THE 'STOP US...' REViEW THREAD

[nuno75]

Unsung - Well performed... actually too well performed. It's almost an exact replica of the original. If that's what you look for in a cover, good for you. It's not what I look for in a cover. Anyway, usually I don't like CJ on lead vocals but he did a great job here. The "Massive Wall Of Guitars" thing didn't work as well in this as it does in the original material.

World Comes Tumblin' - I've never heard the original. This is a cool punk song, agressive and fast, but still melodic. This is cool for me.

Understanding Jane - Well performed, but in the end, shedding my Wildies fanboi-hat, this is really about as generic a rock song as you can get. I don't hate it and I don't love it... it's just kind of there.

Waiting Room - Beautiful. Love it. Again, they could have expanded on the original a little, but still awesome just the same.

Jeez Louise - Yet another perfect mimic. Great song, by either band. Closer to sounding like a real Wildhearts song than anything else on the album, in my opinion. I can listen to this or the original and not care much either way which.

Ice Hockey Hair - Favorite track on the disc, right here. Again, very close to the original, but pumped up a step or two in terms of the heavy, As such, this song is the only song on the album that, to me, is clearly an improvement on the original, only insofar as I prefer harder rock.

Rocket 69 - Never heard the original... but I like this a lot. This is probably my third favorite track on the album.

Possum Kingdom - I don't like the original, but sadly I like this version even less. I wish I'd been in the studio when they recorded this so I could've slapped Ginger in the head and made him re-do some of those lines. If G had been more on his game vocally, this would have been great, since musically it was flawless.

Rearrange You - Never heard the original, but I like this a lot. Love the hook. Fast and aggressive, mostly lacking melody but short enough to not be annoying for it.

Pep Talk - Never heard the original, but it sounds like a Honeycrack or CJ&tS's song... which means I don't really care much for it.

Battleship Down - Meh... they did it well, and rocked it up a bit, but it's still sugary and cute enough to be a Saturday morning cartoon. I don't hate it... but I could've done without it.

Carmelita - This would've been great, but they played the song a step or two higher than Scott's vocal range could handle and it was ruined by him straining to hit notes most of the way through.


Overall: production could have been better, and no, it's not because it's an mp3. Ever since TWMBD there's been a disturbing trend with all of Ginger's music... it's all coming out over compressed and muddy. Hell, even Black Leather Mojo was like that now that I think about it. I don't know who's mastering their stuff, but I really wish they'd look at someone else for the job.

[nuno75]

Wow, isn't this an awkward position for me to be in!

[Inebri-A-Ted]

I agree with you regarding "unsung", disagree with you regarding "Ice Hockey Hair" & the production. I love the mix. Loud, crunchy guitars.

I expect the CD version to sound better though, then again, how could it not sound better than an mp3.

Must be a distance thing (the Wildhearts are very well schooled in US music), because all the songs other people in the UK seem to know off this, I've never heard of, and vice versa. I mean, I can't believe no one's heard the Descendents or Fugazi! And I'm sure people from the UK can't believe I haven't heard of Super Furry Animals or Icicle Works.

Cool album, but I do wish so much of it didnt' sound like the originals ("Unsung", "Pep Talk", "Waiting Room"). But it does make me want to check out The Unband. "Geez Louise" was my favorite (so far).

[spoon_of_grimbo]

i actually really like Unsung, i think they've made the guitars much dirtier and nastier (in a good way!) than the original. i think the production on the helmet one was too clean and clinical, and it took away from the heaviness a bit.

i'm liking most of what i hear atm, although theres a coupla songs where i wasn't keen on the originals (battleship chains for one), so a cover of them isn't really going to excite me that much. but overall, it's a quality album!

[SiN1758]

I agree with you regarding "unsung", disagree with you regarding "Ice Hockey Hair" & the production. I love the mix. Loud, crunchy guitars.

I expect the CD version to sound better though, then again, how could it not sound better than an mp3.

