Close Calls With Brick Walls Review

Release Date: Sep 18, 2006
Label: Dope
Genres: Rock
Number Of Tracks: 18
This is, without a doubt, not only the best album by AWK, but quite possibly the best album of the last ten years.

Sound:	10
Lyrics:	10
Impression:	10
Overall rating:	10
Users rating:	4.3
Comments:	72

Reviewed by: unregistered, on february 16, 2007

Sound: This is, without a doubt, not only the best album by AWK, but quite possibly the best album of the last ten years. I would have to warn anyone thinking of buying this album either thru Amazon or by waiting untill it's north american release (sometime this year)that this album is nothing like any thing he's ever done before. So, without further ado let's go thru this masterpiece track by track.

01. I Came For You - this is quite an interesting intro. A very soft (for AWK anyway) intro, very power balladly, and an introduction to what the rest of the album, which, like this, is going to be very different from what anyone could expect from the King of the Party.
02. Close Calls With Bal Harbour - like the length suggests, this song is less it's own song than a continuation of "I came For You", and a lead up to the albums first single. Very wierd tho.
03. Not Going To Bed - quite the pick up from the previous two slow songs.This song is similar to his classic party songs, but with a bit of a twist. Very fun, fast song that, unlike some of the songs on the album, is an instantley ear-freindly song.
04. You Will Remember Tonight - the longest song on the album, it is easy to hear this harken back to the days of "The Wolf". A song that is almost to long and a bit out of place in a album dedicated to quick fixes and little filler, this is another song that will remain in your head for a while after hearing it. Wouldn't be surprised if this became the second single.
05. Pushing Drugs - one of my faves from the album. Very groovey and very '70s ish.Very catchy. But surprisingly this is one of AWK's deeper songs, as it talks about a drug dealer trying to justify his dealing drugs. Very interesting.
06. Hand On The Place - a good song, although not to much to say about it. The versus are very head bobbing worthy. Good song over all.
07. One Brother - one of the wierder songs. The lyrics make very little sense, especially considering the title of the song. Also very wierd considering, from what I know, AWK has no brothers or sisters. Good, catchy song tho.
08. Las Vegas, Nevada - quite possibly the best nearly-three-minute song ever. Incredibly energetic that will make you wanna start dancing after 30 seconds. Also a very grand song, incorperating piano's, guitars, bass, drums, xylophones, keyboards, horns and many other instruments. But that fits considering the title. One of the best of the album.
09. Dr. Dumont - a very, and I do mean very, short intermission from the high energy of the album. Definetly the most beautiful songs he's ever done. Just piano.Very classical, and very soothing. After listening I found that the song was much to short. Very good tho.
10. I Want To See You Go Wild - not to much to say about this song either. Picks up right where "Las Vegas" left off.
11.When I'm High - starts out very grand, with an entire concert band playing in the intro, which the transforms into another, you guessed it, energenic song. Good Song, but quite possibly one of the only filler songs on the album.
12. Golden Eyed Dog - "The small golden eyed dog, with the body shaped like a cat".'Nuff said.
13. Into The Clear - a very short song, but surprisingly good. High energy and a very likeable song.
14. Mark My Grace - this is, without a shadow of a doubt, the best song he's every recorded. Hard to explain, but incredibly powerfull song, showing AWK sing with a kind of passion we never thought he could. Absolutely amazing song.
15. Don't Call Me Andy - one of the more juevanile songs on the album. The whole song is just AWK singing about how he dislikes being called Andy. But don't get me wrong, this, like the whole album, is still a very solid song.
16. The Bacground - a very cool song, one of the stand-outs on the album. A very climatic chorus, and by the end of the song you realize that the albums starting to come to a close.
17. Slam John Against A Brick Wall - you would think a song that just repeats it's title throughout the entire duration of the song would become very repetitive and annoying. You would think so. By the half way mark you'll find yourself joining along in the songs chant. Another very groovey song.
18. The Moving Room - another amazing song off of an amazing album. This song does a great job of ending the album and is a great song to listen to while driving(once hearing it you'll understand what I mean). Once the song ends, it's not quite over, if you wait a few seconds you'll hear Andrew in the studio packing, and eventually leaving the studio, leaving us all behind in awe.

