Search - All-Star United :: International Anthems for the Human Race

Brett B. from COLORADO SPGS, CO
Reviewed on 12/3/2006...

Good driving tunes...interesting and catchy lyrics w/ a little tongue in cheek.

Cutting edge satire and upbeat power-pop!

04/06/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you like smart lyrics and really upbeat music, All Sat united is it, baby!! This CD out and out rocks! Full of sing alonf melodies, driving guitars, catchy keyboards and smooth harmonies, this is the album of the year!!! The edge of parody is great as well. They have a keen sense of the state of mind of most of the people in America, and use that knowledge to poke sometimes gentle, sometimes harsher, fun at life. Buy this CD, and if you are not satisfied, well, whatever!"

Bowlsful of sugar to get the medicine down...

Greg Brady | Capital City | 02/15/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The music smiles and wags it tail...the lyrics bite. All Star United specializes here in power pop..crisp guitars coupled with catchy melodies. But this is shiny happy pop about the darkness underneath.



Much of the album's themes are aimed at the superficiality of much of life as in the cocktail chitchat of "Worldwide Socialites Unite" ("Worldwide socialites unite, Avoid the dreaded question, The meaning of our lives...") or the various "cool" cliques from generation to generation, including country club A-listers ("When you're so prestigious, it makes you half-religious, in a patriotic sort of way, Our money says we trust but you know it's only just a party slogan we were taught to say..."). A subtle dig at the "Jesus was a Republican" attitude that seems to infect much of evangelicalism? "Superstar" namechecks various "next big things" that have seen their own glamour come and go.



"If We Were Lovers" suggests that if those who call themselves Christians aren't winning converts, maybe it's time to take a hard look in the mirror ("If we were lovers, loving like we say, Oh the ghosts of doubt would crash and burn away...").



The only possible criticism might be that the general sunniness occasionally tends to be too simplistic. "Everything will be alright" seems to suggest that simply following after Jesus' words in the Bible will automatically make everything sunshine and flowers and life just isn't that way. Believing in Jesus gives you a hand to hold...not a "get out of difficulties free" card.



Cut for cut, this is a far above average CD and certainly one for fans of Christian music that thinks a little..and for openminded power pop fans."