Must be a distance thing (the Wildhearts are very well schooled in US music), because all the songs other people in the UK seem to know off this, I've never heard of, and vice versa. I mean, I can't believe no one's heard the Descendents or Fugazi! And I'm sure people from the UK can't believe I haven't heard of Super Furry Animals or Icicle Works.

Cool album, but I do wish so much of it didnt' sound like the originals ("Unsung", "Pep Talk", "Waiting Room"). But it does make me want to check out The Unband. "Geez Louise" was my favorite (so far).

Gotta agree - I think the mix is perfect. In fact, I'd even go as far to say that I prefer the production / mix on this one than on the last album. It just seems a lot more "alive". And the vocals are louder.

When this album was first announced, I had an idea in my head that it'd be a "live in the studio", rough & raw affair, filler (of sorts) until the next album. But when you hear this, the different guitar sounds, the great vocals, the killer backing / harmony vocals, you can tell a lot of effort has gone into this.

PLUS it's got me listening to the originals, discovering / re-discovering other bands.

Can't be a bad thing.

[nuno75]

I just keep thinking back to the mix/master job on EV/FFL/PHUQ. Loud and raw, but still clean and clear. When I put those in my car stereo, those bass drums are punching me in the back and the bass guitar is ratting my teeth. With this, anything over a certain volume sounds like Endless Nameless.

I don't think it's the mix so much as it is the mastering. One of the things every song goes through is compression to maximize volume. Essentially what compression does is put a flat roof on top of the sound that flattens all of the loudest sounds and squeezes the softer sounds up higher. This allows the mix to be as loud as possible without clipping. Overcompressing causes a loss of dynamics. Kick drums don't punch as hard, vocals blend mesh with guitars, guitars mesh with bass.... ultimately you end up with some closer to one big sound and not so much a collection of little sounds.

With a band like this, I can see why they'd wanna go in that direction... I just think this is just slightly over the top.

Please be clear, just because I used a lot of words to describe it, this is still a very tiny concern for me. I just tend to go on and on.

[spoon_of_grimbo]

I just keep thinking back to the mix/master job on EV/FFL/PHUQ. Loud and raw, but still clean and clear. When I put those in my car stereo, those bass drums are punching me in the back and the bass guitar is ratting my teeth. With this, anything over a certain volume sounds like Endless Nameless.

I don't think it's the mix so much as it is the mastering. One of the things every song goes through is compression to maximize volume. Essentially what compression does is put a flat roof on top of the sound that flattens all of the loudest sounds and squeezes the softer sounds up higher. This allows the mix to be as loud as possible without clipping. Overcompressing causes a loss of dynamics. Kick drums don't punch as hard, vocals blend mesh with guitars, guitars mesh with bass.... ultimately you end up with some closer to one big sound and not so much a collection of little sounds.

With a band like this, I can see why they'd wanna go in that direction... I just think this is just slightly over the top.

Please be clear, just because I used a lot of words to describe it, this is still a very tiny concern for me. I just tend to go on and on.

the whole loudness war thing right? i really don't get why bands succumb to it. listen to Tool's last album - they took it to the guy who mastered it and said "we don't care about being the loudest band on the radio, we wanna keep our dynamics." it's still fucking loud in the loud bits, but subtle and quiet where it needs to be. and it's also the best sounding album of theirs.

[nuno75]

I just keep thinking back to the mix/master job on EV/FFL/PHUQ. Loud and raw, but still clean and clear. When I put those in my car stereo, those bass drums are punching me in the back and the bass guitar is ratting my teeth. With this, anything over a certain volume sounds like Endless Nameless.

I don't think it's the mix so much as it is the mastering. One of the things every song goes through is compression to maximize volume. Essentially what compression does is put a flat roof on top of the sound that flattens all of the loudest sounds and squeezes the softer sounds up higher. This allows the mix to be as loud as possible without clipping. Overcompressing causes a loss of dynamics. Kick drums don't punch as hard, vocals blend mesh with guitars, guitars mesh with bass.... ultimately you end up with some closer to one big sound and not so much a collection of little sounds.