Now, if you purchase the album from Korea(as I did) you get a additional 4 tracks to enjoy:

19. Can You Dance With Me? - a very cool song, but sounds considerably unfinnished. Although the song is pretty good, it's pretty obvious why it was cut from the actual album.
20. This Is My World - my least favorite of the bonus tracks, but is still good.Like all the bonus tracks this song also sounds unfinnished, and wouldn't quite have fit on the actual album.
21. I Want Your Face - my second fav bonus track, this one is actually pretty catchy, and I always find this song stuck in my head after the album's finnished ("and everyone says I look like you!")
22. Let's Go On A Date - my fav bonus song on the album. I think this song, unlike the others, could've easily been included on the album. Great high note to end the album on. // 10

Lyrics and Singing: The lyrics on this album are definetly up the with that of "The Wolf". Although sometimes going on the end of absurdities (I.E. "One Brother"). His singing has reached an all-time high, singing in ways he never tried before on his previous two albums. // 10

Impression: This album (apart from a few songs) compares with neither any of his, or any other artist has ever put out. With out a doubt, some of the stand-outs on the album were "Not Going To Bed", "Pushing Drugs", "Las Vegas", "Mark My Grace", "The Moving Room" and "Let's Go On A Date". Definetly Andrew's best work, this album goes places that no previous album of his ever dreamed of, while not makeing any of his previous works obsolete, this album certaintly does leave them far behind. This is an album that (especially now, since you have to order it) should be bought by only the hardest of AWK fans. If it were every stolen I would kill whoever did it, seeing as I paid $30 for it and waited over a month to get it, but I would probably wait for the NA release.(Seeing as it's supposed contain new material not on the Korean, nor Japanese versions). // 10

Comments

[smb]

This is, without a doubt, not only the best album by AWK, but quite possibly the best album of the last ten years.

Hahaha I'm sure it is. That would suprise the critics, eh?

[ahlblom]

Who the f'uck wrote this interview?

[keen]

Remember when Andrew W. K. looked like a dude?

[ChrisPrezi]

you guys took the words out of my mouth

[Seth Shadows]

-.- wow.
Best Album in the last 10 years? Justify that.

12. Golden Eyed Dog - "The small golden eyed dog, with the body shaped like a cat".'Nuff said.

Uh.. Great lyrics there bud.

[benenov]

I want fun, not bad albums.

[halffast]

"The small golden eyed dog, with the body shaped like a cat".'Nuff said.

lmfao That's hilarious.

[sashki]

WE WANT FUN

[Spardeman]

How can somebody really give a triple 10 review of this... this... whatever it is ? Seriously, completely opinion based review and a totally weird point of view.

But everyone got to admit, AWK looks way more scarier now :P

[Dumpsterdan]

that andrew wk is an imposter, every album he was on he looked different, and then on the show he had he looked way different. they have some weird actor or something.

[tinivole]

here is the single "Not Going To Bed"...sounds like the same old rubbish...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3LjzHGOAxg

this is not and i quote "an instantley ear-freindly song" its much much worse...

[mlebow124]

You have it all wrong, talent is whatever you make of it, no Andrew WK doesn't do speed solos or sweep arpeggios, but his raw energy and pump you up till your heart explodes lyrics make it. Andrew WK is great because he's not emo like all that shite out there now.

[tinivole]

if you want a real band that deserves all 10s... start looking in the direction of porcupine tree...

http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/reviews/compact_discs/porcupine_tree/index.html

[Hexagram]

he looks much different but i loved his old stuff

[Eskimo]

Please tell me how the hell you managed to get such a bad review on the first page as featured review? There is no attempt at objectivity whatsoever, and from the way you describe the album, it's as if you've never even listened to another record, let alone reviewed an album, in your life. Track-by-track reviews are NEVER a good way to review an album, especially if you don't even have anything much to say about the tracks. For a lot of people, this could be an extremely average album and your entirely opinion-based review doesn't even hint at that.

[doublefourtime]

evry1s entitled 2 their own opinion, but honestly, i think this review is a joke. andrew wk is less than good and thats an understatement.

[rockybo]

You all take yourselves way too fucking seriously.

"I Get Wet" is a fantastic album, and I suggest you all listen to it and LIGHTEN UP. Just because this reviewer's a homer doesn't mean AWK sucks.

[rockybo]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iN8OcEIhA6Y&mode=
related&search=

I forgot that 90% of UG is under 14 and has never seen AWK's advice show from MTV2. It was the best 4 episodes ever.

