All Hands on the Bad One [Import]

Editorial Reviews
Album Description
Japanese edition of fifth album from Olympia, Wa based punk trio with earlier release & one exclusive bonus track 'Maraca'. 14 tracks in all. 2000 release. Standard jewel case.

Tracks:

The Ballad Of A Ladyman
Ironclad
All Hands On The Bad One
Youth Decay
You're No Rock N' Roll Fun
#1 Must Have
The Professional
Was It A Lie?
Male Model
Leave You Behind
Milkshake N' Honey
Pompeii
The Swimmer

Amazon.com's Best of 2000

It has all the blistering guitar work, punk-rock harmonies, and thunderous drumming of their previous efforts. But with All Hands on the Bad One, the Northwest trio of Sleater-Kinney doesn't forget to have fun, too. Their sound has evolved, but the spirit that forged the seminal riot-grrrl threesome animates every anthem here. --Jason Verlinde

Amazon.com

"The Ballad of a Ladyman," the opening track on Sleater-Kinney's fifth release, boasts "I could be demure like girls who are soft for boys who are fearful of getting an earful / But I gotta rock!" And rock they do; All Hands on the Bad One's lineup of twitchy but forceful rock songs bests the band's previous releases. The delicious tri-vocal charges of Carrie Brownstein, Corin Tucker, and Janet Weiss spider-webs all over their corner of rock, careening in all directions but unifying to make a beautiful design. Most obvious on this release is the band's yearning to slip free of the surly bonds of punk. The seesaw guitar riff in "Ladyman" is arena-ready, and the group's harmonizing reaches new heights of "Hey, cool!" on "The Professional" and "Milkshake and Honey." Or, to put it in stricter terms, All Hands on the Bad One is a whole lotta fun. --Jason Josephes

Album Description

'All Hands On The Bad One' returns to jubilant, playful rock that reveals just how much fun this band has just being together and making music. Produced by John Goodmanson, and engineered by Larry Crane at the low-key Jackpot Studios in Portland from Kill Rock Stars Records.

Customer Reviews:

Warning: Pop Epiphany Enclosed.......2007-02-06

(Sorta) bass, guitar, drums and vocals - classic postpunk pop. It's as primitive as the old (acoustic) singer-songwriter paradigm: if ya ain't got captivating poetics and invigorating melodies, then it's just wheels spinning nowhere. Live or die by it, it's a merciless medium.

Corin, Carrie and Janet go to the mat with these 13 tunes and it's a KO for at least 10. (The others are just too close to call.) Audible is their love for their battered instruments, outrageous riot words, sweet sweaty audiences and their very audacious success.

WHAP!

Under the distressed distortion of impassioned basement jams lies an intuitive, undisciplined sense of (look out!) the hook. Killer coupled with 3rd and New Wave lyrics, like: "Watch me make up my mind instead of my face" and "You can't get to heaven with a 3-chord song."

The sound is herky quirky Slits, Stonesy sludge, coquettish Go-Gos' harmonies, a spattering of Jad Fair lunacy and lotsa Patti Smith yowl. Toughlove, and fierce. I consider this one their best (self-conscious and wired), but whatever, Sleater-Kinney is world-stoppin' harsh fun.

Strident grrl rock that makes no apologies for being catchy........2006-07-27

Let's skip the formalities; this album is amazing. If you like female rockers, vocal harmony, or catchy lyrics that also happen to make a statement, All Hands on the Bad One is for you.

The formality we'll skip is the tired history of this band, and we're skipping it because it's a barrier you don't need between you and the music. Just learn the basics: Sleater-Kinney is a three-piece who, at this point in their career, played tight sub-four-minute pop-rock. Guitarist/vocalists Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein weave a sometime impenetrable tangle of electric guitars - rarely is a song carried on just one instrument. They're backed by ferocious and inventive drumming from Janet Weiss - her rhythms help maintain a sound that's much larger than you'd expect a two-guitar trio to generate.

Opener "Ballad of a Ladyman" is an amusing jab at gender, maybe making light of the politics woven into being an all-woman three piece that rocks so hard ("I could be demure like girls who are soft for boys who are fearful of getting an earful, but i gotta rock! I'd rather be a ladyman"). It's a wonderfully self-aware intro to the disc - catchy, and too tongue-in-cheek to be threatening. It leads into the excellent punkish riffing about Civil War battles on "Ironclad," a standout track.

