Strawberry Sound [Import]

Editorial Reviews
Album Description
Japanese version of 2000 release from punk/pop duo featuring special packaging. 13 tracks including 'Nya-Nya','Mosquitoes', 'Punk Rock Star', 'Wild Life', and 'ChineseDisco'. Word from the Knife camp is that they're still shopping for a U.S. deal so as y

Tracks:

Just Like Me - Paul Revere & The Raiders
Outside Chance - The Turtles
Gloria - The Shadows Of Knight
Psycho - The Sonics
Youre Gonna Miss Me - The Thirteenth Floor Elevators
Fortune Teller - Thee Sixpence
Louie, Louie - The Kingsmen
Mr. Moon - The Coachmen
Liar Liar - The Castaways
The Little Black Egg - The Nightcrawlers
I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night) - The Electric Prunes
Open Up My Eyes - Nazz
E.S.P. - Rain
Listen Girl - The Giant Crab
I See The Light - The Five Americans
Talk Talk - The Music Machine
Hey Joe - The Leaves
Last Time Around - The Del-Vetts
Action Women - The Litter
Farmer John - The Premiers
99th Floor - The Moving Sidewalks
In Relation - Strawberry SAC
Loves The Thing - The Romancers
Journey To The Center Of Your Mind - The Amboy Dukes
Psychotic Reaction - Count Five
Dirty Water - The Standells (Recorded live at CAVESTOMP!)
(We Aint Got) Nothing Yet - Blues Magoos (Recorded live at CAVESTOMP!)
Little Girl - Syndicate Of Sound (Recorded live at CAVESTOMP!)

Album Description

Garage Rock Classics features 25 "must have" 60s Garage Rock hits (with three bonus live tracks), plus many highly sought-after tracks found nowhere else that are making their CD debut. Liner notes by Mike Stax, editor of the garage-punk fanzine Ugly Things.

Customer Reviews:

Did you know Amazon is anti-American? It's true - read more...........2006-08-16

There are thousands of classic rock cds that Amazon will not let you buy unless you go to one of their foreign sites and pay much more. For example, this Garage Rock Classics cd. I have a copy I would like to sell for less than those listed, but Amazon won't let me. Why? Because some mega-seller has gone to the English or other foreign site and listed this American-made cd and American-issued cd there. As soon as this happens it is removed from the Amazon catalog. To you, that means you pay more due to Amazon's anti-American policies. To me it means I bought I cd thinking I could sell it on Amazon and now I'm stuck. Unless you think the French and other should have more rights to our native cd's than we do, please consider letting Amazon know what you think of this costly policy.

Superb disc of '60s garage rock.......2004-06-28

When Lenny Kaye put together the legendary double-LP "Nuggets" in the early '70s, he kicked off an anthologizing craze that's still going strong. Varese's producers navigate a rockin' line between the more well-known names of '60s garage rock and the sort of obscurities found on anthology series' like "Pebbles" and "Beyond the Grave." It's a winning mix, combining killer classics like Paul Revere & The Raiders "Just Like Me" and The Kingsmen's "Louie, Louie" with lesser-known gems like The Moving Sidewalks' "99th Floor" (featuring a young Billy Gibbons, later of ZZ Top) and The Litter's "Action Woman."

Followers of garage rock will know most these tracks, but given the regional fame of many singles, and the uneven quality of their anthological reissue over the years, there will be some nice surprises for even die-hard collectors. More importantly, those familiar only with the national hits will treasure this introduction to a broader sampling of mid-60s garage rock riches. This is a superb disc for charting a course to additional purchases (e.g., original album reissues and multi-disc box sets like "Nuggets" and "Nuggets II"), with 25 well-selected original tracks and liner notes from garage rock authority (and "Ugly Things" fanzine editor) Mike Stax.

Tracks:

Buggy Bug
Wild Life
Nya Nya
Super Big Black Bass
CM Song
Punk Rock Star
Chinese Disco
Mosquitoes
Mayonnaise Addiction
Synthesizer

Album Description

Japanese version of 2000 release from punk/pop duo featuring special packaging. 13 tracks including 'Nya-Nya','Mosquitoes', 'Punk Rock Star', 'Wild Life', and 'ChineseDisco'. Word from the Knife camp is that they're still shopping for a U.S. deal so as y

Customer Reviews:

An eclectic addition for the Knife Collector.......2003-06-27

Since bassist Michie Nakatani retired from the band following HAPPY HOUR, the Yamano sisters have continued Shonen Knife in a slightly different direction. On STRAWBERRY SOUND, Atsuko still handles the drums and occasional lead vocals, while Naoko assumes most of the bass chores along with her usual guitars and vocals. It's brightly produced, and it's a poppier record than in the past, with a few drum machine beats and more synths than ever before.

