Best ALL Album Ever! - This is simply the best most catchy ALL album ever. The best song is by far Make Believe even though most would agrue that track as made without much tought. Personally thats what i believe, I think if you just click a few of the samples you will see what i mean.
Ignore the critics, and listen to it for yourself - I mainly wrote this review to show that there are long time ALL fans who love this cd. I ve been a fan of All and Descendents for well over 10 years now, and Ive loved every album that All has put out. Over the years, they ve kept their core sound intact, while branching out and incorporating different aspects into their songs. This album doesnt sound exactly like old All albums, but it still sounds like All. I really love this album, it has some fantastic songs on it. When I read some of the other reviews here, it makes me wonder if Im hearing the same album. Songs like teresa, never took, and drive away are killer tracks, in addition to the tracks mentioned in the other reviews. If you like All, or are interested in them, give this a listen and decide for yourself. Im a fan of their old stuff, and their new stuff, and this album seems to find its way into my cd player more than most of the others. It may take a few spins before it begins to imprint itself on your brain, but it will. Chad s voice sounds better than it has in years, and Bill s drumming continues to pound through your senses. Musically, this is probably the best album they ve put out since Allroys Revenge. Just give it a shot before you write it off, you may find yourself pleasantly surprised.
If you have ever been an ALL fan, get this - You won t be disappointed
Different . . . - My friend coaxed me into buying this album, poisoning the well along the way, and it did not live up to my expectations. I did not like it. However, once I had cast off my biases, I discovered some of my favorite ALL songs: Carry You, Better Than That, Roir, Crucifiction, and The Skin.ALL s sound has become more frenzied on some tracks (Roir), and even a bit emo on other tracks (The Skin), there is a divergence from _Mass Nerder_, but I do think that is a bad thing. Chad Price sings some very exceptional lyrics--every band member is perhaps at the acme of his respective skill. However, some songs to not fully realize this potential . . . so, _Problematic_ is not a prime introductory ALL album, but a definitive work for those who enjoyed _Pummel_ and _Mass Nerder_.
A Single with a bunch of bad b-sides - I was a huge, HUGE fan of this band while I was in high school, and continue to follow their music, and career closely. The early CD s, especially the ones with Scott Reynold s on vocals, contained some of the most innovative music that was ever recorded in the late eighties/early nineties. Insanely hyper, completely catchy revved up pop-songs. Their two shining moments, 1989 s Allroy s Revenge and 1990 s Allroy Saves contain some of the most honest, and brilliant two-minute pop gems ever recorded. Songs like Fool, Frog, Mary, and No Traffic. Simple songs made complex by a band that can play with authority. A rhythm section that moves like an erupting volcano, and a guitarist whose spastic playing fits in perfectly. Ah, those were the days. Unfortunately, Problematic sounds nothing like any of the old All CD s. Instead the product is a sonic barrage of anger and personal opinions which sounds like Bad Religion on an off day and minus a thesarus. The only redeamable tune on this album is the great The Skin which grants the one star rating. Besides this the songs are just pretty much throwaways. She Broke My Dick is kind of funny, but a funny song only has so much life to it, and the fact that it s positioned in the number two spot, a position on ALL cd s which have held such ace tunes as Fool, Just Like Them, and Nothin , shows that the once rich song-writing talent this band held may be running thin. Either that or they ve pulled a reverse sell-out, or maybe it should be called a Ramones. By dumbing up and simplifying their sound, they can appeal to a broader audience, but long time fans of the band know that they are capable of producing much better work than this. Maybe they should bring in Todd Rundgren to produce their next cd, the Bad Religion CD The New America shows that bands like All can really benefit from some outside assistance. Regardless, fans of the older ALL sound won t like this CD. If you re new to the band, buy Allroy s Revenge for starters. It s the gift that keeps on giving.