Search - Ides of March :: Ideology

Before the brass...

Marc Kloszewski | Indiana, PA United States | 09/07/2000

(3 out of 5 stars)

"...there was Ides of March, phase one, which was definitely a pop vocal group with the accent on harmonies and jangly, Byrds-type tunes; those expecting "Vehicle"-type music with wailing brass will be disappointed in that way. However, there's lots of good music tastefully and creatively arranged and sung by lead singer Jim Peterik (beginning at 15 years old, no less--not bad, even if the liner notes reveal he even didn't know what a "modulation" was). The biggest hit off of here is the first track, "You Wouldn't Listen," propelled by a Marketts-like guitar intro, though in a sunny major key and smooth call-and-response vocal stylings. Very catchy and compulsively singable ("now you have gotta pay, you've gotta payyy..."). The major reason I was really excited by this release was the inclusion of the follow-up single "Rollercoaster", which has just been impossible for me to find. Thank you Sundazed Records (lots of neat 60s stuff from them)! So nice to have this stuff on CD--"I'll Keep Searching" uses a faux sitar-like whine and a neat middle eastern-like melody for a memorable tune, "Girls Don't Grow on Trees" has a nice contrast between its itchy verse with restless guitars and its heartfelt and straightforward if purply prosaic chorus (high school shows through here), and they even do a nice respectable job on two covers, "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" and "Sha-La-La-La-Lee." OK, you hear HINTS of the brass to come on "Girls..." and "My Foolish Pride" (whose trumpets recall Herb Alpert in the bull ring more than anything, to me). I won't lie to you and say this is an essential purchase, but there's a good amount of solid music here for the curious, especially 60s pop fans. And, it's charmingly packaged with old photos of the band and a testimonial from their (active!) fan club president about how great these guys are. They certainly were good, anyway."

VEHICLE

Andreas Christo | New York, NY United States | 04/14/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Recently I was half asleep when I heard on TV 'vehicle" and I jumped from the sofa!!!!
What the hell was that? Blood Sweat and Tears with David Clayton Thomas??? NO Actually it was an SUV commercial on TV. Then I put my memory to the test (I am 50 years old)and remembered it was Ides of March whose music apparently influenced the BSandT in a similar way Chicago were influenced by BST group.I always felt that the Band who firstly introduced a complete horn Section with the "honey and gravvel" voice was Blood Sweat and Tears now I know that Ides of March are accoustically the real innovators of that type of music.Not all songs are great but VEHICLE is a "must have" cd..."

Signs of greatness are very evident, but.......

williambourque | Waltham, Ma | 07/26/2001

(3 out of 5 stars)

"....not prevalent. Buyin this album, I expected more. Don't get me wrong, Sundazed did another bang up job with the packaging and liner notes, and there is enough Byrds-ish pop for the casual jangly fan to like. These guys, for their age, could rock. "Girls Don't Grow On Trees" should be a radio classic, as should the damn addictive "Things Aren't Always What They Seem". The rest of this sometimes catchy, sometimes bland album is middle of the road stuff. The band seemed to lose focus when their poppy sound didn't propel them to the top. They fool around with various genres, but in the end, it's all for naught. Lead singer Jim Peterik may look like Buddy Holly, but he has an even more expressive voice than him. If you want to hear a folk rock meets british mersey-beat group bent on vocal harmony, give this a try."