CD Review: Candyskins - Live at the Zodiac
- Alex
Nutshell Review: Brit pop, dash of punk. Thirteen of their best songs, recorded live at their last gig. Fantastic stuff.
I don't even know where to start with this disc. It's definitely got the nostalgia factor going for me. I saw these guys live, up close
and personal at the 7th Street Entry, home of the worst bathroom in the Cities (and it's even unisex!). It was easily one of the ten best
shows I've ever seen. They were tight as hell, true to their material, and didn't BS between songs. Just plenty of rock, just my style.
This disc captures the vibe, and then some.
The first five songs pull no punches. The hooky chorus of Get On, the overall pop goodness of Mrs. Hoover, the power pop
with the doo-wop, Circles, my favorite song in their arsenal, Submarine Song, and the absolutely frenetic love song, Wembley.
I'm tapping my toes just thinkin' about it.
Track six is the only one I'll skip if I'm antsy. It's a cover of She Don't Use Jelly, by the Flaming Lips. It's a good cover, but
it's just not the same pace or pop as their other songs.
Track seven is the catchy catchy Disco Hell. When we saw 'em, Jake yelled incessantly for this one, finally prompting the keyboard
player to say between songs "You like that one, eh? I wrote that one". It was pretty money, and it's a good kick back into the groove.
They slow it down a bit for the catchy, but depressing Car Crash. And then right back up again for the pure punk of 24 Hours.
The last three tracks of the set are from their most recent release, Death of a Minor TV Celebrity, and are definitely the cream
of that album. Teenage Suicide, with the fantastic pacing and keyboard sounds, the power pop of It's a Sign (even if I still
can't understand the words), and the impossible to resist chorus of Feed It, which you may remember from the movie The Waterboy.
They saved the best for last. Jake's got a nose for picking out the catchiest song off a disc, and he tabbed Monday Morning off
their third album, Sunday Morning Fever. They don't disappoint with the final track on the disc. It roars through my head, and sticks
with me long after the play is done... just like the Candyskins themselves. All good things come to an end, and this is a very fitting postscript
for one of my favorite bands.
Should've done this years ago / Why we didn't, well I don't know / All we need is common sense, to plan ahead... / And stay in bed on
a Monday Morning.
Pardon me while I go sing along...
3/25/2003
