Okay, I'm taking over the "classics album" thing. I'll do it every now and then, not every day. I'm fed up over the supposed classic albums.. who really gives a shit about Strawberry Alarm Clock nowadays? Fuck that shit! Anyway, uhhh.. oh yeah. There is no criteria for these, just... I might focus a bit more on albums that aren't focused on or talked about as much. So yeah.
I first heard this back in late 2000. I'd heard In/Casino/Out and Relationship of the Command at the time, so when a friend burnt me this it took me aback... opening with the classic "Star Slight", which is such a weirdly perfect way to open the album and ending with "Porfirio Diaz" which announces that we're "proud to be pricks, proud to be assholes, picking up the pieces one by one.", this album is just filled with classic moments!
Okay, now I'm sounding like a reviewer. Fuck that. Basically, when I put this on, I didn't think it even sounded like At the Drive In... it sounded like some band who'd never heard hardcore before listening to Fugazi and trying to cover them with shitty equipment while stoned out of their mind. The guitars are ALL clean, which sounds GREAT... I've actually never heard an time of band this intense who played with all clean guitars... and the drumming is insane; I've never heard drums like this before.. jazzy but restrained... excited, loose, but somehow structured.. okay, I guess it's similiar to Discordance Axis's drummer. Except sexier!
The first time I listened to this, I was about halfway through the album and the power went out at my house, so I listened to this on headphones all night. I don't think the brilliance of it IMMEDIATELY hit me, but I kept coming back to it over and over. While many will argue that Vaya is At the Drive-In's best release, I think this one slightly edges over it. It's 10 minutes longer, the structures on every song are more interested, and the production on the album is unlike anything I've ever heard.
It sounds dirty but clean, excited but straightforward, all over the place but focused... truely a tight band who hardly ever played a bum note. Also, noted wanker and owner of 1000 effects pedal Omar Rodrigeuz plays bass on it, which is really the instrument he should have stuck with.
I know a lot of people listen to this album once or twice and toss it to the side, not impressed, and they go rock out to that song on IN/Casino/Out that goes "RUN N PUT YER QUARTERS IN!!!!!!!!!!" But to me, this was At the Drive-In's defining moment. I've yet to hear anything even similiar to this. And only last year did I meet someone who loved it as much as I did.
Ebroglio is my fuckin jam.
Any thoughts?