STRAWBERRY SOUND shows that Naoko Yamano has not lost her formidable pop sensibilities, whether it's on the nihilistic fun of "Buggy Bug," the carefree party sounds of "Nya Nya," or the coolly ironic "CM Song" (a swipe at commercial song formulas). My favorite song is the brash "Wild Life," which features several trademark SK tempos and enough oomph to compare it to almost any other punk-flavored song in the band's catalog.

Along with "Nya Nya," my favorite pop song on the album is "Sesame," which has a wonderful chorus with one of the loveliest vocal moments Naoko has ever recorded. "Chinese Disco" is a nice, light sendup, although I'm not sure it's quite as great as some fans believe. I also like "Super Big Black Bass," which actually isn't a sound-alike of the original "Black Bass." Toward the end of the album, the lush sounds of "Mayonnaise Addiction" (with a musical nod to the Beatles' "Rain") are sure to put a big grin on your face ... only Shonen Knife could have done a proper tribute to Japan's fascination with this simple dairy product!

There are still a few misfires. The self-indulgent title chorus of "Punk Rock Star" harms what is otherwise one of the best songs on the album. The noodling of "Synthesizer" is best described as an interlude, and the Black Sabbath-inspired "Mosquitoes" is easily the weakest song of the record, sounding calculated and awkward.

The musical personality of Shonen Knife is still in bright pink letters, even if Michie's catchy songwriting and sweet sense of humor are missing. These women can still write more great tunes on one album than most pop bands dream about in their entire careers. STRAWBERRY SOUND is an eclectic work from a landmark Japanese rock band determined to forge ahead. You may need to go to lengths to get it, and it isn't nearly their best album, but it's still a worthy addition for the Knife Collector.

Memo To Knife Fans: Wait For A U.S.Version........2002-02-09

Yes,I'm one of those Shonen Knife fans that pays big bucks for import singles and albums,simply because I love the band,and their stuff rarely finds a U.S. or U.K. distributor fast enough for my liking.But that doesn't necessarily mean you have to be so obsessed as well.

I've been a long time fan of the band,and this release just isn't all that great. It just doesn't work as well as previous releases. As with their previous albums,excluding "all English" versions,this one goes back and forth between songs sung in Japanese and English,and this time,they tend to stumble.

If you thought Shonen Knife was mostly Naoko's band,this album proves that Michie was an integral part of the band.Maybe it's just a rough first outting for Atsuko & Naoko,I don't hate the album,but I hope their future efforts improve.I suggest enjoying "Happy Hour" and "Brand New Knife",before paying import prices for this release.

2/3 ain't bad.......2001-06-22

Strawberry Sound is a decent album. Nothing more, nothing less. The tracks are a bilingual mix of Japanese and English depending on what song you get. For the most part they are at worst listenable at best are good.

Of thier last 3 albums (Happy Hour, Brand New Knife and Strawberry Sound)it is this one that is the weakest effort of the bunch. That is not to say it was poorly arranged, sung or anything esle. It is the issue of there was something missing.

I honestly thing the loss of Mishie Nakatani was really noticable in Strawberry Sound. She seemed to have a pop sensability and influence that was not fully filled after she left the band.

2/3 ain't bad.......2001-06-22

I honestly thing the loss of Mishie Nakatani was really noticable in Strawberry Sound. She seemed to have a pop sensability and influence that was not fully filled after she left the band.

Strawberry Sound is well worth picking up if you are a Shonen Knife fan, btu it probably is not a good album to get started on. Hopefully there will be a US distribution deal for the album to make it more reasonably priced and available. Then I would nudge it up to 4 stars from 3.

Life in Ten Songs Or Less
Average customer rating:
Life in Ten Songs Or Less

Manufacturer: T-Business
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000CA9XGU
Release Date: 2002-12-24