Search - Five Iron Frenzy :: Five Iron Frenzy 2: Electric Boogaloo

Five Iron Frenzy amazes me once again

John Carmack | Hinton, OK USA | 11/22/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'll admit, my review may be a bit biased. I've been a fan since their 1996 release "Upbeats and Beatdowns" and have faithfully bought each of their subsequent albums within their first week of mass release. That said, I will now share my thoughts.Whenever "All the Hype that Money Can Buy" came out last year, I had to listen to it a few times before I really began to like it. Even then, I felt like I was convincing myself to like the album. I have since memorized most of the songs on the album and I still listen to it fairly regularly, but only after listening to "Five Iron Frenzy 2: Electric Boogaloo" did I actually realize how disappointed I was with "All the Hype". Not because "Hype" was such a bad album, but because "Boogaloo" is such an AWESOME album. There is not a song on this album that I don't like. While I do somewhat long for the old-fashioned FIF humor of tracks like "When I Go Out" and "Kitty Doggy" and I wish that there were some humorous bonus track tacked onto the end, I don't feel like I've been let down at all. Here's some highlights:Track 1: Pre-Ex Girlfriend
When I saw Five Iron live (about a month before this album's release), Reese introduced this song by saying that it's about how "women treat men like objects" and such. Since that was a concert, I couldn't really understand a word of the song (I only knew the title of it because I managed to get on stage fast enough to grab a set list, *grin*), so I had to wait until I got this album to get what it was talking about. The part where it's just an instrumental break with Reese approaching some girl is pure hilarity. (Reese: "Oh, um, hi... I um... I was across the room, and I looked over, and I saw you, and... um... I was wondering if... maybe you wanted to, uh, go... do something")Track 2: Far, Far Away
A true masterpiece. Hearing this song on the radio is what got me really fired up for this album's release (aside from the fact that it's Five Iron). It's inspired by a song called "Come the Day" by the Seekers that Reese's mom used to sing to him as a lullaby. A beautiful song, both musically and lyrically.Track 3: You Can't Handle This
It appears the guy from "Suckerpunch" on "Our Newest Album Ever" is back and he has obtained a superiority complex... hilarity ensues.Track 6: The Day We Killed
Reese seems to be revisiting the grounds he walked when he wrote "Banner Year" on "Our Newest Album Ever". This one is quite a bit darker than "Banner Year," however, and instead of being a generally bitter statement about how we treated the Indians in days past, this one outright attacks the passive attitude that people of today approach this subject. This song is heart-rending and somewhat painful to listen to. I love it.Track 11: Car
Dedicated to the memory of Carlos Ortega, the brother of the band's tenor sax player (Leanor "Jeff the Girl" Ortega). Great song, and Jeff proves for the second time (the other being "All That is Good") that she is just as able to write moving lyrics as Reese is.Track 12: Eulogy
I'm still trying to sort out the meaning behind these lyrics, so I'm not too clear on what this song is trying to say yet. Even so, the music behind this song manages to provoke an emotional reaction from me every time I listen to it. It's melancholy, rather downtrodden, and still uplifting at the same time. It's a beautiful thing.Overall, a wonderful album. The tracks I have not commented on here are also wonderful songs, I just haven't had the opportunity to really take them in yet. The ones I have here are my favorites so far, and I hope that they're useful to you in your decision whether to buy this album. Obviously, I recommend you do."

Great ska/punk album

C. Cook | Florida | 01/02/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Definitely very different from Five Iron Frenzy's other cds, they have almost completely abandoned the traditional ska-style guitar riffing in favor of a much heavier sound, sometimes backing of the horns moreso than they have done in the past. It's still a good CD tho, and not as punk as I feared it would be...every track at least has some horns, even if they are mixed low. This is one of my favorite ska CDs and I think the best Five Iron cd, you should give it a try.1. "Pre-ex Girlfriend" - I think this is one of the best on the album, heavy riffs with a nice upfront horn section and some silly lyrics2. "Far Far Away" - A nice chorus even though the verse is a little boring, overall some good riffs and a nice trombone solo3. "You Can't Handle This" - A nice mellow lead guitar riff, but unfortunately the horns are mixed so far down you have to strain your ears just to hear them...other than that a pretty good song tho, even if its more punk/rock than it is ska4. "Farsighted" - Pretty good song with a nice chorus, not much more to say about it than that5. "Spartan" - Definitely one of my favorite tracks on the CD, the verse has sortof a pop-punk feel and the chorus is great, I especially like the horns in this song6. "The Day We Killed" - Despite the very Rage Against the Machine-ish vocals, this is also one of my favorites, a nice hybrid of hardcore and ska with great lyrics and a passionate chorus, too bad the horns weren't turned up a little more7. "Juggernaut" - Great chorus with my favorite horn part on the CD, but the verse leaves something to be desired...it's still one of the best tracks, even if I dont know what the lyrics mean8. "Plan B" - The only real ska-ish song on the whole CD, nice lyrics about giving up and plenty of horns to keep you interested, a good break from all the distortion9. "Blue Mix" - Heavy song with some great riffs, one of the better tracks10. "Vultures" - Doesn't really seem to stand out as much as the other tracks, some weird vocals on this one11. "Car" - A great heavy riff and lyrics about Leonor's dead brother make this one of the better songs on the CD12. "Eulogy" - A bit of a slow way to end the album but another good track"

Not the same as their earlier CDs... but rocks all the same!

curlypaco | Lawrence, KS United States | 04/12/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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."