Friction, Baby

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
The first two albums from Better Than Ezra were recorded as low-budget demos and released on tiny indie labels, even though the second one, Deluxe, was leased by Elektra and turned into a platinum smash. The third album, Friction, Baby, is the trio's first with a big budget and an experienced producer (Don Gehman of John Mellencamp, R.E.M., and Hootie & the Blowfish), and it crystallizes Better Than Ezra's identity as a mainstream pop band relying on catchy hooks, straightforward lyrics, and top-40 arrangements (which in 1996 meant grunge guitar). Kevin Griffin, the group's singer/songwriter/guitarist, has excellent pop instincts, and the 13 songs on Friction, Baby are as pleasurable as they are unadventurous. --Geoffrey Himes --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Tracks:

King Of New Orleans
R3wind
Long Lost
Normal Town
Scared Are You?
Return Of The Post Moderns
Hung The Moon
Desperatly Wanting
Still Life With Cooley
WWOZ
Happy Endings
Speeding Up To Slow Down
At Ch. DEGAULLE, Etc.

Amazon.com

The first two albums from Better Than Ezra were recorded as low-budget demos and released on tiny indie labels, even though the second one, Deluxe, was leased by Elektra and turned into a platinum smash. The third album, Friction, Baby, is the trio's first with a big budget and an experienced producer (Don Gehman of John Mellencamp, R.E.M., and Hootie & the Blowfish), and it crystallizes Better Than Ezra's identity as a mainstream pop band relying on catchy hooks, straightforward lyrics, and top-40 arrangements (which in 1996 meant grunge guitar). Kevin Griffin, the group's singer/songwriter/guitarist, has excellent pop instincts, and the 13 songs on Friction, Baby are as pleasurable as they are unadventurous. --Geoffrey Himes

Customer Reviews:

Awesome rock and roll music.......2007-01-31

This album is amazing. Ive had it since 1996 and I still love it. Speeding Up To Slow Down is one of the greatest songs Ive ever heard. Im not gonna overanalyze here because this music is unmistakably awesome. Some songs jump out at you at first and others come on strong after a few listens. Great melodies, crunchy guitar and outstanding vocals make this cd worth anyones money. Better Than Ezra are underappreciated when it comes to the mainstream but theyve got a core group of "Ezralites" who have been behind them for years. Honestly if you dont like this album then we have nothing to talk about when it comes to music.

Great album from an excellent band.......2007-01-28

BTE's "Friction, Baby" is a perfect reflection of the 1996 era in music, with so many other post-grunge bands crafting memorable (and very loud) hits. The fact remains that BTE is one of the few from this era that is still around. "Before the Robots," their most recent offering, is an equally good record in the 2005 mold.

Let's face it, "Desperately Wanting" is a legendary song. It buoys an album full of inspired rock tracks but none quite reaching the level of the aforementioned anthem. However, each of these tunes are different in feel and that makes "Friction, Baby" a very enjoyable listen.

While "R3wind" rings forth with the "now there is nothing but a mix tape left behind" chorus, "Long Lost" is thunderous, "Normal Town" is an atmospheric nod to Boston featuring a creative flute solo, and "Scared, Are You?" is a plodding rocker that eventually soars.

Later tracks like "WWOZ" and "Happy Endings" reflect a shift from the supersonic first half of the album to a reflective finish. "WWOZ" is beautiful lyrically and paints a wonderful picture. "Speeding Up To Slow Down" is a great example of rock in the mid-nineties, bringing back that heavy, riff-driven approach with thoughtful lyrics and an anthemic conclusion.

I don't think BTE has ever put together a "perfect" rock album, but "Friction, Baby" is as close as any of their attempts. The remarkable thing about BTE is that all of their albums have a different personality and thus, a variety of fans may embrace this record as the best while others favor "Deluxe" or "Before the Robots," for example. Then there's the other albums that haven't sold as well but probably mean just as much to other fans. In this light, their collection of great songs over the 12 years since they first hit the mainstream makes for an awesome concert experience filled with hits and catchy hooks. Their live album stands as my favorite record, personally. Maybe that's their "perfect" effort.

One of the MoreTalented releases of the Pop-Grundge era.......2005-10-01

Obviously affected by the widespread success of the harder grundge sound, BTE followed suit with similar peers, Counting Crows, and released a harder sophomoric album.

