Classic Cows, but not their best
04/05/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"If you're looking for a good representation of what the Cows sounded like, this is an OK place to start. I'd personally put "Cunning Stunts" and/or "Sexy Pee Story" as their two best CD's, and would also consider them the most accessible. I've seen Cows in concert Plenty of times, and, although nothing can capture the fury and insanity of their live shows, their albums will let you glimpse their greatness. Standout tracks on this album include "Cow Island", "Allergic to Myself", and "Baby Love". Sorry that I can't really compare them to another band, but, if you hear Cows, you'll know why. Check them out if you like very densly layered guitars with lots of feedback, clever (although usually undecipherable) lyrics, and NOISE! NOISE! NOISE! See Amphetamine Reptile's homepage, or listen to the audio clips for more..."
The Cows just get better with time
drumb | milwaukee, wi United States | 05/08/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"One of the wonderful Amphetamine Reptile Record's finest purveyors of sonic melee, The Cows play rock & roll the way it's meant to be played, loud and noisy. With amps cranked up past 11 and songs that threaten to dissolve into chaotic noise orgies at any second, The Cows blistering blend of perverse punk rock is the ideal equation of incompetence and brilliance. Their 7th installment in the war against conventional music, "Orphan's Tragedy" continues to carry the band's signature lack of style, but unlike many of their peers, i.e. The Jesus Lizard, Helmet, each ensuing Cows release shows a marked maturity over its predecessors and on Orphan's Tragedy, this growth is best represented by the album's incredible diversity. Able to cruise along at accelerated punk rock tempos or revel in the dirgy grind of metallic experimentalism, The Cows extract an immense amount of creative results from their never ceasing inundation of feedback. Eerie, Avant Garde crawls like "Pickled Garbage Soup" and "Witch Hunt" are as soothing as they are shocking and the rockabilly tinged "I'm Both" as well as the poppy "Baby Love" show that even within the confines of their fuzzed out warzone, The Cows still push the boundaries of noise rock far beyond the breaking point. The Cows can therefore not only churn out frenzied chord after chord, but most importantly, they can do it intelligently. Like all Cows albums, Orphan's Tragedy is another fascinating maelstrom of sloppy brilliance that should appeal to most noise rock and grunge fans alike (The Melvins, Mudhoney, The Jesus Lizard); So if you want to hear a CD that'll really make your ears bleed but still make sense when the album ends, Orphan's Tragedy is highly recommended."