[bambi_slaughter]

doublefourtime wrote:

evry1s entitled 2 their own opinion, but honestly, i think this review is a joke. andrew wk is less than good and thats an understatement.

You mean overstatement..damn 12 year olds on this website..

And the songs remind me of waynes world for some reason...

[TeenBite]

Andrew WK is a clever, clever man, who oozes intelligence, but the best album of 10 years? This reviewer certainly isn't making people want to listen to him.

[Td_Nights]

Pfft nothing can top She Is Beautiful =|

[dieloony2]

Andrew WK is good. I'm sure the cd is probably good too even tho i never even knew it existed. but best in 10 years... Your really into being the only one who knows about this cd eh?

[remleeg]

AWK is nothing but fun, but I'd recommend this import to die-hard fans. We'll see what the U.S. release brings, though...

[Mike theBassrat]

one of his albums had 7 songs that had the word party in the song name

[Ranxston]

Sure maybe he overrated the album, but most of you are making a fool of yourselves. I bet most of those comments are coming from 14 year old who think the music they listen to is the greatest style of music ever and everything else is crap as well as the people who listen to it. Lighten up and realize that people have different tastes.

[HmTownHero1007]

ready to die was his best/funniest song. this stuff sounds too like.. serious.

[IwannaBeSadated]

Good effort on the review, but dont be so biased, I can say truly that it isnt the best album in ten years without even hearing it because you cant top some of the albums within the decade, maybe it ranks up their, but in no way tops them. Live on dimebag, and if you are ever re-incarnated as a zombie please dont kill this reviewer.

[SL!!!]

Dumpsterdan wrote:

that andrew wk is an imposter, every album he was on he looked different, and then on the show he had he looked way different. they have some weird actor or something.

holy ****ing shit.

alright, so i was on the awk boards awhile back, and this exact shit happened. a huge conspiracy thing was going on and people thought there were imposters and all of these weird people were making outrageous claims and people posts got changed and it was .. it was really ****ing weird. i hate you andrew w. k.

you are a weird son of a bitch.

[BucketheadRules]

This album ****ing rocks. AWK is the man.

[Magero]

Once again, this album is written by a fanboy not an impartial judge. Therefore, DON'T TAKE THIS SHIT SERIOUSLY!

[Notoriousdoc]

It doesn't have Party Hard on it = totally pointless

[richardm80]

lol awk is ok. but best album of last 10 years? hahahhaha

[CITIZEN SNIPS!!]

mlebow124 wrote:

You have it all wrong, talent is whatever you make of it, no Andrew WK doesn't do speed solos or sweep arpeggios, but his raw energy and pump you up till your heart explodes lyrics make it. Andrew WK is great because he's not emo like all that shite out there now.

Am I the only one who notices the INSANE irony in this post? You say talent is what you make of it and argue against someone else's views on your music, then blatantly criticise another form of music because you don't like it. Fantastic.

[CITIZEN SNIPS!!]

Andrew WK doesn't do speed solos or sweep arpeggios, but his raw energy and pump you up till your heart explodes lyrics make it.

Although, I must say, I do agree with this much.

[Nero_Angelo]

wow somebody is desperate for a band to call legendary.

Checked

[Trifixion]

Sounds a good album.. i never heard 'the wolf' but i have got his first album and its wicked!

[Lestat DeLicour]

you know what i've come to notice from his previous work.... the song She Is Beautifle is the same sheet music used in the song Party Hard... that shows you how much of a musician AWK is now I like the guy but musically he's horrible.

[Indie Purist]

"Quite possibly the best album of the last ten years?"
Doubt it
There's so much else out there that people have never heard of.
Ridiculous statement

[DeadMike]

Is this guy married to Andrew WK? Is he bangin' him or what?

[Nero_Angelo]

Is this guy married to Andrew WK? Is he bangin' him or what?

lol

[aocrkid]

year zero will be the best LP of the last ten years

[aocrkid]

mlebow124 wrote this interview

[floutist]

aocrkid :
mlebow124 wrote this interview

Does this guy work for Dope label or something?? I'm not going to bash what some people like in terms of music... but if this is a perfect 10 then I'm curious to what else this reviewer loves.

[AndyVanHalen]

I didnt even know he had another album out... I love this guy though, just good fun music.

