The tape is worn, the cd is new, I'm just not human anymore
jvgfanatic | Talent, OR United States | 01/31/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I was jumping like a frog when I saw that the Mekons had released New York on CD. The tape is absolutely precious to me for the simple reason that so few Mekons albums allow you to see the band at it's *personal* best. This is live, grungy, dirty, distressed, far-from-the-studio stuff and beyond that it is honest as hell. Hear the audience, hear Jon's sarcasm, but most of all hear the absolute beauty that is the Mekons.This album probably won't be good introduction to the Mekons for your straight-laced geek friends, but if you know what to expect then by all means grab it. The Mekons have truly brought us to heaven and back. Screw it if I'm not a critic."
High energy and Low fidelity
Arise Therefore | Orange, MA United States | 10/07/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I dislike this album for the same reason you might love it. Its sloppy drunk and lo-fi. It is indeed the wrong place to acquaint yourself with the Mekons. Not for the uninitiated.
The 20 bit remastering assures you that you're hearing all the limitations of the original recordings. You know, if you place a turd in a crystal vase, it's still a turd.
Most of the tracks sound like they were made on a cassette recorder placed on a table in the middle of the room.
I don't doubt this album is loved by some Mekon fans. It has a raw immediacy that is so intimate that you can feel the hangovers. One quality that I love about the Mekons is that they have fun and there is plenty of evidence of that on this disc.
If the "up all night drunken Britt" aspect of the Mekons appeals to you, this is for you. If you're like me and prefer the later studio offerings such as Curse of the Mekons and Journey to the End of Night, it might not be."