By this point you will surely have noticed one critical sticking point of S-K: their slightly off-putting vocal trademarks. Corin's voice goes from a mid-range purr to a signature yodeled vibrato as she rides the break at the top of her chest voice. Carrie contributes great supporting vocals, but alone her odd open-mouthed delivery seems to melt away at the edges, never as solid as it could be. Both ladies are acquired tastes, and this intense baker's dozen of tunes is the perfect way to acquire them.

The title track is a spicy thesis of tightly coiled riffs and rolling tom drums, throwing in everything the disc has to offer in under three minutes. "Youth Decay" is a scorching commentary on a home fraught with eating disorders and tacit misogyny, rocking hard enough that you might not ever notice its lyrics. "#1 Must Have" is a scathing address of the media's appropriation of the riot grrl image for its own commercial purposes. In a song full of powerful lyrics, each one is a perfect pair of statement and kiss-off, even the simple ones stands out "Watch me make up my mind instead of my face."

If the latter two tunes portray S-K as all self-aware statement making, the song they sandwich says otherwise: they bookend the explosive pop masterpiece "You're No Rock and Roll Fun." A summery rock anthem that sounds lifted from some decade prior, it is absolute minimal perfection - coming off bigger, louder, dancier, and plain old better than any modern pop hit - on top of a mostly two-chord riff and some simple electric guitar work. Supported by a classically simple backing vocal from Janet while she pounds the skins, the song is undeniable.

Admittedly, some of the rock gets a little redundant or repetitive. "The Professional" comes off as fluff after the killer opening sextet, and "Was It A Lie" rides an aggressive riff that's not as catchy as its predecessors. Both are still great, though, as are the steady dischordant guitars on "Male Model." However, your ears might be a little weary by the end of this third triptych.

The failure to mix in some downtempo songs is perhaps this album's only shortcoming - all three are stuffed into the final four tracks, smothering the explosive "Pompeii." One of those three is "Milkshake and Honey," a queer monologue from a foreign musician to their fled French sweety. It can be a hard one to like, with its alternately deadpanned and whined lyrics and non-sequitur title, but it just goes to show the range of S-K - even if it's not evident throughout the album.

Closer "The Swimmer" is slow, and wistful - a format shared by "Leave You Behind" a few tracks earlier, though Brownstein vocally undersells that one. Both are struck from a more reflective mold that the band now leaves to their former albums to represent. A shame; they're pretty, and a nice breather (beautiful, actually, on the reverb-drenched "Swimmer").

All Hands on the Bad One makes no apologies - not for it's intense opening nine-song sprint, not for the gender-politics it puts proudly on display next to its killer riffs, and not for its vocal idiosyncrasies.

All of these elements might be used to keep a casual listener away from this disc by devotees and detractors alike - both screaming, "this is for fanatics only!" You shouldn't believe them; if anything, this near-flawless disc is more surprisingly sublime when you have no idea who Sleater-Kinney are.

"Watch me make up my mind, instead of my face".......2005-08-08

Out of all Sleater-Kinney's seven releases, All Hands On the Bad One probably stands out as being the most poppy. Yet while Sleater-Kinney can get poppy, they show they also can be political at the same time. The first song 'The Ballad of a Ladyman' explores the state the band is currently in, and their refusal to compromise their morals in order to fit into the mainstream. Feminist themes are present in this album, but Sleater-Kinney do not smack you in the face with them screaming their head off, unlike Kathleen Hanna. Rather, they present their ideas in a more clear and clever manner, allowing you to think. '#1 Must Have' bemoans the state of women's presence (both on and off the stage) in rock music, while 'Male Model' talks about society's idea that female musicians will never be equal to their male counterparts. 'The Professional' deals with the 'good ol boy' network that women (and also minorities) face in the workplace. 'Was It A Lie?' talks about how society's pleasure from women's pain, in one such example as a train accident (another example that comes to mind are rape porn movies). But don't think all of the album is serious and political. 'You're No Rock and Roll Fun' is a great fun pop song as is 'Milkshake n' Honey'. The only song I could do without is 'Leave You Behind' which strays too far from Sleater-Kinney's sound, and ends up sounding like a Veruca Salt song circa 'Eight Arms To Hold You'. 'The Swimmer' is an excellent close to the album, fragile, distant, and yearning. I must say, I was a little disappointed when I bought Sleater-Kinney's album 'Dig Me Out' but now that I got this one I was much more impressed. With bands like Hole, Bikini Kill, Babes In Toyland, and L7 gone, it is great to see an empowering female rock band left.

