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The Wildhearts Must Be Destroyed review pic, for when it comes up like...
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by Nick Lancaster.
  • Type: Album
  • Release date: 26/08/2003
  • Label: Gut Records
It hurts to write this, it really does. I love the Wildhearts. Even the bits everyone else hates. But The Wildhearts Must Be Destroyed is... bleh. It's not bad, as such; it's just not good.

'Nexus Icon' kicks us off nicely. Nothing too strenuous, just your typical coupla minutes of Wildhearts noise, twisting and turning a bit, leading us towards the magic that is to come. Except there ain't no magic. The next ten tracks pass by in a half-hour (yeah, that's all) of b-side-quality throwaway pop-rock, with only very occasional moments of brilliance. When disappointing singles 'Vanilla Radio' and 'So Into You' are the highlights, something's gone very wrong somewhere (and where's 'Stormy...', eh?). 'One Love, One Life, One Girl' is the only other thing which pokes its head above the surface. It wants desperately to be the new 'Beautiful Me, Beautiful You' but only gets about halfway. It's quite pretty, but little else.

The rest? Well it all sounds exactly the fucking same. Oh, there are slightly different melodies here and there, but not so you'd notice. There's nothing massively wrong with any of the songs (except the thankfully short 'Get Your Groove On'), but I can't for the life of me remember which is which. It's just so one dimensional. There's no anger. There's nothing over four and a half minutes (and they only reach that on one song, with an incessantly repeated chorus). There's just an over-sugared collection of underwhelming tunes that float around doing nothing much. It's like a friend who's just fallen in love: pink and fluffy, rainbows and blue skies and "top of the world" bollocks. All well and good in small doses, but if you're not on exactly the same wavelength, you're left longing for something that hasn't been castrated.

  • The Wildhearts 5 / 10
Words: Nick Lancaster.

Re: The Wildhearts - The Wildhearts Must Be Destro

Well I kinda like it. It *is* short, but that's not a crime in itself. I get the impression if it was anyone else but the Wildhearts I'd hate it. 'So Into You' is the best thing on it, only because 'Stormy..' is missing (well, it was running a bit long at 32 minutes...). I've listened to it twice and it's OK, but it's no 'Earth Vs.' or 'phuq' :/

Martin.

Re: The Wildhearts - The Wildhearts Must Be Destro

Personally I love it. Earlier this year, Ginger stated his intention of making a pop record and that's what he's done. I do like the stuff they write that's all over the place, and there has been plenty of it on the recent B-sides, but the album was meant to stand as a coherent whole and I think they've done a cracking job.

You're not alone in thinking what you wrote here, though... this album is splitting fans down the middle just like Endless Nameless did. But I love decent pop music and this does it for me...

The Wildhearts - The Wildhearts Must Be Destroyed

The new album is fantastic...every song is amazing, the only weak one is CJ's. That review is appauling, that guy knows shit! Beautiful Me, Beautiful You? That song is shit and doesn't compare to any of the songs on the new album.

The Wildhearts can churn out classic riffs in their sleep and its great to hear them do a great pop record.

Re: The Wildhearts - The Wildhearts Must Be Destro

OK, so you disagree with the review, and that's fair enough, but Lanky *does* know his shit, and just because he has a different opinion to you is no reason to criticise him and the review.

Do you really think it's that great? Does it really compare with the classic WH albums? It got given 2.5 out of 5, that's not a complete slating but I do think it's disappointing given their track record.

Martin.

Re: The Wildhearts - The Wildhearts Must Be Destro

Actually, it should probably get another half a point for the line: "and I need you leaving me like UFOs need horses". Genius :)

lets not forget ...

the totally stupid copy protection either ...

http://www.gutrecords.com/discus/messages/4/97.html?1062152188

Re: lets not forget ...

Hahaha! Yeah, that worked, didn't it?

If it plays, it can be copied. You'll never stop it.


Lanky.

Re: lets not forget ...

I can *almost* understand using copy protection for big releases by big artists but why the hell for the Wildhearts, who aren't all over the radio and as such just have a die-hard fanbase who are all likely to buy it anyway?

Luckily it works in my CD player, but like Lanky says, you'll *never* be able to stop people copying CDs. Far better to make people not want to copy them, via lower prices, fancy packaging, etc.

Martin.

Crapness of Radio 1

There's a petition to get Radio 1 to play The Wildhearts. Everyone ought to sign it, just to see if it makes any difference...

http://www.petitiononline.com/HEARTS/petition.html

Re: Crapness of Radio 1

Where do we sign if we don't wanna give our hard earned license money to The Wildhearts publishers?

Re: Crapness of Radio 1

Man you guys are real die hard fans non?

I'm sure they are very happy to have all these posts I've read here: Buy the album, buy the fuckin album.

For me they do nothing at all. Cheesey rock. But I hasten to add, no where near as irritating as the darkness.

Just my opinion. I wanted to make sure these posts weren't all in the ass lickin vein. But hey! you likes what you likes eh?




Re: Crapness of Radio 1

Thanks for the reminder, martbean-I plumb forgot to sign the petition! If you think YOU're radio starved for Wildhearts music on the radio, try living in the 'States'! Christ! I never even HEARD of them until VERY recently...what a fucking crime!!! Seriously, this is the greatest band I have ever heard for more reasons than I have space to write. I've become the California Central Valley Wildhearts fanclub and I've turned on everyone I know onto them with the same response; 'These guys are fucking incredible!' Hey, we do what we can, you know! Shit, you can't even find one single Wildhearts CD or single in ANY of the stores out here, but I understand that we're gonna get our first domestic release of any Wildhearts music since 'Earth Vs.' this spring through Gearhead Records.The US release of 'Riff After Riff After Motherfucking Riff' will be a little different than the Japanese release as it won't contain Vanilla Radio but will have the Stormy B-sides like my favorite, 'Bang!' and 'If I Decide'. I can't wait to spend some of my hard earned cash in support of the only band that matters! It will be my pleasure.




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