Don't come around here looking for Conrad, whining about "what once was." You will get no sympathy – not a scratch on the back, not a gentle whisper, or even a foolish smile. As much as I love Conrad, this circa 1950 meets 2000 incarnation of what was once the clown prince of punk rock, this collection of boys becoming men, this crue of toothpicked warblers, this James Dean heart-sleeve, this Ghoti Hook...ROCKS! You knew it was coming, you bought "Songs We Didn't Write," you heard them cover Pixies, Stavesacre, and X, you heard them rock. Don't cry to me Virginia, your Santa Claus only existed in adolescent delusions, and the man with the presents may not be your father, but he still brings you something to unwrap.
Bravo! Bravo I say! Good for you! Screw that pep and blunder, sure it was cool at the time, but this ROCK, this anthem, this epic you bring, Bravo I say again! You! The one reading this! Quit your blubbering, for everything there is a season, and summer has long past, fall fell away, and it is winter, the season of our distortion and wonder. You want some cheese, go somewhere else. You want some maturity, some feeling, some genuine rock and roll; you come hang with me. We'll stick Two Years to Never in the Studebaker and roll, I say, roll. Ghoti Hook, don't listen to the noise, scenester approval is about as good as a warranty from Quick Line Micro. Don't stop the ROCK. Bravo.
Oh yeah...I'm supposed to actually describe this album...uh...imagine Holly, Costello, Presley, Ramone, Strummer, and Black in a band called Palecat, playing at the CBGB. Standout songs? The title track kicks, bullish with angst and devotion, carried by a chugging rock hook that bleeds into arena chorus and a disorientingly out of place psychedelic solo that works. (Extra points for guessing what the opening riff pays tribute to, I'll give you a hint: "back room") "All that I am" also stands out with a conservative punk riff, wonderful vocals, and insanely sincere lyrics. Track seven is pure, unadulterated bravado. And speaking of wonderful vocals, check out track 9 for some of the best female crooning to hit a rock album since Ms. O'Connor and Ms. Lennox; too bad she only does BGV's. Get out front girlfrien'! Great album, kiss my [donkey] scenesters.
Other coverage for this album
ReAL Magazine 2000Reviewed by Jesse N.Ghoti Hook really impressed me when they released their first album, and even had some highlights on their second disc. Then along comes their third release, Songs We Didn't Write. An album full of cover tunes, and void of all musical value. After that, I had pretty much given up on the thought that Ghoti Hook would make any more good music. Then, a glimmer of hope shined when I heard a song…Exit Zine 2000Reviewed by Aaron J. YoungEvery now and then, a band comes along that goes beyond the overused, cookie-cutter-fit-in-the-niche style that so many other artists latch on to and completely upgrades a genre that has become stale. When this happens, I get a sense of happiness and relief in knowing that, yes, musicians these days are still working hard to advance music beyond the established sound and discover how much more…Decapolis 2000Reviewed by Tom BastianHands down this is the best album Ghoti Hook has put out. I have been listening to this band for at least 6 years now and their music style has seemed to be growing with my musical tastes. What you have here is a mature Ghoti Hook. The hyper beat drums are gone, and fast punk rock guitars are still here on some songs, but overall what you have is an amazing ROCK album. The opening track, "One…Decapolis 2000Reviewed by ConradThis album is one of the best releases of the year. Ghoti Hook has changed their sound some, and for the better. When I was in the band it was punk rock. Now Ghoti Hook is Rock-Rock - real rock with pentatonic scales and everything. With the addition of Mark Lacasse on guitar taking over some of the songwriting responsibilities that I left behind, Ghoti Hook has added musical integrity that…Art for the Ears 2000Reviewed by Marco PovervestGhoti Hook hasn't been sitting idle since Banana Man, their second album. As you may know they released a record filled with covers called Songs We Didn't Write. Along the way their sound developed. I remember a review of Banana Man in a Dutch magazine in which the reviewer tore the album to pieces and literally threw it out of the window (at least he wrote so). Two Years To Never is a different…Similar sounding releases
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