Customer Reviews
An amazing alternative!
Months ago I came across these guys and after a few days of this album, "Houston: We Have a Drinking Problem", by Bad Astronaut, I must confess that these add yet another character to rock. My feelings of this album range from enthusiastic to melancholy. These guys simply rock! There's no reason that this band, in its current musical trend, should never reach stardom.
If you think back on all of the greatest rock band's albums, and recall a certain buzz, then this album will hold your ears in suspense and a need for more. The lyrics are superbly written with vocabulary that only enhances the emotional attachment felt through this album in its entirety. When you hear "Traveling by stereo its suspension time in space. Your best, your worst, as you journey through the system you define body and mind. ", then lead off into a casual frustration of old rock progressions while finalizing with a great conclusion with class and creativity, you'll realize that Bad Astronaut is something worth more than listening to. It's worth understanding.
If you really enjoy that raw rock sound, "Houston: We Have a Drinking Problem", by Bad Astronaut, is a great buy.
And by the way, enjoy!
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Listen UP!
d. Great c.
If you are expecting to hear Lagwagon DO NOT BUY THIS!!! That's why it was released by another band. . .
If you can not be so shallow minded & put your idealistic punk views to the side for a second you might be able to enjoy this record.
Houston, We Have A Record Review
To this knowledge, there are a few things any listener of these CDs should be aware of. You are reading reviews for this record, no doubt, for one of two reasons: Either you've come across this band through indie torrent searching, or you're a fan of Lagwagon and Joey Cape.
Bad Astronaut, due to the creation of writer/singer Joey Cape, has been labeled by many as a genre of punk. Admittedly, when you spin back towards Acrophobe, the distinctions are considerably more blurred. However, I cannot possibly categorize Houston. . . as a punk CD.
This is the unfortunate fault of many people who buy these CDs. Most of them have expected a CD on par with Lagwagon, and this is simply not the case. The music is not so similar(unless, as I mentioned, you're listening to Acrophobe, which shares much more in common with Lagwagon than Houston does). As poor David Hyatt is concerned, this CD isn't "Punk" enough for good ol' Joey Cape. The flaw in reasoning is at once understandable, due to categorization, but also poorly thought out.
The first thing you should note about Houston. . . is the slow progression of the opening track, These Days, which is a dead giveaway to the nature of this CD. The CD itself flows in a slower, conceptual way, dropping the speed and breakdowns of Lagwagon. If anything, Bad Astronaut has created a CD that flows into a vein of music that defines generalization. As so far, I have yet to hear a band that sounds even remotely similar.
I disagree with David, who seems to believe that the lyrics to Houston. . . are not as impressive as Lagwagon lyrics. Personally, I've always found Lagwagon to fall short in their lyrical content, mostly because Joey Cape's inability to direct an idea in his lyrics consistently. What's impressive, to me, about Houston. . . is the advancement of the lyrics, and their scope and nature. If you listen to this CD, it becomes apparent that there's a story here. If nothing else, this CD is just as the name suggests: the life of a drinker and a mover.
The CD is not without it's dead points, personally I cannot usually listen to Solar Sister or If I Had a Son, as they typically bore me to death. Though, the rest of the tracks on the CD more than make up for the two points I consider to be weak. And sure, there are a few spots where the lyrics get a little bit silly(Not a Dull Moment), but even those can be overlooked.
I believe that Bad Astronaut is truly the side of Joey Cape that's been trying to get out. As if his acoustic split with Tony Sly wasn't proof of this fact, it just seems to me that without spending so much time away from Lagwagon, he would've never come to realize a CD as broad and amazing as this. It shows maturity in bounds and leaps over the same tried-and-true formula that Lagwagon is famous for. Really, isn't this what music is about? Maturity? Growing up and experimenting?
This CD is an amazing testament to how complex any one person can be, showing that even the hardest rockers can expel their shell for something a bit more modest. I believe Joey Cape has done a great job with this CD, as well as the entire band as a whole(rest in peace Derrick Plourde). Perhaps the only true issue I have with this CD is the volume it was recorded at, which has the tendency to make even the kindest and smoothest speakers crackle a bit here and there, but overall, the production value is superb.
If there were ever a category for Bad Astronaut, I would list it as something around a Pop Funk Emo. But let's hope it never comes to that, because categorizing music makes it less individualistic, and Bad Astronaut is certainly it's own individual in the music industry.
. You can see a complete list of all Bad Astronaut discography, or go back to the Bad Astronaut tabs
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