Search - Pietasters :: Awesome Mix Tape #6

Very, very disappointing after Willis

08/27/1999

(2 out of 5 stars)

"I've seen the Pietasters about 8 times since '93 and have always been a big fan. Their live shows are always fun (aside from their often inane stage talk), and their albums were always solid. Then they released Willis, and began to show promise of becoming more than just a great live band. Willis was a killer album. It displayed an old-fashioned, thick and layered soul sound rarely heard and difficult to play with the panache and flair with which the Tasters did. It demonstrated their potential to develop from a party band (which was cool) into a mature and musically-solid soul/funk/ska band (which is better), complete with excellent albums, and the always great live shows. That said, Mix Tape is a huge disappointment. It's awful. In fact, I feel that not only does it mark a signifcant drop-off, musically, from Willis, but also is far too polished to have the same raw effect of their first (self-titled) album, i.e., it's neither good nor fun. I was just bummed the first few times I spun Mix Tape, but then I started to get angry - it's nothing but wasted potential and silly teen party songs (Wasted is embarrassingly stupid). Too bad. Willis was terrific, and this album should have been soooooo good . . . . . ."

Something for everyone

10/01/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've been saying that the 'tasters are among the most versatile bands (and not just ska bands) out there today for a while. Apparently they've been listening, because AMT6 has them playing everything on it- Hepcat-style rocksteady, Toasters pick-up, Sublime DJ ska, and even NOFXy silliness. What's more, even though they play more styles on this album than most people have TRACKS, they're all done very well. In fact, I think that the song chosen as the first single (Yesterday's Over) is probably my least favorite on the album, but on "Willis" it would have been a standout. "Chain Reaction" is, plainly and simply, one of the better songs I've ever heard; "Spiderview" is REALLY cool, "Can't Stand It", and "Crawl Back Home" really grows on you. I bought this album in Atlanta, and I listened to it driving home. That's an eight hour drive. I probably listened to it four times in that drive alone. The whole time, I was thinking how much this album reminded me of "Pet Sounds"; how passed over it was when it came out, and how now it's one of the most-revered albums ever. I think that AMT6 may turn out to be the "Pet Sounds" of the ska world. Buy it now."

WOW, just gettin better

Mr. D. Corcoran | 09/07/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Being 14 I guess i couldn't say I'm a long time fan, but I'm damn well a big one, considering i have all their albums except the hard to find "Piestomp". This album shows how much the pietasters have refined themselves over the years. I just saw them at the Black-Cat on the 14th of August, and they were awesome. Make sure you don't miss the hilarious seceret track at the end of "DUB-FI(super deformed mix)" called "Menowannalikki-u". Buy this album!"