"It is unfortunate that the masses didn't "get it". This is the best punk rock album ever recorded post-1990. If you want to own an undiscovered classic, search out this record on ebay, buy it, and then covet it."
Step 1: find Step 2: listen
Daniel Peters | PA United States | 02/04/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Obscure to be sure but a very worthwhile band to get to know. Lost the album in the late 90s due to theft and now have found it once again. Unknown and underrated this band deserved better. Classic obscura."
Great, original music!
Bob Evans | USA | 11/15/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I first heard of this band, through a song quote (of there song "Blown Away Baby") in a book I had read (called "Blue Goblins" by Peter Edmond). I liked the book so much, and was intrigued by the quote, so I came here, and saw the album. Ordered it, and got it weeks ago. I was shocked by how good it was.
Starts off with a song called, "Chelsea" . . . which is one of the best starting songs on an album, I have ever heard. From the start to the last song "Fear in the Night", this band has an original, refreshing sound.
Stiffs, Inc. sounds as if you threw some old 77 Punk Rock in a Blender with some old Vaudvillan music, put a dash of cryptic lyrics with some obscure references and you would have this album.
They also have an original look to them. They look like they all wear thrift store-20's and 30's clothes.
Very interesting. Very original. Highly recommended!"
One of the best ever that u prolly never heard!!
bryan "snoopy" deweese | hopefully buried in hawaii | 03/09/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"ok, if u are reading this then u must be pondering on if u should purchase this cd or not. well let me answer that question for u and say YES!!! i first heard of them in a used cd shop(no longer exists which is sad)years ago when it first came out and i was intrigued so i asked the salesclerk who it was and he said some band from new york. he wasnt really interested in it and just gave me the store copy for 5 bucks. the best 5 bucks i have ever spent in my life. The stiffs came out with only two cd's before disbanding, this being their debut and the better of the two. there is no need to skip any tracks,ever, and i believe that is the highest compliment i can give a cd.here's my review of the tracks:
1. chelsea 5 stars
excellent track from the opening guitar riff that comes to a climax with the banging of the drums that is much like a door opening to a world that before a proir listening did not exist. the lyrics seem to question the moral complex of all of new york and its residents.
2.sad song 5 stars
this track comes to head quickly (as does much of the cd), but leaves u wanting nothing less. here it seems they beat us over the head with the disillusion of allthe sad songs that wine of the radio then and still today
3. 250624 4 stars
this song could have been better if i could ever really understand what the heck the lyrics stand for. the music is really different here as the drums keep the same beat mostly throughout but are the heartbeat of the track. they will make ur head start to bounce without really knowing u are doing it before the end comes very suddenly. By the end u to will be wondering what is a richter's box!!
4. space nothing 4 stars
mr.fiddlesticks?! yes its all about mr. fiddlesticks but who is mr.fiddlesticks? the stiffs lyrics are cryptic thoughout but ingeninous also. once u reach the second chorus to this track u will be tapping u foot and screaming "lovely lovely" till ur lungs hurt.
5.fairy tales 5 stars
all the fairy tales that we heard as kids from our parents and friends when we were younger and prolly happier with our lives are represented here but with a great twist (not like the twist in die hard 2 but more like the sixth sense). the stiffs take the side of the bad guys, especially the wolves who always fell in tales of red riding hood and three little pigs. after a couple of listenings u too will feel a bit of compassion for them. never look at those stories the same again.
6.generation gap 5 stars
this song is somewhat connected to the previous track and before u know it this song is slugging u in the mouth with the theory that the ideals of generations is as stupid as paris hilton with a two drinks in her system. it also brings to surface that our generation really has no idea where they are heading in life. this is highlighted by the line " my generation is a lifeboat lost out at sea..." the music is bashing and once again post-punk dropping the formal structure and engulfing punk once more.
7. engineering 4 stars
engineering is repesented on both cd's by the stiffs but this copy is defintely the better the of the two. the guitars sound as if we are listening to them through an old,old record player which gives this track a life all its own. the drums and bass are bouncing of ur eardrums that make u also bounce of the walls as if ur strapped in a straight jacket in a looney bin.
8.blown away baby 6 stars (if that is possible)
this track is my fav on the cd and is an instant classic to anyone who hears it for the first time. a reoccuring theme on this cd is the opening of tracks with different guitar hooks and this track is no different. what makes this track stand out is the lyrics. they are dark, almost gothic (dont worry not crying in ur beer gothic)and have a tug at anyone who has had a love in their life that they could not live without... in more ways than one!
9.work,work,work 5 stars
this one might take some a little to understand but remember when ur listening to it, have u ever had a job that u just cant stand? yeah thats everyone!! there is a hidden message of drugs, i think, in this track maybe is their escape from the overall bi-polar life of dead end jobs. just my theory though i could be wrong
10. quick,watson 6 stars(again!)
from the very begining of the violin solo to the bashing of the snare drum this song will be suck u in like the seditives that this song speaks of. the guitar stands out here, though a basic line, for the way it will make u dance in your home. the lyrics are about sherlock holmes (yes a punk song about sherlock holmes which should tell u everything u need to know about this cd) and his apparent drug problems.
11.mary pickford marry me 4 stars
the guitar work here once again is the focus of the song with a snare beat that seems to be on speed but just got done puffing away on a joint at the same time. excellent track though i believe we are all not "quite sane" as they would leave to believe.
12.die mother die 4 stars
the music in this track is really good but the lyrics are the hook in this song. the lines about johnney and the monster will be stuck in ur head like a bad 80's song...pure genius!
13. fear in the night 5 stars
this is last and longest track but is brillent in too many ways to explain here. all that needs to be said if u like afi,operation ivy, the cure and bands like that this track will slide into ur top 5 real fast.
"
Truly a classic...
D. Vance | Earth | 08/09/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Years ago when I was living in Brooklyn, a very intriguing fellow would board the train duirng the wee hours, and disembark at the stop before mine. I looked forward to seeing him, dressed in a perfect post-Victorian suit, complete with hat and white spats. Imagine my surprise when I happened upon Nox Nought Nothing and this same fellow was the lead singer of the band.
This album is an impeccable punk classic - and I don't bandy 'impeccable' about lightly. The second you hear the opening bars of "Chelsea", you'll know you're in posession of something special.
You own "Damned Damned Damned"? Excellent. Every Gand of Four recording? Marvelous. You don't own this? Your collection is pathetic. Buy this, cherish it - and tell everyone you have it, much like a badge of honour."
Track Listings (13) - Disc #1
