Look What Happened - Less Than Jake, Fiorello, Vinnie
Hell Looks a Lot Like L.A.
Mr. Chevy Celebrity
Gainesville Rock City
Malt Liquor Tastes Better When You've Got Problems
Bad Scene and a Basement Show
Is This Thing On?
Pete Jackson Is Getting Married
1989
Last Hour of the Last Day of Work
Bigger Picture
Faction
Road tested punk rock with horns and just a touch of ska for good measure make up this 2000 release and fifth full length release for Gainesville, Florida natives, Less Than Jake. 15 tracks including 'Suburban Myth' and 'H... more »ell Looks A Lot Like L.A.'. Special Digi-pack.« less
Road tested punk rock with horns and just a touch of ska for good measure make up this 2000 release and fifth full length release for Gainesville, Florida natives, Less Than Jake. 15 tracks including 'Suburban Myth' and 'Hell Looks A Lot Like L.A.'. Special Digi-pack.
"I will admit, I am not your die hard, been there from the beginning Less Than Jake fan. However, I have turned into a very big fan of theirs, despite only discovering them after hearing "History of a Boring Town" off of "Hello Rockview" and not purchasing my first CD from them until the release of "Anthem." Since then, though, I've acquired "Hello Rockview," "Losing Streak," "B Is for B-Sides," and now, "Borders and Boundaries." Out of all these, "Borders and Boundaries" is the one that stands above the rest, showing off all sides of the Less Than Jake greatness while still maintaining its own unique flair. As other reviews have said, this disc blends all the things we've come to love about these guys: the horns, the humor, the punk, the ska, and does all this while maturing both lyrically and musically.
This album has a cleaner, more well produced feel to it than "Losing Streak," but still has enough rawness to it to help it remain organic. Many of the songs have been slowed up just a bit from the traditional punk speed the band typically uses, but it does this in the right manner, not merely slowing them down for commercial appeal, but to use tempo changes in the right places in order to create a more well rounded song. That's not to say the guys have gone soft though. Songs such as "Faction," "Mr. Chevy Celebrity," and "Pete Jackson Is Getting Married" definitely keep things from becoming too slow and monotonous. The slower (this really isn't a good term, as none of the songs are actually slow, just some aren't as fast as others) songs actually manage to be the real gems though, such as the tracks "Is This Thing On?" and "Last Hour of the Last Day of Work," which also both contain some of the best lyrics on the entire record. And of course, the much loved horn section makes it most evident appearance in what is probably the most well known song on the record, "Gainesville Rock City."
The best tracks on this record, in my opinion, are "Last Hour of the Last Day Work" (think what would be the theme song for the movie "Office Space"), "Gainesville Rock City" (about life on the road away from home), and "Magnetic North" (being somewhere where you can't stand the people who are there, but realize you're just like them). Of course all those are merely my own interpretations; look up the lyrics for yourself if you're really interested. Either way, all you need to know is that if you're a Less Than Jake fan, you need this album. If you're a punk/ska fan, you need this album. Actually, if you merely like good music, you need this album."
Less Than Jake's done it again
eddog56 | 10/27/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Let's see, where do I start. This is a CD which I liked immediately as I put it into my CD player. This doesn't necessarily mean that all the songs are of superior quality, but they are definately catchy and fun to listen to. One thing I've found about Less Than Jake is that their lyrics tend to be much better than those of other ska bands I listen to. (although LTJ is not necessarily ska..their inability to be defined is definately an interesting trait.) This CD proves to be no different lyrics-wise..not exactly profound, but interesting, for sure. However, Less Than Jake appears to be phasing out the horns in their songs. I was dissapointed to hear that most of the songs on this CD have the main riffs played by guitars with horns mostly in the chorus of the song. This is not because I'm some "ska purist" and I'm mad because LTJ is drifting away from that sound, it's simply because i've always liked horns and I thought LTJ's horn riffs were superb on their CDs in the past. BUT, the songs on this CD are just as catchy as ever, fun to listen to, and Chris and the others' vocals are in top form. (although there's a couple songs on this CD which the beginning of which are sung almost ballad-style..which I don't like as much) However, I'd give this CD somewhere between 3 + 4 stars..It's a little different than their other CDs, but very good nonetheless, and definately worth buying..(especially if you've read this far through my rambling). Less Than Jake is always evolving and always changing their sound, and it's exciting to see where they'll go next."
