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The Black Keys
The Big Come Up


4.0
excellent

Review

by USER (11 Reviews)
February 27th, 2006 | 13 replies


Release Date: 2002 | Tracklist


Producing an album in your basement, and then becoming famous from it. A dream that many starving artists share, but few can ever realize. The Black Keys are in the minority because they have produced all three of their albums in a lo-fi basement studio and managed to make a living off of them. With no hope for a spot on MTV or any TV coverage at all, for that matter, it’s obvious that The Black Keys play only for the joy of the music itself.

The Black Keys – The Big Come Up

Describing vocals with the term howling can lead to an unpleasant image, but here it works just fine. Dan Auerbach howls out his lines so sweetly and convincingly that you don’t care that the lyrics are sub-par, or that sometimes it just sounds like he’s grunting and not even singing words. There is a bizarre beauty to the way he sings, and you can tell he means every word. I’ve heard only a few singers that sound more into the music than this. He devotes his heart and soul to each line, squeezing out each word as though it’s the last he’ll ever sing.

The Black Keys are the only blues rock duo I’ve run across, unless you count the White Stripes. But The Black Keys are exponentially better than the minimalist White Stripes. The Black Keys fill up as much space as they can, with Dan’s ultra-distorted guitar playing the blues just as good as greats like Robert Johnson or Bo Diddley. The heavy bass in his tone makes the guitar sound thick and creamy, a perfect accent to the drum beats of Patrick Carney. Pat plays with amazing dynamics, bashing the drums until they break one second, then playing quiet as a mouse the next. This is blues rock at its finest, its most raw form. It’s just a heavy drum and guitar attack that doesn’t let up once throughout the entire album.

This album suffers little from being recorded and mixed in a basement. From a Beatles cover song to a quirky high note-based rocker, all of the songs sound professionally created, if a little low tech. Even though having just guitar and drums could make for a wimpy quality, the sound is thick and heavy, and the bass player is not missed at all. A bass player would actually over complicate some of the songs, eliminating their bluesy charm.

If you have ever heard of The Beatles, you might know their song She Said, She Said. The Black Keys take this song and make it their own blues-rock masterpiece, doing exactly what should be done with a cover song: Make it their own, and not just copy the original. Other standout tracks include “Busted,” which opens the album in a suitably gruff manner, the perfect showcase for every aspect of the band, “Countdown,” in which the lyrics mainly consist of counting but the guitar lines are too cool to ignore, and “Yearnin,’” which gives of a distinctly Rolling Stones vibe. Those are just a few tracks that standout, but the rest of the album is blues rock at its finest, raw and uncontrolled, as though the band could fall apart at any moment. The only throwaway track would be “240 Years Before Your Time,” which is about 20 minutes of silence, with just seconds of guitar playing.

The Black Keys are not out to turn the music world on its side. They aren’t out to reap in loads of fame or glory. They aren’t even out for money. They’re out to play music for people and for themselves, and to enjoy it on the way. If they ever become famous, which they should, the fame won’t go to their heads. They’ll still be The Black Keys, a band with a guy who’s between song banter at live shows consists solely of “Thank you,” and “Thanks again,” and a goofy looking drummer whose soul is thrust into every hit of the skins.

Bottom Line: Excellently done blues rock, with the twist of no bass player. No bad songs, nothing to dislike. An easy 4/5 in my book.



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3.7
great


Comments:Add a Comment 
Storm In A Teacup
February 27th 2006


46355 Comments


I saw a video by The Black Keys on a punk o rama cd, I thought it was an excellent song.
Cool review. :cool:

SgtOzzy
April 2nd 2006


9 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

Great review. One of my favorite bands.

sEx_MaGiK
April 3rd 2006


8 Comments


Blues rock.......not much of that today. I think ill check out their stuff, maybe "I likes"

AManAPLan333
April 6th 2006


1 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

easily their best. plus the stuff off The Big Come Up is so awesome live.

Everyone in the world should praise them (or at least give 'em a listen)

johnnyblaze
February 9th 2012


3409 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

4 comments, fucking wow.



this record rules. i'll be your man should make every mixtape you fags make for your honeys.

NightProwler
February 9th 2012


7006 Comments


Nice review, I pos'd.

And yeah, 4 comments - a shame. This is a great record, I'd like for more people on here to get into them.

TheGreatGrandGeneral
February 26th 2012


69 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

The raw production on this has always stood out from anything they ever released, not that the new stuff is bad, just not for me.

TimeToDie
April 14th 2012


62 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

"With no hope for a spot on MTV or any TV coverage at all, for that matter,"



Might want to adjust that statement.

YankeeDudel
March 8th 2013


9342 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

raw basement bloos

johnnyblaze
March 8th 2013


3409 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

digging thickfreakness so hard right now. it's just like this but a tad more consistent and with dirtier riffs.

demigod!
March 8th 2013


49628 Comments


i havent heard any of their stuff pre-Rubber Factory. love that album tho



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