[Kurtsmyhero06]

i love how it got rated perfect 10 and ppl think ehh more of a 3

[Synyster Gates]

This is, without a doubt, not only the best album by AWK, but quite possibly the best album of the last ten years.

oh yeah because eric clapton and the like have no talent and andrew wk is the god of music


seriously be realistic in a review of an album

[axeslinger0u812]

did i miss an awesome clapton cd since 97? shit.

you know, i bet if you asked 100 people on here what the best cd of the last 10 years is, you would get 99 different answers. hell, bands a lot of us hate would be up there. it's all opinion. if it's the best cd of the last 10 years for this kid, than more power to him. at least he knows what he likes.

[Eskimo]

Ranxston wrote:

Sure maybe he overrated the album, but most of you are making a fool of yourselves. I bet most of those comments are coming from 14 year old who think the music they listen to is the greatest style of music ever and everything else is crap as well as the people who listen to it. Lighten up and realize that people have different tastes.

Well, actually, no. I'm seventeen and I listen to a very broad range, and try whenever I can not to knock off a genre just because of the crap bands that might be at the forefront of said genre. I just read quite a lot of music press (and have previously been a reviewer for other sites), and simply thought that review reeks of uninformed amateurism.

To the kid that said "Andrew WK is great because he's not emo like all that shite out there now"... wow, you're clever. You just wrote off an entire genre, plus you then strongly implied that because something isn't *insert genre here*, it is necessarily good. Let me guess, what bands do you think of when you think of "emo"... My Chemical Romance, Panic! At The Disco and Taking Back Sunday, am I right? Shows how much you know. Do some research before making statements like that.

[6stringz89]

ahlblom wrote:

Who the f'uck wrote this interview?

seriously. whoever did is a dumbass. he says its 'probably the best album of the lasy 10 years' and hardly praises any songs. and its AWK.

[frigginjerk]

wow... it seems that this review was written by a SUPERFAN of andrew w k... he's obviously not a professional, because he PAID 30 bucks to get it shipped to him from Korea.... he's obviously been listening to nothing but Andrew wk for quite some time...

and it's fine if that's his thing... but i mean really... is this front page material for UG? It's pretty fourth-grade sounding, and it really gives the impression that andrew wk is the only person in the world that puts out albums. Unless the label that AWK is on owns or is in business with UGO, in which case, this makes a lot of sense, lol.

[Wankmasterwak]

[quote=axeslinger0u812]did i miss an awesome clapton cd since 97? shit.[/quote]

I thought The Road to Escondido was a fantastic album.

[imairlax]

seriously, did you get your mom to proofread this for you? or your babysitter? everyone is entitled to their opinion regardless of age but to declare a korean exclusive from andrew wk as "the best album of the last 10 years" is far too broad of a statement.

but what was even more shocking to me was the fact that people listen to andrew wk. he's that guy with the makeup, the "party" song and the shredded shirt, right? yeah, real artist, that one.

[emhaslam]

This is, without a doubt, not only the best album by AWK, but quite possibly the best album of the last ten years.

Review By AWK

[Gillespie]

Holy crap is that blush and lipstick? on Andrew WK? Never expected that. He may be thinking straight music-wise, hopefully he's also thinking straight about his looks, but thats my opinion.

[ashhsex]

Fuck all of you. Andrew WK is a Godsend.

This almbum [as all of his others] is amazing.

I wanna see you try to make album's this good. Then tell me what you've got to say.

THATS RIGHT! NOTHING!

[ashhsex]

tinivole wrote:

here is the single "Not Going To Bed"...sounds like the same old rubbish...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3LjzHGOAxg

this is not and i quote "an instantley ear-freindly song" its much much worse...

YOU SUCK
ITS AWESOME.


=]

[that_i_am]

I believe everyone is entltled to their own opinion but when you say that this is possibly the best album of the last ten years its kind of stretching it too far.

[arc6872]

I cant believe you're all still talking about this.

[whitebluesboy]

Andrew W.K. is like a god among men. How many of you can actually say you have the heart and balls to go up to someone and act as ****ing crazy as you can without worrying if they will judge you or think your insane. His songs and live shows demonstrate that EASILY. Now I don't believe that the music I like is better than anyone else's favorites, but this AWK is so talented that most people play it off as an ironic joke. Eff those people. Party hard party hard party hard party hard.

[wurzel1981]

Enjoy it for what it is.... If his songs came on at a party you'd probably catch yourself singing them. Not everyone whose interested in guitar playing likes arse melting face smashing solos and this guy is a great showman and above average in his musicianship. Best album for 10 years? Not a chance but best album for running around like a loon in your underpants geting chased by little people dressed as sticks? Oh Yeah!

