Gatsbys American Dream - Gatsbys American Dream
Gatsbys American Dream - Gatsbys American Dream
Genre: Alternative Rock/Progressive Rock
Year: 2006
Label: Fearless Records
Gatsbys American Dream's self-titled release is its fourth full-length release, and its second on Fearless Records. It was released on August 8th, 2006.
Tracks
"You All Everybody" – 3:13
"We Can Remember It for You Wholesale" – 3:42
"Badd Beat" – 3:13
"My Name Is Ozymandias" – 3:21
"Margaritas and Cock" – 3:05
"Station 5: The Pearl" – 2:49
"Shadow of the Colossus" – 3:02
"Filthy Beasts" – 2:36
"Looks Like the Real Thing" – 2:36
"Me and Ed Loyce" – 2:54
"The White Mountains" – 3:09
In today's rock scene, few bands are actually "doing their own thing"; but Gatsbys American Dream is one such band. Unfortunately, some of the band's unique tendencies have drawn scorn from some in the music industry. The band was told to start writing choruses (a technique the members eschewed even moreso in the past than now), and adhere to traditional song structures, among other things. The band's members have not been quiet about their disgust for this and other such practices of enforced musical uniformity; the band's self-titled album is, in many instances, focused directly on this issue.
Although the band's focus may have changed between 2005's Volcano (a concept album based on the destruction of Pompeii) and 2006's self-titled album, its musical brilliance has certainly not. Still present are the sudden, captivating tempo changes and sharp precision, among other things. Also still present are the overwhelmingly numerous references to literature and other elements of pop-culture. The following are listed on wikipedia, but given the band's tendencies, there are likely even more than these.
My favorite three songs on the album are "My Name Is Ozymandias," "The White Mountains" and "Badd Beat."The cover artwork is presumably a not-so-subtle reference to John Christopher's The White Mountains and H. G. Wells's The War of the Worlds.
The songs "You All Everybody" and "Station 5: The Pearl" are references to the television series Lost. "Station 5: The Pearl" also references the novel "The Pearl," by John Steinbeck.
The song "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale" is a reference to a short story by Philip K. Dick of the same name.
The song "Me and Ed Loyce" is a reference to another short story by Dick, "The Hanging Stranger".
The song "Shadow of the Colossus" is a reference to the Japanese-developed video game of the same name for the PlayStation 2.
The song "Margaritas and Cock" is a reference to the 2005 film The Matador, starring Pierce Brosnan and Greg Kinnear.
The song "The White Mountains" contains numerous direct references to John Christopher's The White Mountains
The song "My Name Is Ozymandias" is a reference to the famous sonnet by Percy Bysshe Shelley, published in 1818. It is frequently anthologised and is probably Shelley's most famous short poem. Ozymandias is also the name of a character in John Christopher's The White Mountains.
"My Name Is Ozymandias" starts out sounding very good, but only gets better. About halfway through, it stops dead... Then it starts again, within a few seconds, with a noticeable tempo change and a catchier sound. It develops into one of the most pleasing moments on the entire album.
"The White Mountains" is the last song on the album, and a terrific way to close a formidable album. It features a very prominent bassline alongside an extremely catchy piano. It is ultimately a call for artistic freedom, and an allusion to the novel of the same name, incorporating elements of the novel's story as a metaphor.
"Badd Beat" is a sarcastic song, sung almost in the vein of Dead Kennedy's "Kill the Poor." The singer assumes the character of a music executive managing bands' tours. Following another one of the band's intra-song tempo changes, the lyrics:
--------You ****ing kids have gotta learn the golden rules:
1. You gotta Use who you can on your way to the middle
2. You only give a favor for a favor in return
3. You get burned when you turn the other cheek
P.S. We don't believe you kids are so naive
to think that things could change
Because nothing ever changes in the real world
and we're gonna drive that message home
because money fills the gas tank in your van
Gatsbys's self-titled album is probably my favorite album released last year; I highly recommend it.
Rating: 10/10
Additional Links:
Video for "Theatre," from 2005's Volcano
GAD's Last.fm page
GAD's Myspace page (More songs here)
