Review Summary: In Summary, this album has some hits, some misses, but overall I would recommend a download if you like today's music, and don't mind hearing the classics of yesterday tampered with to fit into today's music's sound. Not the best PUNK GOES... album.
Track By Track Review
1. Hit The Lights "More Than A Feeling" (originally recorded by Boston) - Arguably one of my favorite songs of all time, Hit The Lights butchers this song, adding an overly "Sugary" touch on the track that just comes off as a generic sound that hurts to listen to.
2. VersaEmerge "Paint It Black" (originally recorded by The Rolling Stones) - Versa, in my opinion, ruins the epic feel of the opening by translating the guitar riff to a techno-sounding beat. Don't get me wrong, a cover isn't supposed to sound exactly like the original, but there are some parts of a song as classic as this (it is CLASSIC rock after all) that you just shouldn't mess with. (See Forever The Sickest Kids cover of "Crazy Train" for more on this point.) Other than that, Sierra Kusterbeck and Blake Harnage's Vocals are extremely good, and the dark ending of the song does save it overall.
3. The Almost "Free Fallin'" (originally recorded by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers) - The Almost took this song, listened to it, learned to play it, and recorded it. They did ABSOLUTELY nothing to the song. This is a blessing AS WELL AS a problem. They preserved the original sound of the Petty Classic, but at the same time, it's not as good as the original either. They, by no means, sounded bad, but this song is just a good version of a cover band's performance at a local bar to me. Still enjoyed it though!
4. Mayday Parade "We Are The Champions" (originally recorded by Queen) - "Welcome to the 1999 Homecoming dance...tonight, we have Mayday Parade performing on stage, remember girls and boys, have fun, dance, but DO NOT get TOO close. Good Night!" No but in all seriousness, this sounded like a high school band playing at a dance. Mayday just didn't bring enough intensity to the song. We Are The Champions felt more like We Are The Mediocre People when performed here.
5. The Summer Set "Rock 'n Roll All Nite" (originally recorded by KISS) - This song was annoyingly bad. I disliked the original KISS song, and when it's covered by a band that sounds like the Jonas Brothers, pretty much makes me want to shoot my ***ing brains out. Put a pair of Mickey Mouse ears on this one and play it on Disney Channel for the tweens to eat up.
6. We The Kings "Caught Up In You" (originally recorded by .38 Special) - This is a well done cover, but like The Almost, they really didn't deviate from the original at all. See The Almost - "Free Fallin'" review for the exact thoughts behind this song.
7. A Skylit Drive "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)" (originally recorded by Journey) - What. The. ***...When in ***s name did A Skylit Drive start sounding like Dragonforce!? oh yeah, when they picked up Jag...Well, until they drop Jag for a less 90's European fantasy/hair-metal sounding frontman, I'm going to put down everything they do. Horrible, horrible, horrible, horrible (did I mention horrible?) song.
8. I See Stars "Your Love" (originally recorded by The Outfield) - I See Stars did a good job on this song. One of the only songs I feel got remade from the original, and it actually sounded better than the original. Only problem I have is the fact, this song is from the LATE 80's. Not really a classic rock song...Also, it's been done better by MIDTOWN in 2005's PUNK GOES 80's. Still, This is one of the songs I find myself listening to more than once a day.
9. Pierce The Veil "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" (originally recorded by Blue Oyster Cult) - Amazing. That is the only way to describe how good PTV covered this song. Amazing that the band with arguably the hardest song to cover well does such a good job. Amazing how talented Vic Fuentes is. Just amazing all the way around. Great Job!
10. Forever The Sickest Kids "Crazy Train" (originally recorded by Ozzy Osbourne) - What do you think of when you hear this song come on? Ozzy's voice? The Epic Solo towards the end? No, you think of the opening guitar riff. FTSK's take that riff, and *** on it with a heavy techno beat/guitar distortion that would make Randy Rhodes roll over in his grave (R.I.P. Randy). This song is just not fun to listen to. Granted it is a hard song to do well and respectfully, but look how good Pierce the Veil did! Maybe this song just shouldn't have been touched.
11. The Maine "Pour Some Sugar On Me" (originally recorded by Def Leppard) - The Maine got stuck with a bad song, so they could play it amazingly and it would still be bad. Too bad they didn't do much to the song, so it's horrible sound was played exactly like it was 30 years ago.
12. Envy On The Coast "All Along The Watchtower" (originally recorded by Jimi Hendrix) - This song has the most respect, and influence, from it's original performer. Envy On The Coast didn't do the best song on the album, but they did successfully infuse today's pop-punk sound with Jimi Hendrix's wild guitar shredding sound. Respectable cover indeed.
13. Every Avenue "Take Me Home Tonight" (originally recorded by Eddie Money) - Pathetic attempt at this song. Intro was too long, it could have been cut entirely. The rest of the song just seemed like an apethic attempt to get through the song for the album, and get paid.
14. Never Shout Never "Bohemian Rhapsody" (originally recorded by Queen) - Oh boy, this song has a BUNCH of approvals and a BUNCH of denials. Some love it, some hate it. Personally, his "scene-boy" vocals ruin many of the memories I have of this song, but on the other hand, he does try, and I'll give him that. But the best part of the song lacked nearly ALL of the energy of the original. Mediocre cover at best.
15. blessthefall "Dream On" (originally recorded by Aerosmith) - blessthefall did a good job. The original was still much better, but btf did a good job of mixing the classic sounds of Aerosmith with the feel of today's rock, and in a PUNK GOES... album that's pretty much all we ask for.
