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Because We Hate You/Let the War Against Music Begin

The Young Fresh Fellows - Because We Hate You/Let the War Against Music Begin Audio CD

A fair review of the The Young Fresh Fellows "Because We Hate You/Let the War Against Music Begin" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all The Young Fresh Fellows reviews here, or go back to the The Young Fresh Fellows tabs.

Band: The Young Fresh Fellows
Title: Because We Hate You/Let the War Against Music Begin
Rating:

Release Date: 2001-02-27
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Great News Around You - The Minus 5 2: Got You - The Minus 5 3: Ghost Tarts of Stockholm - The Minus 5 4: Rifleman - The Minus 5 5: You Don't Mean It - The Minus 5 6: Thousand Years Away - The Minus 5 7: Amazing Dolphin Boy - The Minus 5 8: Thirsty Bird - The Minus 5 9: One Bar at a Time - The Minus 5 10: John Barleycorn Must Live - The Minus 5 11: Desperate for Someone - The Minus 5 12: Your Day Will Come, Pt. 1-2 - The Minus 5 13: Ballad Of Only You & The Can Prevent Forest Fires, Tha 14: Barky's Spiritual Store - The Young Fresh Fellows 15: Lonely Spartanburg Flower Stall - The Young Fresh Fellows 16: I Wonder What She's Doing Tonight - The Young Fresh Fellows 17: For the Love of a Girl - The Young Fresh Fellows 18: Fuselage - The Young Fresh Fellows 19: My Drum Set - The Young Fresh Fellows 20: Worthless - The Young Fresh Fellows 21: She's a Book - The Young Fresh Fellows 22: Good Times Rock 'N' Roll - The Young Fresh Fellows 23: Little Bell - The Young Fresh Fellows 24: Summerland - The Young Fresh Fellows 25: Mamie Dunn, Employee of the Month - The Young Fresh Fellows 26: Your Truth, Our Lies - The Young Fresh Fellows 27: Ballad of Only You and the Can Preent Forest Fires - The Young Fresh Fellows

The Best Munus 5 album
Shame it's out of print. The Minus 5 disc in this set is their best. It's mostly 60s-ish power-pop. It sounds "at home" in a shuffle with the Zombies, Swag, the Kinks, Cheap Trick, Robyn Hitchcock, the Spongetones, if you were to want to do that. But I listen to it on its own--over and over. Great. "Great News Around You" is poppy and Sardonic. "Got You" is a great twisted love song. "Ghost Tarts Of Stockholm" is more typical, rocking Minus 5. I could go through all the songs, but I don't feel like it. But they're all good. The YFF disc is pretty similar in sound and quality to the Minus 5 disc. YFF partisans think their earlier stuff is better, but I don't know, since I don't know their early stuff. BUY IT.

Another Great CD from Scott McCaughey

The Minus 5 Disc ("Let the War Against Music Begin") opens with "Great News Around You," which sounds as if it were taken straight out of the Beach Boy's classic "Pet Sounds. Scott McCaughey's two bands have put together a double disc of fun, catchy pop/rock songs. " "Got You" is another catchy number with a darker meaning behind what initially seems to be bright lyrics. Other highlights include, "You Don't Mean It", "1000 Years Away" and "One Bar At a Time. "

For their turn at bat, the Fellows put out an album's worth of tunes not all that far removed from the Minus 5 disc, but a little more amped up. Some favorites include the insanely catchy cover of Boyce & Hart's "I Wonder What She's Doing Tonight," the equally infectious "For the Love of a Girl", the dorky but lovable "My Drumset" and "Good Times Rock N Roll. " And if that isn't enough to make you buy the album, they throw in a song devoted to a Krispy Kreme waitress.

Both discs feature a number of songs that could appear comfortably on the other, but both also retain their own spirit and unique feel. What really holds them together is the fact that both feature the powerful song writing of Scott McCaughey. This guy has been making music for many years now, and he knows what he's doing. Some musicians churn out a bunch of great songs early in their career only to burn out and release second rate garbage in their middle to late career. Scott McCaughey isn't one of those musicians. He keeps trying new things, but rest assured anything the man touches turns to gold. If some long-time fans of the Fellows are disappointed by this offering, it is probably due to the fact that it is different than McCaughey's early work. And making different music is a bit of a mixed blessing. On the one hand, it assures that your music won't become boring. But it can also be a bit of a slap in the face to people who've listened to your music for years and want something similar to what attracted them to the music in the first place.

Bearing that in mind, I would recommend this collection to Minus 5 fans over Young Fresh Fellows fans. If you've been listening to some of the other albums McCaughey has made in recent years (particularly 2006's self-titled Minus Five Release), you will enjoy this record because it has a similar 60's pop/rock vibe. If you are expecting the more lo-fi, less elaborately produced sound of the Fellows in the 80s, you may not like what you hear. Of course, most fans of either band has probably already heard this disc so I'm primarily speaking to people just discovering McCaughey and his two bands. And to you I can only say that McCaughey is one of the most under-appreciated musical geniuses of this age.

If you are considering purchasing this, just do it. You can get a used copy for as low as $2. 00, and that's for two discs worth of material! Even if you only end up enjoying a few of the more immediate tunes, you can't really go too wrong for that kind of price. Give it a try. You won't regret it.
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Lost greatness
It is an injustice to the world when two of the best albums I have heard in recent years, packaged together no less, are not available through amazon. I cannot believe that this is out of print when so many lousy albums are in print. com. Well, lucky me, a local indie record shop had this in their used department in mint condition. From the moment I stuck disc one (Minus 5 was what I went to first) in my car stereo I was hooked. This is some classic pop in line with the Beach Boys, the Ramones, and 80s "college rock. " Tuneful to the extreme, lots of real soul, and the freedom to goof around that comes of low commercial expectations. The songs are smart, funny, uplifting and insightful. In an alternate reality it would be a big, big hit with everyone. It would be blasting from loudspeakers in the streets. But here we are in 2004 America where no one cares enough even to keep it in print. Evrybody has lost out without even knowing it.

-HW.

An amazing Double CD
I never heard them -both bands- before. I concede that I bought this CD out of sheer curiosity. Now it stands between my most beloved CD's, and believe me, I do have a 'beloved' category for my most appreciated CD's. I lost the count on how many times I've heard it since yesterday. Both bands have that nice 60's sound that you think was forgotten even by yourself until you rediscover it by listening to this double CD. 'The Minus 5' are more 60's oriented, while the 'Young Fresh Fellows' combine that 60's psychodelic sound with some edgy punk -some songs sounds almost hardcore, like 'She's a Book'. So, if you happen to be looking for something really surprising, and it happens that you came to this page, welcome. Don't hesitate. Give this CD a chance and don't forget to mark these my words: It will be really worth it. So check this out. Enjoy.

A hidden gem
I wasn't expecting much, but I was completely blown away. I picked up this CD after hearing a brief review of it on NPR. The two CD concept is quite clever, and each album has some really great tunes. Most of the lyrics are too smart for mainstream radio these days, but the combination of wit and excellent melody lines make this set a steal.

You can see a complete list of all The Young Fresh Fellows discography, or go back to the The Young Fresh Fellows tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.