Search - Fugazi :: Red Medicine

Words cannot describe.

09/09/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Fugazi were (are) by far the best band of the 90s. Don't just buy this album- BUY EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEIRS. I can guarantee that their albums will forever become among your favorites. I got hooked in 93, and I still love them.But do yourself a favour- don't buy them on amazon or in a store. Buy them from the label, www.dischord.com, as their cds are postpaid and much cheaper."

An essential taste of the real alternative

Wheelchair Assassin | The Great Concavity | 12/23/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Red Medicine occupies a special place in Fugazi's discography--the righteous indignation that fuelled rampaging early classics like Repeater was giving way to a more complex, technically advanced approach, but the polished machine that showed up on the band's swan song The Argument wasn't yet in full effect. Fortunately, this crossroads managed to merge the best of both worlds, resulting in what I consider to Fugazi's most consistently compelling effort. The band still had two talented frontmen in the howling Ian MacKaye and the sneering Guy Picciotto, the musicianship continued its progression in terms of virtuosity and intricacy, and most importantly the songs here are never less than unpredictable and involving. Many bands that hang their hats on anger and aggression suffer from their inability to write a song to save their lives, but Fugazi (along with the similarly dearly departed Refused) knew how to how make you wait for the big payoff, how to ramp up the intensity at just the right moment, how to manipulate noise rather than just bowl listeners over with it. Interestingly enough for a rock album, the guitar often isn't even the lead instrument--check out how many songs are driven by the intricate, mathy, at times even funky rhythms laid down by Brendan Canty and Joe Lally. Odd rhythms, time signatures, and song structures prevail throughout (not much verse/chorus here, and not much 4/4 timing either), and the band hadn't yet incorporated all the melodic elements that popped up on The Argument, making for a challenging and occasionally frustrating listen that offers up more looks than an NFL defense. There's aggressive post-hardcore that sounds like Repeater with a higher IQ (Bed for the Scraping, Back to Base); swirling noise rock (By You); eerie indie rock propelled by whip-smart guitar lines and angular rhythms (Do You Like Me, Target, Latest Disgrace); a freaky-sounding tune that interrupts some intensely rhythmic jamming with Ian's throaty screams (Birthday Pony); even an experimental horn-driven piece that dispenses with the guitars entirely (Version). Of course, its diversity and occasional difficulty are part of what make Red Medicine such a great album, as well as the epitome of Fugazi's approach to music: freed from the constraints of genre boundaries and commercial considerations, they were free to defy perceptions of what rock music could and couldn't be. As much all the brilliant material they produced, that may well end up being their enduring legacy."

At that next corner turn right. HARD RIGHT!

eightpointagenda | Chicago, IL | 10/15/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I once listened to my Fugazi collection all the way through, albums back to back. Of all of them, Red Medicine has always been a standout in my opinion. Infact, it constantly moves back and forth with the Argument as my favorite Fugazi album. But its kind of weird because Red Medicine lacks alot of the previous elements that made Fugazi up until this point(and is a huge left turn as far as musical sound incomparison to their previous visceral effort, In on The Kill Taker). It really doesn't have any of the hard, distorted edge that its previous albums have. It doesn't have the same anger volume that previous albums had; sometimes it actually even has a sense of humor. However, when you really get down it, its still a Fugazi album through and through, and probably their freshest and most interesting to date.One thing that is still in place are the always amazing rhythm section of Joe Lally and Brendan Canty. Both always push the songs perfectly, add a simple but explosive dynamic and even add a little grove to the songs(combination lock). The trademark Ian mishmash vocals are in place and pretty much takes the role of motivator and politcal agenda as usual while Guy still does his trademark squeal with the same emotive feeling and lyrics. What really changes this time around is the way the band approaches songs. Rather then the tight but explosive songs of their early days, the songs on Red Medicine seem as though they were born out of jams and accidents. The feeling of structure that was on earlier work is replaced with a far more relaxed and sometimes humorus enviroment. Thanks to that approach, the songs themselves breathe better then their ealier work and while not lacking in great hooks or interesting dynamics, there is a major focus on texture and feeling that was not pressent in the early days. The result is refreshing while still feeling like a Fugazi album.Its stylistic masterpiece that only Fugazi could pull off with this much panache. Its a great listen for any mood, but shows the band is more than just that angry band from D.C. and proves that they are a musical force and one of the best bands out there. Too bad it would be followed up by their weakest effort yet, End Hits. But would later flex some creative muscle with another career defining album, The Argument. Fugazi has been my inspiration for awhile now and I don't see that changing anytime soon."