While some may brush it off simply for following the sonic trend at the time, the result here are some of the best songs created in the 96, 97 time period.

The harder sound invigorates and exacerbates Kevin's emotional lyrics, and overall this makes for a truly rewarding, full sounding album as a whole.

Surprising gem of a CD.......2005-07-28

I found this CD for $2 in my favourite record store and got purely on the basis of Desperately Wanting. As I listened to it, I instantly fell in love with nearly all the songs, particularly King of New Orleans and Still Life with Cooley. It does not disappoint.

This is some quality music.......2005-03-30

I just recently rediscovered this band. I had heard their mega-hit "Good" a long time ago, not realised it was them until now, and then picked up this CD. At first, I wasn't too keen on some of the songs, but now each song is great in it's own way. Kevin Griffin has a great voice.

King of New Orleans - This is the kind of song that becomes an instant classic. Everyone loves this song because it's just like that. It has catchy guitar riffs and a catchy chorus.

Rewind - I think this is the closest BTE ever comes to pop. Trust me, BTE IS NOT POP. This is another super-catchy song that's just as loud and gritty as 'King of New Orleans.'

Long Lost - The chorus of this song is definitely something I'll not forget. Kevin Griffin shows his range in this song. It has a more melancholy tone than the previous two songs.

Normal Town - Dude, this song has a flute solo in it. It sounds crazy, but it works for the song really well. While this song isn't one of my favourites on the CD, it is still a good listen.

Scared Are You? - This is one of my favourite tracks. The lyrics are great, the riffs are great. This is a highlight track for sure.

Return of the Post Moderns - This was influenced by the 90's. It borders more on the political side oddly enough. It's a bit strange, but it does grow on one.

Hung the Moon - This has the perfect grunge feel to it. It starts off with the amps turned all the way up with plenty of distortion. Another instant classic.

Desparately Wanting - This is a really catchy track. It starts off toned down and gradually picks up. It's another track that's guaranteed popularity like 'King of New Orleans.'

Still Life With Cooley - This almost gives the impression of being country until you reach the end of the track. At the end, you get a classic Ezra sound like in 'Hung the Moon.' Another strong song by Kevin Griffin.

WWOZ - This is another favourite. It's a great ballad.

Happy Endings - This is like 'WWOZ,' but it does have its differences. I love the lyrics of this one.

Speeding Up to Slow Down - This has the feel of an epic: it starts off slowly and builds up to a huge climax. Great song.

At Ch. Degualle, Etc. - This is an instrumental. It has some great guitar work in it, and the brass that comes in later sounds great with the band. They did some very creative arrangements on this instrumental.

There is another segment on after the instrumental where it sounds like Kevin is singing in maybe French? Anyway, that's another good song. It's a live track and it sounds like the band was doing some improvisation. It sounds great. I wish I could see them live!

This is a great CD. Go out and listen to this band. They are so hard-working. They are another one of those under-rated 90's bands like Toad the Wet Sprocket or others.

Average customer rating:

New Tattoo
New Tattoo
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Glam | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000TC6E8G

Product Description

1995, indie, USA. Out of print, indie hair metal from Florida. 10 tracks including: No bones about it, Good girl's bad, Take it leave it, Read me my rights, Sealed and delivered, Inside my eyes, You don't know, Keep on gettin' up, Too little too late, No guts no glory.

Average customer rating:

Honest Planet
St Warren
Manufacturer: World Records/St Warren Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000M6QMBS

Product Description

1992, independent release by U.S. rockers St. Warren. Out of print and unavailable since the early 90s. Eight tracks in total, including Wasn't for love, All that I am, Look who's talkin', Stop runnin', and more. Easily comparable to the melodic/harmony-laden style of early Harem Scarem, infused with the raw street-metal attitude/style of Skid Row's debut, as well as Lillian Axe's "Love+War" release.

Average customer rating:

Slightly Crazy...
Slyside
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000MC0XGC

Product Description

1992, indie, Sweden. Superb Swedish powerhouse hard rock release, unfortunately, the only release by these guys. Tracks including: Sweet obsession, Love me angel, Let's go crazy, Liar, and more.

Music:

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