With a band like this, I can see why they'd wanna go in that direction... I just think this is just slightly over the top.

Please be clear, just because I used a lot of words to describe it, this is still a very tiny concern for me. I just tend to go on and on.

the whole loudness war thing right? i really don't get why bands succumb to it. listen to Tool's last album - they took it to the guy who mastered it and said "we don't care about being the loudest band on the radio, we wanna keep our dynamics." it's still fucking loud in the loud bits, but subtle and quiet where it needs to be. and it's also the best sounding album of theirs.

Exactly. I just think everything's coming across a little more SuperShit666 than it needs to.

[spoon_of_grimbo]

I just keep thinking back to the mix/master job on EV/FFL/PHUQ. Loud and raw, but still clean and clear. When I put those in my car stereo, those bass drums are punching me in the back and the bass guitar is ratting my teeth. With this, anything over a certain volume sounds like Endless Nameless.

I don't think it's the mix so much as it is the mastering. One of the things every song goes through is compression to maximize volume. Essentially what compression does is put a flat roof on top of the sound that flattens all of the loudest sounds and squeezes the softer sounds up higher. This allows the mix to be as loud as possible without clipping. Overcompressing causes a loss of dynamics. Kick drums don't punch as hard, vocals blend mesh with guitars, guitars mesh with bass.... ultimately you end up with some closer to one big sound and not so much a collection of little sounds.

With a band like this, I can see why they'd wanna go in that direction... I just think this is just slightly over the top.

Please be clear, just because I used a lot of words to describe it, this is still a very tiny concern for me. I just tend to go on and on.

the whole loudness war thing right? i really don't get why bands succumb to it. listen to Tool's last album - they took it to the guy who mastered it and said "we don't care about being the loudest band on the radio, we wanna keep our dynamics." it's still fucking loud in the loud bits, but subtle and quiet where it needs to be. and it's also the best sounding album of theirs.

Exactly. I just think everything's coming across a little more SuperShit666 than it needs to.

it's weird. i'm doing a music tech course and aspire to eventually be a producer, but over/underproduction doesn't bug me as much as it probably should if the music itself is good. i take your point though. although on the upside, at least all the wildies albums are distinctive in their production values.

[nuno75]

I'd just like to say that since this has been released it has been on pretty much constant rotation at work on the iPiod and in the car. The mixing/mastering issues I have are fading. This is just one of those albums that requires a little EQ tweaking.

I like Waiting Room, Rocket 69, Rearrange You and Ice Hockey Hair more every time I listen to them.

[Nexus Icon]

"Unsung" intro.... "Stupid Things"?

"Waiting Room" bass line.... "Slaughtered Authors" inspiration?

You can see where the Hearts got their influence there!

[SiN1758]

"Unsung" intro.... "Stupid Things"?!

THAT's where I've heard it before! That's been doing my head in!

[Nexus Icon]

"Unsung" intro.... "Stupid Things"?!

THAT's where I've heard it before! That's been doing my head in!

First thing that popped into my head.

[vanrad]

That 'Unsung' / 'Stupid Things' link is one I never realised either - but I've had to play 'Stupid Things' recently and I had no idea where that came from so there's my answer!

[Dyf]

"Waiting Room" bass line.... "Slaughtered Authors" inspiration?

The Slaughtered Authors bassline is a carbon copy of the Assault on Precinct 13 theme.

I'm enjoying this album a lot. I still can't say I see the point of it all, and a lot of it is far too similar to the originals for my liking (I mean did they really need to try and emulate Brodie's voice on the Distillers track?), but it's been on my MP3 player whenever I've gone anywhere all week. Compare this to the new Jesse Malin covers album, which I couldn't even listen to all the way through, and I guess they've done good.