[.ca] Five Iron Frenzy, Vol. 2: Electric Boogaloo

Simply put...wow:
This is the second cd of FIF's that i got. This is also the cd that brought me back into the ska scened and made me an avid fan of FIF. Reese's lyrics have never ceased to amaze me. The lyrics are full of emotion and thought. This is probably their best album that I've heard (with the exception of their live cd and possibly "The end is near"). I'm patiently waiting for their final album to come out during 2004. Most excellent!

Not the same as their earlier CDs... but rocks all the same!:
If you're looking for ska, then don't look here. True, the horns and lyrics and amazing musical talent of FIF is still in this CD, but it is much, MUCH more rock based then ska. Only number 8, Plan B, sounds at all like their earlier songs. So, if you only want ska, go for an earlier FIF album, but if you want a little more of a "rock-with-horns" feel, then this album rules. My favorite songs are numbers 2,3,5,9,12; and the only song (the only FIF song so far) that I don't like is number 11, Car. 2. Far, Far Away. This is based on an old song that Reese's mom used to sing to him. This song is seriously awesome. There are biblical references in it alot, and the lyrics are good, but what just blows me away about it is the blending of the music. My favorite part is the second verse where the rythym guitar really kicks in and there are some keyboards. "And Peter was a liar, a traitor just like me. And Judas was a hypocrit, and Paul a Pharisee. When truth can be so distant, and hope evades our reach, Peter swam across the water and found it on the beach." 3. You Can't Handle This. This is an empowerment song to anybody who has ever considered themself to be in anyway a nerd. Just listen to it and you will know what I mean. This is typical Reese Roper lyrics all the way. "And Leonard Nemoy can't stand up to this. And Captain James T. Kirk bows beneath my fist. And I am awesome. Awesome! I am the AWESOMEST!" 5. Spartan. The feelings evoked by this song are best summed up by a quote from my brother: "Man, if I was atheist, that song would make me Christian." Words don't do it justice. This is by far my favorite song on the album. "Jesus, save me, from myself tonight." 9. Blue Mix. This song is a knock on the recording industry, and how it has become all about money. It's a good song, much more on the harder, more rock type sound that pervades this album. The guitar parts are very coo, and there is an awesome bridge near the end of the song with a guitar/drum solo that I love. "Sure you say one thing but your actions tell the truth on you!" 12. Eulogy. There is some speculation as to what this song is about, but I personally think it is a tribute to all those who died at Pearl Harbor. It's a good song, kind of like a history lesson mixed with a prayer. A great way to end the CD. "If Jesus Christ is true, then I am mostly lies. If Jesus Christ is love, then I have failed to try. If Jesus Christ is life, then please just let me die. Let this die!" All in all, a wonderful CD. All the songs are good, just be warned that this is a pretty new sound for FIF before you buy. But I like it just as much as the old FIF sound. Best of both worlds! And if you like this CD, definitely check out their 2-disc final album, The End is Here, available April 20, 2004.

Not really their best... but still good.:
Confession: I am a hard-core fan of old-school Five Iron (before Scott Kerr left the band). In other words, I'm biased against the Frenzy's new sound. When I first received "Electric Boogaloo," I liked it for a month or so, then I hated it with a passion, and now I think it's good. But it is my least favorite FIF album. Nevertheless, it has many outstanding songs in the true spirit of FIF. PRE-EX GIRLFRIEND: Instantly addictive, very fun song. FAR, FAR AWAY: Great song with amazing emotional lyrics. FARSIGHTED: Very upbeat and hopeful, makes you want to get up and shout, or maybe bang your head (like a metalhead listening to hardcore, not banging your head against a wall). BLUE MIX: Very cool song with an awesome bridge, sounds the most like the old FIF. VULTURES: Excellent social commentary/protest song with a cool groove, funky staccato/robotic vocals, and a rousing end. Of course the other songs I didn't mention (YOU CAN'T HANDLE THIS, THE DAY WE KILLED, SPARTAN, PLAN B, CAR, and EULOGY) are good, just not as good. Yet, somehow, the whole album ends up as LESS than the sum of its parts (for one thing, I think it was a big mistake to finish the album with CAR and then EULOGY, both of which combine for a real downer of an ending). Overall, there's just as much horns as on any other album, yet you don't notice them as much because FIF emphasizes the guitars, which are harder and more distorted than on any other CD. This truly is not ska or ska-core, this is rock with horn rhythms (not that the horns are expendible or gimmicky, no way, this is Five Iron Frenzy we're talking about!). The melodies are a bit better written and more complex than before, but at the expense of the arrangements. Gone are the complex bridges and outros that helped to make songs ("Cool Enough For You," "Beautiful America," "Fistful of Sand," "Every New Day") from their previous albums so unique. Gone also is the schizophrenic stylistic mishmash of songs like "Third World Think Tank" and "Cool Enough For You." If you aren't a ska fan, give this album a try, you'll prabably like it. If you are a ska-core purist (or you want FIF's best) check out "Our Newest Album Ever!" or "Quantity is Job 1" in addition to (or instead of) "Electric Boogaloo." Or just disregard what I say because everyone else gushes about this CD and I'm biased.

Great Album, Possibly their best!:
Ok, this cd is probably better then the others, but I still haven't decieded. I like it better because FIF is more core and less punk in this one. They keep the brass, which is good, but add more core guitar. The lyrics are the best if you are looking for "maturity" but I would say, for making the best piont their first album is better. This cd is also "darker" if you will, which for me any way is better. But I would probably say, their last concert live album might turn out to be best. By the way, I was there. heh. DJ Fantom.

Good staying power:
When I first bought this CD, I wasn't too happy. I have one of their earlier CDs, "Upbeats and Beatdowns", which is a great CD and I was expecting something similar (upbeat, clever ska with a very silly streak). However, this CD is definitely something closer to the rock/punk side of the tracks than "Upbeats". I don't know the labels very well, but if I had to sling one around I wouldn't quite use "skacore" but perhaps "punk/ska", or as somoeone else pointed out, "punk with trumpets." The typical ska "squeaky bedsprings" rhythm guitar is mostly gone, and replaced largely by a more distortion-heavy sound, with horns as accompaniment. With all that said, after a few listens I began to really like this CD. I've had it for about a year now, and as I go through my music collection at work this CD gets played much more often than most. "Plan B" is ska of the "Upbeats and Beatdowns" variety, and is a very fun song. The rest is pretty solid and entertaining. They make strong statements in several of their songs, offseting songs like "Plan B" and "You Can't Handle This" which are just goofy. All in all, I'm very happy with the CD. Still the clever Five Iron Frenzy lyrics and message, just a different sound.

• Pre-Ex-Girlfriend
• Far, Far Away
• You Can't Handle This
• Farsighted
• Spartan
• Day We Killed
• Juggernaut
• Plan B
• Blue Mix
• Vultures
• Car
• Eulogy