Search - fu manchu :: California Crossing

Fu Manchu - 'California Crossing' (Mammoth)

Mike Reed | USA | 11/19/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Worthy follow-up to 2000's 'King Of The Road' disc.Fu Manchu has apparently road-tested their heavy guitar riffing.Sort of reminds me of early AC/DC,which is a good thing.'California...' appears to be maybe more melodic,that might be because the CD was produced by Matt Hyde(Porno For Pyros,Monster Magnet).Tunes that I liked best are "Mongoose","Whiz Kid","Squash That Fly" and the skateboard friendly "Downtown To Dogtown".'California Crossing' and the band's efforts here after just COULD land them to a wider audience.Let's hope so."

The Loudest Band in Rock and Roll

Enrique Fernandez Roberts | Washington, DC | 08/07/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I saw this band in Baltimore in 2003(?) on tour to promote this album. We got spots next to the stage, and all I remember clearly from that show was how LOUD it was! After the first song, my ears had a distinctive ring that I had never heard (keep in mind that I had been been going to several dozen shows a year for at least 15 years at that point). At that point, the lead singer pointed to the sound guy and told him to turn it UP! After the show, my buddy, a diehard Fu fan, chatted with the lead singer about how great the show was. His response? "Well Goddamnit, thankyou very much".



That experience to me sums up Fu Manchu. Very loud stoner rock, with a slight taste of mischief, and a lead singer who likes to say "goddamn" a whole heck of a lot.



This particular album's got some hooks on it that will leave the average stoner rock fan craving for more. TO me, the top song on this album has got to be the rockin' "Squash that fly". The screaming chords and sarcastic vocals on these songs will leave you wanting to see these guys live, a show that is well worth every penny."

Not their best effort

Stephen Brown | Seattle, WA USA | 09/29/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"As a long-time fan of Fu Manchu, I gotta say this record missed the target for me. While I still respect the band for proudly flying the stoner rock flag, this record is more of a polished MTV friendly anthem than a sluge-ladden masterpiece of old. Don't get me wrong...I'm all for a band's musical development if it goes somewhere good (like Clutch or Sonic Youth). But this record goes somewhere I don't want to be. There are a few good songs here ("Mongoose" being one of their all-time greats), but it is the first Chu album I ever bought where I find myself skipping through the mediocre songs to get to the gems. Their earlier records weren't this way at all. "No One Rides for Free", "Daredevil", "Action is Go", and even the under-rated "King of the Road" were fantastic. These albums all shined from start to finish without exception. If you want their best, buy "In Search Of"."