Search - New York Citizens :: Truth About the

Better Things have Happened.

Kenneth S. Dupuis | Toms River, New Jersey | 05/11/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Many years ago, when I was just a lad, a would make seemingly bi-weekly trips to a dirty old hole called City Gardens, tucked away in the wastelands of Trenton, New Jersey. It wasn't pretty, but it was my home, and I loved it. One of the bands I used to go frequently to see was the NY Citizens, and those shows are still some of the fondest memories of my misspent youth.



I was in attendance on the night "Lemon Jelly" was recorded, the last track on this compilation, and it was the most powerful close of any show I have ever been to. When I hear it, it takes me back, and I feel seventeen again. I love the fact that Randy Now can be heard at the end reminding everyone, as he always did, who they just heard bring down the house. Really, he was telling us that there was no forthcoming encore, and to hit the bricks - or the dirt and gravel parking lot, as it were. It never made me smile then, but it sure does now.



A lot of this "Best Of" CD is cobbled together from the "Stranger Things Have Happened" EP and their first recording, the name of which escapes me, and these are the great tracks that live in my memory. Magnetic tape often failed, in my opinion, to capture the energy of this band, but it does a passingly good job of doing so on tracks like "Rude Girls", "Helltown", "Boxer Shorts", and the aforementioned live song. My favorite tune of theirs, "Pounding the Pavement", was recorded twice and never successfully; the version represented here is the newer and better of the two, and still misses the mark by yards. The new(er) material just leaves me cold, so much so that I have never heard it again since the first time.



The Citizens were a flavor that was best sampled live, but we have to make do with what we have available. I found this album to be a worthwhile purchase because all of my cassettes have long ago disappeared, and even should they choose to resurface, I would have no means to listen to them. My recommendation is that, should you have the opportunity, pick up the original recordings, and enjoy them in all of their analog inferiority. Poor recording and mastering loses much of its charm when transferred to digital media. That said, I am at least glad that there is a permanent record of their existence, and that the work they did will live on for another generation of ska fans to discover.



KSD



"

Super-Uber Best-there-is-out-there

pilferer | 10/05/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"THIS is THE album to get. This is the pinnacle of ska, how it should be and how great it can be. But more than that, it transcends all music types. Combining ska,funk,rock,old school rap, and hints of Dead Kennedy punk rock. This is really what I would consider to be Music! Every track makes you want to get up and dance. This is a must for any music fan, you don't even have to like ska to love this. I LOVE this album,"

J.J. say: The Truth is...

J.J. Say: | Boston, MA | 02/01/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a very good "best of" CD of the short lived New York Citizens,('88-95?)despite the revolving door of musicians who performed on it. What really keeps the consistency is the singer, Robert Tierney (90% of the writing). I've seen the N.Y.Citizens four or five times, and never saw the same musicians twice. Tierney's vocal talents shine both live and on this release. "Shut up and Listen" is truly a great song, one of the best of the '90's, but there are more great tunes here. There are different styles of music on this CD, so you're not just getting another run of the mill 3rd wave Ska band. I've heard them compared to Operation Ivy, but it's more mature and has a better shelf life. Don't get me wrong, I love Op Ivy, but it doesn't match up to T.T.A.T.N.Y.C. My guess is that the "man in the bitter lemon suit" review is an unemployed ex-roadie of the NYC's, because he doesn't have a clue about influential importance...Tierney was the brightest point of the N.Y.Citizens, and how they brought the US Ska wave to surface. 'Nuff Said."