Amazing addition
azizi | Miami, FL | 06/07/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The Killers - Hot Fuss is a great album. All the reviews for the American edition obviously stand, but if you're a die hard fan, then this is a great addition. The three extra songs were taken off of singles and demos. I just grabbed the Japanese version so I could have them all in one place. Its more of the great stuff on the album you've heard here in the states. Go to the concerts and to a local record store and see if you can cop some of the singles for free. That's how I heard them originally. Otherwise, buy this album if you're lucky enough. The three new songs are:
Glamorous Indie Rock 'n' Roll - Probably the weakest of the three lyrically. The hook is a bit annoying if you ask me. Its like a metaphor for falling in love with a girl because of Indie Rock. Musically though, its a great song. Great melody and the guitar accompaniment we've come to expect.
The Ballad of Michael Valentine - This is a great song. Tells a great story. Like Indie Rock 'n' Roll, its more of a rehash of the same great musical stylings of the Killers.
Under The Gun - This was my favorite. Its a bit more original as far as the musical aspect compared to the first two. The first two seem almost like a rehash of the style (still great, but we've all come to expect a lot out of the Killers), whereas you can tell the difference in tempo and stylings in this song. Still The Killers sound, don't get me wrong, but a great song at the end of the day.
So as you can see, its really just 3 songs that die-hards should get. Otherwise, get Hot Fuss right now as this may never even get to your mailbox.
Enjoy!"
The Greatest Debut Of The 21st Century
The Wasp | Australia | 12/21/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The most impressive and well-rounded debut album of this century has just been boosted by three additional tunes. Like Bloc Party's Silent Alarm, Hot Fuss never needed bonus material to make it a great album, but Killers fans will no doubt be interested in hearing these tracks previously only available as b-sides and imports.
Lyrics about adolescent awakenings, relationship stumbles and unhealthy death obsessions haven't been covered so magnificently on a debut since U2's Boy, with Killers frontman Brandon Flowers triumphantly leading his Las Vegas men through an album that juxtaposes murder with magnificence and gloom with glory. He may well be the most self-absorbed Mormon in history, but Brandon Flowers makes for a wondrous frontman. Even armed with the knowledge that the duffer has a penchant for pink leather jackets and eye make-up, listeners can't help but identify with the gifted orator of songs such as Mr Brightside and Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine.
18 months on from its original release, Alan Moulder's layered production on Hot Fuss means there's plenty of sounds to explore that aren't initially obvious. The keyboard throb of Andy You're A Star, the dynamic drumming on Somebody Told Me and the religious fervour of the choir at the peak of All These Things That I've Done are a neat match for Flowers' spiritual zeal, with key lyrics on Hot Fuss appropriately holding the weight of sacred commandments.
Straddling both the unnervingly sinister appeal of The Police's Every Breath You Take as well as the singalong flourishes of The Strokes at their best, Hot Fuss' extended pleasures come in the form of Change Your Mind (which fits even more snugly on the original album than Glamorous Indie Rock & Roll), The Ballad Of Michael Valentine and Under The Gun (which, surprise surprise, contains more lyrics shadowed by death).
After just a few listens, Hot Fuss will make you want to scream the lyrics from the top of a Las Vegas casino. Destiny is calling Brandon Flowers and his band, and with Killer songs like these packed in his pink leather jacket, he's on his way to rock immortality."
I Know What The Fuss Is About!
Shadow Boy | New York | 08/25/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I was hesitant at first to buy this cd but I bought it and I was soooo pleased with it. I have bought this cd 3 times! Since I bought it when it came out. Then I saw an import with a bonus track and then I saw this JAPANESE IMPORT. It has 14 tracks and a dvd! Track List:
1) Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine
[4/5 the lyrics repeat alot, it's still good]
2) Mr. Brightside
[4/5 *it got boring after so much play*]
3) Smile Like You Mean It
[5/5 GREAT SONG! Coming of age/maturity song]
4) Somebody Told Me
[4/5 It also got boring after every radio station played it every 5 minutes]
5) All These Things That I've Done
[5/5 It starts off as a slow melancholic song but then it changes into a harder song with a great message and a big plus for the choir singing near the end]
6) Andy, You're A Star
[5/5 It's got a double meanning to it since most gay men love it, but it's not just gay oriented; it's also about friends being jealous and feeling left out]
7) On Top
[4/5 It starts off with a synthesizer sounding like a fart at times but turns into a harder song with a techno-ish feeling to it and talks about probably a vacation in RIO DE JANEIRO. The lyrics repeat alot]
8) Change Your Mind
[5/5 It's a great heart-ache / hope song]
9) Believe Me Natalie
[5/5 This song is calm and soothing, everytime I hear it I envision a girl dancing around a fiel with a hankerchief swinging from her hand and it makes me smile and breaks my heart everytime I hear it]
10) Midnight Show
[3.5/5 This is the only song from this album that I think needed a little bit more working on. The choruses are great but some lyrics don't fit in with the song.]
11) Everything Will Be Alright
[5/5 This is the slowest song on the album and it is a great "Have hope, everything changes" song]
12* Glamorous Indie Rock & Roll
[3/5 This song would have been better off as a B-Side since it doesn't show their true potential but when you think of it, it is meant to sound INDIE]
13* The Ballad Of Michael Valentine
[4/5 As this song begins it reminds me of THE BEATLES and it's sort of slow and it sounds like they were playing live so the vocals sound not as good as they should]
14* Under The Gun
[4/5 I gave this song 4 because it is a bit TOO loud when it begins and it's quite annoying but once it's by the 3 second everyhthing is cool and it's a great lyrical poem]
The dvd has all the videos and the un-seen version of "Mr. Brightside" all the videos are great.
Over all it's a great buy!"
