2008 Woodie Awards
The Go: "Howl on the Haunted Beat You Ride"
CD Review
David McKinley
Issue date: 9/12/07 Section: Entertainment
The Go's new album "Howl on the Haunted Beat You Ride," from indie label Cass Records, may seem to be a worthwhile purchase at first glance, due to the album's artwork, which features a trailing and beautiful, almost infinite cosmic background laced with hundreds of stars and flowing clouds of brightly colored stardust. Over this scenic backdrop, the faces of the two lead singers and primary songwriters for the band, Bobby Harlow, and John Krautner, hover eerily behind the whole group, who stand dressed in their best retro garb, gazing into the endless galaxy surrounding them. The packaging makes the album seem quite exciting, it lies.
However, as the buyer delves into the garbage between the shiny packaging,
they may become confused as to whether they are listening to "A Hard Day's Night," by
The Beatles, or just some horrible garage band from Detroit trying to do their best
impersonation of The Monkees.
The fascinating album art which so lovingly encases The Go's third full length disc, could entice any listener to test the choppy and poorly produced waters of the band from Motor City. The Go's sound leaves the listener confused, lost and turned around in a forest of unsophisticated, throwback pop noise. At first, it seems as if the listener is left to the familiar and overused sounds of the Fab Four all over again.
Alas, the three chord assault that consumes the listener is delivered this time, not by John, Paul, George and Ringo, but by James, Marc, John and Bobby, as The Go so quaintly refer to themselves in the thank you portion of their liner notes.
On the album's first song, "You Go Bangin' On," Harlow, who takes songwriting and vocal credit for the piece, manages to rhyme the
word 'up,' with itself, no less then three times during the second verse. Overall, the song feels like an agonizing three minute live performance from a Donny and Marie tribute band. If the listener manages to endure all the way to the final track, 14, they will encounter the tiring and all too drawn out "Smile," which features an equally mundane rhyme scheme that combines 'throw away,' with 'anyway,' with 'away,' not once, but twice.
However, as the buyer delves into the garbage between the shiny packaging,
they may become confused as to whether they are listening to "A Hard Day's Night," by
The Beatles, or just some horrible garage band from Detroit trying to do their best
impersonation of The Monkees.
The fascinating album art which so lovingly encases The Go's third full length disc, could entice any listener to test the choppy and poorly produced waters of the band from Motor City. The Go's sound leaves the listener confused, lost and turned around in a forest of unsophisticated, throwback pop noise. At first, it seems as if the listener is left to the familiar and overused sounds of the Fab Four all over again.
Alas, the three chord assault that consumes the listener is delivered this time, not by John, Paul, George and Ringo, but by James, Marc, John and Bobby, as The Go so quaintly refer to themselves in the thank you portion of their liner notes.
On the album's first song, "You Go Bangin' On," Harlow, who takes songwriting and vocal credit for the piece, manages to rhyme the
word 'up,' with itself, no less then three times during the second verse. Overall, the song feels like an agonizing three minute live performance from a Donny and Marie tribute band. If the listener manages to endure all the way to the final track, 14, they will encounter the tiring and all too drawn out "Smile," which features an equally mundane rhyme scheme that combines 'throw away,' with 'anyway,' with 'away,' not once, but twice.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Danny
posted 9/13/07 @ 12:43 PM PST
I don't know how a band can could possibly be criticized for melding elements of the greatest rock artists in history with a modern twist of their own to create a new unique sound that radiates quality musicianship. (Continued…)
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