"Nothing Left Inside" is slow, churning, and brutally raw. While I'm a huge fan of Henry Rollins and the varied incarnations of the Rollins Band, I don't think he has ever bested the slow ponderous inferno of emotions that he wore on his sleeve during the recording of My War.
"Nothing Left Inside" sounds like what I'd imagine a therapy session for a child of Black Sabbath and the Misfits would sound like... That's if you could ever contain such a child long enough to get it to sit down and talk to someone, as opposed to kneeling down in the middle of the street and growling at the world.
Great song from a band that imploded way too soon.
Brian Garrepy: "500 Channels" from No Gods, No Managers(1999) by Choking Victim
Spawned not only from listening to Choking Victim for a good portion of the week but also from an excerpt from Bill O'Reily's radio show on 96.9 Talk as well as an article posted on this here website;Citizen Fish, 500 ChannelsIs a powerful and catchy track that attacks the ideology of narcissism and low self-esteem. Or in layman's terms, Highs and Lows to the extreme.
But, not to exclude their overall message about corruption and the evil that lies in this country's power to oppress the masses with war and greed and constant references to drugs. Also, let's not forget that it may also imply that your local cable company sucks and that watching that many channels can ultimately lead you to having a shallow existence.
Now, Don't get me wrong, I love the Choking Victim! Their music was impressive, especially for a scene that was about to be watered down with all the mainstream pop-punk. But, I don't necessarily subscribe to all their beliefs and that's fine because music isn't always about following trends or leaders.
Ian Woolstencroft: "Yakuza Girls" from The Last Wave Of Summer by Cold Chisel
Some bands get back together merely to make a ton of cash and no doubt this was also a consideration when Australian rockers Cold Chisel reunited to produce The Last Wave of Summer in 1995. Still the ensuing album can hold its head up high in the company of classics like Circus Animals and East.
Of course it would still have been a worthwhile venture if the only decent song produced was this crude, lewd stomper. While not the greatest song they’ve ever recorded, its 2min 25sec of blistering rock is the kind of thing Jimmy Barnes was born to bawl out.
Article comments
1 - Pico
"Future Games", now there's a blast from the past. But not quite that far back.
You see, I picked up Bob Welch's fine, overlooked 1979 solo release The Other One when it came out and he remade that song for this album. I've since heard the original, but I'm still partial to the later rendition. It just sounds a bit more developed to me. But regardless, a good song.
2 - Pico
Oh, and where's that slacker Saleski?? ;&)
3 - DJRadiohead
"Hypnotized" might be my favorite Fleetwood Mac song ever, and it will never be included on any compilation.
4 - Glen Boyd
Future Games and Hypnotized are both amazing songs. I stil prefer the original on Future Games though, though the remake is also good. That whole era gets really overshadowed by the Nicks/Buckingham era (as do the Danny Kirwan and Peter Green eras). Too bad too--lotta great music there thats been mostly undiscovered by most who weren't around to hear it the first time.
-Glen
5 - Holly Hughes
Lisa, I'm with you on "Basher." I came late to Nick Lowe and that was my introduction. I have since bought every album the guy ever made (including all the "unofficial" Rockpile albums released as Dave Edmunds LPs) -- and that has meant hunting for a lot of out-of-print CDs, which I (ahem) was compelled to acquire from some less-than-strictly-legal sources.
I still hang on to "Basher" for sentimental reasons, but I now notice that it selected the more popular, more commercial, safer tracks from his albums. Lowe's range is incredible, everything from folk rock to punk to R&B to alt-country, and as I delved deeper, some of the most obscure tracks have become my favorites, and you won't find them on "Basher." Still, that's the usual "greatest hits" issue -- with some artists it's a useful winnowing of the material, with others it's like a movie trailer that gives away all the best lines.
For somebody who never set himself up as an artiste, the quality of Nick Lowe's output over the years is astounding. The fact that he's not more well-known is just criminal.
6 - DJRadiohead
I had never heard "Hypnotized" until I was working at a classic rock station in college. Great song.
7 - DJRadiohead
I know it's a little off topic, but every time I see the band name Black Flag I think of the Kings' X song of the same name.