Very Good, But
A. Williamson | NJ | 10/26/2000
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Borders and Boundaries is a very good album, but it is not typical Less Than Jake. The album is slower than the others, and not as upbeat. If you're like me, and have liked Less Than Jake for a long time, you probably won't like this album as much (but I'd buy it anyway)."
LTJ's Best
ragefan12399 | New York | 01/28/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Now, a lot of people are very partial to Losing Streak and Hello Rockview. Borders and Boundaries is often dismissed by many, because it's not as "ska" as LTJ's past albums, who cares? Most who say this fail to realize that Borders and Boundaries has, without a doubt, the best songwriting Vinnie has ever done. This is automatically makes it take the cake for me, but throw in amazingly catchy music, great melodies, great horns, and good pace changes, and you've got the perfect LTJ album. Let's take a look.1. Magnetic North- Awesome way to open the album. Catchy little bass line opener, then comes in with guitar and drums, and then comes in with the horns. You'll already start to see the lyrical genius with this one.2. Kehoe- Music isn't as catchy as Magnetic North, but keep listening, the lyrics are damn good.3. Suburban Myth- Here's one for the ska fiends out there. Good, catchy, upbeat, and of course the lyrics are damn good. This one talks about their town.4. Look What Happend- Oh man! Here is where we start to go to a whole other level of LTJ. This song is flat-out amazing! The lyrics are amazingly writen, and will definitely paint a picture in your head. The music is also undeniably catchy as well, and the way the song starts off will just lull you into it.5. Hell Looks A Lot Like LA- Much like Kehoe, good lyrics, but the music seems a bit generic in the LTJ style. Still, better than anything too generic on Rockview or Losing Streak.6. Mr. Chevy Celebrity- Here's where the songwriting and music take a little break for some fun. Pretty much just a straight-up pop-punk song with no horns, telling the story of a kid Vinnie knew who was crazy.7. Gainesville Rock City- The perfect bridge between the first and second halves of the album. Awesome horn line, kick ... lyrics, and the bridge will have you jumping up and down and chanting GAINESVILLE ROCK CITY, GAINESVILLE ROCK CITY, all night long.8. Malt Liquor Tastes Better When You've Got Problems- Another great track, this one dealing with problems that alcohol can bring. Very catchy music, and the softly sung bridge is great.9. Bad Scene And A Basement Show- My personal favorite track off of the album. The lyrics deal with a guy trying to get a girl back, but it's set around a basement show, so it adds a little spin to it. The end of this song (SHE DONT UNDERSTAND ME!), is worth the price of the cd alone.10. Is This Thing On?- Another amazingly written track. It starts off with some awesome guitar riffage, and then just comes in as a mid-tempo rock song. Delicious.11. Pete Jackson Is Getting Married- Really the only song I dislike on the album. I dunno, it just seems really outta pace.12. 1989- Another killer track with awesome lyrics. Chris sings a nice little bridge at an awesome fast pace, and the song sounds damn good. Awesome horn parts.13. The Last Hour Of The Last Day Of Work- Probabally the strongest songwriting on the whole album. You won't find any horns or fast tempos on this one. Here you will find a completely honest rock song. The words "never second guess how to live your life" will always be stuck in my head.14. Bigger Picture- Awesome punk song. Roger sings the whole song, and the chorus is totally kickin'.15. Faction- What an amazing way to end the album. Amazing songwriting, awesome structure (ska verses, punk chorus, and amazing bridge). "Sometimes your best defense is a good reminder of your common sense."Bottom line is, you should buy this album. If you don't have any LTJ albums, I recommend you get this one first. If you have them all except this one, then your really dumb, and you should own it. Look for Less Than Jake's new album, "Anthem", in stores April 4th.."
Stupid People...
solitarius12345 | Boston, MA | 01/04/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I'm insulted that eveyone here has completely shot this album down just because LTJ isnt playing straight ska anymore (oh no, a band cant change, they always have to stay the same!) LTJ made a terrific album here, and its a shame you people cant see that for some reason, ok...sure this isnt the best album ever, but come on...except for mab "hell looks like LA" this cd rocks. Especially the last three songs which even challenge "Losing Streak" for the best ending. Open your mind and embrace evolution in music. Rock on Ltj (By the way if you havent heard the band and would like to check out "Losing Streak"...its ska-punk nirvana..."