SK's best album .... Yet........2005-04-05

This album rocks, I recommend it. Complex guitar and vocal work. Very meaningful lyrics. Best Track: #1 Must Have.

I dunno...are we all listening to the same cd?.......2004-12-10

I'm amazed at the other comments here. Others say that the songwriting here is less assured than on their earlier albums--on the contrary, there are far more hooks and sparse arranging touches to differentiate the songs from each other than usual. Others say the vocals are vague--I disagree. Sleater-Kinney do more singing and less shrieking on this release, while still retaining enough of a punk attitude to be fun. I'm encouraged by Sleater-Kinney's new direction, as exemplified by You're No Rock and Roll Fun and Milkshake and Honey--way more poppy and radio-friendly, but by no means a sellout. I'll be curious to hear what their next release sounds like.

Average customer rating:

Fifth with improvement

All Hands on the Bad One
Sleater-Kinney
Manufacturer: Bmg Japan
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | American Alternative | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Riot Grrl | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Alternative Rock | Imports | Stores | Music

Rock | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00004TEX3
Release Date: 2000-04-21

Tracks:

Ballad Of The Ladyman
Ironclad
All Hands On The Bad One
Youth Decay
You're No Rock N' Roll Run
#1 Must Have
The Professional
Was It A Lie?
Male Model
Leave You Behind
Milkshake And Honey
Pompeii
The Swimmer
Maraca

Album Description

Japanese edition of fifth album from Olympia, Wa based punk trio with earlier release & one exclusive bonus track 'Maraca'. 14 tracks in all. 2000 release. Standard jewel case.

Album Details

Japanese Version featuring a Bonus Track: Maraca.

Customer Reviews:

Fifth with improvement.......2000-11-05

"All Hands on the Bad One", Sleater-Kinney's fifth album, really needs no introduction...this album is excellent. With more of a rock and roll twinge and a poppy feel, this album is very different from their last effort, "The Hot Rock", but both have their merits. This album is beautiful, triumphant, and political. On "#1 Must Have", they take a look at the media's effects on the feminist revolution, in "You're No Rock and Roll Fun" we get a taste of some real rock and roll...and of course, the highlight of this album is the song that is not contained on the American release of "All Hands on the Bad One"..."Maraca"...this song was released in America as a single, but it is great to have it easily accesible in CD format.

Average customer rating:

This was never released. Promo only - 1 song on this.
Not for new fans....

All Hands on the Bad One
Sleater-Kinney
Manufacturer: Rtd
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | American Alternative | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Riot Grrl | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Alternative Rock | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00004XP70
Release Date: 2000-07-17

Album Details

Title Track from their Latest 2000 Album.

Customer Reviews:

This was never released. Promo only - 1 song on this........2005-07-27

According to Matador records, this single was never actually released. It was sent out as a promo only.

The only song on this CD single is the song "All Hands on the Bad One". It seems to be the same version as the one on the album (which is also named "All Hands on the Bad One"). The song itself is great. Really fun and sort of rebelious. Lots of catchy repetition of the song title.

But since the song is also on the album, and the whole album is terrific, you may as well just buy the album. I'm not even sure where you *would* buy this CD single,(...)

Like the other reviewer said, this is really an item for "die hard fans" who want to complete a collection.

The "cover art" for this consists of a plain piece of white paper, with the band name, song title, and release info. printed on it. The CD itself is also plain, with roughly the same information on it. Mine came in a clear slim jewel case.

Hope that helps!

Not for new fans...........2000-11-05

Although the songs on this single are awesome, I would not recommend buying it, as the songs are contained on the album...why not just buy the album and have them all, rather than just a couple?? I would probably only recommend this to a die hard Sleater-Kinney fan, who is trying to complete a collection...

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