[Taco Salad]

i also believe this review is very biased, and i dont believe its front page material, but its clear the reviewer put a lot of time in it. when i picture fans of andrew w.k. all i see is mullets, beer, and nascar, cuz its pure white trash. I'll admit that i liked a few of his songs, but without hearing a single song off the album i know it sux. W.k. is repetative and boring, his energy is high but it doesnt flow well, it gives me a headache, even before im tired of the song, so i cant get the image that this white trash hick will take the U.S. by storm. i'll agree with the user that posted way up there somewhere that he is a nice and wise guy, i watched Your Friend Andrew W.K. and gained a lot of respect for him, but being nice isnt gonna give you a hit

[br4vw]

Never heard of this guy - this isnt a review - it sounds like whoever wrote this is one of the following.

1. Andrew W.K. himself

OR

2. Andrew W.K's mother

OR

3. An illegitemate hooker gypsie who A.W.K sold his soul to in order to get a feature on UG

[DR_SH]

Cool. After 3 years of headbanging like a mad man to the vid for party hard I finally got round to getting I Get Wet last summer. ok it's not the greatest album in recorded history ever, but thats not Andrew WK. However if you want something thats fun to listen to and that'll get you in the party mood the AWK is AWESOME

[zackaryblack]

bambi_slaughter :
doublefourtime wrote:

evry1s entitled 2 their own opinion, but honestly, i think this review is a joke. andrew wk is less than good and thats an understatement.



You mean overstatement..damn 12 year olds on this website..

And the songs remind me of waynes world for some reason...

no. he means understatement.

[God's Guitarist]

hahaha overall rating: 10 "best album in ten years" - users rating: 4. sounds like he appeals to a niche audience

[guildaviator]

hahaha remember when they had awk on aqua teen

I WANNA hAVE A PARTY WERE goNNA HAVE A PARTY PARTY HARDY HARDY PARTY PARTY

[Taco Salad]

zackaryblack wrote:

bambi_slaughter :
doublefourtime wrote:

evry1s entitled 2 their own opinion, but honestly, i think this review is a joke. andrew wk is less than good and thats an understatement.



You mean overstatement..damn 12 year olds on this website..

And the songs remind me of waynes world for some reason...


no. he means understatement.

i think it is overstatement

[tinivole]

tho to be fair, all critisism aside i got the album, and the best tracks ARE 1 and 2... surprisingly mellow and dreamy... the rest is horrible and isnt worth the investment.

[zackaryblack]

zackaryblack wrote:

bambi_slaughter :
doublefourtime wrote:

evry1s entitled 2 their own opinion, but honestly, i think this review is a joke. andrew wk is less than good and thats an understatement.



You mean overstatement..damn 12 year olds on this website..

And the songs remind me of waynes world for some reason...


no. he means understatement.



i think it is overstatement

its understatement, but its ok. this is way more fun than talking about the album

[InsomniaRocks]

zackaryblack :
zackaryblack wrote:

bambi_slaughter :
doublefourtime wrote:

evry1s entitled 2 their own opinion, but honestly, i think this review is a joke. andrew wk is less than good and thats an understatement.



You mean overstatement..damn 12 year olds on this website..

And the songs remind me of waynes world for some reason...


no. he means understatement.



i think it is overstatement


its understatement, but its ok. this is way more fun than talking about the album

The way doublefortime said it, it could be either an under or overstatement I think. It could be an overstatement because he is trying to convey that he is being generous and overstating awk's goodness by calling him "less than good".
That said, it could also be considered an understatement, because he is also understating awk's badness by generously calling him less than good.
Damn what a pickle.
oh and yes Taco Salad, awk is pure white trash but I still think that the sound of his songs are good, despite the fact that his lyrics are ****ing asinine. I think I would like him alot if I didnt speak english and couldnt understand what he was saying.

[busway27]

I'm a little late, but what the hell is going on? All of you must be mental. This album is perfectly fine. I don't think that he'll ever surpass I Get Wet because it is a fantastic album. Every one of you that criticized the lyrics ought to be ashamed of yourselves. Lyrics are important but very rarely do they make the feeling produced by a song. Honestly, this album was underwhelming but it was still fantastic. Of course I say this because I'm a die hard W.K. fan but also because the music was good. It was different from his other albums because it seemed a little generic in terms of layout but it was still pretty well written.