A Historically relevant release. WannaKnow-Y? read on...
chris banez lim | Philippines | 04/30/2003
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Jesus Jones made a 'historical first' by the release of this album as it is the very first "record" album to be ever released directly recorded digitally... meaning no TAPES were used in the production of this album. This time, Mike Edwards have come around lyrical-wise with tracks that are really way flattened out with statements that are very much FOR REAL - which the commercial industry perhaps seeking to find a more pop oriented follow-up from the band due to the success of such singles as "Right Here Right Now" from their previous Doubt album, have never seem to grasp.Opening the album with "Zeroes And Ones" which deals about the revolution on the way the world communicate long before the internet have become so commonly accessible around globally, the song comes as quite prophetic . Followed by the track "The Devil You Know" (w/c serves as the album's single), which depicts a morbid theme - relaying that in this troublesome times, with no one really giving a damn at all - that if there ever was one who looks over to see how you'd be doing is unfortunately no other than the cause of it all himself -THE DEVIL! (Take it literally or metaphorically) There's an available interview disc with Edwards taking particular comments on each tracks in this album -haven't heard it yet myself, but the meaning within the songs comes quite obvious it seems...
"Get A Good Thing" is about loosing virginity whence the theme was used in this song only so as to state the matter of grabbing an oppurtunity whenever one comes along the way. The tandem of "From Love To War" and "Yellow Brown" serves as a breather more of like an intermission in the album, but still they never fail to level well and never comes as wasted with their lyrics for the listener. Followed by "Magazine" which is about - what else? - magazines, kinda like yeah the more lesser hi-technological form of media/communication. "The Right Decision" is brilliant with its quite sarcastic lyrics, when what follows the track "Your Crusade" is one of my all-time favourite coming from the band, with its example of how a hardrock techno stuff should sound like, matched with its angry and at the same time intelligently retaliating lyrics about the social standard and norms of the society which breeds bigotry and unrecognized violation of ones rights, scolding religious organizations and the common social mold as well.The song "Don't Believe It" is a bittersweet sincere techno-ballad(?) about being cynical about the 'love' topic. Whence "Tongue Tied" hits the dishonest hypocracy of never opening up to what one has to say (kinda like CONCRETE BLONDE's "Little Conversations"). Although some tracks may appear as intermissions in their melodical delivery- still like i said, every song in this album is so well with their lyrics.- ah my little reviews... they're for the discerning few. This Japanese version (which IS the only complete edition release of this historical item) includes two other tracks plus a sticker with two japanese booklets with pictures packaged in a box cover.
Definitely a must-have.
RATE: on the scale of ten = 9 (4 1/2 out of 5)"
