to mellow tunes that stretch on to almost 5 minutes. It's one of the few albums that have that perfect balance of ups and downs and is always interesting to listen to. I have been listening to this album on and off for about two years and there are still new things I notice every once in a while.
I have a very personal connection with this album. Listening to it brings many memories of late night car drives while I look out the window looking at the tall building and lights of Milwaukee. The cover for this album fits the music perfect.
Track by Track
Break 2:12
Starts on a very jazzy rhythm and a chunky guitar line. I love the guitar tone on the guitar even though it's a standard chunk line. It sounds completely unique and gives the song a very full feeling. The bass line is also very funky I always go in to some sort of trance with this song. Half way through there is a short jazz guitar interlude and then th song comes back distorted and heavier to end the song. Great opener, once this song starts I'm hooked.
Rating 5/5
Place Position 2:45
The heaviest song on the record. The twitchy guitar at the begging gets you sucked right in to the catchy heavy part that follows. The way Guy Sings Legal Illegal always gets stuck in my head for the rest of the day. The machine gun drumming and heavy guitar make this song a definite standout.
Rating 5/5
Recap Modotti 3:50
Definitely one of the more mellow songs. It's based around a cool relaxing grove perfect for night time. "Outside the window the passing night sky fills with people I know. taking me. Home." This line always makes me feel like I'm floating away. The jam at the end is genius. The sharp delayed guitar always gives me goosebumps.
Rating 5/5
No Surprise 4:12
Opens on a classic Fugazi riff that you can easily recognize. The drumming and bass are locked into a funky rhythm. The only bad part about this song is the awkward guitar line at the end of each verse. The song stops at 2:10 and then comes back for a jam that highlights the song,
Rating 4/5
Five Corporations 4:12
I like this song more for its lyrics which are pretty true here in America. "Buy them up and shut them down then repeat in every town. Every Town will be the same." It may be a little cliché about the evil corporation but it does make sense. It's a standard punk type song and the bass line always makes me feel like dancing.
Rating 4/5
Caustic Acrostic 2:01
My favorite song on the record. It's amazing how so much can be done in such a short amount of time. Starts on a single note line while a distorted line is going up and down in slides. The riff pulls you right in a highly satisfying way. The chorus is unbelievably funky, the off beat guitar part is the best part of the song. It ends on a sort of metal breakdown that is very cool.
Rating 5/5
Closed Captioned 4:52
Starts on an electric drum beat (not techno) and goes into a nice groove with that stays pretty much the same throughout the song. This is more a lyric song that is a very relaxing break from the heavier songs. The song ends with the electric drums and real drums soloing off each other.
Rating 3.5/5
Floating Boy 5:45
The first two minutes of this song are pretty boring if you're not in a mellow mood, although the bass line is good. It was always in my head during school (it's kind of groggy tiring bass line). At two minutes the hollowing sustained guitar comes and makes things cool. For the rest of the song there are some nice parts but mostly it's kind of a boring song. There is also an extra spacey section added at the end.
Rating 3/5
Foreman's Dog 4:21
Things kind of pick up with song. It has an up tempo beat and the hammer on guitar line sounds similar to one of their earlier albums Repeater. The last two minutes are is an interesting breakdown that I always find my self singing along too then it goes right into the next song.
Rating 4/5
Arpeggiator 4:28
This is an amazing shred type song based on an E arpeggio. I have impressed many metal heads with this song. I can actually play the higher section that is so funky. There is some thrashed wah chords at the end of the verse that go into a head banging riff that is awesome. The song ends with a think is a double drum part I always enjoy. This is pretty similar to the instrumental on Red Medicine Combination Lock but this one is so much better.
5/5
Guilford Fall 2:57
Another album highlight. Again this song gets alot in, in a sort amount of time. The into with the thrashing wah is stellar. The verse is good as well. The guitar does a swirl type of melody that flows perfectly with the song. The ups and downs of this song make it very interesting and the guitar that sounds like a siren at the end gets stuck in a my head for the longest time after this song
Rating 5/5
Pink Frosty 4:09
This song used to freak me out so much; it establishes a pretty haunting mood. I guess the vocals could be better but they fit the song nicely anyways. The bells are what make this song so special and the bell ring at the end is a perfect way to end the song. Similar to Floating Boy but Better.
Rating 4/5
F/D 3:42
Starts really softly on what sounds like a hissy demo tape and then at 30 seconds it suddenly gets really loud almost like they are trying to wake you up from the last song. The lyrics are really good and bring nostalgic memories for me even though I can't relate to it at all.
Rating 3.5/5
Overall Rating 5/5
This is album where the standout benefit the weaker tracks because it is a very whole album. Everything flows flawlessly into each other. Whenever I listen to it, I never skip a track.
